Fan Fiction ❯ A Link to His Past ❯ Chapter 3
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Alexandra Spears 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Psychological / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.13.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 324 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Psychological / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.13.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 324 | Status: Completed
chapter 3
"So they abused him, hurt him?" King Harkinian asked his daughter, looking for a confirmation to what she'd just told him.
"Yes, and it must have been bad, for Link to actually cry about it even now," said Zelda. "And I think I know where they've taken him. Back to Calatia."
"Zelda--by our law and Calatian law, Link's foster parents have a right to keep him until he's twenty," Harkinian reminded her.
"Daddy, I am not going to stand by and let Link get hurt!" Zelda said, her voice a little sharp. "I have to help him! Isn't there any provision for children who are abused? If not, there should be!" With that she stalked out of the throne room and headed outside for the stables.
"She's right," Harkinian said to the fairy sitting on his shoulder--Spryte. He sighed. "I must meet with Queen Seline over this matter."
"I would," said Spryte. "Poor Link!"
That evening, Trina came into the shed, a knife in her hand. She sliced the ropes that bound Link's legs. "Into the house, young man," she snapped. "Orindon is coming to look at you tomorrow; he's thinking about buying you from us--Hero of Hyrule." The last three words came out as a sneer.
Trina shoved him into the house, and Jon seized Link by the ear, towards the more sensitive tip. "Let me go!" Link demanded.
"You're in no position to tell me what to do, boy," said Jon menacingly.
Trina stepped up and slapped Link hard across the face. "Nothing but problems for us," she snapped.
Link could taste the blood running from his nose into his mouth. Jon dragged him into his old room. This time there was a chain nailed to the floor, and Jon clamped a shackle around Link's left ankle. He then cut the ropes off Link and shoved him down. "You won't escape here," Jon laughed.
Link sat down and lifted the bottom of his tunic to his nose to stop the bleeding. The door closed, sealing him in pitch blackness. As brave as Link tried to be, the old feelings of helplessness and despair came over him. This place brought back memories, bad memories, things that came out in Link's nightmares. It seemed he'd gone back in time, to a time before he'd met Zelda, who right now seemed to be part of a better dream he'd had. What was she thinking right now?
There was a conversation going on between Jon and Trina. "Demand more rupees!" Trina was telling Jon.
"Don't bother me, I'm writing up the sale contract," said Jon. "I want a position in his army and I'm making sure I get it. He needs Link's blood to revive Ganon, and it requires a special ceremony. I want to make sure we're part of it...instead of burning to death in our homes."
"That son of a--" Link whispered under his breath. He had to hand it to Jon--how clever! Kidnap Link, use that law about under-twenty as a cover, and secretly sell him to whoever this guy was and claim Link ran away or something. And most likely no one would come after Link, not wanting to interfere with that law!
Suddenly the door banged open, knocking Link backwards and putting a lump on his forehead. "So--eavesdropping, eh?" Jon grinned evilly. "So you know that we have a plan to get in good with Orindon and Ganon, and that you'll be sacrificed to bring back Ganon--for a price. Your precious princess won't even bother to come after you. And this is for eavesdropping--"
Jon took off his belt. Link tried to run, was stopped by the chain. Jon laughed as he pulled the chain, dragging Link towards him. Link knew he was trapped; even if he could fight off Jon Trina would be there with a crossbow or something. He had no choice but to allow Jon to pull his leggings down. He bit back a scream as Jon whipped him with his belt. Finally he could take no more and he cried out, eliciting even harder blows with the belt.
Satisfied, Jon slammed the door shut and Link pulled up his pants, his skin still feeling like it was on fire. Pathetically, the sixteen-year-old hero of Hyrule, and Princess Zelda's fiance, curled up and began sobbing quietly, overwhelmed by his feelings and memories.
Zelda rode her white horse as fast as she could through the mountain passes leading to Calatia. It was getting dark, but she felt this need to hurry. She had a terrible feeling that Link was in trouble. Just before she left a guard had reported that they'd found Link's sword, hat, belt, and fishing rod near the pond. A small amount of blood had been on Link's hat, and that worried her. Everything pointed to him being taken by force rather than him going of his own volition.
"Hold on, Link," Zelda said out loud as she entered the country of Calatia, which lay to the west of Hyrule. Law or no law, she was helping Link break out of there. She would deal with the consequences later; the issue was Link's safety. After all, the purpose of placing orphans in foster homes was for their safety, and what was the point if they were abused? They'd probably fare better begging in the streets or even selling their bodies. Or, in Link's case, adventuring and fighting off monsters and living off the land, which he'd done for two years.
There was no way Link would have broken up with her. For one thing, he'd always been in love with her and that just didn't sound right. Secondly, they'd had such a nice time together earlier that day, going for a walk. Third, she hardly thought that even if he did want to break up with her, he'd go off with foster parents whom he'd just claimed had abused him. It didn't add up, didn't make any sense at all.
As Zelda rode to the nearest village, she wondered how a young boy could have lived like that for two years, with the constant danger. Then again, he was excellent with a sword and pretty good (though not quite as good as she) with a bow and arrows.
She realized that she didn't know what village Jon and Trina lived in. However, she was able to glean information from guards at the gates to no less than three villages. All Zelda knew was that she had to hurry.
She'd also thought to bring Spryte along, since she could be useful if Link were locked up.
Link could not sleep. Apparently Jon and Trina had gone to bed, for no one had come in to beat him some more. He guessed that it was the middle of the night. He was tired but sleep would not come, not on this hard, cold floor, not when he was used to sleeping in a nice, soft bed back at North Castle. Besides, he remembered waking up to a beating and he didn't want to go through that again.
Barely any moonlight came in through the tiny window. Even if Link could break that window, and even if he could fit through it, he was chained to the floor. It was no use.
Suddenly, he heard a knock at the front door. Link found himself trembling as he heard Jon's heavy footsteps. "Yeah, whaddya want, missy?" Link heard Jon asking.
"I came looking for my boyfriend," Link heard Zelda's voice saying.
This was it! She could help him! "Zelda! In here!" Link called.
Zelda stared up at the big man. "You have my fiance in there and I want him out," said Zelda. "Now."
"So, you're the Princess of Hyrule, Your Highness?" Jon mocked. "Well, Link is under twenty, and he ain't getting married until then. He ran away from us three years ago, worrying us to death--"
"Spare me," Zelda sighed.
While Zelda kept him occupied, Spryte flitted off around the house. She'd heard Link's voice coming from the right, so she headed there, found a small window. She used her magic to break through the glass.
"Who is that?" Link whispered.
"It's me, Spryte," said the fairy. She lit up the room with her magic and saw the shackle around Link's ankle. Using her magic, she unlocked it. "Now go get 'em."
Link kicked the door down. All the anger and frustration from the time he'd been abused came roiling up to the surface, and he pounced on Jon, pinning him to the ground. At that point, Trina came into the room. "You get off him!" she screeched at Link, pulling at his hair.
Zelda smacked the woman across the face, knocking her to the floor. "That's a small payback for how you treated Link," she said, glaring at her.
"Let's lock these two in that room," said Link as he wrestled with Jon. Trina was still sitting on the floor, rubbing her face and glaring.
Zelda took out her magic crossbow and pointed it at Jon. "Into that room. Now," she snarled. "Or you and your wife both get this."
Jon stopped wrestling with Link and went into the small room. Zelda held the crossbow while Link fastened the shackle around Jon's ankle. "Let's see how YOU like it!" Link said triumphantly.
Trina came up from behind Zelda and yanked on her long golden hair and pulled her to the ground. Link was furious.
"NO ONE does that to my girl, least of all you!" Link snapped as he slapped Trina across the face, as he'd been slapped by her countless times. He didn't care if she was a woman. All he saw was someone who'd treated him as if he were lower than the dirt she trod upon. He yanked her by the arm and threw her into the room with Jon.
Link and Zelda closed the door and barred it; the bar had been put there long ago to keep Link in. Now it would keep Jon and Trina inside.
"Zelda, they were going to sell me to this wizard, and he was going to sacrifice me and use my blood to revive Ganon," said Link. "If we can get that contract Jon was writing up and prove it...."
"They're even lower than I thought," said Zelda as she and Link looked around for the contract. Finally Link found it between a couple of books in the bookshelf.
Zelda read through it and shook her head. "Well, we'll show this to my father, and to Queen Seline," she said. "You know, it's a good thing I didn't believe that you'd leave me, otherwise we would have seen Ganon's return!"
Once they got home, Zelda treated some cuts Link had, and Link went into his room to take a nice hot bath. By then it was nearly dawn and both of them were tired.
Link went to Zelda's room. "Zelda, I just want to sleep with you. Not do anything, just lie down next to you," he said. "When I was in that room...those memories...they just came back...."
Zelda looked up at him from where she was sitting, in bed. He was wearing his pale blue nightshirt. He really looked like he needed some company. "All right, Link...but we're saving anything else for the wedding night," she relented. "I'll do it because you need it."
Link got into bed next to her and promptly fell asleep. Zelda smiled and stroked his head gently. She snuggled down into her blankets, put her arm around Link, and drifted off to sleep.
When Zelda woke up it was almost lunch time. Next to her Link was still sleeping. Still, she went into her bathroom to change into her clothes, just in case Link woke up.
When she came out, Link was sitting up, yawning and stretching. "Oh, hi, Zelda," he said.
Zelda smiled at him. "Today we're going to turn those foster parents of yours in, with that document," she told him. "How are you feeling?"
"Still a little sore," Link replied. His rear end still stung a little from that belt.
"I mean...emotionally," said Zelda as he got out of bed.
"I'm all right...now that they're gonna pay for what they did," said Link. "I just about cheered when you slapped Trina. She deserved it."
"Well, go to your room and get dressed, my hero." Zelda went up to him and kissed him.
EPILOGUE
King Harkinian and Queen Seline were shown the document, and Jon and Trina were arrested by Seline's soldiers.
Link and Zelda were married on the appointed date, days later.
New laws were passed in Hyrule and Calatia, making child abuse such as Link had suffered an offense punishable by lengthy imprisonment in the dungeon.
Link's fears about being a good father were assuaged when he and Zelda had several children. He was a good father to all of them.
~end~
"So they abused him, hurt him?" King Harkinian asked his daughter, looking for a confirmation to what she'd just told him.
"Yes, and it must have been bad, for Link to actually cry about it even now," said Zelda. "And I think I know where they've taken him. Back to Calatia."
"Zelda--by our law and Calatian law, Link's foster parents have a right to keep him until he's twenty," Harkinian reminded her.
"Daddy, I am not going to stand by and let Link get hurt!" Zelda said, her voice a little sharp. "I have to help him! Isn't there any provision for children who are abused? If not, there should be!" With that she stalked out of the throne room and headed outside for the stables.
"She's right," Harkinian said to the fairy sitting on his shoulder--Spryte. He sighed. "I must meet with Queen Seline over this matter."
"I would," said Spryte. "Poor Link!"
That evening, Trina came into the shed, a knife in her hand. She sliced the ropes that bound Link's legs. "Into the house, young man," she snapped. "Orindon is coming to look at you tomorrow; he's thinking about buying you from us--Hero of Hyrule." The last three words came out as a sneer.
Trina shoved him into the house, and Jon seized Link by the ear, towards the more sensitive tip. "Let me go!" Link demanded.
"You're in no position to tell me what to do, boy," said Jon menacingly.
Trina stepped up and slapped Link hard across the face. "Nothing but problems for us," she snapped.
Link could taste the blood running from his nose into his mouth. Jon dragged him into his old room. This time there was a chain nailed to the floor, and Jon clamped a shackle around Link's left ankle. He then cut the ropes off Link and shoved him down. "You won't escape here," Jon laughed.
Link sat down and lifted the bottom of his tunic to his nose to stop the bleeding. The door closed, sealing him in pitch blackness. As brave as Link tried to be, the old feelings of helplessness and despair came over him. This place brought back memories, bad memories, things that came out in Link's nightmares. It seemed he'd gone back in time, to a time before he'd met Zelda, who right now seemed to be part of a better dream he'd had. What was she thinking right now?
There was a conversation going on between Jon and Trina. "Demand more rupees!" Trina was telling Jon.
"Don't bother me, I'm writing up the sale contract," said Jon. "I want a position in his army and I'm making sure I get it. He needs Link's blood to revive Ganon, and it requires a special ceremony. I want to make sure we're part of it...instead of burning to death in our homes."
"That son of a--" Link whispered under his breath. He had to hand it to Jon--how clever! Kidnap Link, use that law about under-twenty as a cover, and secretly sell him to whoever this guy was and claim Link ran away or something. And most likely no one would come after Link, not wanting to interfere with that law!
Suddenly the door banged open, knocking Link backwards and putting a lump on his forehead. "So--eavesdropping, eh?" Jon grinned evilly. "So you know that we have a plan to get in good with Orindon and Ganon, and that you'll be sacrificed to bring back Ganon--for a price. Your precious princess won't even bother to come after you. And this is for eavesdropping--"
Jon took off his belt. Link tried to run, was stopped by the chain. Jon laughed as he pulled the chain, dragging Link towards him. Link knew he was trapped; even if he could fight off Jon Trina would be there with a crossbow or something. He had no choice but to allow Jon to pull his leggings down. He bit back a scream as Jon whipped him with his belt. Finally he could take no more and he cried out, eliciting even harder blows with the belt.
Satisfied, Jon slammed the door shut and Link pulled up his pants, his skin still feeling like it was on fire. Pathetically, the sixteen-year-old hero of Hyrule, and Princess Zelda's fiance, curled up and began sobbing quietly, overwhelmed by his feelings and memories.
Zelda rode her white horse as fast as she could through the mountain passes leading to Calatia. It was getting dark, but she felt this need to hurry. She had a terrible feeling that Link was in trouble. Just before she left a guard had reported that they'd found Link's sword, hat, belt, and fishing rod near the pond. A small amount of blood had been on Link's hat, and that worried her. Everything pointed to him being taken by force rather than him going of his own volition.
"Hold on, Link," Zelda said out loud as she entered the country of Calatia, which lay to the west of Hyrule. Law or no law, she was helping Link break out of there. She would deal with the consequences later; the issue was Link's safety. After all, the purpose of placing orphans in foster homes was for their safety, and what was the point if they were abused? They'd probably fare better begging in the streets or even selling their bodies. Or, in Link's case, adventuring and fighting off monsters and living off the land, which he'd done for two years.
There was no way Link would have broken up with her. For one thing, he'd always been in love with her and that just didn't sound right. Secondly, they'd had such a nice time together earlier that day, going for a walk. Third, she hardly thought that even if he did want to break up with her, he'd go off with foster parents whom he'd just claimed had abused him. It didn't add up, didn't make any sense at all.
As Zelda rode to the nearest village, she wondered how a young boy could have lived like that for two years, with the constant danger. Then again, he was excellent with a sword and pretty good (though not quite as good as she) with a bow and arrows.
She realized that she didn't know what village Jon and Trina lived in. However, she was able to glean information from guards at the gates to no less than three villages. All Zelda knew was that she had to hurry.
She'd also thought to bring Spryte along, since she could be useful if Link were locked up.
Link could not sleep. Apparently Jon and Trina had gone to bed, for no one had come in to beat him some more. He guessed that it was the middle of the night. He was tired but sleep would not come, not on this hard, cold floor, not when he was used to sleeping in a nice, soft bed back at North Castle. Besides, he remembered waking up to a beating and he didn't want to go through that again.
Barely any moonlight came in through the tiny window. Even if Link could break that window, and even if he could fit through it, he was chained to the floor. It was no use.
Suddenly, he heard a knock at the front door. Link found himself trembling as he heard Jon's heavy footsteps. "Yeah, whaddya want, missy?" Link heard Jon asking.
"I came looking for my boyfriend," Link heard Zelda's voice saying.
This was it! She could help him! "Zelda! In here!" Link called.
Zelda stared up at the big man. "You have my fiance in there and I want him out," said Zelda. "Now."
"So, you're the Princess of Hyrule, Your Highness?" Jon mocked. "Well, Link is under twenty, and he ain't getting married until then. He ran away from us three years ago, worrying us to death--"
"Spare me," Zelda sighed.
While Zelda kept him occupied, Spryte flitted off around the house. She'd heard Link's voice coming from the right, so she headed there, found a small window. She used her magic to break through the glass.
"Who is that?" Link whispered.
"It's me, Spryte," said the fairy. She lit up the room with her magic and saw the shackle around Link's ankle. Using her magic, she unlocked it. "Now go get 'em."
Link kicked the door down. All the anger and frustration from the time he'd been abused came roiling up to the surface, and he pounced on Jon, pinning him to the ground. At that point, Trina came into the room. "You get off him!" she screeched at Link, pulling at his hair.
Zelda smacked the woman across the face, knocking her to the floor. "That's a small payback for how you treated Link," she said, glaring at her.
"Let's lock these two in that room," said Link as he wrestled with Jon. Trina was still sitting on the floor, rubbing her face and glaring.
Zelda took out her magic crossbow and pointed it at Jon. "Into that room. Now," she snarled. "Or you and your wife both get this."
Jon stopped wrestling with Link and went into the small room. Zelda held the crossbow while Link fastened the shackle around Jon's ankle. "Let's see how YOU like it!" Link said triumphantly.
Trina came up from behind Zelda and yanked on her long golden hair and pulled her to the ground. Link was furious.
"NO ONE does that to my girl, least of all you!" Link snapped as he slapped Trina across the face, as he'd been slapped by her countless times. He didn't care if she was a woman. All he saw was someone who'd treated him as if he were lower than the dirt she trod upon. He yanked her by the arm and threw her into the room with Jon.
Link and Zelda closed the door and barred it; the bar had been put there long ago to keep Link in. Now it would keep Jon and Trina inside.
"Zelda, they were going to sell me to this wizard, and he was going to sacrifice me and use my blood to revive Ganon," said Link. "If we can get that contract Jon was writing up and prove it...."
"They're even lower than I thought," said Zelda as she and Link looked around for the contract. Finally Link found it between a couple of books in the bookshelf.
Zelda read through it and shook her head. "Well, we'll show this to my father, and to Queen Seline," she said. "You know, it's a good thing I didn't believe that you'd leave me, otherwise we would have seen Ganon's return!"
Once they got home, Zelda treated some cuts Link had, and Link went into his room to take a nice hot bath. By then it was nearly dawn and both of them were tired.
Link went to Zelda's room. "Zelda, I just want to sleep with you. Not do anything, just lie down next to you," he said. "When I was in that room...those memories...they just came back...."
Zelda looked up at him from where she was sitting, in bed. He was wearing his pale blue nightshirt. He really looked like he needed some company. "All right, Link...but we're saving anything else for the wedding night," she relented. "I'll do it because you need it."
Link got into bed next to her and promptly fell asleep. Zelda smiled and stroked his head gently. She snuggled down into her blankets, put her arm around Link, and drifted off to sleep.
When Zelda woke up it was almost lunch time. Next to her Link was still sleeping. Still, she went into her bathroom to change into her clothes, just in case Link woke up.
When she came out, Link was sitting up, yawning and stretching. "Oh, hi, Zelda," he said.
Zelda smiled at him. "Today we're going to turn those foster parents of yours in, with that document," she told him. "How are you feeling?"
"Still a little sore," Link replied. His rear end still stung a little from that belt.
"I mean...emotionally," said Zelda as he got out of bed.
"I'm all right...now that they're gonna pay for what they did," said Link. "I just about cheered when you slapped Trina. She deserved it."
"Well, go to your room and get dressed, my hero." Zelda went up to him and kissed him.
EPILOGUE
King Harkinian and Queen Seline were shown the document, and Jon and Trina were arrested by Seline's soldiers.
Link and Zelda were married on the appointed date, days later.
New laws were passed in Hyrule and Calatia, making child abuse such as Link had suffered an offense punishable by lengthy imprisonment in the dungeon.
Link's fears about being a good father were assuaged when he and Zelda had several children. He was a good father to all of them.
~end~