AN: Another day, another story. It's good to be back, even if I was only gone for a couple of days. So, here begins my newest project, which was the story that got the highest votes on my poll. Thank you very much if you voted, it really helped me out a lot 'cause I suck at making decisions. I'm going to try and upload a chapter for this once a week every week until it's done, so we'll see how that goes. Wish me luck.
Now without further ado, let's get this ball rolling!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Legend of Zelda in any way shape or form, which is a shame but probably lucky because the amount of angst and pain and death I would put in would- ... Right, sorry, story time.
Enjoy!

One:

It was a calm day, full of the sounds of a country being rebuilt, when the report fell from the lips of a breathless young soldier. Princess Zelda of Hyrule had been sat at her desk, considering her country's future, but without hesitation she rose with every intention of immediately addressing the issue. It may not have been the wisest move, considering that the castle and surrounding town were still being rebuilt so she could not spare much time at all away from them, but it was absolutely necessary.

A great beast was terrorising Ordon Village, and she would not leave its residents alone to deal with it. Never again would she let any of the citizens of her country suffer without her support.

Despite her protests she found herself surrounded by a small corps of soldiers adamant that she would not go alone as she rode out of the city. She did not feel she should be allowing them to leave their posts around the town, but some still bore the marks of recent battles which reminded her they must have felt much like she did. Just as she would not let her citizens be terrorised again, they would not let her be pushed to the point of surrender again.

So she rode swiftly, wishing to resolve the problem in Ordon and return to the castle as soon as possible. She could not spare more than a few hours away from the centre of her damaged, healing country.

She did, however, have another reason for wanting to reach the village quickly, beyond lending whatever aid she could. It had been three months since Ganondorf's defeat and Midna's departure, yet she had not seen Link once. Perhaps it was a vain wish, her secret wish to see him again, but she had hoped to at least see him amongst the people as they worked to rebuild their homes, their lives. They were moving on, recovering, and she had prayed that he would do so as well.

And perhaps he was, simply not near the castle. Perhaps he had returned to Ordon, to the life he had had before. Somehow Zelda doubted it, though. Not only was such a thing impossible, but whenever she thought of the young man she experienced the strangest feeling of dread that made her worry for his wellbeing. He had been through so much, too much, and she sincerely hoped nothing had happened. He, more than anyone, deserved the peace that had settled over the country. It was thanks to him that it was there in the first place, after all.

Trying not to let her thoughts wander Zelda instead focused only on the issue at hand: the beast roaming Faron Woods. All she could think of was the Shadow Beasts, which while she knew was an impossibility she could not help but fear. If the reports she had received were correct then the residents of Ordon Village had already been through so many ordeals thanks to the monsters, so as she urged her horse to go just a little faster she prayed for their safety and good health.

They made good time, soon passing into Faron Woods where the earth around them was dappled with early afternoon sunlight. Here Zelda slowed her pace again, growing quickly wary in the quiet that filled the space beneath the trees. Despite the report's claims the forest seemed full of life, which though quiet was unmistakably there. Birdsong followed them as they trotted between tall, gnarled trunks, while more than once Zelda caught sight of the quickly vanishing white of a rabbit's tail.

It did not seem like a place plagued by a beast, in fact it did not seem like a place plagued by any kind of monsters at all. That was a rarity, as Hyrule's monster population had swelled under Ganondorf's brief rule, so much so that her soldiers had been hard-pressed to protect the civilians from their constant hostility since. Travelling had become difficult because of it, even for the experienced, and the princess was glad that so far her journey had been unhindered by creatures of any kind.

But all the same it was unnerving to see the forest so free of monsters of all kinds; she had to wonder at the cause. Her immediate thought was that the residents of Ordon had rallied together, taking steps to eradicate the creatures that caused them so much strife, and she could not help herself from wondering if Link was there. Or maybe hoping would have been a better word.

Shaking her head slightly Zelda turned her thoughts away from the young man, that familiar jolt of dread in her chest painful. What had happened to make her worry so? Could it simply be the lingering feelings from the battle against Ganondorf, or was it something else? Something worse? Having not seen him in months it could have been anything, a thought that was not reassuring in the slightest.

'Your Highness.' One of the soldiers suddenly spoke, drawing Zelda's attention onto him.

'What is it?' She asked, the reply a gesture along the path before them.

'Up ahead,' the soldier explained as Zelda looked in the direction he was pointing, to find a figure stood in the middle of the path up ahead. Somehow they had made much progress while she had been distracted by her thoughts, and were now approaching a long, precarious bridge that looked like it could snap at any moment.

'Who goes there?' An unfamiliar voice called as the stranger folded their arms, face hidden by a dark helmet.

'I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule,' Zelda replied, wending her way through the soldiers as they halted until she was before the stranger. 'I have come to investigate reports of a beast terrorising the village beyond this bridge.'

'Princess-? Please, forgive my rudeness.' The stranger dropped into a bow, tugging off his helmet as he straightened to reveal a somewhat haggard, middle-aged face framed by dirty blonde hair. 'I am Rusl, a swordsman from the village.'

'May we pass?' Zelda asked, adjusting her grip on the reigns as she met Rusl's stern, piercing gaze. She wondered if this was Link's master and considered asking him if he knew the young man's whereabouts.

'There isn't much to tell, Your Highness, and I don't think you'll find much in the village,' Rusl said, shaking his head. He seemed unwilling to let her pass, but then he sighed softly. 'But I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I'll take you to the village.'

'You have my thanks,' Zelda said as he turned away, walking fairly swiftly in order to stay ahead of the horses. Following Zelda kept her senses alert, unwilling to risk a run-in with the beast in the presence of a civilian. He may have been a swordsman, but he was one of her subjects nonetheless. She would not see him harmed.

'It is true, then, that your village is under attack?' Zelda asked after a few minutes of silent walking, her soldiers all following close behind with silent diligence. Rusl glanced back at her, rubbing a hand against the back of his skull as he regarded her seriously.

'Not exactly, Your Highness,' he said after a moment. 'So far no one's been hurt, but there've been a few close calls. It's always just hanging around in Faron Woods, like it's waiting for something.'

'Can you describe it?' Zelda asked as they made their way slowly past a small clearing with a clear spring at its heart. Sensing the familiar power that radiated from it gently Zelda looked towards it, realising she had never properly thanked the spirits for their aid during the battle with Ganondorf.

'It's big,' Rusl said, drawing Zelda's attention back onto him. 'I feel like I recognise it, but it as far I can tell it's not like those creatures that took the children a few months back.' Breathing a soft sigh of relief Zelda felt a little of her uneasiness seep away. It was not a Shadow Beast.

This did beg the question of what exactly, then, the monster terrorising Ordon was. Nevertheless Zelda felt certain she, with her soldiers, could deal with whatever it was. If it was not a Shadow Beast then there was at least a little less to worry about.

'As long as no one has been attacked,' she said softly, looking out between the trees again. That nagging feeling of dread had returned, persisting until she sighed, tightening her grip on the reigns. 'It may be presumptuous of me to ask this, but I must. You would not know the whereabouts of Link, would you?' Rusl looked around at her again, definite suspicion in his eyes now.

'Why do you ask?' His tone bordered on a demand before he grudgingly tagged on an honorific. 'Your Highness?'

'He protected my country, and I fought alongside him three months ago,' Zelda explained slowly, not liking to think on it. 'I have not seen him since, and so I was hoping he would be here.' Rusl regarded her seriously before shaking his head.

'We haven't seen him either,' he said softly, causing another twist of dread in Zelda's chest. Where could Link possibly be? If something had happened to him Zelda was not sure what she would do. Could the goddesses really be so cruel as to allow something like that, after everything he had done?

'He's a good kid, though,' Rusl suddenly added, a fond smile crossing his face briefly. 'I'm sure he's fine.'

'Yes, of course,' Zelda agreed, returning the smile despite the discomfort in her chest. There would be no sense in worrying the man with her own fears so she stayed silent, saying no more until they reached a large clearing, at the back of which stood what appeared to be a house carved from the twisted trunk of a great tree. It was simple yet strangely majestic, and Zelda thought it was splendid. It seemed so different to the cold splendour of the castle and she couldn't help but marvel at the resourcefulness of the Ordonians. The signpost at the base of the ladder read 'Link's House'. Honestly Zelda could not think of a better place for the young hero to make his home.

'Well, here we are,' Rusl said, stopping at the entrance to a narrow path between two natural walls of stone. Dismounting swiftly Zelda adjusted her skirts, keeping a light grip on the reigns as she turned to her soldiers. At her orders four of them returned to the woods with explicit instructions to simply locate and attempt to identify the beast; under no circumstances were they to engage it in a fight, or provoke it in any way.

Once they were gone Zelda, accompanied by the remaining soldiers and led by Rusl, led her horse down to the village where a number of curious Ordonians appeared to greet them. Among them were several children, presumably the ones stolen by the beasts at the start of Zant's rein.

'Rusl, what's going on?' One of the women approached them directly, concern scrawled all over her face.

'Uli.' Rusl turned to her, smiling reassuringly. 'This is Princess Zelda, she's here about the creature.'

'Oh, the princess…?' Clasping her hands to her chest Uli turned to Zelda with a gentle smile, though the concern was still clear in her expression. 'But the beast… you cannot mean to fight it?'

'Should it become necessary we will do whatever it takes to protect your village,' Zelda said firmly, hoping it would assuage rather than increase the woman's worries. 'This beast will not terrorise you any longer, I give you my word.' This raised a few murmurs from the surrounding villagers, and while Zelda hoped she was simply imagining the scepticism in their faces she would not have been surprised if it were real. Given everything that had happened it was only to be expected that they would doubt her word, so short a time after she nearly allowed her country to fall to ruin under a tyrant's cruel fist.

'We'll help however we can,' Rusl said suddenly, throwing her a knowing half-smile when she looked at him in surprise. She had to quickly scramble to compose herself.

'I appreciate your offer, but I cannot let you risk your safety any more than you already have,' Zelda said with a slight shake of her head. 'Please, let us handle this.'

'Hey, who d'you think taught Link how to fight?' Rusl challenged, quirking an eyebrow slightly. 'It's our village, so we're helping.' He folded his arms decisively, expression brooking no argument.

'If you are certain,' Zelda conceded slowly, recognising it as a battle she would not win. The other villagers were all nodding as they murmured agreements, so Zelda simply smiled at them all. 'Thank you.'

'We should be thanking you,' Uli said. 'You did not need to come, but still here you are.'

'I could not help last time, but I will not be stopped now,' Zelda replied, grimacing internally at the thought. She had let them down so grievously that she did not know if she could ever rectify it, although there was certainly no harm in trying.

'What can we do, then?' Rusl asked, but Zelda's reply was cut off by a sudden, distant scream. All heads turned in its direction as a flock of birds rose from some way in the distance, as if startled by the noise. Despite the obvious distance the cry was clear, a testament to the difference between the city and the country, and it was most definitely not a monster's scream. The sound continued before abruptly stopping, the following silence almost deafening. As a jolt of anxiety slammed into Zelda's stomach the villagers around her began to all talk loudly, asking questions from anyone, everyone, in the hope that someone would have answers.

'Your Highness, the others-' One of the soldiers approached to speak in her ear and Zelda nodded once, sharply. Forcing herself to appear calm she addressed first her soldiers then the Ordonians.

'Stay here with the civilians,' she commanded, turning to her horse and mounting swiftly. 'Do not panic, everything will be fine.'

'Your Highness-!' Her soldiers protested, so vehemently that after a split-second of thought she allowed two of them to accompany her, along with Rusl who refused to be left behind despite worried words from Uli.

Wasting no more time Zelda turned her horse around, galloping back in the direction of the noise with her soldiers and Rusl in tow. The forest passed in a blur of green, though Zelda did not even have room in her mind to worry about the bridge as she sped across it, paying no attention to the terrible drop below. Her soldiers were obviously under attack from something and she was loath to think that her orders had resulted in them being harmed. She was aware that this was childish, they were soldiers and it was to be expected, but she simply could not help herself.

It took mere minutes to reach the main body of the woods, where Zelda once more slowed warily. The whole forest seemed suddenly silent, as if muted by a spell, and the foreboding that fell about Zelda made her skin crawl uncomfortably, her stomach twisting itself into knots.

'You High- Your Highness!' A sudden voice shattered the illusion of deadly peace as a figure clad in silver appeared as if from nowhere, careening towards them at a sprint. Slipping from the saddle Zelda alighted on the soft ground as the figure stumbled towards her, frantic breaths loud in the unnerving quiet.

'What is it? What has happened?' Zelda asked, moving forward to meet the person as they staggered, nearly falling. It was one of the soldiers she had dispatched earlier, though for a moment he was too out of breath to speak or explain, doubled over with his head bowed, his hands resting on his knees.

'The beast-' the soldier gasped, words catching in his throat. 'It was so fast- so strong-'

'It attacked you?' Zelda queried, wondering if they had disobeyed her orders about provoking it.

'Out of nowhere-' the soldier raised his head, to reveal a long cut above his eye oozing blood. His brow was shiny with perspiration, eyes wild with fear. 'Killed Dethan-'

'Killed…?' Placing a gentle hand on the soldier's shoulder Zelda smiled softly at him despite her own guilt.

'Thank you, you have fought bravely.' Turning she looked to the two soldiers who had accompanied her. 'Take him back to the village and then return,' she commanded. 'Swiftly.'

'Yes, Your Highness,' they chorused, carefully positioning the injured soldier on the back of one of their horses before riding away. As the sound of the horses' hooves faded Zelda turned to Rusl, who had hitched a ride with soldiers and was now stood nearby with a frown on his face.

'You must return as well,' she said, moving to stand before him. 'I cannot allow you to be put in harm's way.'

'I'm not leaving,' Rusl said firmly, fixing her with his stern gaze again. 'You can't make me, even if you are the princess. You heard what happened to your men. I'm not letting you go alone.'

Zelda stared at him for a long moment, searching his face and his clear eyes, before she nodded grimly. 'Very well. Please be careful.'

'You're the princess, if anyone should be careful it's you,' Rusl pointed out and Zelda had to resist the urge to pull a face. This was not the time to be worrying about status. 'I'm serious – what would happen to Hyrule if you got killed?'

'Yes, I know.' He had a point, one she simply could not argue with. No matter how much she resented it.

'Retreat- retreat!' A sudden cry rang out from nearby and without another word Zelda collected up her skirts, hurrying in its direction. As she ran as fast as her bothersome clothing would allow her to, two more silver-clad figures appeared from what appeared to be a cave, supporting each other as they staggered along.

'You mustn't come closer!' One of them cried, apparently upon seeing her. Half complying she slowed, still moving towards them.

'Run, Your Highness- Run!' The other yelled, as a great dark shape shot out of the cave after them. The air was suddenly filled with the most ferocious growling that sent a shiver through Zelda, raising the hairs on the backs of her arms. In an instinctive response she drew her sword, hearing the soft sound of steel scraping leather behind her as Rusl did the same.

'Get down,' the man yelled, apparently at the two soldiers as the dark shape bolted towards them, those fierce growls relentless. The soldiers obeyed, dropping to the ground bonelessly so that the beast soared straight over their heads, which they covered as they curled up as small as possible.

Despite missing its target the beast did not stop or even slow, simply changing its direction nimbly so that it was headed straight towards Zelda instead. Lifting her sword Zelda halted, setting her feet as it approached, almost impossibly fast. She was unable to make out what it was it moved too quickly, and for all her intentions of meeting it head on she ducked aside instinctively as it leapt at her. There was the brief impression of sharp teeth, wild eyes, before it was behind her, no doubt returning for another attack.

'Help your men, Your Highness,' Rusl called from somewhere, though Zelda did not pause to look as she obeyed, rushing to her soldiers' aid.

'Are you all right?' She asked, breathless as she halted before them. 'Are you hurt?' Kneeling on the damp ground Zelda inspected them swiftly as they sat panting, still curled up to avoid attacks.

Zelda would not admit it to anyone who asked, but she was aware that a number of her soldiers were somewhat incompetent when it came to battle. They could not be blamed, at least not entirely, as there had for her generation and the one before really only ever been peace in Hyrule, so beyond battling the occasional monster they had never been able to accumulate the experience they needed. However most of them were exceptionally brave, selflessly putting themselves in harm's way for the sake of the people, and so it pained Zelda to see two of her fearless soldiers so affected.

'We're sorry, Your Highness,' one of the pair managed, raising their head weakly. 'We failed- it attacked us out of the blue and by then it was too late-'

'Do not apologise. I have no doubt you fought bravely. I should be the one apologising. This creature is a far greater threat than I anticipated, and I put you in a dangerous situation. Forgive me.' Bowing her head slightly Zelda said the words as sincerely as possible, glancing over her shoulder towards Rusl as a sharp, animalistic yelp sounded behind her. She barely had time to duck as the beast leapt once more over their heads, vanishing back into the gloom of the cave nearby.

'Are they all right?' Rusl asked, sounding breathless as he jogged over. The sword clasped in his hands was tinged red.

'You wounded it?' Zelda queried, ignoring his question for the moment. It was becoming more and more clear to her as to how Link had ended up so skilled a warrior. 'Will that be enough to fend it off?'

'Who knows,' Rusl said with a shake of his head, running a hand through his hair. 'But it'll be easier to deal with while it's hurt. We should go after it.'

'Yes, I agree.' Taking a deep breath Zelda turned back to the two soldiers. Laying a hand on their shoulders she waited until they were both looking at her. 'Thank you for fighting so bravely, please leave the beast to me. Return to the village once you regain your strength, and do not be disheartened.' Smiling gently Zelda rose, offering her hands to help them to their feet.

'Forgive us, Your Highness,' one of them mumbled, a supportive arm around his fellow's waist.

'There is nothing to forgive,' Zelda said gently, moving aside to let them pass. 'You have done nothing wrong.' The soldier shook their head but said nothing more, limping back in the direction of the village without another word.

Once they were a satisfactory distance away Zelda stooped briefly, picking up her sword from where she had abandoned it before facing Rusl. No words were exchanged, only grim looks and reassuring nods, before they moved slowly towards the cave with swords in hand.

The cavern was surprisingly deep, and unsurprisingly dark, dark enough to prompt Rusl to bring out a lantern to light the way. Sticking close to its small pool of orange light they went slowly, picking their way across an uneven floor strewn with white bones picked clean by countless monsters. The air was heavy, full of the smell of rotting matter, and Zelda quickly became uncomfortable in it. It grew even worse when they stumbled across the fallen form of a soldier, his eyes wide and glassy as they stared unseeingly at the cavern roof, his chest and neck dyed a deep crimson still seeping slowly from the deep tears in his throat. A red pool had formed around his head like a grisly halo; Zelda's shoes splashed softly as she hitched up her skirts to crouch beside him in order to slide his eyes shut. For a moment she bowed her head, the loss weighing heavily on her, before she rose again.

There was nothing more that they could do so they pressed on, walking slowly deeper for a perhaps a minute or so until a sudden low growl rattled out from amongst the shadows. It sounded distinctly threatening, like a warning, causing both Zelda and Rusl to halt. Tightening her grip on the handle of her sword Zelda strained to see through the darkness, waiting with bated breath from the beast to appear.

There came soft footfalls and then a pair of eyes appeared just outside the pool of light cast by the lantern, glowing bright in its gentle glow. Another growl skittered across the floor towards them, although this time Zelda was hit by a sudden sense of familiarity. It was almost as if she had heard the sound before, somewhere.

Frowning Zelda moved a little closer without thinking, not even realising she had done so until Rusl said a word of warning, the beast's growls doubling in both volume and ferocity.

'Careful, Your Highness,' Rusl said softly but Zelda waved a hand to silence him. She had a strange feeling in her chest, a kind of heaviness she couldn't explain. All she knew was that she was not willing to attack the beast.

Edging a little closer she grimaced as it let out a sharp bark, definitely a warning, so she halted, unsure as to what exactly it was she was doing. Acting on instinct she sank down onto her knees, keeping her eyes lowered as she peered through the shadow in the creature's direction. After a few moments that seemed to drag on for an age the growling petered out, the silence that followed painfully heavy on Zelda's ears. She needed to get a better look at the beast. She was unsure as to why, exactly, but she was not one to disregard her gut instincts.

'Your Highness, what are you doing?' Rusl hissed as she carefully set her sword aside, pushing it away so that it scraped against the stone floor softly.

'Please remain calm,' she said quietly, not sure if she was talking to the beast or Rusl. The pair of eyes that were still glowing on the edge of the lantern light seemed to narrow slightly before there was the soft sound of movement and two paws appeared within the circle, followed by a slender muzzle crinkled back to reveal two rows of exceptionally sharp white teeth.

Carefully, slowly, Zelda half outstretched a hand, letting it hover about half a metre from the bared fangs as she kept her eyes hesitantly lowered. She did not know what else she could do in an attempt to coax the beast closer, though she prayed that the situation would remain calm and she would keep all of her fingers. She could almost sense the tension Rusl was exuding behind her, but she ignored it.

The silence dragged on heavily before the beast inched a little closer, the peeled back lips dropping to once more hide those deadly teeth. Zelda's heart thudded in her chest until in the silence and the stillness she could feel its heavy beats in her throat, hear them echoing in her ears. If it wanted the beast could most likely kill her before she could react now, so she simply had to pray that it would not.

A soft whine escaped the beast as it moved a little closer, revealing a pair of fierce blue eyes in a beautiful face framed by dark fur streaked through with paler shades to create a strange set of markings across its forehead.

Forgetting herself temporarily Zelda found herself transfixed by its wild gaze, and she let out a soft gasp a moment later as she recognised it. Recognised him.

She recognised the beast.

It was Link.

So, what did you think? Please do let me know, so I can see what the reception to this new idea is like! Just a note, this story is probably only going to be five or so chapters long. I can't see myself stretching it much further than that but I guess we'll see. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed, see you next week!