Hi, there. :) You can go ahead and skip straight to the story if you don't feel like listening to me ranting, but I wanted to start off by saying I am not, by any means, a spectacular author of any sorts. I'm fifteen and haven't had that much experience writing stories and such; the majority of what I try to write never gets finished. I hope to change that, and I would really appreciate any feedback! That may be what I need to continue writing (if people like it) since I don't really have anyone to read or critique my stuff to tell me where/how to improve.

Secondly, as you all probably know, I am in no way associated with The Legend of Zelda. (I feel the need to throw that in there, just to make sure no sheriff or anything shows up at my front door to arrest me for stealing any ideas or whatever. It's for sanity's sake—peace of mind. Nothing meant against your intelligence.)

Thirdly, this isn't a short story. So if you're looking for a five paragraph one or something, you may want to look somewhere else. :P

I don't want to spoil too much of the story, and I actually want people to wonder and read it, so I won't say much. It's loosely based in the world of Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time. (Yes, the worlds are a bit mixed together. You should figure out why later on.) I'm gonna try to make it as original as possible and not steal a ton of stuff straight from the games. Also, there are two main characters, and the story will be mostly broken down into both of their points of views (sometimes it'll be from others...maybe—I'll see how I'll feel). The main-main character's point of view is in 1st person. The sub-main character's point of view is in 3rd person limited. I think. At least, that's how I'll try to make it, if it doesn't become too much. :] Oh, and they're both O.C.s, and there will be a few other O.C.s as well. Also places/things you've never heard of. SO BE PREPARED.

Lastly—I really hope you like it. Enjoy! :D

Cayleigh~

The Legend of Zelda: Dawn of Time

Prelude

"Hey, wake up! It's 12:07!"

There was a grumble and a moan as the boy rolled over.

"Did you hear me? I said wake up! Come on, you sleepy-head. Get your lazy butt up!"

The same reply, only a bit louder.

I raised an eyebrow at the lump underneath the blankets, placed both hands firmly on my brother's back, and pushed with all my might. Actually, I could have pushed with the least of my might; the boy was a toothpick, and he went flying.

There was a loud crash as he fell onto the floor. The lamp wobbled on the nightstand nearby, and I leaped across the bed to grab it so it didn't fall on him. I froze and steadied the lamp as my parents angrily stomped their feet on the floor above us as a sign to shut up.

"What the hell, Nelle?" my twin groaned, finally pushing himself into a sitting position as he blinked and shielded his eyes from the light. He glared at me, a deep frown plastered on his face, obviously unhappy with my interfering of his sleep and whatnot.

I disregarded his unpleasant gaze and giggled. "That rhymed."

"Shuttup."

I quickly composed myself and cleared my throat, peering down at him. (That was a first; standing, he towered at least half a foot over me.) "Dear brother, you do remember our plans for tonight, right?" I struggled to not laugh at my cleverly awesome rhyming skills.

His face screwed up as if he really had to think hard about it. After a few seconds his eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open. "Holy magical toast, how the hell could I possibly forget?"

I gave him a quick noogie as I slid off of his bed, grinning. He winced. "Stupid boy. Go get the safe."

"Got it right here," he informed me, rubbing his head after he proudly pulled the steel box out from underneath his bed. Struggling a bit, 'cause he's a freaking weakling, he picked it up and dropped it on the mattress. We collected all of our electronic devices laying around the room—cell phones, iPods, cameras, laptop—and stuck them in the safe.

"Well, Pierce," I said, closing its door, "we now have no distractions. Are you prepared for our Zelda race?" I grabbed my green, off-shoulder, Triforce eagle shirt off of a nearby chair and pulled it over my yellow tank-top in honor of our competition.

"Bring it on, bitch," he replied with a smirk, putting on his own black and green Triforce not-nearly-as-cool-as-mine-but-still-awesome-becuase-it's-Zelda shirt.

I'd like to mention that despite any bickering or name-calling, my brother and I were exceptionally close. (Not in a disturbing, incestuous way, though. Ew. That would be...not cool at all...) It was all horse-play and a continuous game for us. Our parents constantly scolded us for our immaturity, because we were "only a few years from adulthood and should behave better than that". They didn't understand that we didn't want to be adults. We already had to practically fend ourselves, much against our wills. They were always at work, and when they were home, we had to listen to them arguing all the time. Being an adult seemed far from appealing.

"You're such a lovely person."

"Thanks, I know."

Laughing, I set up the Gamecube whilst he set up the Nintendo 64; I was going to play Twilight Princess while he played Ocarina of Time, and we were going to play all day and all night until someone beat one of the games, or gave in—which would be utter ludicrousy (which I'm not even sure is a word) and would result in a serious loss of respect for whomever quit. We would go without food. We would go without drinking. If one of us needed to go to the bathroom, we could lose precious time in saving our Hyrule from the evil Ganondork. (See what I did there? Clever, eh? I enjoy making fun of little—er, big?—Ganny-poo.) So that, too, we would attempt to avoid at all possible costs.

Unfortunately for my brother, he seriously underestimated me. And I was gonna beat his scrawny ass. I rocked so hard at Twilight Princess.

Once we were at the starting screen and had our names entered, we counted down: "Three...two...one...START." We hit the center button on our controllers. From then on, it was ultimate concentration. Neither of us dared to lose to the other. This was going to be the most intense contest of our lives. (Well, that may be a bit of an over exaggeration, but...maybe not...) It was completely silent in our room except for the beautiful musical masterpieces singing from the TVs' speakers.

I often imagined what it'd be like in Hyrule—in Ordon, especially. The smell of the flowers, the touch of the soft grass, the taste of the warm, clean, pleasant air. And right then I thought that I could sense all of it, like the music that Koji Kondo so perfectly composed was actually humming in my ears. The sunlight was just beginning to seep through the window, and a light breeze gently lifted my brown hair around my face. I hadn't recalled opening the window, though, but I was too deeply absorbed in my game to look and find out.

"Hey...Pierce?" I said softly. My voice sounded too loud compared to the previous quietude, and I half expected the scene to shatter when I spoke, but instead my voice resonated like a soft hum as the wind carried it around me.

"Hm?" was the response I got.

"Do you feel like...like..."

"...like everything is real? Yeah," he whispered, finishing my thoughts. Despite knowing what I was trying to say, it was difficult to tell what he was thinking or feeling. He sounded so flat and monotone that I was unsure if he was getting the same vibes as me.

Suddenly, I noticed my arm outstretched towards the screen. It was a strange, compulsive, out-of-mind movement, and I could see out of the corner of my eye that Pierce was doing the same thing; it was like one of those stereotypical, creepy twin-connections things. The air twirled around me like a weak vortex, spinning and spinning and spinning as my fingers brushed against the screen. (It even appeared as if they actually went past it and into the actual television, but that was just beyond insanity.) The controller silently dropped out of my other hand and I closed my eyes, smiling as the air touched the exposed skin on my shoulder, arms, and legs. It caressed my face, almost feeling like a hand, but lighter and gentler.

I swear I coulda died right then. I was so content that the apocalypse could've happened at that very moment and I wouldn't of had a care in the world. Heck, the rapture could've come and put the entire world into complete chaos and disorder and I would still be the happiest person in the whole damned world. I was so beyond ecstatic...words could hardly even begin to describe everything.

I wondered if the same thing was happening to Pierce...if he felt the same joy and tranquility that I was experiencing...

"Nelle?" I heard Pierce say. Physically, he was only a few feet away, but his words seemed to echo from a totally different world a million miles from me. "I...I don't know—" His voice cut off, and a searing pain shot down my right arm from my shoulder to my hand. I was about to let out a cry when—just as suddenly as it all began—everything stopped.

Chapter 1

Nelle's POV

I felt like someone just nailed me in the gut. I awoke with a start, sitting up, gasping and coughing for air. I placed a hand on my stomach and let out a deep sigh. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. It was all just a...

Oh damn. This wasn't my house.

And those were not familiar faces.

Two young women peered at me from a nearby table. One was a brunette, the other a dirty blonde. They looked about in their twenties or so, but I was never good at guessing ages. They had similar features: smooth skin, deep, oval-shaped eyes, small noses...I figured they were sisters.

Wait...Pierce. Where's Pierce?

Frantically, I began looking around. The house was small, one room. There was a couch, which I was on, and there were two beds in the kitchen. And the table. That was it. No sign of my brother. At all.

What's going on?

One of the women—the blonde—got up and walked toward me. I felt my eyes grow wide as I curled up in a ball against the back cushion. They didn't appear harmful, but I was still scared. "Shh," she hushed, reaching out her hand like I was some sort of animal. "I won't hurt you."

"Where am I? Who are you? Where's my brother?"

She blinked at me before sharing a glance with her sister. "We found you alone. No brother."

My heart dropped into my stomach. "Found me? Found me where? Where am I? Who are you?" I repeated.

"Calm down, calm down," she said gently, kneeling in front of me. "I'm Alana, and that's my sister Liv."

I stared at her for a few seconds. She had a strange accent, one that I'd never heard before. It wasn't heavy or anything. Just...strange. "I—I'm Anielle. You can just call me Nelle," I said nervously.

She smiled warmly. "That's a beautiful name." I saw her sister nod in agreement. "Well, Nelle, dear, you're in Claru Village."

"What?" I said dumbly.

"Claru Village," she told me again. She didn't appear agitated at my seemingly complete lack of intelligence. "We found you at the spring." My face was a question mark. I think she was beginning to catch on that I had no idea what anything meant. "Er...the Ordon Spring? Just west of here...?"

I started having a coughing fit. Ordon? As in the Ordona Province? But Claru isn't...it wasn't...no. This is a dream. This is all just a dream. If I pinch myself, I'll wake up.

I pinched myself. I didn't wake up.

Alana looked worried. Liv, on the other hand, was staring at me as if I was some sort of alien. And...maybe I was...

It was when I caught her looking at me all funny that she first spoke. "That's an interesting shirt you've got on there. Would you like to tell us where you came from?"

I glanced down. I was still wearing my Triforce eagle shirt. In a (supposedly) Zelda world. But I couldn't tell them I was from a whole nother universe. I mean, wouldn't that screw up fate and stuff? Well, I probably already did that (if all these shananigans were real). But not only that, it could change their entire perspective of life—not to mention make my life a living hell trying to explain anything and everything. "I—I have no idea."

"Aww, poor child," Alana said sympathetically. "You must be starving, though. I'll go cook you some soup. Livvy, go get her something to wear. Verlixa begins tonight, and I think she should go."

"I know, Lana." Liv's voice was hard, and I realized she intimidated me quite a bit. She didn't seem to like me at all. "Come on, kiddo. We need to go out to the attic."

Reluctantly, I got up. She motioned for me to come to the door. I scurried over and she pushed me outside. I stood frozen in awe at what I saw: the house was right by a river of crystal clear water. Just a little ways down was a gentle waterfall, and the earth was dotted with pastel-colored flowers. I didn't see any other houses, so I figured they were behind theirs. I looked up: the sun was beginning to set over the cliff wall. "What's Verlixa?"

"Shhh!" She glanced around before dragging me around to the side of the house where there was a ladder leading up to a door. I was right. There were more houses behind this one. "Go on! Get up there!" A bit shaken, I climbed the ladder and opened up the small door. It was pitch black, but I crawled in a reasonable amount so Liv had enough room to get in. After a few minutes of waiting, she came up with a lantern. I watched as she lit a torch with it, the flames' shadows dancing off her face. "You can stand, you know."

Sure enough, there was plenty of room. I got to my feet and looked around; the attic was a closet.

Liv walked over to the clothes and began scrounging around. "Verlixa is a festival," she began. Her tone was no longer hard and intimidating. In fact, it was really nice. "The five villages in Ordona all come together to celebrate the Goddesses. It's three days of music, dancing, food, love, you name it. It's a time where you can forget about everything going on and just be happy and have fun." The woman paused and sighed. "I'm sorry for how I acted before. I'm just not sure how to handle this. You, I mean. You're just so...strange. Ah—this might do."

She turned around, holding up a strapless, purple, layered chiffon dress embellished with fancy golden embroidery. My mouth formed a small "o" as I slowly walked over to Liv. Holy damn. I was never much of a dress girl, but this... "Wow...it's gorgeous..."

She smiled at me. "And it's yours to wear."

"Just like that? I—I couldn't..."

"What, you think you're going to Verlixa in that? Ha! You'd better be shitting me," she scoffed before pausing and grinning at me. "Besides, I'd be honored if you wore it."

I blinked. "Eh? Why?"

"Why do you think? I made it!" She flashed me a proud grin. "As strange as you are, and as annoyed when I realized I would have to deal with you for Goddess-knows-how-long, I actually kinda like you. And you're a pretty little thing. You've got the perfect figure, and purple would look stunning on you."

I smiled weakly. It was hard to believe. "Trying to flatter me?"

She smirked. "Is it working?" Liv handed me the silky/satiny dress, her face abruptly growing sad. "Besides, I'll never fit in it again."

Well that was depressing. I opened my mouth to say something when Alana yelled, "Soup's ready!" I was glad. Not only was I starving, but I hadn't been entirely sure about what I was going to say to Liv.

After we had dinner, the sisters set up a divider so that I could change. There weren't any mirrors, but I felt beyond beautiful. It reached down to my calves and fit me perfectly, just as Liv had said. When I walked out, they "ooh"ed me. Even though I'd just met them, I felt pretty comfortable around them; they were pretty cool chicks. I still wished that Pierce was with me so that I wouldn't be going to the festival alone, and I wondered if he was okay. All I could do was hope for the best, and head on out to the meadow where Verlixa was held. I would be going alone; the sister's had decided to skip this year.

I can't believe I'm going to this thing. I hate parties! And it's not like I'll even know anyone. I sighed and continued following the map that Alana and Liv gave me. I wish it wasn't so dark so I could, I dunno, see where I'm going? That would be dandy. As poor as my navigational skills were, I soon found myself on the top of an scarily steep hill, staring down at a city of lights. I could see hundred of figures moving as they danced, hear the upbeat music a band was playing. It was so lively.

Carefully, I began making my way down the hill. I slid a little, almost fell on my butt, and it seemed to take forever until I reached the bottom, but seeing it right in front of me had even more grandeur than from a bird's-eye-view. People were laughing, dancing, singing, drinking—it was a pretty spectacular sight. Now what? Awkwardly, I wandered forward, weaving myself through the tents and crowds of people. I didn't feel so pretty anymore. The Ordona girls were flawless with their flow-y dresses and perfect faces. I didn't know where to go. I didn't know what to do.

"...would like all the ladies to start the dance. If you don't know the steps, just follow everyone else!"

Hey, I'm a lady! I may hate dancing, but it's not like I have anything else to do. After all...I'm in fucking Ordona Province. To be here...this is my dream! I followed the speaking, making my way through the clusters of people, eventually braking out. There were girls already dancing, picking up their dresses and kicking their feet like a medieval dance. I hesitated for a brief moment, trying to take in as much as I could before deciding to just jump on the bandwagon.

I probably looked like a total fool compared to the other girls, but for not having a single clue about what I was doing, I thought I had it down pretty good.

"Alright-y! Men, it's time for you to find yourself a partner!" I glanced around for a second, trying to find where the voice was coming from.

I almost lost my footing when I did. Zoras? Hold the phone...is that Lulu? IS THAT THE FREAKING INDIGO-GOS? I looked away; if I stared any longer, I would've burned a whole through all of their faces. At the same time.

Without warning, a man grabbed one of my hands and twirled me around. He placed his other hand on my hip. "Hello, darling," he said, flashing a pearly white grin. "How are you doing this fine—"

"Marcelo!"

I turned around to see a young lady beckoning him over to her. Without a second thought, he dropped his hands and walked away. I felt a drop of rain splat against my arm, then another Screw it. I'm sitting out of this one. I shouldn't be complaining...after all...I'm in Ordona. God—Goddesses—I wish I had Pierce with me. Or...just someone...

"Care to dance?" Without a look up, I sluggishly shook my head. I felt whoever it was sit down next to me on the grass. "Hey...what's wrong?" I didn't respond. Like he cares. "If it makes you feel any better...that's beautiful dress."

I couldn't help it. Right there, next to this complete and total stranger, I began bawling my eyeballs out. Tears were streaming down my face, snot was pouring out of my nose, and I was making some extremely unattractive choking sounds. (Or something. I'm not even sure what they were.) I felt a hesitant arm around my shoulder. "I—I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you—"

"No, no, it's not that..." I sniffled, looking up at him. He was a total blur from the tears built up around my eyes. Remembering how hideous I was at the moment, I turned away. At least it's raining and he can't see how bad it is...

He removed his arm from around me and, out of my peripheral vision, I saw him get to his feet. Finally realizing how utterly stupid I was being, I quickly called out, "Wait!" He turned around, his face in shadows.

"Yes?"

I bit my lip. "Does your offer still stand?"

He held his hand out to me. "What d'ya think?"

I smiled, reaching out to accept. I'm so glad I didn't—

There was an ear-splitting scream. I didn't notice it was myself until I realized I was clutching my right hand to my chest, trying to stop the pain. The boy was crouched in front of me, flexing his own hand. With his other, he lifted up my head and wiped the tears away from my eyes.

It was then that I got my first real look at him. And oh, Goddesses. If this was real before, I must be dreaming now.

Link. That is holy freaking mother-of-all-that-is-good-and-pure Link. He looked a bit different from Twilight Princess. Well, duh. He wasn't animated, and drenched. Also, he was beyond adorable, to say the least.

His sapphire eyes looked at me with worry as I gawked. "You alright?"

"I'm wayyyy past alright!" I wanted to say. But I decided to play it cool and go with the, "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

"Fine enough to dance?" he said with a crooked smile.

I studied him for a moment. He had a mischievous aura about him, and he was definitely more talkative than I had imagined—not to mention cuter and kinder.

"Yeah, fine enough to dance," I replied, smiling myself.

He grinned. "Good." Once again, he held out his hand. Carefully—just to make sure nothing strange would happen again—I took it. He pulled me to my feet.

"I'm Nelle, by the way," I said.

"Link," he told me as we walked to the dancing circle.

I smiled to myself. I know.