A long, long time ago when the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow, the tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing the hero of man a sword and a golden light. With wisdom and courage, the hero drove out the evil. When peace had been returned, the people enshrined that blade with care
A young girl slowly walked through the soft grass, her long blonde hair bouncing swiftly behind her as she took each step. She was clothed in a dress fit for a princess, with jewelry especially made for heirs of the royal family. Continuing tradition, all females were to be given the name Zelda, and so that was the name she'd been given at birth. Her eyes were as blue as the sky, yet bold like the waves of the ocean. She was quite careless and ultimately a tomboy at heart. She spent a great deal of time in her home, which in fact was a magnificent castle, home to her father, the King of Hyrule. Many of her days were spent wandering the various corridors of the castle, listening to the servants' tales of the many lands beyond them, and there were a great many which were only mentioned in the legends they spoke of. That was another thing she was fascinated with: Legends and tales that had been passed down through her family. When she wasn't in the castle, with special permission from her father and guards constantly at her side, of course, she ventured out into Castle Town, where there were even more mystical stories to listen too by the traveling merchants and such. But today, she ventured a little ways through the fields outside Castle Town. It was the first time she'd been allowed to leave town without guards, and it made her very happy indeed. After a few minutes she came to her destination: a small thatched house. This was where her closest friend Link lived. They had been through so much together as young children, from the first moment her father met the man Link was an apprentice too, Master Smith. The name, as implied, was true to his nature, as he was in fact the most skilled smith in the land. She cheerfully went inside and heard the distinct sound of metal against metal.
He must be making something important! Zelda thought as she wandered into the doorway to her right. Sweat was pouring over the old man's forehead as he skillfully pounded his hammer against the impressive sword, which seemed to be already finished.
"Good morning, Master Smith." He put down his hammer and turned to her, breathing heavily.
"Aaah, goodness me! Good morning Princess Zelda!" He looked past her inquisitively, as if expecting yet another visitor. Confused, Zelda looked over her own shoulder. "Eh, are the guards outside, then?"
"Oh! No, they're not accompanying me today, sir!" Zelda giggled and smiled at him.
"Did you sneak out of the castle and come this way alone?" Master Smith lowered his eyebrows at her, and she only giggled again. This put him at ease. If anything, Zelda was not a troublemaker. "But the minister is sure to be worried about you! You know how that man gets. It'll be my head if they find out you're here." Shrugging, he stepped forward and put his arm around her shoulder. She gently put her own hand on his and they walked towards the front door.
"Oh, sir, don't worry about him. He'll be fine! I did come alone, but my father said that the guards needn't come with me this time." Master Smith raised his eyebrows at her and stopped at the front door, chuckling. "Where's Link? The whole town is bustling for the annual Picori Festival, and I thought he and I might go together." She looked up at him, still smiling.
"Oh, he's upstairs. He's still asleep, and that's my fault. Last night he was up late helping me with a few things, so he's tired." As he said this he turned from her and walked back into the other room, as if an invisible force was drawing him to his work and away from her.
The smile vanished from Zelda's face. If Link couldn't go with her, she really would be alone today. Sighing, she again walked into the room with the anvil in it. She tried to think of something she could say to convince the old man, but nothing came to her.
"So…so he can't go with me?" She said, choosing her words carefully. He looked at her for a moment and then stood up. "Now that I think…I do have an errand at the castle that he could do for me, so yes, he can go." Smiling, she turned and walked into the main room towards the stairs. Behind her, Master Smith's voice echoed a command for Link to wake up.
"You are the one to ease the world of its eternal suffering, Link. Only you can do this with the help of the Picori and many others whom you will indefinitely meet. On the way, you will gain many powers in which…" Something stirred outside this realm, gently shaking the very essence of its existence. Perhaps it was the sound of the front door? Or was this reality? Suddenly Link was very aware of the darkness surrounding him, and aware of where he was. He was in the dark. Was this a dream? He couldn't possibly be dead, could he? A gentle laugh shook the darkness as if attempting to destroy it, penetrate it with light found within it. "…Only you…can…" The sound of voices, one soft and pure, one bathed in experience and toughness, rippled the darkness. "LINK, TIME TO GET UP!"
His eyes snapped open and very quickly the world around him came into being. He was lying in bed staring at the wooden ceiling. Just a dream… he thought. Or had it been? It seemed as real as anything to him, and the thing that made it relevant was that it hadn't faded from the fringes of his mind yet, like normal dreams seemed to do once he sat up. You are the one to ease the world of its eternal suffering, Link. He thought. What did that mean? As he swung his legs over the bed and stood up, he suddenly remembered what day it was.
The Picori Festival! As this shot through his mind, he quickly ran downstairs. The stairway was circular and the stairs themselves were quite steep, as the house had been built ten years ago by a poor beggar. When they had moved in, however, his master had tried to repair the chiseled bits of stone used to construct the staircase. He took them two at a time and quickly walked into the other room, his father's workroom. The house itself only had three rooms, a main room and two rooms off of it, one on the ground floor (The workroom) and a staircase which led to the single bedroom where both he and his master slept. As he reached the doorway, he saw a flash of pink and gold, and even in the darkness he knew exactly who it was.
"Hey! Link!" The perfect smile was there, the radiance of her face even in the torchlight was enough to make his jaw drop and his muscles to tense up. Even at his young age, he knew what love was. They weren't kids anymore, and what had started out as a promising friendship had grown, at least for him, into an infatuation of great power. He knew how to control it, however, and instead of acting on impulse and hugging her, he respectfully smiled and gave a short bow. She giggled and blushed.
"Morning, Princess." He replied, trying hard not to blush himself and instead keep a cool smile. It was quite difficult. Oh god, I just woke up! I look dreadful in the morning, why didn't I wash myself before I came downstairs… Inhaling through his nose, he tried to sniff out a possible odor, but to his surprise, found none.
"…and so Master Smith has already given me permission to take you! Isn't that great?"
Zelda had been speaking this entire time, although Link had gotten lost in his own thoughts so he hadn't heard. She was already walking past him towards the front door. He followed, waving to his master.
"Wait, Link. While you're there, do me a favor. I just finished making this sword for the minister at Hyrule Castle. I'd like you to deliver it to him." His master walked toward him, carrying a sheathed sword. Link took it and put it in his belt, accepting it. "Make sure you don't lose this extremely important delivery! It's the blade that will be presented to the winner of the competition." Link nodded and turned back towards the door. "And while you two may be childhood friends, remember that Zelda is the princess of Hyrule, Link." He turned back towards him and gulped. The look his master was giving him was terrifying, but he bravely nodded and went outside.
"What did he want?" Zelda asked, rocking back and forth on her heels.
"Told me that you're the princess and I'd better not let anyone hurt you, and if I do I'll be-"
"Oh, that man. I wish he'd quit worrying so much about me!" Zelda laughed and took his hand. A chill ran through his arm and spread itself throughout his entire body, electrically charging his heart. It sped up to an alarming pace.
"Right, let's go." He grinned.