Chapter 1:
Spoiler: show
Please be all right, Link, thought the princess frantically as she jammed her feet into her slippers. Her quiet, wise demeanor was quickly regained as she dashed down the dark castle hallway and through her garden gate. She waved away a few members of her Royal Guard as she passed them, attempting to make it out of her castle with the smallest amount of delay possible.
Her long, golden tresses were in disarray, her elegant dress replaced with a hastily tied silk robe. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dark, shining circles under them from lack of sleep. Her lips were absent of the usual pink rouge she used to color them, and her arms and neck were absent of any of her usual priceless jewelry. Even her simple tiara lay forgotten on her bedside table in the midst of her panic.
All in all, Princess Zelda of Hyrule looked a wreck.
She dashed into the stables and flung the door open.
"Ferion," she gasped, tucking a stray strand of hair behind a delicately pointed ear. She tapped his forehead gently, attempting to capture her wayward breaths and ease them. "C'mon, boy, wake up..."
The white stallion let out a low, sleepy whinny before opening its intelligent brown eyes. Zelda patted his strong, ropy neck and his ears perked up at the familiar scent: his mistress. He shook his pearly mane away from his face and waited for further instructions.
"Good boy," she said grimly, and mounted the great white horse.
A few moments later, she was astride Ferion with her Triforce glowing ominously on her hand.
Please be safe, Link...
Ferion's clattering hooves and Zelda's trailing gown were the last things seen or heard as she left the towering castle, the sun's first rays striking its looming shadow upon them both.
xxxxxx
"Mmmh..." Link groaned, feeling as if his head was full of hot oil.
He was on his back, arm shielding his face and one knee up. His usually messy hair was tangled and matted with dried blood, and his entire body ached with the abuse it had received. Bruises covered his arms, legs, ribs, and chest; multiple lacerations marred his face and neck.
His weapons were missing, and his forest-green tunic was ripped along the shoulder and back. His cap lay a few feet away from him, stained and trampled.
He was also pretty sure, through his fogged, muddled mind, that a few ribs were broken as he attempted to drag oxygen into his lungs.
He cracked an eye open and light assailed his pupil; he blinked and opened both of them wearily.
He was in a huge dim room, lying under the only source of light; the sun filtering through a crudely made glass window. As his clear blue eyes adjusted to the odd lighting, he noted that the floor and walls were made of stone. Some sort of green ooze covered everything, and some purplish brown streaks of old blood streaked the surface occasionally. The ceiling was so high that it was nearly nonexistent, and the narrow halls to the left and right looked as if they had no end. The air was so cold it was possible to hang meat, and yet the humidity that clung to the hollow bones of the room made it oddly stifling. Everything stank of dead corpses and wet mildew, and the sweetish fetid stench made Link's eyes water and his throat constrict with disgust.
He sat up after a few moments, careful not to bring any more needless pain to his body. He turned his semi-keen Hylian ears to his left and listened carefully. It was there-very faint, but there-laughter.
All-out, maniacal, humorless laughter.
Fear and cold stung Link's heart when it came closer-he recognized it-
"Fancy meeting you here in my castle again, Link," said Ganondorf, his powerful presence filling the entire room.
Link jumped to his feet immediately, the anger and determination that twisted his handsome features driving his body against its will. He swayed on his feet, eyelashes fluttering dangerously. His head dropped, neck too weak to support it properly.
"G-Ganon..." he slurred, voice thick with ill will.
Link stabilized himself and lifted his head again, his wolfish side resurfacing. He bared his teeth and growled-and blinked. Ganondorf was gone.
Was it an illusion? Was Ganondorf... playing... with him...?
Link's head felt as if it would burst. His sword and shield were gone; all his equipment was missing. He felt defenseless, helpless, cornered-and without Midna, he couldn't morph into his wolf form.
Link roared in frustration and banged his leather-clad fist against the cold stone wall. He turned around and slid against it until he was sitting with his knees drawn up against his chest. He snatched his cap up off the ground and put it on his sore head, hoping that maybe it would help him think of an escape from the doorless, endless room with the impossibly high window and ceiling. For all he knew, this was all an illusion, as well.
He sucked in his breath in a startled gasp as hot breath blew itself onto his cheek.
"I hope you missed me..."
He felt himself being lifted by the tunic by an invisible force. The familiar feeling of fear overcame him, but the bold bravery he kept burning inside returned in full.
Zelda... I hope you can figure out what's going on...
He gritted his teeth and struggled against the powerful man.
A single thought crossed his mind and he smiled in spite of his bleak situation.
You too, Midna...
xxxxxxxx
"Yes, that's it! Good work!"
Princess Midna stood at the head of the construction site, overlooking the work of the Twili.
Since Zant had destroyed her home and turned it into a dark wasteland, she had had to build it back up excruciatingly slowly. The work had been long and hard for the entire royal family.
Her mother, standing across from her some yards away, gave Midna an encouraging nod from her post.
The dark princess gave an absent smile in return, but was not actually looking at her mother. Her body was there with her people in the Twilight Realm, but her mind was a million miles away in the world of light.
She smiled again, but this time, she was looking down at a small object in her hand that she'd pulled from her pocket.
"Link! You have to trick him!"
The little imp was screaming frantically into the blonde farmhand's ear, desperate to keep him from getting hurt. She grimaced in sympathy pain when the giant boar reappeared and rammed into Link's left side, pummeling him to the ground mercilessly.
Oops... Maybe I should have told him to dodge the portals that turn blue, she thought in hindsight.
Link groaned and stumbled to his feet, holding his torso and clenching his teeth.
"C-could... you tell me... how before I break something else?" he wheezed, fixing Midna with a withering glance.
"Ummm... I... dunno?" she said, shrugging and grinning sheepishly. Link rolled his eyes and ducked between pounding hooves as the beast charged blindly at him again.
"Wait...maybe..." Link's brow furrowed in thought as he kept a wary ear out for boar-Ganondorf. "If he's in animal form...Midna! Wolf form, now!"
"What?" She screamed in confusion. "Isn't the Master Sword supposed to be the bane of evil?"
The beast decided that it was time to trample poor Link again at that moment, and it was quickly headed toward them. "Hello!" Midna yelled, gesturing towards Ganondorf. "Evil!"
Link rolled out of the way in time and stood, groaning loudly at the abuse of his ribs.
"Midna! Just do it! Trust me!"
"Ooookay...here comes 'doggie Link'!" She tapped the back of his neck with the stone and felt the familiar wooshing sensation as he transformed.
Link stood directly in front of the larger animal, which had wheeled around and shifted its momentum towards the pair.
A look of dawning comprehension slid over the imp's face and she gathered her power.
"Here we go..."
Princess Midna was rudely jolted back to the present by a strange, unfamiliar feeling. She felt horrified, weak, as if a giant metal hand was squeezing her heart and making it cold at the same time. She felt as if she were falling down a hole of hellish fire.
Her pupils dilated, then shrank to pinpoints, and her breath suddenly came in sharp, stabbing gasps.
Her body suddenly felt as if it had millions of bruises all over, including her bones. Her vision exploded into a thousand jets of light as her head felt the equivalent of a giant brick colliding with it.
Her legs crumpled beneath her and she fell, Link's dark Wolfstone falling out of her delicate hand and clattering on the rocky ground.
As the corners of her vision darkened and voices shouted her name in alarm, she saw a familiar face in front of her eyes.
"...Link...?"
The last thing she knew was confusion before the darkness extinguished her consciousness.
Her long, golden tresses were in disarray, her elegant dress replaced with a hastily tied silk robe. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dark, shining circles under them from lack of sleep. Her lips were absent of the usual pink rouge she used to color them, and her arms and neck were absent of any of her usual priceless jewelry. Even her simple tiara lay forgotten on her bedside table in the midst of her panic.
All in all, Princess Zelda of Hyrule looked a wreck.
She dashed into the stables and flung the door open.
"Ferion," she gasped, tucking a stray strand of hair behind a delicately pointed ear. She tapped his forehead gently, attempting to capture her wayward breaths and ease them. "C'mon, boy, wake up..."
The white stallion let out a low, sleepy whinny before opening its intelligent brown eyes. Zelda patted his strong, ropy neck and his ears perked up at the familiar scent: his mistress. He shook his pearly mane away from his face and waited for further instructions.
"Good boy," she said grimly, and mounted the great white horse.
A few moments later, she was astride Ferion with her Triforce glowing ominously on her hand.
Please be safe, Link...
Ferion's clattering hooves and Zelda's trailing gown were the last things seen or heard as she left the towering castle, the sun's first rays striking its looming shadow upon them both.
xxxxxx
"Mmmh..." Link groaned, feeling as if his head was full of hot oil.
He was on his back, arm shielding his face and one knee up. His usually messy hair was tangled and matted with dried blood, and his entire body ached with the abuse it had received. Bruises covered his arms, legs, ribs, and chest; multiple lacerations marred his face and neck.
His weapons were missing, and his forest-green tunic was ripped along the shoulder and back. His cap lay a few feet away from him, stained and trampled.
He was also pretty sure, through his fogged, muddled mind, that a few ribs were broken as he attempted to drag oxygen into his lungs.
He cracked an eye open and light assailed his pupil; he blinked and opened both of them wearily.
He was in a huge dim room, lying under the only source of light; the sun filtering through a crudely made glass window. As his clear blue eyes adjusted to the odd lighting, he noted that the floor and walls were made of stone. Some sort of green ooze covered everything, and some purplish brown streaks of old blood streaked the surface occasionally. The ceiling was so high that it was nearly nonexistent, and the narrow halls to the left and right looked as if they had no end. The air was so cold it was possible to hang meat, and yet the humidity that clung to the hollow bones of the room made it oddly stifling. Everything stank of dead corpses and wet mildew, and the sweetish fetid stench made Link's eyes water and his throat constrict with disgust.
He sat up after a few moments, careful not to bring any more needless pain to his body. He turned his semi-keen Hylian ears to his left and listened carefully. It was there-very faint, but there-laughter.
All-out, maniacal, humorless laughter.
Fear and cold stung Link's heart when it came closer-he recognized it-
"Fancy meeting you here in my castle again, Link," said Ganondorf, his powerful presence filling the entire room.
Link jumped to his feet immediately, the anger and determination that twisted his handsome features driving his body against its will. He swayed on his feet, eyelashes fluttering dangerously. His head dropped, neck too weak to support it properly.
"G-Ganon..." he slurred, voice thick with ill will.
Link stabilized himself and lifted his head again, his wolfish side resurfacing. He bared his teeth and growled-and blinked. Ganondorf was gone.
Was it an illusion? Was Ganondorf... playing... with him...?
Link's head felt as if it would burst. His sword and shield were gone; all his equipment was missing. He felt defenseless, helpless, cornered-and without Midna, he couldn't morph into his wolf form.
Link roared in frustration and banged his leather-clad fist against the cold stone wall. He turned around and slid against it until he was sitting with his knees drawn up against his chest. He snatched his cap up off the ground and put it on his sore head, hoping that maybe it would help him think of an escape from the doorless, endless room with the impossibly high window and ceiling. For all he knew, this was all an illusion, as well.
He sucked in his breath in a startled gasp as hot breath blew itself onto his cheek.
"I hope you missed me..."
He felt himself being lifted by the tunic by an invisible force. The familiar feeling of fear overcame him, but the bold bravery he kept burning inside returned in full.
Zelda... I hope you can figure out what's going on...
He gritted his teeth and struggled against the powerful man.
A single thought crossed his mind and he smiled in spite of his bleak situation.
You too, Midna...
xxxxxxxx
"Yes, that's it! Good work!"
Princess Midna stood at the head of the construction site, overlooking the work of the Twili.
Since Zant had destroyed her home and turned it into a dark wasteland, she had had to build it back up excruciatingly slowly. The work had been long and hard for the entire royal family.
Her mother, standing across from her some yards away, gave Midna an encouraging nod from her post.
The dark princess gave an absent smile in return, but was not actually looking at her mother. Her body was there with her people in the Twilight Realm, but her mind was a million miles away in the world of light.
She smiled again, but this time, she was looking down at a small object in her hand that she'd pulled from her pocket.
"Link! You have to trick him!"
The little imp was screaming frantically into the blonde farmhand's ear, desperate to keep him from getting hurt. She grimaced in sympathy pain when the giant boar reappeared and rammed into Link's left side, pummeling him to the ground mercilessly.
Oops... Maybe I should have told him to dodge the portals that turn blue, she thought in hindsight.
Link groaned and stumbled to his feet, holding his torso and clenching his teeth.
"C-could... you tell me... how before I break something else?" he wheezed, fixing Midna with a withering glance.
"Ummm... I... dunno?" she said, shrugging and grinning sheepishly. Link rolled his eyes and ducked between pounding hooves as the beast charged blindly at him again.
"Wait...maybe..." Link's brow furrowed in thought as he kept a wary ear out for boar-Ganondorf. "If he's in animal form...Midna! Wolf form, now!"
"What?" She screamed in confusion. "Isn't the Master Sword supposed to be the bane of evil?"
The beast decided that it was time to trample poor Link again at that moment, and it was quickly headed toward them. "Hello!" Midna yelled, gesturing towards Ganondorf. "Evil!"
Link rolled out of the way in time and stood, groaning loudly at the abuse of his ribs.
"Midna! Just do it! Trust me!"
"Ooookay...here comes 'doggie Link'!" She tapped the back of his neck with the stone and felt the familiar wooshing sensation as he transformed.
Link stood directly in front of the larger animal, which had wheeled around and shifted its momentum towards the pair.
A look of dawning comprehension slid over the imp's face and she gathered her power.
"Here we go..."
Princess Midna was rudely jolted back to the present by a strange, unfamiliar feeling. She felt horrified, weak, as if a giant metal hand was squeezing her heart and making it cold at the same time. She felt as if she were falling down a hole of hellish fire.
Her pupils dilated, then shrank to pinpoints, and her breath suddenly came in sharp, stabbing gasps.
Her body suddenly felt as if it had millions of bruises all over, including her bones. Her vision exploded into a thousand jets of light as her head felt the equivalent of a giant brick colliding with it.
Her legs crumpled beneath her and she fell, Link's dark Wolfstone falling out of her delicate hand and clattering on the rocky ground.
As the corners of her vision darkened and voices shouted her name in alarm, she saw a familiar face in front of her eyes.
"...Link...?"
The last thing she knew was confusion before the darkness extinguished her consciousness.
Chapter 2
Spoiler: show
Three months earlier
Zelda hated politics.
She sat at the head of the table in the capacious room, gloved hands neatly steepled at the point of her chin-the gesture that simulated attentiveness to her audience when she was wishing she were somewhere, anywhere else.
"As I was saying before, Phillip, I do believe Hyrule could possibly benefit from cutting the Zoras out of our trading system. They really have nothing to offer but their odd little trinkets and some exotic fish! They are an utterly dependent society economically, and we are giving and giving and receiving nothing in return-"
"Ah," cut in the so-addressed 'Phillip', "But if they ever do accomplish something worthwhile, we have their absolute trust and their support in war to boot! They can be an asset to our city-and if we did cut them, would we still be able to use the water in Lake Hylia?"
"Gentlemen," Princess Zelda cut in, looking from one to the other with her brilliant cerulean eyes, "The Zoras are, and always will be, included in our trading systems. Move on to the next issue."
The first man grumbled and leaned back sullenly in his luxurious crimson chair.
Zelda zoned out again as they argued over the next issue: whether or not they should invent a rupee worth one thousand in currency. She sighed and stopped even pretending to listen as her eyes wandered around the room and eventually out the window.
The men's babbling became a constant drone in baritones as her mind floated off into a dozen other things she'd rather be doing... like hacking some giant demon-monster-thing with her sword or magic to vent her frustration.
Her eyes refocused as she caught the sight of someone familiar alone on the training grounds outside. His telltale green tunic and newly forged sword were the only things that stood out to her from this distance, but she knew who it was.
Link Forester, the adventurer. Link Forester, the hero. Link Forester, the only exciting asset in the entire castle, and he was only there once a week.
He was humble, charming; he won over Zelda's father and the rest of the castle staff in minutes. Then again, it also could have been that he'd saved Hyrule from the most evil and powerful man to have ever lived.
Her opinion of him was varied; in battle, he was scary but amazing to watch-the graceful sweep of his arms as he artfully swung his sword at Ganondorf amazed her, but his wolfish ferocity against his opponent was frightening. He was sweet and almost cute when he was around strangers and women-in fact, he could barely talk to Zelda at all unless it was to ask if she was all right. He did seem rather comfortable with his imp-turned-princess friend, Midna, however. He was extremely intelligent and insightful and quick to learn things, as well. He'd figured out every obstacle he'd come across with sharp resourcefulness and wit-and he'd figured out how to get inside her castle without any help from a royal guard or staff member.
As irony would have it, she wasn't sure what she considered him to be in her mind. A friend? Protector? Or just a really nice guy who happened to be a legendary hero?
"Uh... Princess Zelda? Princess, we need your decision on this matter to finalize it..."
Lord Arik's voice broke her out of her reverie and slammed her unpleasantly back into reality. She faced him and raised her eyebrows in inquiry.
"Ah, which color should we use for the rupee? Gold or clear?"
Princess Zelda could have rolled her eyes at the stupid question, but refrained from such an un-ladylike action. "Clear," she stated with a ridiculous amount of dignity; nobody noticed. "It is easier to make in quantities."
"Aha! So that settles it! The new rupee is clear!"
There was a murmur of assent and approval across the table before Zelda stood and cleared her throat.
"So... this meeting is adjourned, then? All decisions have been dealt with?" Without waiting for an answer, she swept them out of the door and to their waiting carriages outside.
XXXXXX
Link dragged a palm over his face, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and attempting to look into the mirror at his bedraggled form.
His golden locks were sticking up in odd spikes all over his head, and little sleep-lines were etched onto his right cheek.
"Ohhhhhhh..." Link groaned, leaning onto the sink basin. "My head..."
He'd been convinced to go 'out' with 'the boys' for the first time out in Telma's bar, and it was the first time he'd ever been drunk. Apparently, the Hero of Time's ancestor could not 'hold his liquor'.
"That's the last time I ever let anyone talk me into a good time..." he grumbled. He'd had very strange dreams that night; many of them involved a certain blonde princess...
He smiled, remembering the odd dreams; it seemed that they all consisted of her losing her icy demeanor and turning into a warm, real person... who just happened to be wearing a rather thin nightgown... in front of the moonlight...
Link shook his head, still grinning, and went to get his battle outfit on for his duty to the princess. He put on his cap and left his room at the inn, slapping a red rupee on the table in front of the innkeeper.
Zelda hated politics.
She sat at the head of the table in the capacious room, gloved hands neatly steepled at the point of her chin-the gesture that simulated attentiveness to her audience when she was wishing she were somewhere, anywhere else.
"As I was saying before, Phillip, I do believe Hyrule could possibly benefit from cutting the Zoras out of our trading system. They really have nothing to offer but their odd little trinkets and some exotic fish! They are an utterly dependent society economically, and we are giving and giving and receiving nothing in return-"
"Ah," cut in the so-addressed 'Phillip', "But if they ever do accomplish something worthwhile, we have their absolute trust and their support in war to boot! They can be an asset to our city-and if we did cut them, would we still be able to use the water in Lake Hylia?"
"Gentlemen," Princess Zelda cut in, looking from one to the other with her brilliant cerulean eyes, "The Zoras are, and always will be, included in our trading systems. Move on to the next issue."
The first man grumbled and leaned back sullenly in his luxurious crimson chair.
Zelda zoned out again as they argued over the next issue: whether or not they should invent a rupee worth one thousand in currency. She sighed and stopped even pretending to listen as her eyes wandered around the room and eventually out the window.
The men's babbling became a constant drone in baritones as her mind floated off into a dozen other things she'd rather be doing... like hacking some giant demon-monster-thing with her sword or magic to vent her frustration.
Her eyes refocused as she caught the sight of someone familiar alone on the training grounds outside. His telltale green tunic and newly forged sword were the only things that stood out to her from this distance, but she knew who it was.
Link Forester, the adventurer. Link Forester, the hero. Link Forester, the only exciting asset in the entire castle, and he was only there once a week.
He was humble, charming; he won over Zelda's father and the rest of the castle staff in minutes. Then again, it also could have been that he'd saved Hyrule from the most evil and powerful man to have ever lived.
Her opinion of him was varied; in battle, he was scary but amazing to watch-the graceful sweep of his arms as he artfully swung his sword at Ganondorf amazed her, but his wolfish ferocity against his opponent was frightening. He was sweet and almost cute when he was around strangers and women-in fact, he could barely talk to Zelda at all unless it was to ask if she was all right. He did seem rather comfortable with his imp-turned-princess friend, Midna, however. He was extremely intelligent and insightful and quick to learn things, as well. He'd figured out every obstacle he'd come across with sharp resourcefulness and wit-and he'd figured out how to get inside her castle without any help from a royal guard or staff member.
As irony would have it, she wasn't sure what she considered him to be in her mind. A friend? Protector? Or just a really nice guy who happened to be a legendary hero?
"Uh... Princess Zelda? Princess, we need your decision on this matter to finalize it..."
Lord Arik's voice broke her out of her reverie and slammed her unpleasantly back into reality. She faced him and raised her eyebrows in inquiry.
"Ah, which color should we use for the rupee? Gold or clear?"
Princess Zelda could have rolled her eyes at the stupid question, but refrained from such an un-ladylike action. "Clear," she stated with a ridiculous amount of dignity; nobody noticed. "It is easier to make in quantities."
"Aha! So that settles it! The new rupee is clear!"
There was a murmur of assent and approval across the table before Zelda stood and cleared her throat.
"So... this meeting is adjourned, then? All decisions have been dealt with?" Without waiting for an answer, she swept them out of the door and to their waiting carriages outside.
XXXXXX
Link dragged a palm over his face, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and attempting to look into the mirror at his bedraggled form.
His golden locks were sticking up in odd spikes all over his head, and little sleep-lines were etched onto his right cheek.
"Ohhhhhhh..." Link groaned, leaning onto the sink basin. "My head..."
He'd been convinced to go 'out' with 'the boys' for the first time out in Telma's bar, and it was the first time he'd ever been drunk. Apparently, the Hero of Time's ancestor could not 'hold his liquor'.
"That's the last time I ever let anyone talk me into a good time..." he grumbled. He'd had very strange dreams that night; many of them involved a certain blonde princess...
He smiled, remembering the odd dreams; it seemed that they all consisted of her losing her icy demeanor and turning into a warm, real person... who just happened to be wearing a rather thin nightgown... in front of the moonlight...
Link shook his head, still grinning, and went to get his battle outfit on for his duty to the princess. He put on his cap and left his room at the inn, slapping a red rupee on the table in front of the innkeeper.
