Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters (except the concept of
Li), they belong strictly to Zelda and its owners. In no way did I make
profit from writing this story, so don't sue me!
[ symbolizes flashback ]
Prologue
"No! Your... highness!" The princess stared at her caretaker, writhing from convulsions on the ground. She bent forward and picked up the sword that lay by her side, and quickly sheathed it. "So long.." she mumbled under her breath to her now dead maid. She couldn't help it, it had to be done. She couldn't very well leave her there, alive, after she had found out the princess' plans. Nor could she bring her with, for this was something in which her highness wanted to experience for herself. She knew her maid would have stopped her, so this was best for the both of them. The princess smirked and stormed out of the castle, racing desperately to reach her new destination.
*************
Chapter 1
Li jolted out of bed as his alarm buzzed into the early wakes of dawn. After slamming it on the dresser table a couple of times, he wiped the sweat off his forehead. He had that dream again. He peered out through the window and saw a glitter of black night sky meshed with the piercing first lights of dawn. He sighed. After dressing, Li poked his head out into the hallway and noticed his parents' door still closed. Good, they're still asleep. He quietly tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen. From the looks of the way things were scattered about all over the house, Li concluded that his parents had gotten into another fight the previous evening. They always do this. They always make a mess and expect me to clean it up. Well this time I'm not going to hang around long enough for them to blame their unhappiness on me. He grabbed his light jacket and swung the back door open. A light breeze caught his raven black hair as he jogged down the sidewalk to his truck. I just want to get away from this place, away from the depression and loneliness. He started up his old engine and took off down the road.
After a few miles he rounded a corner and pulled up into a driveway. It was a small, one story house, but cozy looking from the outside. It was painted blue with white trim, and there were rose boxes on each windowsill. There was a white picket fence that outlined the green lawn. Li got out of his truck and opened the gate. He had obviously been expected, because before he reached the front door, it swung open and an elderly woman came out to greet him. She draped her arms around his shoulder and led him inside the house.
[Li swerved, barely missing the maniac driver. He cussed when he slammed into the white picket fence, watching the wood break and the hood of his truck crumble. "God dammit!" He pounded his fists on the steering wheel of his vehicle. Looking up at the house, he figured he might as well get it over with and tell whoever lived here what had happened. Hopefully he wouldn't get the crap beaten out of him. His latter fear subsided as he saw an older lady emerge from inside the house. He felt even more guilty, seeing the awe-struck look on her face. He climbed out of his car and headed toward the woman.
"Oh my goodness, young man!" She hollered, and Li prepared himself to be chewed out. "Are you alright? You poor thing." Li relaxed suddenly, relieved that the woman didn't want to bash his brains out for ruining her beautiful fence, not to mention wrecking her lawn.
"I'm so terribly sorry, madam. I can explain-"
"There is no need, I saw the whole thing from my window. However, what ever shall I do about this mess...?"
"Oh, ma'am, I will..uhh.. repay you somehow, when I..um.. get the money." Li stumbled to find a solution.
"Oh? And how will you do that? You look no more than sixteen. Just got your license?" She put her hands on her hips.
"Actually, uhh..just turned sixteen a couple of weeks ago-"
"I see. What's your name, young man?" The old woman raised her eyebrows and had a disconcerting look on her face, now that she knew the boy was unharmed.
"Um, Li, ma'am. My friends call me Li."
"Well, since we haven't been properly acquainted as of yet, tell me your full name."
"Lionel N. Kingston, ma'am." Li gazed downward and hung his arms at his side. He felt terrible. He did not notice the woman who, at the mention of his name, widened her eyes and formed a look of recognition, replacing the disconcerting one on her face. She raised a wrinkled hand and lifted his chin. Looking into his eyes, she gasped. Li had no idea what was going on, and looked around, panicked. The old woman removed her hand and shook her head.
"Forgive me for my rudeness. Li N. Kingston, eh? My name is Minivera Eliana Aedel, but you may call me Mrs. Aedel."
"Well uhh, Mrs Aedel, with all due respect, I-"
"Calm down boy, I know you don't have the money. I also know that you are troubled at home, I can see it in your eyes." Li stammered, a surprised look overcoming his face.
"You..you can tell all that just by looking into my eyes?"
"You'd be surprised how wise an old woman like myself appears not to be."
"Oh, ma'am, I didn't mean any disrespect, it just caught me off guard, that's all."
"So I was right?" Mrs. Aedel queried. Li nodded solemnly, and repressed a sigh. "Well, now we are properly acquainted. Though, if you don't mind me saying, it'd make an old woman happy, if you would be so kind as to let her call you a name she chooses?"
"Well, I suppose since I did ruin your lawn and all, it seems fair. What shall it be?" Traces of a smile formed on the old woman's lips, and her deep, cerulean, sparkling eyes lit up.
"Link," she breathed out, almost as if she were remembering someone instead of just meeting them for the first time. That's an odd name, but I may as well humor the poor lady. It's obvious she's a bit senile. Li smiled warmly at her and nodded his head.
"How'd you come up with that one?" Li questioned., his eyebrows raised.
"Well, it's just..your name. That's all. If you think about it, your initials spell it out." Mrs. Aedel shrugged. Li got the weird sense that she was trying to cover something up, the way she was looking around, trying to avoid his gaze. But..it did actually make a sort of sense. His initials did spell out the name. L. N. K. Li N. Kingston. Huh. Li mouthed the words and scratched his head. Suddenly he remembered where he was and the mess he had gotten himself into. Then and idea struck him.
"Pardon me, Mrs. Aedel. I have an idea. Instead of me paying for this..uhh..big mess, I could just work it off for you. It would be no problem." Mrs. Aedel returned to reality and nodded her head.
"I knew you were going to say that.." she mused. Li laughed and patted the woman on the back. "You know, you're alright for a scrawny sixteen year old." Mrs. Aedel smiled to herself and looked at the boy again. He had a noble face, shimmering green eyes and raven black hair. So alike...yet so different. She turned and looked at her yard.
"Well, young Link. I shall see you again.]
[ symbolizes flashback ]
Prologue
"No! Your... highness!" The princess stared at her caretaker, writhing from convulsions on the ground. She bent forward and picked up the sword that lay by her side, and quickly sheathed it. "So long.." she mumbled under her breath to her now dead maid. She couldn't help it, it had to be done. She couldn't very well leave her there, alive, after she had found out the princess' plans. Nor could she bring her with, for this was something in which her highness wanted to experience for herself. She knew her maid would have stopped her, so this was best for the both of them. The princess smirked and stormed out of the castle, racing desperately to reach her new destination.
*************
Chapter 1
Li jolted out of bed as his alarm buzzed into the early wakes of dawn. After slamming it on the dresser table a couple of times, he wiped the sweat off his forehead. He had that dream again. He peered out through the window and saw a glitter of black night sky meshed with the piercing first lights of dawn. He sighed. After dressing, Li poked his head out into the hallway and noticed his parents' door still closed. Good, they're still asleep. He quietly tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen. From the looks of the way things were scattered about all over the house, Li concluded that his parents had gotten into another fight the previous evening. They always do this. They always make a mess and expect me to clean it up. Well this time I'm not going to hang around long enough for them to blame their unhappiness on me. He grabbed his light jacket and swung the back door open. A light breeze caught his raven black hair as he jogged down the sidewalk to his truck. I just want to get away from this place, away from the depression and loneliness. He started up his old engine and took off down the road.
After a few miles he rounded a corner and pulled up into a driveway. It was a small, one story house, but cozy looking from the outside. It was painted blue with white trim, and there were rose boxes on each windowsill. There was a white picket fence that outlined the green lawn. Li got out of his truck and opened the gate. He had obviously been expected, because before he reached the front door, it swung open and an elderly woman came out to greet him. She draped her arms around his shoulder and led him inside the house.
[Li swerved, barely missing the maniac driver. He cussed when he slammed into the white picket fence, watching the wood break and the hood of his truck crumble. "God dammit!" He pounded his fists on the steering wheel of his vehicle. Looking up at the house, he figured he might as well get it over with and tell whoever lived here what had happened. Hopefully he wouldn't get the crap beaten out of him. His latter fear subsided as he saw an older lady emerge from inside the house. He felt even more guilty, seeing the awe-struck look on her face. He climbed out of his car and headed toward the woman.
"Oh my goodness, young man!" She hollered, and Li prepared himself to be chewed out. "Are you alright? You poor thing." Li relaxed suddenly, relieved that the woman didn't want to bash his brains out for ruining her beautiful fence, not to mention wrecking her lawn.
"I'm so terribly sorry, madam. I can explain-"
"There is no need, I saw the whole thing from my window. However, what ever shall I do about this mess...?"
"Oh, ma'am, I will..uhh.. repay you somehow, when I..um.. get the money." Li stumbled to find a solution.
"Oh? And how will you do that? You look no more than sixteen. Just got your license?" She put her hands on her hips.
"Actually, uhh..just turned sixteen a couple of weeks ago-"
"I see. What's your name, young man?" The old woman raised her eyebrows and had a disconcerting look on her face, now that she knew the boy was unharmed.
"Um, Li, ma'am. My friends call me Li."
"Well, since we haven't been properly acquainted as of yet, tell me your full name."
"Lionel N. Kingston, ma'am." Li gazed downward and hung his arms at his side. He felt terrible. He did not notice the woman who, at the mention of his name, widened her eyes and formed a look of recognition, replacing the disconcerting one on her face. She raised a wrinkled hand and lifted his chin. Looking into his eyes, she gasped. Li had no idea what was going on, and looked around, panicked. The old woman removed her hand and shook her head.
"Forgive me for my rudeness. Li N. Kingston, eh? My name is Minivera Eliana Aedel, but you may call me Mrs. Aedel."
"Well uhh, Mrs Aedel, with all due respect, I-"
"Calm down boy, I know you don't have the money. I also know that you are troubled at home, I can see it in your eyes." Li stammered, a surprised look overcoming his face.
"You..you can tell all that just by looking into my eyes?"
"You'd be surprised how wise an old woman like myself appears not to be."
"Oh, ma'am, I didn't mean any disrespect, it just caught me off guard, that's all."
"So I was right?" Mrs. Aedel queried. Li nodded solemnly, and repressed a sigh. "Well, now we are properly acquainted. Though, if you don't mind me saying, it'd make an old woman happy, if you would be so kind as to let her call you a name she chooses?"
"Well, I suppose since I did ruin your lawn and all, it seems fair. What shall it be?" Traces of a smile formed on the old woman's lips, and her deep, cerulean, sparkling eyes lit up.
"Link," she breathed out, almost as if she were remembering someone instead of just meeting them for the first time. That's an odd name, but I may as well humor the poor lady. It's obvious she's a bit senile. Li smiled warmly at her and nodded his head.
"How'd you come up with that one?" Li questioned., his eyebrows raised.
"Well, it's just..your name. That's all. If you think about it, your initials spell it out." Mrs. Aedel shrugged. Li got the weird sense that she was trying to cover something up, the way she was looking around, trying to avoid his gaze. But..it did actually make a sort of sense. His initials did spell out the name. L. N. K. Li N. Kingston. Huh. Li mouthed the words and scratched his head. Suddenly he remembered where he was and the mess he had gotten himself into. Then and idea struck him.
"Pardon me, Mrs. Aedel. I have an idea. Instead of me paying for this..uhh..big mess, I could just work it off for you. It would be no problem." Mrs. Aedel returned to reality and nodded her head.
"I knew you were going to say that.." she mused. Li laughed and patted the woman on the back. "You know, you're alright for a scrawny sixteen year old." Mrs. Aedel smiled to herself and looked at the boy again. He had a noble face, shimmering green eyes and raven black hair. So alike...yet so different. She turned and looked at her yard.
"Well, young Link. I shall see you again.]