Chapter 1: DREAMS AND MEMORIES
We raced down the outside of the tower, avoiding the fire and rubble that was falling and I prayed to the goddesses we would make it out alive. He was with me, the one dressed in green. The one who had saved me from the evil Ganondorf. I owe him my life.
We ran across the bridge as the tower collapsed, I thought we were safe until the ground began to shake, then Ganondorf appeared again an began to transform into something terrible, once again the one in green drew his sword and charged the beast that Gandorf had become. He raised his sword only to have it knocked out of his hands, it landed next to me and a wall of fire came up between us. The creature advanced toward him raising two blades in the air. The creature swung the blades down with amazing force. I closed my eyes and heard him scream.
Zelda jumped up and screamed; she looked around and realized she was in her bed, it was only a dream, or was it? Impa threw the door open after hearing the scream. "What's wrong Princess?" Asked Impa.
"Nothing, Zelda replied, it was another dream, another one of those dreams."
Impa stayed in the room to try and calm Zelda down, she hated to see her upset like this. Zelda spoke, her voice shaking, "I just don't understand Impa, I 'm still having these dreams, for the past 6 years they've haunted me, but there is something strange about them."
"What do you mean honey?" Asked Impa.
"Well the person in my dream has been there in every dream, he started as a child in my first dream and now he is grown up, I also have a feeling that I should know him, I almost feel like were connected in some way."
"That may be because this person has been in your dreams for so long."
"I don't think so Impa, I think it's more than that, much more."
"Perhaps it's time you spoke to your father about this maybe he can help in some way." "I think you're right Impa, I'll speak to him this morning, now if you'll excuse me I'll get ready for breakfast."
"Very well, I'll see you downstairs Your Highness."
"Thank you Impa, I am glad you were here to talk to."
"You're welcome honey." Impa said, as she left the room. Zelda got dressed and headed downstairs for breakfast; she hoped her father would take the time to listen to her; she really needed his help to try and make some sense of these strange dreams.
Link walked out his cabin nestled deep in the Lost Woods, it was small but it was all he needed. It was a bright sunny morning so he decided to walk to Saria's house in the Kokori forest, he was a little depressed and he knew she would be able to cheer him up.
She always could. His memories were haunting him again, memories of the temples he fought, of Dark Link, of Ganondorf, but most of all, his memories of Zelda, he hadn't seen her since she sent him back to his childhood, that was 6 years ago. The reason he hadn't gone to see her was because the sage of light had told him not to, if he did she would be hit with a rush of memories from the past, the triforce pieces that they both held would awaken her memories, memories of her seven years of hiding and disguising herself as a shekia boy, those memories could emotionally scar her at such a young age.
But now it was 6 years later, she could probably handle it now but he wouldn't be allowed in the castle, he was just a peasant, nobody would remember him, they didn't know he was the Hero of Time.
Link walked into Kokori forest, it had been a while since he was here, almost two months.
The Kokori were all happy to see him, even Mido, he and Mido had settled their differences long ago. He walked over to Saria's house and knocked, come in Saria said.
When Saria saw him she ran to him with her arms wide open. " Link, I'm so glad to see you; where have you been?"
"Oh, here and there, I've been seeing moblins around again so I've spent a lot of time watching them, making sure there's no trouble. They seem to be looking for something or someone and I can't figure out why."
"That's terrible. Have you been to the castle?" " " No, Link said, I've been in Castletown but no further. " "Link, You should go see her, after everything you've told me about your adventures and what she means to you…"
"I know Saria." Link interrupted. "But I don't even know if they'll let me in, after all I'm only a peasant in the eyes of royalty." "Well you'll never know if you don't try Link, so you should at least try."
"I think I will Saria, I knew you would be able to cheer me up, you're a good friend also my best friend, thank you."
"You know you can always come to me Link, I'll always be there if you need me."
Link gave Saria a hug and left the forest to head for Castletown.
Zelda and her father were enjoying breakfast, Impa was close by but she had eaten already. Impa was a little uneasy about the dreams Zelda was having, she knew it had to mean something she just didn't know what.
Zelda and the king finished their meal; the king noticed that his daughter was distant this morning so he decided to break the silence.
"Is something troubling you my daughter?" Zelda looked at the king and replied, "Yes, father, there is and I'd like to talk to you about it." Zelda told the king about the dreams that have been haunting her since the age of 10, and the strange person dressed in green but what really worried the king was the fact that Gandorf had appeared in her latest one, this troubled the king.
"Have you talked to Impa about this my dear?"
"Yes father she suggested I speak to you, I'm worried about what they could mean, if Ganondorf returns it would be a disaster. And this other person, I don't think he's trouble I just feel like I know him yet I don't remember ever meeting him."
"Well we can talk about this some more later tonight, I have a meeting shortly and I need you and Impa to go to Lon Lon ranch and arrange to have two new horses delivered to our stables." "Very well father, we will leave shortly." The king hugged her and left the room.
Zelda and Impa prepared to leave, a carriage would take them to the ranch along with two guards on horseback; the king insisted they have guards escort them.
On the way to the ranch Zelda spoke to Impa about her latest dream. "Impa, there is something I didn't tell you about in my dream." "What was that Your Highness?" Impa asked.
"The young man in my dream had a sword that I'm sure I've seen before." At this Impa looked at the princess, Zelda continued, "I believe it was the Master Sword. Impa's eyes got wide." "How is that possible?" Impa exclaimed. "The Master Sword is sealed behind the Door of Time." "I don't know replied Zelda I only know what I saw." The journey to the ranch continued, the two women continued to talk about the dreams trying to figure out what they could mean.
Link rode across Hyrule field on his horse, Epona. He had worked at the ranch from time to time so Malon decided to give her to Link because he seemed to be the only other person besides her that could get near the stubborn mare.
Link saw the royal carriage heading toward the ranch and figured it was the princess.
He decided to slip along side the outer wall out of sight and keep a close watch on them.
He did this frequently to make sure the princess was not harmed, she had guards with her but even so he felt he had to protect her.
A while later the carriage came out of the ranch and headed back toward the castle, Link followed but remained out of sight. Impa and Zelda continued speaking about the dreams trying to figure them out but couldn't come up with any answers.
Suddenly one of the guards yelled "moblins", there was a band of moblins attacking; they subdued the guards injuring one of them and surrounded the carriage. Impa and the princess stayed in the carriage and remained silent.
Link saw what was happening and was quickly sneaking up on the scene. He ducked behind trees and rocks so the attacker wouldn't see him.
Inside the carriage the two women could hear the moblins talking. "We will use her to find him and when we get him our master will reward us." The door was ripped open, Impa jumped in front of the princess to try to protect her, she pulled out a dagger but one of the moblins already had a spear pointed at her. "We want the Hero of Time, he growled."
This startled both Impa and Zelda. The Hero of Time was just a legend from the ancient writing. Those morons have lost their minds, the two women thought.
"You will tell us where to find him and if you don't we will hold you until he come to us."
With that Link jumped out from behind a large rock and shouted, "Be careful what you wish for you scum; you might just get it." He lunged at the one holding the spear at Impa.
Zelda got a look out the door and almost fainted. He is the one from my dreams, she thought. She started to get up but Impa quickly stopped her.
Link continued to fight, he had taken out all but three of them but one of them managed to stab him in the side.
Link drew the remaining moblins away from the carriage and yelled to the driver. "Get them out of here now." The driver quickly snapped the reigns causing the horses to take off toward the castle.
Link finished off the last attacker and freed the two guards. One of the guards thanked him then asked. "Who are you? The guard asked. Link didn't answer. He backed away threw some thing to the ground and disappeared in a flash of light.
On the way back to the castle Zelda spoke to Impa in a frantic voice. "It was him!" She said.
"Who? You're highness." Asked Impa.
"The person who saved us, he's the one from my dreams."
"Are you sure?" Asked Impa.
"Positive." Replied Zelda. "I have no doubt that he was the one."
The two guards had quickly caught up to the carriage. Impa noticed one of them was hurt.
"Get that wound looked at as soon as we get back Argus." Impa said. "Yes m'lady." The guard replied.
For the remainder of the trip the guards told Impa and Zelda about the rest of the battle between Link and the moblins. Impa was astonished when she heard how Link disappeared in a flash of light. That's a tactic passed down from the Shekia, it was never taught to anyone outside of the Shekia race.
Now Impa was very curious about what the guards had told her. He couldn't be Shekia, his eyes were blue, Shekia's eyes are red and she was the last of the race, or so she thought.
Zelda continued to speak about what had happened. "Impa? Do you think the Hero of Time could be real?" "I don't know your highness but those moblins seem to think so and the words of the stranger puzzle me." "What do you mean?" Asked Zelda. "He said be careful what you wish for." Replied Impa. "It sounded as if he was implying that he was the one they were looking for."
"Your right Impa, that is strange." Zelda said. "We have to figure out what all of this means and I want to know who that stranger is."
.
They finally got back to the castle and went directly to the king to tell him of the days events. They described everything in detail, hoping he could come up with some answers.
After they finished the king was silent for a few moments. Finally he spoke.
"I see, so you think this stranger could be the legendary hero? But that is just a legend from the ancient books." " Father, in my dreams the sword he carried looked exactly like the Master Sword that is pictured in the ancient books."
The king decided that they needed to speak to this stranger to find out who he was, so he ordered the guards to bring him to the castle when he was found.
"I don't want him arrested, the king said. I just want to speak to him and thank him for what he did. He saved my daughter. He should be rewarded."
A description of the stranger was given to all of the guards so they knew who they were looking for. Impa suggested that they just watch out for the stranger in town because sooner or later he was bound to show up there. The king agreed with her so the order was given to the guards.
Link headed home after seeing the carriage had mad it through the gate safely. He had to take care of the wound he had gotten during the fight and he was also tired and wanted to rest. He would have to go to town tomorrow to get some supplies. Maybe he would get some new clothes too. He had ruined another shirt today and he didn't have too many decent ones left.
He got home, cleaned himself up, bandaged his wound and got something to eat.
Now he could lie down and rest for a while. He was really sleepy now probably because he had lost a lot of blood from the wound that damn moblin had given him.
He wondered why they were looking for him and how the knew that he was the Hero of Time. No one should have remembered. How did they? He began to get a bad feeling about it all. It couldn't be Ganondorf, he was sealed in the Evil Realm, or was he?
Soon Link was asleep, even with the thoughts of the day's events troubling him.
Link found himself in an unfamiliar place. Nothing looked right, everything was different, even the surrounding mountains and forest.
Someone came up to him and spoke. "You are a stranger here, If Lord Hennock finds out about you there will be trouble, you must hide, come with me." But before they could leave an evil looking man appeared out of nowhere. The evil man spoke in a loud booming voice that seemed to shake the ground beneath them. "So, you have finally come back. I have waited sixteen years for this. Apparently that fool gerudo couldn't handle you but you won't be so lucky this time." Hennock raised his hands and everything around them grew darker than night, the ground shook violently. Suddenly a huge ball of energy came flying at Link. He tried to reflect it with his own magic but it was too powerful. He was hit and it hurt like hell. He was on the verge of passing out when Hennock spoke again. "Fool, you should never have come back here, now you shall suffer the way I made your father suffer. "Then all went black.
Link woke up with a start. What was that dream all about? He asked himself.
It reminded him of the dreams he had so long ago before his battle with the king of evil.
And what was that about his father? Link never knew his father or his mother. He grew up in the Kokori forest and knew no other life. But this man in his dream seemed to know him. The man said he had finally come back, but Link didn't know that place. Where was this place? Oh well he thought. I'll worry about it later. It was morning. He had to get ready to leave for town to get what he needed. It was a good thing those moblins he defeated yesterday had some rupees on them otherwise he'd have been broke.
Link put on some clean clothes, ate breakfast and headed for castletown.
He walked out of the forest and called Epona; it wasn't long before she came trotting up to him. He mounted the horse and the two trotted across Hyrule field.
Link decided it would be a good idea to take Epona to see Malon; he hadn't been there in a while and Malon was probably wondering how they were doing.
Malon greeted them with a smile; her and Link talked for a while; he told her he was heading to town and she got a worried look on her face.
"What's wrong? Link asked.
"Well, Malon said, I think the castle guards might be looking for you; I over heard a couple of them talking earlier; the one guard was giving the other one a description of someone they were searching for and you fit the description."
Chapter 2 Awakening The Past
Link walked through the gates of castletown. He hadn't been here for a while.
As he walked he noticed more guards than usual and they were all watching him. He continued to the town square where the merchants were selling various goods but he felt like he was being followed so he casually turned to see who it was. Three guards were approaching him and he started getting nervous. He recognized one of them. He was the guard that was hurt by the moblins yesterday. The guard approached him and spoke.
"I am Argus, royal guard of Hyrule. The king wants to see you, please come with me." "Did I do something wrong?" Link asked. He was really nervous now. What would the king want with him? "No." Argus responded. "The king would like to speak to you about what happened in Hyrule field, come with me."
Argus escorted Link into the castle. Link couldn't believe what he saw. He had never been inside. He had only seen the courtyard, and that was six years ago. It was like a dream. The furnishings the décor and the size of the palace, was just incredible.
The guard led him into a large room and motioned to a servant. He said something that Link couldn't hear, and the servant quickly left. A few moments later the king entered the room followed by the princess and Impa. The guard snapped to attention when the king approached. Link wasn't sure what to do so he bowed down on one knee. That's not necessary my boy, please come here and sit down. Link slowly rose and walked to the table and sat down.
The king was the first to speak. "So what is your name my boy?" "Link, you majesty, my name is Link." "I understand you saved my daughter yesterday; I would like to thank you, and reward you."
"That's not necessary your majesty." "Yes it is Link. I am in your debt." Link noticed that the princess was staring at him. He didn't like being stared at. "Is something wrong your highness?" Link asked her. "No but we need to know some things. To start with, why do you think you're the Hero of time, asked the princess?" Link sighed. "This is going to take a long time to explain, he replied." "Then we'd better get started said the king. I will have the servant bring us some refreshments."
"I guess I should start from the beginning." Link started. He told them everything starting with his meeting with the Deku tree. He told them about his seven-year sleep after he had pulled out the Master sword. He told them about the sages and about the princess disguising herself, also about the triforce pieces hidden within himself and Zelda. Finally, he spoke of the battle with the king of evil, and how he and the sages had sealed him and the triforce of power in the sacred realm.
When he finished there was silence. Finally, the silence was broke by the princess.
"You described everything in my dreams. How could this be?" "They aren't dreams princess." Link retorted. "They are your memories." At this the king spoke. "If what you told us is true, you must show us some kind of proof." Link sighed again. "Okay, but I can think of only one way to do that." His eyes focused on Zelda. Her eyes grew wide. "How is that? And why are you looking at me?" She asked nervously. "We can awaken the triforce of wisdom that you hold within you princess. It will appear on the back of your right hand and at the same time the triforce of courage will appear on mine." Impa finally spoke. "Will this harm the princess?" She asked with a tone of apprehension in her voice. "No." Replied Link. "But the rush of memories will no doubt hit her like a tidal wave, she may pass out for a few minutes." The king spoke up. "I can't allow"… Zelda cut him off. "No father. I want to do this. I want to know what this all means. I want my memories back. And I want to know him." Her eyes met with Links. He couldn't help but smile.
The king nodded. "Very well, but if any harm comes to her, you will pay with your life Link." "She won't be harmed your majesty, I promise you."
Link sat across from the princess. He asked Impa to sit beside her, just in case she passed out. Link reached across the table and asked the princess to take his hand. She smiled at him and did what he asked. Link closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly a golden triangle appeared on the back of his hand. Everyone's eyes grew wide. Then another triangle appeared on Zelda's hand. Suddenly she was hit with a rush of memories. She remembered every thing from Ganondorf's first appearance in the castle to her and Link's final moment together before she sent him back to his childhood. She also felt the strong bond that her and Link had, a bond of friendship, and love. Now she knew why she felt a connection with Link.
.
Link was right. The rush of memories had made her pass out. Luckily Impa was sitting next to her otherwise she would probably have fallen over. The king shot up out of his chair. "What happened?" He asked. "The pressure of all of her memories returning made her pass out. She'll be fine." Replied Link. "She should probably lie down for a bit."
"Very well, there's a sofa in the next room." The king replied.
Without another word Link walked over and gently took the unconscious princess in his arms and carried her into the next room
Zelda opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was, Link's blue eyes looking down at her. A gentle smile spread across her lips. "I remember." She exclaimed. "I remember everything. My escape from the castle, hiding for seven years, changing my identity, but most of all, I remember you." She sat up and wrapped her arms around Link, and whispered in his ear. "And I remember how much I've missed you my hero.' "
This surprised the king. He had never seen his daughter react to someone like this before.
Apparently what Link told them was true. He really was the Hero of Time. Link returned her embrace and they held each other for what seemed like forever to the king.
"Ahem." The king cleared his throat. Link and Zelda finally released each other.
Link stood up and faced the king. "I'm sorry your majesty I didn't mean to…"
The king cut Link off. "That's quite all right my boy. I'm not angry. "Apparently what you told us was true. You are the legendary hero, and you deserve our thanks. You shall also be rewarded. We shall have a grand ball in your honor." Link shook his head. "A reward is not necessary and I don't think announcing to the public that I'm the Hero of Time is a good idea, besides no one would believe it." The king thought about this for a moment. "Perhaps you're right". The king said. "But you rescued my daughter yesterday so you are still a hero. We will still hold a ball in your honor, and I will hear nothing more about it." "Thank you your majesty, I am honored. I suppose I should be going now, it's getting kind of late." "Father, why don't we invite our guest to stay the night?" Zelda asked? "That's a fine idea my daughter, I will have a servant prepare his room. If that's all right with you Link." "Thank you your majesty." Link said. I am honored." "Fine then. You shall join us for dinner too. It should be ready in a little while. The king turned and left the room.
Link took Zelda's hands and looked into her eyes and spoke in a quiet voice. "You have no idea how much I've missed you, I've thought about you every day for the last six years." Zelda smiled. "Well we have a lot of catching up to do; I want to know what you've been doing for all this time. Would you like to go for a walk around the castle grounds with me?" Asked Zelda. "I will go anywhere you want to take me." Replied Link
They walked around the castle for a while. Link told her all about the last six years. Zelda also told him what she had been doing for that time. After a while they ended up in the courtyard, the same courtyard where they had met for the first time. They decided to sit for a while so they went over to a bench by the fountain. The sun was starting to set, so the sat and watched it together. They were silent for a while, just watching the beauty of the setting sun. Finally Link spoke. "There is something I've wanted to tell you for a long time Zelda. I wanted to say this to you before you sent me back to my childhood but I couldn't find the courage." Zelda looked into his blue eyes and spoke in a quiet, almost seductive voice. "You don't have to say anything, I already know and I feel the same way." Slowly they drew closer together until their lips touched. At that moment the world
around them disappeared. They were sharing their first kiss and noting else existed at that moment but them. The kiss ended and they just sat for a while looking into each other's eyes.
A servant came into the courtyard and approached Zelda. The servant bowed and then
spoke. "Dinner will be ready shortly your highness." "Thank you Ellis, you may go now."
"Yes your highness." The servant bowed and walked back into the castle.
Link and Zelda walked into the dinning room the king was seated at the head of the table, Impa sat to his left. The two approached the table; Zelda took her seat on the right of the king. The king looked at Link and spoke. "Ah Link, please sit down, you can take the seat next to Zelda if you wish. "Thank you your majesty." Replied Link. "Formalities are not needed." Stated the king. "My name is Gerard, or if you wish you may call me sir." "Thank you sir that's very kind of you."
Not much was said during the meal, which consisted of roast beef, baked potato, various other vegetables, and freshly baked bread. Link couldn't ever remember have such a delicious meal. After dinner they all sat and talked, mostly about Link and Zelda's experiences in the alternate timeline. Impa however wanted to ask Link a question. "Link? The guards that you freed yesterday said that you disappeared in a flash of light. How did you do this?" Impa asked. "I used Farore's wind; it's a spell I learned from one of the great fairies."
"I see." Said Impa. "Do you know many other magic spells?" "Yes I do." Replied Link. "I know quite a bit of magic, some I learned from the sages and some I learned from the old lady in the potion shop in Kakariko village but I still have quite a bit to learn." "I have been studying some of the ancient magic books." Zelda said. "Maybe we could study them more and learn together." "I like that idea." Link said. "We could work on that tomorrow if you want to." "Zelda smiled. "I'd like that very much." Zelda said. That is if it's alright with you father." "That's fine with me honey." Replied the king. "We don't have anything important to do tomorrow, enjoy yourselves." "Thank you father." Zelda replied.
Link and Zelda spent the rest of the evening together; Zelda showed him the rest of the castle and introduced him to some of the guards and servants: she also made sure the guards knew he was permitted to enter the castle in the future, without checking with her first. The guards did not question her, they wouldn't dare.
It was getting late so they decided it was time for bed; Zelda showed Link to his room, when she opened the door he couldn't believe his eyes. The room was huge, it had a bed four times the size of his own, a closet large enough to hid an army and a dresser that would hold enough clothes for him to wear for six months without wearing the same ones twice. "I'm sorry if this room is a little small, Zelda said. But all the larger rooms are in the process of being redecorated. Link had a surprised look on his face. "Small?" Link said. "This room is bigger than my house; I'd love to see what you call a normal sized room."
Zelda giggled. "Well then maybe I'll show you my room tomorrow. Zelda said. It' too late tonight and besides, I'm really tired; good night Link." "Good night Zelda." Zelda gave Link a kiss on the cheek and left for her room.
Link walked into his room and closed the door. He got undressed and climbed into bed; I could get lost in this bed, he thought to himself; I could get used to this.
Chapter 3 Departure
Link was walking through a large town; the place was unfamiliar to him. There were not many people outside, this seemed very strange to him considering it was the middle of the day. He heard someone call out to him from one of the houses; he walked over to the person. Were you calling me? Link asked. Yes, come inside quickly; before one of the guards see you. Link followed the person inside. The stranger quickly closed the door.
The person that called him in was a woman a couple of years older than him; she had long blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Somehow she looked familiar. "Who are you?" Link asked. "My name is B'Elanna; you should not be here, you are in grave danger." "I can take care of myself. Link replied; I can handle a few guards, and the guards here are just moblins, they're not very smart."
"It's not the guards you should be afraid of, it's the evil lord Hennock; he has great power; he holds the staff of the Sheika, and he will destroy you if he finds you here."
A black mist filled the room. Suddenly a large dark figure appeared in the room and grabbed B'Elanna by the arm; she sturggled to get away but was no match for him.
Link drew his sword and said. "Let her go Hennock or I will kill you where you stand."
Hennock laughed. "Very amusing." Hennock said to Link; "If you wish to save her, then come to my castle; there you will meet your doom, and after I finish with you; I will destroy the land that hid you from me for so long." Then they disappeared
Link woke with a start and let out a small yell. What is it with these dreams; he thought to himself. I have no idea who these people are or where this place is. Well I might as well get up now, he thought. I doubt I'll be able to go back to sleep after that. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on the door. "Come in." Link said. Impa opened the door. "Are you okay?" She asked. "I thought I heard you yell a minute ago."
"Yeah, I'm all right; it was just a bad dream." Link replied. "All right." Impa said. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright; breakfast will be in about an hour, if you want you may go downstairs, I'll be down there shortly." "Thank you Impa, I think I'll do that." "Very well Link, I'll see you shortly, and she left the room."
Link got cleaned up and dressed and headed downstairs. He started down the hall and saw Zelda. Zelda saw him and smiled.
"Good morning Link." Zelda said. "Did you sleep well?
Link was silent for a moment, and then he spoke.
"Um, not really." Link said. "I mean, I slept all right, but I had sort of a bad dream."
Zelda looked concerned. She remembered the dreams he had told her about when he was a child, and they turned out to be premonitions; she wondered if it was happening again.
"We have some time before breakfast. Zelda said. "Would you like to talk about it?"
"That's a good idea." Link replied. "These dreams are diving me crazy, maybe you can make some sense out of them."
"Them?" Zelda questioned. "You mean you've had others?"
" Oh yes." Link answered. "And they're really starting to concern me, they remind my of the dreams I had before I went up against Ganondorf."
"Oh my!" Zelda exclaimed. "You don't thing he's coming back, do you?"
"No." Link answered. "But I do think something is going to happen, but not in Hyrule"
Link told Zelda about the dreams, explaining every detail. He hoped she could help him figure them out. Although he had a feeling that he knew what they meant already.
A feeling of sadness came over Zelda, and Link noticed it too.
"What's wrong?" He asked. "Why do you look so sad?"
"I think this means you will have to leave." Zelda said. "Your dreams are calling you to this place for some reason." Zelda started to cry. "Link, I don't want to lose you, you mean everything to me."
"Please don't cry." Link said, and looked into her eyes. "I promise you this; If I leave I will return, I don't want to lose you either, and I want you to know I love you more than anything and any one."
Zelda smiled. "Do you mean it?" She asked.
"With all of my heart." Link answered.
Link kissed her and wiped her tears away. For a while they just held each other, not wanting to let go. Finally Link spoke.
"I guess we better go to breakfast, your father will wonder where we are; Besides, I want to ask Impa about the staff of the Shekia."
The two of them walked through the halls and headed toward the dining room for breakfast.
Both Link and Zelda were quiet at breakfast; both of them thinking about each other.
The king finally spoke. "You two are quiet this morning." He said. "Is something wrong between you two?" The king could tell they cared deeply for each other, but he wondered why they seemed so distant this morning.
"No father." Zelda said. "We were just…"Wait Zelda." Link interrupted. "I'll explain everything."
Link told Impa and the king about his dreams that he had been having. The king was very surprised to hear that Link might have to go away. No wonder they were so quiet.
"I see." The king said. "So you think this place is real? I mean, it could be nothing more than bad dreams.
"I don't think so." Link said. "I have a feeling that if I ignore this, Hyrule could be in danger."
Link looked over at Impa and spoke.
"Impa?" I have to ask you something. Have you ever heard of an item called the staff of the Sheika?"
Impa almost fell out of her chair; she couldn't believe what she just heard.
"How do you know about the staff?" Impa asked. "That is a legend that only the Sheika know, and we never speak about it."
"I was told about it in my dream." Link replied. "The evil lord Hennock has it."
"This is terrible if it is true." Impa said. "The staff has great power, and in the wrong hands it could mean disaster. Alright, I'll tell you of the legend."
"The staff was created hundreds of years ago, no one is really quite sure who created it, but it is said to possess great power. Used in the wrong way it can cause great destruction. It was said that a great Sheika king used it to create a beautiful hidden land, away from the evils of the world. The land was hidden in a place surrounded by cliffs and forests. For years people searched for this place, but none ever found it and some never returned from their search. Link, if this is true, you must go to this place and get the staff away from the evil one that has it. Not even our land will be safe from its power."
The king spoke up. "Link, I told you that you would be rewarded for saving my daughter and what I'm going to give you will also help you on your journey, I'll will present it to you tonight after dinner."
"Thank you sir." Link said. "I guess I should start gathering supplies for my trip, I think I'll leave at first light two days from now."
"Anything you need I will pay for." The king said. "I will write a voucher for you to show to the merchants in town."
When they finished breakfast the king said he would be with the royal council for most of the morning, and that he needed Zelda with him also. Then left the room.
Link stood from the table and prepared to leave: Zelda pulled him into a hug.
"Promise me you'll return soon." She sobbed.
"I'll promise to return as soon as I can." Link said. "We still have two days together before I go, we'll spend as much time as we can with each other. Okay?"
"Alright. "Zelda said. "I have to go to the council chambers now, I'll see you at lunch: then we'll have the rest of the day.
"Great." Link said. "That should give me plenty of time to get what I need from town, then maybe this afternoon we can go to the Kokori forest together, I'll have to say goodbye to everyone." They kissed each other and went their separate ways.
Link spent the morning in town getting what he need for his trip; things like bombs arrows, potion bottles and such.
He returned to the castle just in time for lunch, the king and Zelda were in the dining room already.
"Hi Link" Zelda said. "You made it just in time for lunch, I was beginning to wonder where you were."
Link smiled at her and spoke. "Town was really busy today, I just finished getting what I needed a few minutes ago."
"Father said we were done for the day, so I can go with you to Kokori forest this afternoon." Zelda said excitedly. "I can't wait to go there."
Lunch was served and everyone began to eat; when they were finished Link and Zelda prepared to leave.
"Be sure to be back for dinner." The king said. "I want to present Link's gift to him afterward."
"We will father." Zelda said as her and Link left for the stable to get their horses.
The ride to the forest took about an hour; Link and Zelda talked about his journey he was about to go on. She was still upset that he was leaving, and she was worried that he wouldn't return.
Link promised her again that he would come back to her, and when he returned he would have a big surprise for her. This made her smile, and it also made her curious.
Was he planning on proposing to her? She wondered. That would make her the happiest girl in the world, she thought to herself. This made her smile.
"What are you smiling about?" Link asked. Although he thought he knew.
"Oh nothing." Zelda said. "I was just thinking about something."
Link had a pretty good idea what, but he didn't push it any further.
Link and Zelda made it to the entrance of the forest. They got off their horses and walked inside; the Kokori children were glad to see them, even Mido seemed happy to see Link.
They said their hellos and then headed to Saria's house.
Link knocked and heard Saria's voice. "Come in" She said.
"Hi Saria, miss me?" Link said with a smile on his face.
"Hi Link" Saria said. "And if my guess is right, you must be Zelda."
"You're right. Zelda said. "But how did you know?"
"Lucky guess." Saria said. "Besides, you could only be Zelda, you're the only girl Link ever talks about."
Zelda smiled. "Oh really?" She said with a big smile and looked at Link.
Link got red in the face, he was getting embarrassed, and this made the two girls giggle.
"So what brings you two here?" Asked Saria. "This is a real surprise."
"Well, you might want to sit down." Link said. "There is something I have to tell you."
Saria got a worried look on her face. "Oh my! What's wrong Link? She asked.
Link went through the whole story about his dreams and told her that he was going away for a while, this upset her, the two of them were very close. Saria started to cry.
"Hey, don't cry Saria." Link said. "I'll be back before you know it; it'll only be for a little while.
"Do you promise?" Saria asked.
"Yes I do." Said Link, and hugged her, this made her smile.
They all said their goodbyes, Link and Zelda headed back to the castle.
On the way back to the castle Link didn't say much, his mind was preoccupied with what was to come. They decided to spend some time alone so they stopped near a stream to water the horses, and sat down under a large tree.
Zelda finally spoke. "Are you okay Link?" She asked. "You seem distant."
"I'm Alright." Link said." I'm just thinking about…things."
"Me too." Zelda said. "I'm really going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too Zelda." Link said. "But let's not talk about that right now."
They drew closer to each other and their lips met; they held each other tight, neither one of them wanting to let go. After a while they let go of each other and sat there enjoying their time alone.
Finally Zelda spoke. "Link, I'm so afraid that I'm going to lose you."
"Don't think like that Zelda." Link said. "You won't lose me, I promise."
"I wish I had your courage right now, I could use it." Zelda said with tears in her eyes.
After an hour or so they decided to head to the castle, it was getting close to dinner time, and the king told them to be sure to be there.
They took the horses to the stable and walked to the castle hand in hand; the king saw them from a window and smiled. They make a great couple, he thought to himself, and headed to the dining room to meet them.
Link and Zelda walked through the hall toward the dining room; they were both very hungry after being out all afternoon.
They entered the dining room and saw the king already seated; he looked at them and smiled.
"Did you enjoy the afternoon?" He asked.
"Yes we did sir." Link said. "Although my friend Saria wasn't happy about me leaving."
"Well hopefully you won't be gone too long Link."
"I hope not." Link said. "I really don't want to go, but I have too. If this Lord Hennock is real he must be stopped, and I'm also curios about myself."
"What do you mean?" The king asked.
"In my dream Hennock said that returned, but I've never seen this place. I don't know anything about where I was born, I just always assumed I was born in Hyrule."
"I hope you succeed." The king said. "For the sake of everyone and I hope you find the answers that you are looking for. Now let's have dinner; then I have a surprise for you."
They ate dinner and talked some more about the coming days; Impa told Link where the hidden land was said to be. He would have to travel north, over Death Mountain, and if Impa were correct, it would only take him three or four days to get there.
After dinner the king told everyone to be in the great hall in an hour. Link was a little nervous, it sounded like this was going to be a formal ceremony, and he had no idea how to behave at such an event.
He asked Zelda about it, but she wouldn't tell him anything; all she told him was to be his self. Then she went to her chambers to get ready.
Link was sitting in the courtyard by himself, wondering what the king had planned for him. He was getting even more nervous now. A servant walked up to him and spoke.
"They are waiting for you in the great hall sir." The servant said. "I will escort you there."
Link followed the servant through the castle; his mind full of anticipation about what was to come; his hands were starting to sweat.
They walked up to a large set of doors; the servant opened one of them and motioned for Link to go inside.
When he walked into the room he saw what must have been about a hundred people seated; all of them dressed in formal clothing.
In the front of the room, Zelda and the king were seated on two large thrones; both of them formally dressed and wearing gold crowns full of jewels. Their robes bore the crest of the royal family. Wow. Link thought to himself. I've never seen anything like this.
"Please approach me Link." The king said.
Link walked down the aisle; he could feel everyone's eyes staring at him; he tried to ignore it by focusing on Zelda.
He reached the front of the room and bowed down to the king.
"Please rise Link." The king said.
Link rose and stood before the king.
The king began to speak.
"My fellow Hyrulians, we are gathered here today to honor a brave hero." The king gestured toward Link. "This young lad rescued my daughter, Princess Zelda; He shall be rewarded for his bravery.
The king motioned to a nearby servant; the servant approached, and handed something to the king that was wrapped in cloth he king took the item from the servant and turned to Link.
"Link, for your bravery and selflessness in saving Princess Zelda; I present to you The Blade of The Sages; It is as powerful as the Master Sword, and it is my honor to present it to you."
The king held the sword out to Link; Link took it from the king and bowed.
"Thank you your majesty." Link said. "I am honored, and I accept you're gracious gift; Thank you."
"No Link." The king said. "Thank you."
The king rose and gestured to Link. "We shall feast in your honor Link." The king said.
The room was full of cheers and applause for Link.
Link turned toward the crowd. "Thank you everyone; I shall never forget what has happened here today."
The servants began bringing out food of all kinds; after the meal the tables were cleared then removed in preparation for music and dancing. The ball continued for hours, and everybody enjoyed themselves, especially Link and Zelda; they danced together all night, because they knew tomorrow morning Link would have to leave.
Zelda was having trouble sleeping that night; thoughts of Link leaving in the morning were keeping her awake; she kept worrying that he wouldn't return.
Link couldn't fall asleep either; he kept thinking about the dreams, and wondering who this girl was; she seemed strangely familiar yet he couldn't remember ever meeting her.
He was finally able to fall asleep but it was only about four hours until dawn.
Link woke up at dawn and was preparing to leave; he had packed most of his things already yesterday.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Link said.
The door opened and Zelda entered the room.
"Good morning." Link said.
Zelda threw her arms around him and started to cry.
"Please don't go Link." She begged. "I don't want you to leave me."
"I have to Zelda." Link said. "If I don't do this I don't think even Hyrule would be safe from this evil man."
"I'll be back before you know it," he continued. "And I'll have a surprise for you."
"I'll miss you." Zelda said. "My life won't be the same without you here."
"I'll miss you too." Link said. "I will think about you every day."
They shared a kiss before they went downstairs where everyone would be waiting to see him off.
Link and Zelda walked downstairs and were greeted by the king and Impa.
"Good morning." The king said. "Will you be joining us for breakfast Link?"
"No, thank you sir." Link replied. "I'm not really hungry this morning, and I really should get going."
"Very well Link." The king said. "I bid you farewell, and safe journeys."
"Thank you." Link said. "I'll see all of you soon." And walked out of the castle.
"Well we should go to the dining room my daughter." The king said.
Zelda looked at her father with tears in her eyes; then ran away to her bedroom.
The king started after her but was stopped by Impa.
"You should let her go." Impa said. "I think she needs some time alone."
"Perhaps you're right." The king said. "I'll try and talk to her later."
Link went to the stable and saddled Epona and was preparing to leave.
He mounted his horse and started toward the gate, but he felt like he was being watched.
He stopped and looked around; then he noticed Zelda standing on her balcony.
The two of them just stare at each other; then Link finally turned hi horse and trotted away.
Zelda watched him ride away until he was out of sight.
"Please come back to me my love," she whispered. Then walked back into her room.
To be continued… watch for The Hero's Return
Author's notes:
Well there is the first half of the story, I'm going to start the second half right away, but I don't know when it will be finished.
Please share any comments with me, good or bad.
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