A/N: Hey. So I'm writing this for the NaNoWriMo. For those of you who don't know, it's a challenge to write a novel of 50,000 words during the month of November. So this is made up as I go, and it's rough and kind of wordy. I would really appreciate all sorts of feed back so that I can properly edit it after the NaNoWriMo is over. Then, I can repost it and it'll actually be good. According to the NaNo website, I'm at 1,418 words.

R&R,P&Q!

The Legend of Zelda:

Fountain of Rebirth

Chapter One: Summer City Nights

With the window open, Link could hear the sounds of the city. He loved Hyrule Town. It wasn't his birthplace, but it was his home. Here, he had acceptance, a role in society. True, he wasn't "more" like he really wanted to be, but he did have a good job as a service clerk at the food market, and he had a good home, a few rooms he rented behind a kind couple's house over the old carriage house. He would be starting school in the next couple of months, then he could go on to d something really cool. Something his mother would be proud of. It had been his mother's decision to name him after a legendary hero, so she must have expected great things of him.

Secretly, he wanted to be just like his namesake, a hero who saved the princess. The only problem was there here was no Ganon, had not been a Ganon, had not been a Hero name Link. Zelda was a family name in the Royal Family, but none of them had been kidnapped. The only part that was true was the Imprisoning War several thousand years ago. That was the only real Ganon. He hadn't kidnapped Zelda, and there was no Link to rescue her. Ganon had simply been sealed away and was probably dead, or rotted and gross. Or probably both, Link thought.

Except deep down, something told Link the Legends were true, it had just been so long everyone forgot, but it was about time for it to happen again. Sometimes, Link had an uneasy feeling, like right before a storm. There were just two discrepancies.

One was that Link did not know how to use a sword, or any type of weapon fr that matter. He was sure if he could get his hands on one, he could figure it out. But he had not had any formal lessons. He was actually not much of a fighter, he was quite peaceful, in fact. But if it ever came down to it, he would kill to save the world.

The other problem was bigger. The princess of Hyrule was not names Zelda. The king, who had no sisters, did not feel like carrying on an old family tradition, and he named his daughter Enikt. Link actually knew Princess Enikt. They had met over the summer when Link had first moved there. She as known to wander the streets and talk to various people, very much a "get to know the subjects" type. It had been a particularly hot day, and Link was dying, literally. He was sitting in the shade of a closed food stand, almost unconscious. Enikt was passing by and saw him. She took him to The Joyous Phoenix, a small bar she frequented, and bought him a few drinks. When the milk and water restored his fluids, he moved on to Rascal's Cuts and Witty Floats. The Princess joined him. They got to talking, and when she discovered he was from the north, she understood his reaction to the hot day, but scolded him for not being better prepared. She called him a wimp. They discussed starting school the coming fall. Which they would both be attending.

Since then, Link and Enikt had met up at The Joyous Phoenix to have a few drinks and talk. Then, all the half- to fully drunk patrons of the tavern would go to the catapult fields and form teams and play. Even half drunk (because Enikt was never fully drunk, although Link was sometimes) Enikt kicked everyone's butt at the game. And it wasn't because everyone just let the princess win. She went to the Joyous Phoenix enough that the other frequent patrons knew her well, and knew that if they even thought about going easy on her they'd have their hides tanned. Enikt loved to play, and she loved a challenge. Once a month, she would organize a pig picnic and Catapult tournament in honor of the bar, and invite everyone in the city. It was obvious that Enikt loved her country and her citizens. At least she loved them having fun. She was only sixteen, and running the politics and economy was the furthest thing from her mind.

Link thought he heard his name. He sat up and looked around. His room was empty, and the door was open so he could see into the rest of his small house. It was also empty. Maybe he was going crazy. "Hey! Link!" He heard it again. He looked out his window. His bedroom window faced out into the alley. Down on the ground, Enikt was looking up at his window, her short, pale blonde hair blowing in the slight summer breeze. She waved, then motioned for him to come to her. Link waved back,the held up a finger to tell he to wait a moment.

He spun around back int his room. He picked up his shirt off the floor and put it back on, sniffing It was he did so. He looked down at ti, trying to remember if it was the one he had worn that day. He tied his hair back as he left his room and walked though the dining/ parlor towards the door. He pulled on his boots sitting beside the door and walked out, locking the door behind him. He rand sown the stairs on the side of the building and around the corner to the back where Enikt was waiting. She was leaning against the wall of the building chewing on one f her thumbnails. Her mother always insisted that she get them manicured to stop her biting habit, but Enikt just peeled away the paint and chewed anyway. She stood up strait when Link came around the corner.

"Hi!" She greeted. "I missed you tonight."

Link raised and eyebrow. "Actually, I missed you, seeing as I was the one there, and you were not."

"I'm sorry. I got all caught up in preparations," Enikt shrugged. She smiled. "You looked pretty rugged with your hair all hanging down."

"Really?" Link reached up to smooth down his black hair. When his hair didn't end where he thought it should, he bend h is arm behind his back. The ends of his hair skimmed his fingers between his shoulder blades. "Hmm," he hummed. "I need a haircut."

"No," Enikt shook her head. "Keep it long."

Link rubbed Enikt's head, an easy thing to do, as he was almost a full head taller than her. "I'll keep it long if you'll grow yours out."

Enikt smoothed her hair down back into place. As she flattened her fluffy bands down her forehead, she said, "I've been thinking about it anyway. It's a lie that short hair is more hassle free. Hair has a mind of it's own when it's short, tends to stick up. And everyone's gotten on this bob cut trend."

"Time to start a new trend?" Link asked.

Enikt grinned, showing off the work of the Royal Dentist. "Of course," she laughed. "What's the fun of being the princess if people won't blindly follow all your stupid trends?" She put her hands in the pockets of her linen pants and walked down the alley. Link followed her.

"So, what preparations were you all caught up in?" he asked, casually. He caught up to her and walked beside her. She looked up at him, barely paying attention to where she was going.

"The ball," she said matter-of-factly. "I have a yearly ball around this time. It's in three days, you're invited." She tripped over an uneven brick in the road.

Link caught her. "Do I have to dress up fancy and dance?" he asked, nervous.

"Of course," Enikt snerked. "Thank you, by the way. What's wrong with dressing up fancy and dancing?"

"Well, for one, I can't imagine you doing either. And another thing, I don't own fancy clothes, and I can't dance."

Enikt stopped walking. She looked up at Link. "Well, for one," she started, imitating his tone. "I look fantastic all dressed up and dancing. And another thing, don't worry about either of those, we'll take care of them." Link began to protest. Enikt interrupted him. "Don't argue. Let's go right now, just for that. Come on. You can wear something that matches what I'll be wearing." She turned and skipped towards the castle.

Link sighed and followed her.