Hello, everyone. Chapter one of "In A Field of Paper Flowers", a Zelda fanfiction. It's a slight "combination" of the games—references to Oot, Windwaker, TP—though no knowledge of those games is needed. Alright, in summary:

Zelda is a geisha princess at Joori Castle, looking to be wed to a strong war lord. She meets a dashing but snobby man (Incaro) that her father approves of, and she does slightly as well. However, her childhood friend, Link, returns from war. Zelda is elated, after three years of being sure that he had died, but soon she realizes that he is in love with her. It's a tug a war inside of her, and she chooses Link. But there's a problem—in Hyrule, once one is declared as a veteran that returned with a signature of his own name in a slain one's blood 1000 times. Link not only did not sign in blood, but he didn't kill anyone in the war.

This creates a living nightmare for Zelda. She dares to secretly court Link, but it is fake. If she were ever to get pregnant before she officially married Incaro, she would be found out. By them spending time together, Link and Zelda have activated their Triforce, but in the process, they activated Vaati (Incarno)'s Triforce. An evil scheme awakens and threatens to destroy Zelda by the inside out.

Everytime she saw Link, she felt herself slipping away to a false reality. Now, her field of flowers and her reality are crashing. Can she and Link find it in themselves to kill for their love?

Inspired by Evanescence's "Imaginary".

Chapter One: Ease of Mind

The drip of water of the rock fountain lulled me into the state of dreaming. I was leaning against a rock, the mist of the hot spring carrying me into someplace better than the rocky mountain landscape and stone walls of the fortress where I reside with father. My silken sheet that I had worn around me turned into a flourishing summer gown, that I could see as I opened my eyes.

Everything was gone. The scenery had changed, my body relaxed in a peaceful grove. Bright elm trees towered on the sides of the clearing, of the meadow. I was stretched out across a plain of lilacs and golden daisies. They were soft beneath me, and the area smelled of cotton laid out on a beach to dry.

Peaceful. Serene. Quiet.

Fake.

My illusions were worse than useful as I sat up, crushing a few of the pretty flowers beneath my hands. A man with shaggy, thin hair the color of sand, flopped onto his forehead, wearing but a shabby pair of potato trousers. His eyes, as observed, resting inset over his high cheekbones, were a stunning shade of translucent blue. He walked towards me, butter bread skin glowing with a layer of sunlight.

I knew this to be Link, my childhood friend who I had known since birth, but three years ago…at age 13, he went to fight in battle. He had not returned with the other men. No body or remains had been found, destroyed and gouged or not. My sweet, smart and caring friend had been killed—I assumed this.

"Zelda," He greeted. He didn't greet me, the image my mind created from scraps of old memory that had been torn from old scenes in my head. His soft, smoky voice echoed to me.

"Why are you doing this to me, Link?! I have done nothing in my life to deserve you haunting me so!" My words sounded in my ears, bringing a fresh load of tears to my eyes. They blurred my vision and I blubbered quietly.

"I'm coming home," Link reasoned, slipping into a saunter as he started towards me. I didn't stop the motion, but I buried my face into my hands and the tears just fogged into the humidity. "I'll be at the fortress very soon, maybe today or tomorrow."

I couldn't bring myself to believe him. Panic and sadness ran in my veins as I peeked up at him. He was sitting cross legged across from me, his expression pained and regretful. "You don't believe me?" It was half question, half statement.

"I don't, I'm sorry…I…" My voice started to crack as I realized how stupid I was being, interacting with a memory.

"You're perfectly smart to do that, Zel. I have nothing against you for it…oh, I'm sorry. I have to go, but I'll explain everything to you once I get there tomorrow morning or tonight. Be strong and wait patiently!" He started to fade in front of me.

I nodded, numb. The image was just a hallucination that I couldn't ask to stay. I did not say goodbye to the ghost I thought was a liar. I was grasping at the last straws of the pain and grieving now. Incarno had helped to ease me pain a little bit, and now that I was getting engaged…it was nearly gone. Link was a thing of the past, nothing more.

I blinked softly and tightened my grip on the flowers around me. They dissolved at my hard touch, and I was frustrated as I squeezed my eyes shut so hard that I was back at the palace hot springs.

A thing of the past. Nothing more.

Or so I had thought.

How'd you like it? I thought it was okay. Please leave TWO QUESTIONS and a COMMENT. Don't forget to subscribe as well. This was more of an intro.