Chapter 1

Link sat on the soft grass, staring out at the glassy surface that was Lake Hylia. The only sounds he heard were from Malon feeding Epona and her horse, Magna. The water was still, and he could not help but feel at peace while he watched the silvery fish gracefully gliding beneath the surface.
Malon came back and sat down beside Link. He knew how she felt about him, but he also knew that he could not return the affection. He loved Malon like a sister, nothing more. He knew that Zelda was the only one he could ever have feelings for. Malon knew that all too well.
      "It’s beautiful isn’t it," she said after a moment, "That’s why I love coming here. It’s so peaceful, and I feel like all my problems are solved, or just…" she broke off. No words could decribe how the quiet lake made them feel. Link’s mind occasionally flashed back to while he was in the Water Temple, but he tried to forget the memories of the alternate future. The lake made him feel calm. Malon, however, was upset about her father. He was always coming home late, sometimes drunk. But staring at the sunset made her remember that he loved her no matter what he did.

      Link then noticed that the sun was quickly sinking below the water. It was getting late, and Saria always worried when he stayed out late. Assumed he had gone on another adventure he guessed.
      "We better get going," said Link, as he got up from the ground, "It’s getting late and Saria will wonder where I am."
      "I guess you’re right," sighed Malon. She got up, brushed the grass off of her skirt, then went to saddle the horses while Link grabbed his fishing rod and what fish he had caught that day. Soon, they were mounted and speeding off across the field, back towards Lon Lon Ranch. Link always insisted on seeing Malon home, especially after dark. You never knew what might be lurking in the fields at night.
After making sure that Malon made it into the Ranch alright, Link spurred Epona back towards the forest. She could stay with him for a while. And as he stepped into the peaceful village of the Kokiri, he knew that everything would be fine, and he would never have to worry again.

 

      Zelda sat in the castle library, reading a book from the large collection. She was an avid reader, and could be found here quite often. Usually because she was hiding there to avoid attending another royal function.
Impa stood in the doorway of the library, watching Zelda as she read. King Harkinian stepped up behind her and looked over her shoulder at his daughter. How content she looked.
      "You can’t keep her here forever you know," said Impa quietly.
      "I know that," said the King, "but she’s just a girl –"
      "- with a desire to explore," Impa interupted. She stared pointedly at the title of the book Zelda was reading so diligently. Maps of Hyrule it said in bold, gold lettering. "I know you love Zelda dearly, and keeping her away from the outside world is for her safety, but you are merely teasing her by doing so. The more you protect her, the stronger her desire to leave will grow," Impa sighed, and laid a hand on the King’s shoulder. "You need to let her go," she said softly.
      "I know…" sighed Harkinian, "But I just know that she’ll find a way to cause trouble. That girl is always getting into things she’s not supposed to. What if someone realizes who she is? Then what? They might take her and hold her for ransom! Or worse!" the King was now pacing up and down the hallway, with his arms waving for emphasis. "I just don’t want to see her get hurt…" the King leaned up against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. He knew Impa was telling the truth, he just didn’t want to admit it.
      "Then you know what you have to do," replied Impa. She took one last look at the King, then strode off down the corridor towards her quarters. King Harkinian needed his space, but now more than ever, he needed to talk to his daughter.

      The King quietly stepped into the library and towards Zelda. She was into her book so deeply that she did not see him coming. As he kneeled down beside her chair, Zelda turned her head to look at him. She could see pain within his eyes.
      "Father, what’s wrong?" she asked with concern. King Harkinian just stared at her, there was nothing more he could do.
      "I think it’s time that you finally saw the world, Zelda," he started. At this Zelda’s eyes lit up, and when the King saw this, it broke his heart. "I know that you long to see the great mountains and forests of Hyrule, and I fear I have kept you locked up in this castle far too long. I think it’s time you heard this," The King took Zelda by the hand and helped her up from the chair. "I have much to tell you, but not here. There are too many eager eyes and ears,"

      The King led his daughter through the castle into her chambers, then he locked the door swiftly behind him. Zelda sat down on her bed, scared of what she was about to hear. Her father had never acted this way before around her, and it worried her greatly. The King took a deep breath and started.
      "Long ago, when your mother and I were first married, just before you were born, all of Hyrule was chaos and destruction. The fires of war raged in the fields and villages, and in the hearts of men. A new evil had taken them, a nameless fear, and they craved carnage because of it. Their very souls had been blackened by it.
      "When I came to the throne as the new king, I was lost and knew that alone I could never return the peace on my own. But then your mother, Feriana, offered her help. At first, I was still unsure of what she thought we could do on our own, when even some of our finest knights and shoulders turned their backs on us. Then she showed me a secret that she had been hiding from everyone. It was a large emerald fashioned to look like a leaf. And around it were wreaths of silver, attached to a delicate chain. It was far more beautiful than my words could ever describe. Then she said something even more unbelievable. ‘It told me that our unborn child, the heir to the throne of Hyrule, will be the Princess of Destiny,’ she said, ‘She will find a way to forever seal the evil residing in Hyrule at this very moment. The weak-minded will be ensnared by this evil, never to return, but she will not. When she is born, we must give this stone to her’.
      "And soon after this was said, the war became more violent than ever. Villages and towns were burned, innocent people killed, and all of Hyrule was in despair.
      "There are two innocent people who you might have known. My bravest, though youngest Knight, his wife, and his newborn son, lived in a room in this very castle. The Knight defended the castle the castle ceaselessly, an he would have continued had I not told him to stop. The time was hopeless, and I knew the end was nigh, so I told him to take his wife and child, and fly for the lands beyond the mountains. So they left quickly. The Knight was cornered by the enemy, and though he fought bravely, was felled. The mother mangaed to escape, but a fatal wound was sure to make quick of her. So she did the last thing she could do; she took her son to the forest…" the king broke off. Zelda looked at her father with tears glistening in her eyes.
      "Link?" she said softly. The king gave a slow nod, then let his head hang in grief.
     "Does he know all of this?"
      "Not all," replied Harkinian sadly, "But he will when the time comes. It would be best if you didn’t mention this to him…" Zelda nodded her head slightly as a tear slid silently down her cheek.

      "But then something most unusual happened," the King continued, "By some twist of fate you were born, and all of time seemed to slow down. The fires stopped blazing, the soldiers stopped fighting. And in that moment, I was able to muster all the strength I had left, and I tried to regain control over my people. Those whose minds were still poisoned by the evil ran, and were never seen again. The villages were rebuilt, and families reunited.
      "It was then I knew that your mother was right about the stone, and that you were the Princess of Destiny. But then something I didn’t count on happened. Feriana went out one day to visit a friend of hers that lived in Gerudo Valley. That was the last time I ever saw her. Her body was found half buried in sand in the Haunted Wasteland. Her clothes were torn and she had cuts all over her body. And the stone, which she had taken to wearing, was gone. I…" Harkinian’s voice cracked with sadness. Even after 13 years the pain was still fresh for him. "I couldn’t get there fast enough. They tried to revive her, but it was too late," The King had to stop talking, the tears were now flowing freely. Zelda saw this and came over to him and hugged him.

      Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. Father and daughter looked at each other. Then Zelda got up and opened the door. It was the King’s royal advisor, Parifius.
      "Pardon me, your highness, but you do have a lot of business to attend to," said Parifius superiorly, "And the princess also has much to do."
      "We’ll be done in a moment Parifius," said Harkinian impatiently, "And please send Impa up here to meet us."
      "As you wish, sire" said Parifius with a bearly noticable sneer.

      "And so," continued the King, now that he had gotten a grip on his emotions, "I don’t know quite how to say this so that it doesn’t seem alarming, but I will try," the king held Zelda’s small hands in his own, "Your mother, after her death, she came to me in my dreams and spoke to me," At this Zelda did look quite alarmed. "But she told me not to be afraid. She also told me that her precious stone was stolen, and without it in your posession, Zelda, the unknown evil would return. And it has, although it has passed unseen for a long time. But soon it will appear again with a vengence if we don’t do something," Then he looked Zelda straight in the eye, "If you don’t do something."
      "Me?" said Zelda, her eyes wide in shock, "But what can I do? I’m just a girl, and I’ve never even been outside of the castle walls before!"
      "You are wise for your age," her father replied, "And what you must do is find that stone! If someone with a blackened mind and heart finds it first, all hell will break loose! You are the only one who can stop it!" then the King hung his head, "But I don’t want you to go. I knew you would have to when you were old enough, but I could never imagine anything happening to you."
      "I don’t know what to say," Zelda said softly. She sat down once more on the bed, and stared blankly at the wall, "What should I do?" she questioned herself.
      "I think you should sleep on it, things won’t seem so bad in the morning," said the King wisely. He waited while his daughter put on her pajamas, then tucked her into bed. "Good night princess," he said as he kissed her forehead.
      "Good night daddy," was all Zelda could say as she lay still in the bed, and watched her father walk out of the room and close the door quietly behind him.

      When he stepped out into the corridor and closed the hall behind him, he found Impa leaning against the wall just outside the door. She smiled at him
      "Why didn’t you come in?" asked Harkinian, "I could’ve used your help in there!"
      "I think you did a pretty good job on your own," replied Impa, "I think Zelda needed to hear that from you, not from me. But what do you think she will do?" said Impa, suddenly becoming serious.
      "I really don’t know," he sighed, "But we must leave it up to her."
      "You’re right." Impa agreed, "And I think you should go get some sleep now. You look dead tired," said Impa with sympathy.
The King nodded, said good night to Impa, then headed off towards his chambers. Tomorrow would be a hard day, depending on what Zelda chose to do.

      Back in her bed, Zelda could not sleep. There was far too much on her mind. She had heard people call her the Princess of Destiny before, but she just assumed that was because one day she would be Queen. She stared out the window that faced her bed at the dark, shadowy land that was Hyrule. She knew that soon she would be out there alone and unproctected. She also knew she should be excited to finally be leaving the castle in search of her own adventure, but seeing the pain it caused everyone around her…Just before Zelda nodded off from weariness, she thought I don’t want to leave…

TO BE CONTINUED...