A/N: Manga adaptation is planned to start sometime in the summer of 2018. Meanwhile, I will be rewriting this story, as well as posting new chapters of it.
Somehow, some way, this is all… familiar. I feel as if I've been in this exact situation. Not with the same circumstances, though, but the sense of urgency and fear surging through my veins feels somewhat familiar.
What a strange thought.
Link's Point of View
Through the vast lands of this universe, I ride forward.
I don't know how much more time Mikasa has. She's unconscious. I don't even know how to save her.
All I know to do is to run away. Away from Vaati, that is.
Fear is constantly overwhelming me. The thought of possibly losing her… Mikasa… due to someone I brought to this world… I cannot bear it.
The sound of wet grass being trampled drowns out my thoughts, along with my fast heartbeat. Lightning continually strikes from all directions. The thick fog disallows me from seeing more than two meters ahead. Rain falls down onto my head by the second.
Please… Please… I can't do this…
Don't die… Don't die…
I hesitantly turn my head to see how she's doing; she's still unconscious, and there is a black, upside-down Triforce on her right hand.
"Don't die, Mikasa… please don't die…"
Vaati is still a ways behind me. I could stop right here, and I would be fine. He's not even chasing me. Despite that, I continue riding forward, hoping something will cross my mind to save this dear girl…
It's my fault. None of this would have ever taken place if I just hadn't come to this world. Annie never would've received her powers. Vaati wouldn't have arrived to wreak havoc. So much death has happened on my account… and this is slowly becoming yet another.
I recall the being I encountered before I entered this world.
It was a stalfos. One that was holding the Ocarina of Time. And when I looked at it through the Lens of Truth, I saw different versions of me.
That's the being who sent me here.
"What… what do you want me to do…" I say.
"WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO, YOU BASTARD?! WHY AM I HERE? TELL ME!" I scream into the darkness of the night.
If Mikasa dies… I will be forever guilty. I will never forgive myself. I'd constantly be reminded of my shortcomings.
Not only that… I'd lose a dear friend.
I think of her. I think of her face… her scarf… the way she talks… her black hair… her blunt attitude…
I remember the way she would look at me when we'd talk.
I remember the times I'd stay up late back in the HQ while I drank coffee, and she'd be the only other one awake. We'd talk all night about nothing in particular.
I remember when we first met back in that soup restaurant in Ehrmich. She thought I was up to no good, and tried to apprehend me; of course, I viciously resisted her.
I remember how she always held herself high, how she didn't back off from anyone, how she always had something on her mind, and how she always walked with purpose.
And right now, she's dying because of me.
"Don't torture yourself like that. Do what you feel you need to do. Take all the time you need sorting out whatever problems you have, everyone understands. Please."
She told me that when I was staying at the Scout HQ. Those words still resonate with me today.
The fog starts to clear up, and a certain forest over to the far left comes into view. Forest Cantavia. I begin heading that way to stay out of the rain.
It's overwhelming… Not that I haven't been stressed before, but I've never felt like this…
I guess this is the price I pay for travelling alongside other people. Going solo seems to be the better option after all…
As I come closer to the giant forest, lightning continually strikes from above. Each strike comes closer, and closer, and closer… until a bolt of lightning shoots down directly in front of me and my horse. Mikasa and I fly backwards, and the horse takes off in the opposite direction.
Just my luck… God dammit! Why, why, why, why, WHY?
I sit there, screaming in rage. Mikasa is lying next to me, dying, and there is nothing I can do about it. My horse is gone. Most of my items are in Yarckel. Zelda is barely fighting off Vaati, Armin is severely injured, and everyone else is in… Termina.
I begin to lose hope. Screaming at the dark clouds above does nothing, but I continue anyway.
It isn't until I remember something Zelda told me that I realize that there is a way.
My eyes dart to Mikasa's limp body. I feel the Triforce surging through my veins, and channel its energy into my hand, which is placed on her stomach. The image of the Triforce of Courage flows through my mind.
Please work, please work, please work, I think.
If I could force my Triforce into her… It'd save her? Zelda said something about that… I don't know what it does, though.
It's my last hope.
As the raindrops relentlessly pour onto Mikasa and me from above, I attempt to transfer my Triforce of Courage into her. My hands are shaking nonstop. The heart in my chest is beating persistently. Just as I finally give up hope, I feel a sense of weakness. One that feels familiar.
The same weakness I felt when I gave Zelda back her Triforce of Wisdom.
My left hand no longer has a Triforce symbol on it.
That same symbol then appears on Mikasa's left hand.
One of the Antitriforce pieces suddenly bursts out from her limp body, and forces its way into mine; I abruptly can't breathe. Shit… My vision gets hazy, and everything... becomes tinted white. I see a dark, upside-down Triforce on my right hand, and then... darkness...
Armin's Point of View
Ow… Hurts…
Leg… Bloody… Dying…
...Mikasa is okay, though… Ah…
"OI! YOU THERE! WAKE UP!"
"YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! USE A HORSE, THEY'RE OVER THERE!"
...Huh?
Some girl is standing in front of me… She's… yelling at me, or something. I can't quite make out her words…
"Look, I need you to, for the love of all things holy, get it together. You are rapidly losing blood and I don't think there are any health potions here, so I suggest you maybe flee for the time being. You need not be here any longer!"
"W-what…?" I sputter out.
Link's friend.
She's standing in front of me. I can barely make out her face due to how dark it is. Vaati is in the background, injured by the looks of it, and the portal-like black substance Eren and the others went into is still there.
A blade is jutting out of my bloody leg. For some odd reason, I cannot feel any pain.
"Are you okay? Armin, right? That is your name?"
"Y-yes, yes, that is my name."
"Okay, splendid, now please, find a horse and get out of here! I'll handle Vaati."
"What about Sasha, and Eren? The others? Where did they all go? What is that purplish hole they were thrown into?"
"I do not know, okay? I swear, I will explain to the best of my ability, once this is all over. I am buying you time, understood? I do not intend to engage in a battle to the death with this menace. Now, please, run."
The man dressed in purple rises back to his feet, and Zelda promptly jumps back and shoots a light beam out of her hand at him. It barely misses. He charges forward at Zelda, landing a punch on her stomach, and she goes flying backwards. He then looks down to me, at my pitiful, injured self.
"Do you intend to kill me?" I ask.
He chuckles.
"Not sure. In any case, I need my sword back."
Without hesitation, he rips the blade out of my leg, and the pain that was previously absent comes rushing back, followed by me screaming in agony. He continues his battle with Zelda as I writhe on the wet, muddy grass.
I guess it's time to accept your fate, Armin… You knew. You knew this is how it was going to end.
The strong prey on the weak.
I managed to get this far using my wit, but when it comes down to it, I receive the short end of the stick.
What a cruel life this has been…
Zelda eventually stops using her powers and starts dodging for a while. I can't quite make out what they're saying, but… the two are talking about something. Vaati's seemingly mocking her, judging by his facial expressions, but at one point Zelda finally goes in for a strike and knocks him to the ground.
She raises her hand toward the portal a few meters in front of her.
"Leave," I can hear her forcefully say. "Leave or I close it."
"Is that why you weren't using your powers? To save up your energy and close the portal? What a waste!"
"No, it's not a waste, because once you create a portal, you cannot make another for three weeks, right? I don't know the specifics, but that's how it works, correct?"
"Your threat is that I can't go to Termina for three weeks? What kind of threat is that, princess? I'll tell you: it's an asinine one. One that isn't thought out. I thought you were better than that, princess."
"I'm going to close it."
"Do it."
"I will."
"Then do it!"
"And you will be stuck in this universe for three weeks."
"I am aware of that, yes."
"Who's going to be in charge of Hyrule?"
"I have that covered."
"What of Termina?"
"I have that covered too, princess."
Zelda suddenly looks frustrated; Vaati then chuckles…
If he stays here, he'll kill us. If he goes to wherever Sasha and the others were sent to, they'll be killed. It's lose-lose…
"Hey! I just remembered about those little fiends that jumped into the portal. I wonder how they're doing?"
Oh, no.
"What of them?" Zelda asks.
"They can't be doing well, right? I don't think you've ever been to Termina, but you should know they're probably in danger… What a dilemma!"
Vaati stops talking for a moment; Zelda looks like she's about to close the portal before Vaati enters.
"You know what, Zelda? I'll humor you. I'll play your little game, and pay your friends a visit, too."
He steps back, looks at the portal, and then promptly flies towards it.
"See you on the other side," he says, before entering the portal.
My vision starts to get more and more hazy, but I can see Zelda closing the portal, and then looking to me… She runs towards me, trying to pull me up, but to no avail… Darkness eventually envelops my vision as she tries to lead me to a horse...
Suddenly, I awaken.
"Are you alright?" I hear a voice ask.
The sky is dark. It's still raining. I can still feel pain surging through my body. Shit…
"I said are you alright, Armin?"
I look up to see Zelda, sitting behind me; we're on a horse.
"I'm alive," I sputter out.
"Good," she replies. "I sense we're getting close to where Link is."
Link… I wonder if he ended up saving Mikasa? I sure do hope…
"Is… Is Mikasa okay?"
"I'm fairly certain she is alive - 'okay,' I'm not so sure. It seems as if Link's transferred a Triforce piece to her."
"H-how do you know?"
"I can sense two entities holding pieces of the Triforce up ahead."
A feeling of relief floods over me. Mikasa's alive. It's probably a temporary relief, but at this point, I'll take anything.
After all, half of my friends are in some other world, probably scared out of their minds.
"What… what is 'Termina'?" I ask.
Zelda thinks for a moment.
"It's… some world that Link travelled to not long ago. All I know is that Link faced conflict there before he came to this world."
"Are my friends okay?"
"...I don't know."
We continue riding towards Link. It seems like we're heading towards the Scout HQ, too. Maybe he's there? I don't know.
All I can do is hope.
"Why is he doing it?" I ask.
Zelda looks to me.
"What do you mean? Who?"
"Vaati… Why is he doing it?"
"It's beyond reasoning at this point, Armin."
"It's just… I never understood why some people just do horrible things. Do they do it to feel powerful?"
"As I said, it's beyond reasoning."
"My dear friends… Bertholdt and Reiner… they ended up being these horrible murderers who destroyed the outermost wall's gate… I would just wonder, why? Why would someone do such a thing? What's their motive?"
"I felt the same once… After experiencing it many times I just grew to accept it. The hatred and monstrosities of the world will always be present. Why they exist matter not - what matters is how you deal with them."
Wise words…
"How are we going to deal with it?"
"We're going to fight until the very end."
Mikasa's Point of View
I awaken.
I'm lying in a bed, in a quiet room; it's dark outside, and it's raining. I can feel patches of bandages all over my body, as well as a strong migraine kicking in.
I feel horrible, I think. What the hell happened?
Suddenly, it all comes back to me. Talking with Eren. Vaati's appearance. Being half-conscious on a rainy field as my friends were being ravaged… Everything else after that is hazy.
The entire room… is tinted white, for some reason. It gradually wears off, though.
I rise from the bed, and walk out of the room; I first see Hanji, who immediately approaches me.
"Mikasa! You're awake! And - your eyes. What's up with your eyes?!"
"...what?"
"Nevermind. You're at the Scout HQ right now. Come on, have a seat! You must be exhausted."
She sits me down on a couch and takes a seat next to me. I notice Link curled up on a recliner on the other side of the room. He's quite obviously taken a heavy beating.
"What happened to Link?" I ask.
"...that's what I was going to ask you."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you see… You two were found unconscious a little bit south of a lake not too far from the Scout HQ… You're very lucky the regular patrol was just coming back when the rain hit."
"I see…" I reply. "Wait - why was there a patrol?"
A look of hesitation suddenly appears in Hanji's eyes. I notice her uncertain gaze before she explains.
"We're being targeted."
"By whom?"
"The Military Police."
"Why?"
"Unsure. All we know is that we were somehow the cause of the death of someone important. We received a letter, actually."
"Problems on top of problems," I mutter. Hanji nods in agreement.
She sighs.
"I… I'm just very unsure how we are going to deal with everything. About half of the Regiment is gone on that mission to help rebuild the cities with the Garrison, but obviously your group ran into some problems. We know about those people, if you're wondering. Fraternity Rose. We were considering investigating them, but once we received the warning from the capital we halted everything. We're trying to call back all of our soldiers, but we clearly can't do that as fast as we need to…"
"...and… on top of that… your group seems to have encountered another problem," she continues, looking to me curiously.
"That's quite the understatement," I reply.
"Tell me."
Krista's death… Does she know?
"Do you know about… Krista?"
"Hm? What about her?"
"...she was killed."
She stands up in surprise. "What?! How, by who?!"
"By a man named Maxus, apparently. The leader of Fraternity Rose."
"Are you kidding me? God, that's horrible! Krista… I barely even knew her."
She looks down to the ground.
"No time to be emotional," she says, looking back to me. "Continue."
"How do I go about explaining this… You know Link, right? Well, you know how he's from a… different place… right?"
She slowly nods, thinking about what I just said.
"Let's just say that certain people from where he's from came about during our travels."
"Is he from outside the walls? I never got the chance to ask," she questions.
"No… It's not like that. I don't know how to explain it, but… he's neither from inside nor outside the walls. Just a different place entirely - called 'Hyrule,' I think."
"Interesting… Who are these people you speak of?"
"Eh… One of them is a… darker version of Link, an evil version. He was killed, though, I think. One of them is Zelda, who is Link's… friend… and she's helped us. Another is a man named Vaati, who is the one who gave Annie her powers. He's incredibly strong and is probably why Link and I nearly died back there…"
Hanji thinks for a moment.
"I can't believe I'm actually believing what you say," she tells me.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Let's see… A few months ago I was informed that a human being was able to turn into a titan. Naturally, I instantly put off the idea, thinking it was madness. I mean, a human being a titan at the same time? Nonsense! It wasn't until later I realized it was true. And, when not too long later Annie was revealed to have the same powers, I was still very surprised, but this time I was able to believe it, accept it more - because it'd already happened. I started to get used to the madness. Become accustomed to unpredictability. As time went on, and I learned more and more secrets of the world - such as Annie's newfound telekinetic powers - I stopped being so surprised and instead just started accepting things. And, here I am today, hearing about these witch-people with these strange powers ambushing my soldiers… It's pretty damn crazy, right?"
"You took the words right out of my mouth," I say, half-smiling, eyeballing Link on the other side of the room.
He's probably been used to this kind of stuff for a while, I think.
We both go to bed not too long later. As is expected, I find myself lying on that same couch, unable to fall asleep. Thoughts are rushing through my head. The whereabouts of Eren, Armin, and the others… what's going to happen next… I can't stop thinking about all of it.
So, when I hear the sound of frantic knocking at the door, I immediately rise and answer it.
It's none other than Zelda, carrying an unconscious Armin on her back. He's battered-down, bloody, and probably about to die… Zelda looks pretty bad as well.
"He needs help," she tells me, as I help her get him into the building. He's sat down on a seat in the room I was sleeping in; I wake Hanji and some of the other scouts, and they all immediately rush to treat his wounds.
"Look at this stab wound!" Hanji exclaims. "This is horrible! How did this even happen?"
I approach Zelda.
"I need to know where everybody else is," I say.
Instead of answering, she grabs both of my hands, and studies to tops of them - there are bandages covering most of my hand, though. In that moment I notice something glowing beneath both of the patches covering my hands… Zelda promptly rips off the bandages.
"The Triforce," she mutters.
On my left hand is a glowing, yellow, three-pieced triangle, with one piece glowing stronger than the others; on my right is a dark, three-pieced triangle, with one piece darker than the others. I didn't notice any of this until now - what the hell happened to me?
"What is this?" I ask, confused.
"Link gave you a Triforce piece to keep you from dying," she tells me, letting go of my hands. "It was the only way. Worry not, though, if you do not want to receive any sort of power you can simply give them back."
"This gives me power?"
"Indeed."
"Like Annie?"
"No, like me and Vaati."
Vaati can fly, and Zelda can shoot light beams from her hands…
...I can use this.
"Link now has a piece of the Antitriforce, too, but only that," Zelda tells me. "With three Triforce holders, we stand a greater chance against Vaati…"
"I know nothing of these powers, though."
Zelda half-smiles.
"You will."
I stare at the "Triforce" symbols on the tops of my hands; I'm able to feel its power surging through my body. It's mysterious, yet intriguing. A new power…
"Now, tell me: where is everybody else?"
"Termina," another voice says.
I turn to see none other than Link, rising from his chair.
"Link, you're awake!" Zelda says.
He approaches Zelda and me, barely able to walk, yet keeping a determined gaze in his eyes. He grabs his sword from the table, and sheathes it; then, he dusts off his tunic.
"I guess it's time to meet some old friends," he says.
End of Act I
CHECK OUT THIS STORY
Attack on ALfheim by Gussy Phantom
This story is written by perhaps the most loyal reader of this fic, a reader whom I very much appreciate. Go check out their fic! It's a crossover between SAO and SnK.
A/N: I will continually be planning for the manga throughout the rest of the year. Written chapters will still come out, but I will also be focusing on the manga.
Follow my twitter for updates on the manga, as well as this fic: byzeldro
Also... Act II...
Get ready for Termina.
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