By Ariana Aislinn
Author's Note:
Wow, this is an oldie! I've had it sitting on my hard drive for a long
time...I hadn't wanted to post it because it is unfinished, and I'm not
sure when it will be
finished. I know I have plenty of people impatient for me to work on my
other stories, too. Here I go adding another work in progress to the
mix...but I like it and honestly feel that it's good, so I hope some
readers will derive some enjoyment from it anyway! I do hope to finish
it someday. Maybe posting it online will kickstart my inspiration, who
knows. Anyway, enjoy! And if you have suggestions or comments, please
do review. I take them into consideration and am always making
improvements in my writing!
Disclaimer:
The Legend of Zelda and its characters are the property of Nintendo.
This is a work of fanfiction, for fun only and not for profit.
A Grave Mistake
It had all seemed so simple, then. Dangerous, to be sure, but Zelda was only nine years old. At that age, personal danger never seems quite real. She feared Ganondorf, but some part of her had always felt protected, as if he couldn't touch her. She worried more for her father, a good and kind man who often seemed far too trusting to be king, despite his strong leadership of the kingdom during the Korenjan raids, some ten years back. Her mother had died in childbirth, so Zelda's father was all the family she had…and she felt very protective of him. So when she first caught wind of Ganondorf's duplicity, she determined to do something about it. Her father might not believe her warnings, and that dream she had suggested that she should be the one to set things in motion…
But either the dream had chosen wrong, or she had misinterpreted it. She was far too young to make these kinds of decisions, princess though she might be, and mature for her age. She had believed herself safe, with caution, common sense, and her bodyguard at her side. All such feelings disappeared into shreds, whipped by the wind that streamed past her into ragged edges of sheer terror as they galloped through the night.
Impa's arms surrounded Zelda like a protective shield, her hands gripping the reins of Dagger as she urged the white gelding on, desperately making for the bridge and out of the city. Hoofbeats sounded some distance behind them, through the empty, cobbled streets of the Hyrule capital. It was the dead of night, and few were awake to see the chase, though some were roused by the noise and peered out of their windows to investigate — too late to catch a glimpse of Ganondorf's crazed-looking black stallion as the desert king pursued his quarry.
Zelda's mind raced. What had gone wrong? She had been fairly sure that Ganondorf had no idea what she and the Kokiri boy were planning, but somehow he had gotten wind of the counterplot against him. Either that or he had somehow read in Zelda's expression that she feared and distrusted him, and that she was determined to stop him somehow. In any case, he had attempted to silence her, or would have, had Impa not anticipated his attack on the princess and spirited her away into the night.
The drawbridge thudded down across the moat, the gatekeeper having been roused by Impa's shout. Impa urged her horse on with a snap of the reins, and they shot across the drawbridge. As they passed, Zelda caught a glimpse of green and looked down to her left.
The boy stood there, the Kokiri named Link, with his fairy fluttering around his head as a blue-white speck of light with wings. He stared at Zelda in surprise and confusion, but she had no time to explain, or even to give him some sign of reassurance. She whispered a few words over the small object she held clutched in her hand, sealing the spell she had placed on it earlier that day, and then threw it, as hard as she could, toward the moat, making sure Link saw. That was all she had time for, before they galloped past the boy, into the darkness of night and an uncertain future.
Zelda sat on the grassy plain, knees drawn up to her chin and her arms wrapped around them as she watched the moon slip slowly through the sea of stars above her. Behind her, a small fire crackled while Impa groomed, fed, and hobbled Dagger. It was very late, or perhaps very early; the chill of the night was at its deepest, as the sun had yet to show any gray light on the edge of the horizon to hint at its coming. They would take a few hours rest, and hopefully decide what to do next.
Impa was silent, only speaking a few hushed words to Dagger to reassure him. Zelda wasn't sure she desired conversation, anyway. Her heart was too full of worry. What would happen on the morrow? How long before it would be safe to go home again? Link had the Ocarina of Time, at least — the spell she had placed on it had allowed her to briefly touch his mind once he retrieved the instrument from the moat. She'd taught him the Song of Time, and if he did not have the all the Spiritual Stones, he soon would. Then he could get to the door to the Sacred Realm before Ganondorf, and keep the evil Gerudo king from obtaining the Triforce. How long would that take? Days? Weeks? Or had Link already found all the Stones? If that were so, she might even be able to go home tomorrow, or the next day…but no, that was too optimistic. Even without the power hidden within the Sacred Realm, Ganondorf was dangerous and untrustworthy. She had to contact her father first and convince him of the danger. Only once Ganondorf was imprisoned would it be safe for her to return home.
Zelda sighed and shivered a bit in the night. After a moment, Impa walked over to her, knelt, and silently wrapped a blanket around the princess's shoulders. She handed her a slice of bread and a bit of cheese. "Eat something, and try to get some sleep, your highness. There is nothing more we can do tonight, and we are safe for the time being."
Zelda smiled and took the offered food. "Thank you, Impa." Her bodyguard, nursemaid, and friend smiled and went to finish laying out their bedrolls.
Zelda munched thoughtfully as she continued to gaze at the stars. They revolved slowly through the heavens, unchanging. It was a somewhat encouraging thought — no matter what the enemies of Hyrule might do, the skies remained constant. She finished her food quickly, yawned, and stretched. Sleep was probably the best option right now.
She froze, shivering. A feeling rushed through her as if someone had run an icy finger down her spine. The Song of Time had been played, and the inner door of the Temple of Time had been opened. Link had grasped the Master Sword. All the magical talent handed down through the ages through years of royal heredity told her that these things had happened…and then…
Everything happened at once. Zelda suddenly felt as if she were in two places, looking out from two sets of eyes. One sat on a lonely plain somewhere in Hyrule Field, watching the peaceful procession of the stars. The other watched as the heavens split and a light flashed in the Temple of Time, opening a door to the Sacred Realm…and then a tall, dark figure blocked out the light, letting out a low, threatening laugh. Fear surged through her. It had been a trick. Ganondorf was in the Temple, before Link had managed to seal the newly opened entrance to the Sacred Realm — there was no time, it was too late…
Two souls entered the Sacred Realm. The Master Sword's power crackled as the Triforce was touched. A huge transfer of energies darted across the Sacred Realm, and some of that energy exploded out of the Temple of Time and rushed across the plains to the body of a small girl, shivering in the cold of night.
Impa rushed over when she heard Zelda scream. The small girl's body shook as magic dove in and out of her, light flashing in golden ribbons. The light began to shrink in size, but not in energy, forming a complex shifting web around her right hand. Impa grabbed the girl's shoulders and held her as Zelda shuddered, then slumped against her bodyguard, staring at the fading glow on her right hand.
The shining gold of the Triforce pulsed on Zelda's skin, then faded into it. Instantly she knew what had happened, some from what she had been taught about the sacred relic as a very young child, and some from the magic that suddenly flowed within her, telling her mysteries incomprehensible to her child's mind. Ganondorf had entered the Sacred Realm and grasped the Triforce. Consumed with power, however, the Triforce of Power was the only part of the whole that had responded to him. He now held it, but the other two pieces of the Triforce had fled, seeking new masters. She could sense Link's young spirit sealed in time, surrounded by the power of the Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage. And the Triforce of Wisdom…that now resided in her own body, its light slowly fading into invisibility on her hand.
Zelda swallowed as she attempted to figure out how she could possibly explain all this, and how she knew it, to Impa. Suddenly the future had gotten a great deal more complicated.
Dagger was saddled, and the campsite was cleaned up so that it appeared to have never existed. Impa turned to look at Zelda and sighed. "Well, only one thing remains. We must decide what to do next. You are certain of what happened?"
Zelda nodded, her large, blue, child's eyes serious. "The Triforce of Power holds sway over Ganondorf. It won't be long before he controls the city." She paused. "Should we try to stop him? I could attempt to use the Triforce of Wisdom on him…somehow. I…I'm worried about my father."
Impa sighed and placed a hand on the princess's shoulder. "Zelda, you're going to hate hearing this, but…I think your father is on his own for now. He has his own Sheikah bodyguard, don't forget. You don't know how to use the Triforce of Wisdom. Your power is still small, and though you don't always act it, you are still a child. Ganondorf will be seeking you out. He may not know who holds the other two Triforces yet, but he will find out, and when he does, he will come after you. I'm afraid our only choice for now is to run."
"Yes, but where?" The girl's voice was almost a wail. She rubbed furiously at her eyes, blurry with a hint of tears. This was no way for royalty to act. She tried to hold on to her dignity, but it was hard, and her heart quaked with fear.
Impa knelt and placed her other hand on Zelda's other shoulder, facing her. "Can you play a role, your highness? Can you learn to act differently than you have always been taught, to hide that dignity and poise you have always shown behind a different kind of reserve? A different kind of control and bearing?"
Zelda nodded hesitantly. "I'll…do what I have to," she said meekly.
Impa leaned back, scrutinizing her charge. She pulled back the white headdress the girl wore. "I think your hair will be all right — it's striking, but not an uncommon color. What he won't be expecting is a change in eye color, but that's fairly necessary. The Sheikah have methods of accomplishing it. It might be a bit painful, but that can't be helped." She smiled, seeing Zelda's confusion. "Princess…how would you like to become a Sheikah?"
The girl's eyes widened.