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Ye Olde Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda.
Chapter 1
Sick, dying, or dead: the only three words that could describe the horrific state in which everyone that I knew now dwelled.
I laid on the floor of the castle's forty-thousand-square-foot library, staring at the high stone ceiling. A pile of books burned by my side. Smoke tinged the stale air, stinging my eyes. Pale moonlight streamed through meager windows, set high to quash the threat of invaders. A large, curved battle knife wrapped in chocolate-hued leather rested beside me, the blade stained, doomed to be drenched over and over again in the blood of those I've known my whole life. The people that I loved. The people that loved me.
Night had fallen long ago, but I hadn't the strength to rise up and face it, nor to move to a safer place. I was exhausted, oh so exhausted. I was entirely spent.
I could only hope that one of them wouldn't find me here tonight.
I was filthy. I hadn't bathed in days; not since the change, anyway. I'd barely eaten. I felt as though I might faint from lack of nourishment at any given moment. Luckily, drinkable water was peppered throughout the castle, presenting itself in the form of small canisters, rain-catching buckets and wash basins. Whatever I could find, I gratefully drank down, my pride chased away by necessity.
How frivolous my whole life had been.
I'd climbed so many ladders and felled so many wooden shelves. I'd ripped through page after page of dusty books until I nearly choked on the musty smell of the ancient. At first I had applied a gentle hand, concerned for the preservation of things past. But as the minutes wore on, as my arms began to ache and terrifying noises started to burst forth from within the castle halls, I started to tear, throw, shred. I had to find what I needed before it was too late.
With my eyes clouded by tears, I kept stopping, dripping my sorrows all over the paper. I couldn't seem to control myself. Was I going crazy?
Oh, how I wished I'd spent more time here in my younger years. Now, at the age of twenty-five, the painful realization was swiftly forced upon me: I couldn't find my way around this library to save my life.
How long had I been here? Two hours? Two days? I'd lost track of this entity known as time long ago. I'd entered a time warp, a clinching place where nothing existed save for searching, searching and more searching.
But this room was massive, housing more than five-million pieces of literature, some dating back to a time that even Impa would be unable to recall.
Well, would have been unable to recall….
How would I ever find what I sought in this labyrinth of manuscripts, this maze of words? It seemed hell-bent on preventing my success. It mocked me. Every letter on every Goddess-forsaken page in this place pointed and jeered, promising with every last spot of ink that I wouldn't make that crucial discovery.
'A gilded book…' were Impa's words, the last she had spoken to me before she'd withdrawn. 'A book without a name, embellished with the crest of Hyrule. Find it.'
But many books went by this description. So many. They teased, raising my hopes only to dash them as soon as I realized that I had the wrong text.
I stared again, my chest heaving and my heart sinking further and further. I clenched my fists, wincing from the feel of my raw, abraded fingertips. Hot tears trickled down my temples as I recalled my guardian's cryptic words. So vague, so ambiguous. Had she spoken that way on purpose? Surely she could have given me more information. Perhaps her thought process had, as with so many others, deteriorated too much, her memories and knowledge betraying her, mutinying, siding with the illness.
But she told me nothing more before she left, dragging herself away, creating a buffer between us; refusing to take any chances. She might turn on me, she'd said. She had already begun to show signs days ago. At least, I thought it was days ago.
Her auburn eyes had changed, turning darker around the irises and a sickly yellow throughout. Her unblemished olive skin had given way to painful boils. Her calm, tranquil demeanor slowly, slowly shifted, becoming practically rabid on occasion. But she never hurt me.
She left me yesterday after spending every last ounce of energy she had to defend my life from those who were after me—my friends, my family, my father's attendants and workers, the castle's craftsman, merchants who frequented the grounds, lords of surrounding manors, stable boys, workers of the fields roundabout the castle, peasants, knights, even my own father.
Many remained docile, immobile and lethargic in their debilitating fever, never to stand again. Those who didn't succumb lingered, groaning in their confusion, weeping and gnashing on the inside, I was sure.
This sickness was ruthless, claiming all in its path, except for me. But why? Why would a disease ravage everyone yet leave the princess of Hyrule unscathed?
Well, so far, anyway.
I had no idea what the outside world looked like at the moment. For that, I was crawling in the dark, expecting the worst.
Some of these people attacked in their delirium, an all-consuming madness gripping them to their very core, it seemed. I didn't know how many people Impa killed on my behalf. In just one day's time, the very knife that sat beside me was run through one flaring chest after another. I completely lost count of those who had fallen. The death toll was rising still.
The sound of metal splitting skin and crushing bone haunted me with every attempt to rest my eyes. But the tearing growls, the enraged moans of those who once raised me up and protected me would remain with me forever.
I couldn't sleep. I couldn't possibly sleep. They could come after me again at any moment, drawn to me as a spider dashes for its prey. They didn't even know what they pursued me for. They couldn't—they were mad.
And now I was alone, bound to this task of finding something that I knew nothing about.
I tried not to cry. I feared that my tears might relent to uncontrollable sobs. But the tears came anyway, showing my hopelessness to the walls surrounding me.
I couldn't leave here until I found what I needed. I had to help my people, even if they seemed to want me dead.
I felt inadequate; so frightened. How would I accomplish this alone? I wasn't a warrior in any sense of the word. It had always been the job of others to protect me. Every single day of my life, I'd wanted for nothing. The truth was, I barely knew how to care for myself.
To live life as a royal is to unconditionally accept feebleness. For that, I was resentful. And I couldn't get it out of my head.
If it weren't for Impa's impartation of basic knife fighting skills I'd have been dead long ago, my blood running along the corridors with everyone else's.
Now, bodies littered the grounds in and out of the main keep and along the inner bailey; most likely the outer bailey, too.
I recognized some of them. Passing, I looked into the contorted, rotted faces. I saw friends, cousins, caregivers, some of whom had been struck down by Impa's. My eyes stuck to them, unable to move, expecting the long dead corpses to shake, to reach out to me. I think some of them might have.
That was before I had confined myself to this library, taking on the task given me by my guardian.
Too many thoughts—racing thoughts of failure, of death finding me, of being hunted. I had a fear of being chased; it didn't matter who was doing it. Playing tag as a child was impossible without crumpling to my knees in a heap of tears. Feet would pound the ground behind me and hands would reach. That fear never sorted itself over time; it still held me, mercilessly.
And the pursuit of the castle dwellers left me even more afraid. My sword was constantly by my side. To lose it was to be rived apart by bare hands. I pondered death again. Death by one trusted.
I thought again, recalling the castle's final day of normalcy.
The morning had been gorgeous; unbelievably so. A picturesque day, perfect for the Castle Town Fair: a time of politics, economics and cultural celebration. A time to rejoice a decade's passing since the end of Hyrule's civil war.
By the droves people came, as they did every year. Representatives and commoners made the long journey from all corners of the land: Gerudo Desert, Kakariko Province, Zora's Domain, Goron Village on Death Mountain, and Kokiri Forest Village. In addition, several other tribes of humans who dwelt in the many villages and towns of Hyrule arrived.
Guilds, both craft and merchant, swarmed the town's streets and the castle's courtyards. Businessmen, artisans and craftsman of all sorts arrived to sell, to see, to sample. Advertising their wares, they solidified trading partnerships with surrounding towns, building friendships, ensuring peace and making money.
Those of every trade from weaver, to cobbler, to blacksmith came. Farmers with goods of every kind arrived with the choicest of seeds, foods and animals.
Just like every year, monetary disputes were monitored and settled quickly within the temporary guild court, according to customary law.
Not that I was terribly interested in the goings on of the fair. After years of struggling to acquire a taste for the inner-workings of trade, I gave up. As a princess, I could fake my enthusiasm with the best of them. But it was far more enjoyable to be the spectator of the dancing, jousting, sword fighting and archery competitions.
So many wonderful young men participated annually, many of whom come from Castle Town. Some were friends, some were strangers, but few caught my gaze.
One young man in particular, a tall, dark-haired knight with a cheerfully sweet disposition vied for my attention, winning match after match with his crossbow. Someone who I had come to enjoy the company of in recent days. Regularly, he would visit me in the inner courtyard, bringing me flowers and talking of tranquil, moonlit rides by the river. I couldn't help but smile every time he came near.
Where was he now…?
At least I was never so oblivious that I failed to notice those who visited my home. And this year, a new race of people showed up.
They were strange, I remember. Pale-skinned and soft-spoken. They seemed out of place, studying those around them in a manner that I couldn't quite identify. Hesitant to approach one of them myself, I asked several others who the odd new visitors were. What they were selling, and what they wanted, no one seemed to know.
If my father knew then he never told me.
The day was wonderful, a dream come true as always. It ended with lighthearted conversation and a congenial dinner with my dark-haired friend.
The next day, however, everything changed.
People all around me began to fall ill. It happened so fast I could hardly believe my eyes. At first it wasn't so bad. Then people started looking worse and worse. Soon, shops closed, activity within the castle ceased—
Then, the violence started.
Before I knew it I was running, being pulled through the castle halls and ordered to pick up my pace, to move my feet faster. They were after me.
There were so many hours of hiding; days of bearing witness to Impa's instinct to protect.
I couldn't remember much. It was all a blur. A nightmare—
—I stopped in place, listening.I'd heard something from somewhere in the room.
Gasping, I jumped to my feet with my knife in hand. I froze, barely able to breathe. There were footsteps behind me.
"Oh, Goddesses…." I whispered, closing my eyes. My heart was thumping. My hands shook. I waited for the bloodthirsty castle dweller, creeping up behind me to grab me. With a jump I whirled around, stabbing my blade forward.
"Aaaah!" My voice echoed. My eyes gaped. But I saw no one.
Then, a skittering sound reached my ears. Brushing mussed blond hair out of my face, I looked down.
A dog. A friendly-looking, medium-sized little critter with glistening black fur.
Peering at the ceiling, I gasped in relief. I wiped the sweat from my brow with the periwinkle sleeve of my dress.
With a smile I dropped to one knee. "Hi there," I cooed, gently kneading my knuckles on the animal's head. It wagged and panted happily, its floppy tongue bouncing out of the side of its mouth.
But, wait—
My eyes met the dog's muzzle. What should have been black was discolored.
Red—all over the dog's face. It was matted and dried, thick and metallic smelling…
I jumped back, freeing my hands from the creature. After staring in silence, the dog sniffed, licked at the floor and wandered off. It headed for the library's entrance with a swagger. It was too relaxed and carefree.
"Impa, where are you…?" I whispered to myself.
That was it. I felt rejuvenated and inspired to begin my search again, no matter how tired I was.
Thank the Goddesses for the clear evening. Without the moon, I would have been blind.
I ran about, climbed and tore at stack after stack of books. The place was a mess because of me.
"The northeastern corner," I heard a small voice say. I halted in place. My eyes darted around.
"What?" I asked.
"The northeastern corner…go to it."
Shocked but desperate, I immediately obeyed. I turned to my right and walked, staring through thick darkness. A desk rested in the corner. I slowly grasped the bronze handle on the drawer.
A distant bang breached the air, making me want to leap out of my skin. I dropped my knife. I gasped, turning around.
Then silence again. Rubbing my hand down my face I took a deep breath. I looked to the desk again and opened the drawer.
A lone book—small and old, it appeared worn by unfathomable years. Still, it glimmered.
I picked it up, marveling in its construction. I could see my reflection in the golden cover. The sweeping crest of Hyrule displayed itself in sharp relief. I ran my fingertip across the design.
With my pulse beating in my ears I brushed my hand over the book, carefully opening it. Lifting it, I gazed anxiously at the first page. But there was nothing there. Curious, I flipped to the next page only to discover the same thing. It was empty.
I turned another page. More emptiness. Frantically, I fanned through the pages, aching for something. But, nothing.
The book slipped from my hands. I dropped to my knees, turning my palms up, supplicating to the Goddesses. "What am I supposed to do?" I asked, at a loss. I grabbed my face.
I was never going to leave. I was never going to fulfill what Impa asked of me. This was pointless. Angry tears streamed. I rocked forward.
But then I saw it—an eerie glow. I lifted my face.
A peculiar energy emanated from the book. I reached for the cover a second time. Opening it, I was stunned by what I found.
Two words written in the most perfect of calligraphy: "Kokiri Forest".
"Oh…." I breathed. "The forest…" I looked up. "The forest!" I wanted to scream with happiness. "Okay, yes, the forest!" I jumped up and ran for the door. I felt like I was going insane.
"Oh!" I cried, sliding to a stop. I twirled around and headed back to the corner. I picked up the essential items which I'd forgotten: the book and my knife.
"Goodness, I can't forget these," I said with a sigh. With the book under my left arm and the knife in my right hand, I ran, I floated, I flew in the direction of the horse stables.
