AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello, and welcome! This is the first story I have published on FanFiction in a long time, and I would be lying if I didn't say I was at least a little nervous about it. So thanks for giving it a chance!

This story is a Romance/Adventure featuring Link x Dark. It is set approximately a year after the events of Ocarina of Time, except that Link never went back in time. In this story, Dark is not Link's shadow or dark side, but rather a person that he meets during a new adventure that just happens to look and dress a bit like him.

I welcome all favorites, subscriptions, reviews, messages, questions, and comments. I will try to do my best to answer any questions I've gotten at the end of each chapter!

DISCLAIMER

I do not own The Legend of Zelda, nor do I own any of its characters, settings, items, or storylines. Neither I nor this story is associated with Nintendo or any other official creators and distributors of The Legend of Zelda.

Though I will only be stating this disclaimer once, please know it applies to this story as a whole, and not just this chapter.

CHAPTER 1

First Things First

"Ahh!" Link awoke from yet another one of the nightmares that had plagued him since his defeat of Ganon a little over a year ago. They were all different, but in each one he was faced with a situation that he couldn't get out of, that took his life or the lives of those he cared about. This particular one featured tendrils of yellow smoke, seeping into his nose and mouth until he could no longer breathe. Even fully awake now, the acrid smell stayed with him, haunting him.

Every time he had a nightmare, he wished Navi was still with him. Despite all her faults, the fairy had provided him with constant companionship, something which Link had come to rely on during their long journey together. He had trouble falling back asleep sometimes for fear of having another bad dream, and being with someone else helped him a lot. However, though Navi wasn't there, Link reminded himself that he did still have one friend he could turn to in a time of need.

Shivering, he grabbed his blanket from the floor where it had fallen. He didn't care that it was late at night, and that he should probably be using more than just his blanket to shield himself from the cold. Walking out the door, he leaned over the balcony and stared down at his friend. Epona. She was a fine horse, a gift from Malon at Lon Lon Ranch. After his adventure was over, he had thought it only right to return her, but her previous owner had felt differently. "She's bonded to you now, Link. To take her away would be cruel. Nothing hurts people more than being separated from the ones they love."

And now, Link found that he was very grateful to have her. Slowly climbing down the ladder, he placed a hand on her neck. "Hi girl. How are you doing tonight?" He got no response; her slow and steady breathing told him Epona was asleep. He smiled and hummed the first few notes of Epona's Song quietly. Did horses dream? If so, he hoped she was having a good one. Looking up at her as if silently asking her permission, he laid out his blanket on the ground next to her. She might have been a horse, and she might have been asleep, but at least he wouldn't have to spend the rest of the night alone.

The next morning, Link awoke to a shrill tone, repeated in a distinctive pattern. He sat straight up, reaching for his weapons before remembering that he had left them in his house. Thankfully, he had a good idea of where the noise came from and what it was, and he highly doubted he would need to defend himself from it.

"Hero of Time." The voice came from several feet in front of him, and Link stretched briefly before picking himself up off the ground. The voice belonged to one of the members of the Royal Guard, and the noise he had heard was a trumpet being played by his partner. He saluted them both, standing at attention until they reached him. He realized too late that he was dressed only in his undershirt and a too-small pair of breeches – certainly not appropriate attire to greet messengers of the Princess in. Thankfully, most members of the Royal Guard knew who he was, and they were no more likely to laugh at him than they were to make fun of the Princess.

"At ease, soldier" they said in unison, coming to a halt in front of him. Link complied, putting his hand down at his side and grinning at them. He wasn't actually a soldier, but he was a strong believer in respecting the customs of those around him. He always would observe others and their behavior before speaking or acting, usually earning him respect among various groups of people. He knew that the members of the Royal Guard lived by a strict code of respect for rank and accomplishments, and he liked to honor that code whenever possible.

"The Princess Zelda's coronation is tomorrow morning," the guard on the left gently reminded him. "We were sent to escort you across Hyrule Field, and give you this official invitation to the ceremony from Zelda." He produced a small scroll from his armor, sealed with the image of the Triforce and tied shut with a golden ribbon. Link took it and opened it, inwardly groaning. The last thing he needed was another official piece of paper allowing him entry into the castle. It was always more fun to just break in, anyway – not that he bothered to share that information with anyone.

This piece of paper was no different than the dozen or so others he had received over the last year, stating his name, his title, and his reason for being allowed into the castle. He always made sure to carry them with him, but he hardly ever needed them. The palace workers all knew who Link was, and he was allowed to visit whenever he wanted. The paper usually meant there were other visitors at the palace, and was provided as a courtesy to make sure Link could move through the castle freely.

"We'll have to leave soon, sir," one of the guards spoke up again, shifting from side to side uncomfortably. It was obvious that they needed to get back to the castle, but they seemed a bit reluctant to tell him to hurry up. He realized that the guards probably couldn't move as fast as he could, and that they would need to leave soon if they wanted to get there before nightfall.

"I'll be ready in just a minute, gentlemen," Link told him, making a grandiose gesture at his clothing – or lack of. "This is hardly respectable attire to wear to the castle." This got a chuckle out of both of the guards, and Link bowed slightly before turning to his treehouse. He put one foot on the ladder, ignoring the creaking of the wood as he put his weight on the first rung. The ladder had been made for a child, and wasn't meant to hold more than a child's weight – but as long as he moved quickly, he felt fairly confident that it wouldn't break.

Back up in his one room treehouse, he pulled out a dresser drawer, searching for an older tunic he could wear. He had a nice brand new one that he intended to wear during the coronation, but he was likely to get dirty on the ride there and didn't want to ruin it. Rummaging through the unfolded assortment of breeches, shirts, tunics, and hats, he finally pulled out a rumpled green tunic with some dirt on the hem and sweat stains on the armpits. He put it on, and then stuck his head out the window. "Do you have horses with you?" he called down to the guards. Epona was more than capable of carrying additional people, but if two of those people had armor, she wouldn't be able to carry any supplies.

"We do," one replied, craning his neck to try and see up into Link's house. "Two horses. We left them outside the forest entrance, tied to a tree. They seemed a little too spooked to walk over the bridge with us." Link nodded his head sadly, and pulled his head back inside so he could finish getting dressed. As far as he knew, Epona was the only horse that had successfully entered Kokiri Forest in years – and even then, it took a lot of coaxing.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed to put on his boots, he spotted the pack he had prepared the night before. It had a couple weapons tucked into it, two changes of clothes for the ceremony and any time he would be spending at the castle afterwards, and a few treats for Epona. That was fairly standard for a traveling pack for him, at least when he expected to not be gone for very long. Since this was a special occasion, he had brought more weapons than normal, but everything else he needed Epona was already carrying. He grabbed the pack, and held it out the window. "Catch!" he yelled to the guards, who scrambled to reach the falling pack before it hit the ground. They succeeded, and Link hopped off his balcony, rolling to his feet in front of them.

"Thank you!" he beamed at them, taking his pack and attaching it to Epona, setting it on the same side as his bow. His sword and shield were already attached on her other side. She was awake now, calmly surveying the situation. Link patted her on the head, his way of telling her that they would be leaving soon. He held onto her side, checking to make sure that her saddle was secure and that her stirrups were properly adjusted. Everything seemed perfectly set for a trip to the castle, and he turned around to face the impatient guards at last.

"Okay, men. Let's move!"

Link and his companions rode in silence for the most part, occasionally stopping to admire the scenery on their route to the castle. Though Link had been in Hyrule Field many times before, he had never really taken the time to appreciate the expanse of land. With its rolling hills and grassy meadows, it was easily one of the most beautiful places in all of Hyrule.

What Link really found amazing about Hyrule Field was that without it, there would be no partnership or friendship between the different races of people. You had to cross the field to get anywhere from the castle or the town. Without it, the Hylians would never have met the Sheikah, Zoras, or Gorons – and they might not even have known the Kokiri existed. Link shuddered at the very thought. Though he was proud to be Hylian, he still thought of the Kokiri Forest as home. Which was exactly what he had told Zelda when she offered him a home in Castle Town.

This would be his first time going back there since he had rejected that offer. He could almost feel the accusing stares of the residents, asking an unspoken question: Does the Hero of Time think himself too good to live among us? Even though part of Link yearned to be with them, he didn't feel he could live happily in Castle Town. He remembered it from when he was a child, friendly people roaming the streets just enjoying life. But he also remembered it from when Ganon had been in power, filled with darkness and inhabited by re-deads. Though he knew Castle Town would eventually recover, he didn't feel it would ever reach that same level of happiness again. There would always be a cloud of unease settled over the town, like a reminder of the terrible events that had occurred there.

A loud whinny startled Link out of his thoughts, making him grab onto Epona's mane to regain his balance. "Sorry about that," chuckled one of the guards. "Chester here gets pretty excited when he sees Castle Town in the distance. It's like he knows that just beyond the hill he'll get food and water, and a warm place to spend the night."

Link smiled as the guard reached down to pet his horse, a light grey gelding. He was sure if he had to carry a person wearing that much armor all the time, he would get excited about seeing Castle Town as well. "I'm amazed we're so close already. We made really good time."

Both guards nodded in agreement. Hyrule Field could be a very strange place with time, so much so that Link had decided long ago that the goddesses stretch out the length of the field different each time someone enters it. The journey across the field from Kokiri Forest to the castle had taken him anywhere from 3 hours to 12 hours in the past. Today looked to be around a 6 hour day.

Link slyly pulled a carrot out of his pocket, glancing at the guards to make sure neither one was paying attention to him. Carrots were Epona's favorite food, and she would show her appreciation for being given one by running as fast as she could, for a little while anyway. "Here, girl," he whispered, "I know it's your favorite". Holding the carrot in front of her, he straightened in the saddle and looked at the guards. "Race you to the castle!" Epona finished eating the carrot, and they were off. He smiled as he heard the guards trying to catch up to him. Epona needed to run. He needed to feel free. And they all needed to get to the drawbridge before nightfall.

IN CLOSING

The other chapters will be longer than this one, I promise. I really hope you guys give this story at least until Chapter 3 to make up your mind, as that is when Dark shows up. Either way though, thanks for checking out Chapter 1! Your support is much appreciated!

Don't forget to check back for Chapter 2: All Hail the Queen. Thank you for reading!