Years have come and gone and Hyrule has been saved by the descendants of a young boy named Link. Each of his descendants has had the honor of bearing the name of Link. And so our story starts in a quiet village where the line of Link's family can be traced back . Every last one of them has been boys, until fate decided that this incarnation of the legendary hero would be a girl.
Like her famous ancestors she bears the name of Link and the burden of being fated to save Hyrule from some yet undiscovered dark force. She knows parts of this but she's blissfully uncaring for now as she runs the forest of Kokiri. Her family live north of here in Kakariko but Link likes to spend most of her days with the never aging Kokiri children.
One day Link was told by her mother to go and visit Hyrule Castle Town. She happily obliged and set off, out for a day shopping for things they could not normally get in Kakariko. It took her a little while to walk over to the town and when she arrived she set out to the various shops she needed to visit. As she walked around town she noticed a girl roughly about her age dressed in white and surrounded by guards.
On sight Link knew she was Princess Zelda. She felt her heart skip a few beats and the urge to run up to her and give her a hug swept through Link. She fought the strange urge but the entire time on her way home Link could think of nothing else but that beautiful girl.
A few more years pass and Link has grown into a wonderful young lady and an accomplished swordswoman. She hasn't forgotten the feeling that Zelda had once given her though. Link knew that every time a legend had come about they always had someone there for them. The only problem so far with this legend was that Link's heart had always been wired to fall for girls.
She had tried and failed, on numerous occasions, to try to have a girlfriend. None of the relationships ever really panned out for her though and they always ended with the same words, "You're a sweet girl, but I'm just not the one you're looking for."
Link was out in Hyrule field training one day when a castle guardsmen approached her and said, "Excuse me Miss Link but the Princess has told me to come fetch you."
Link smiled and said, "For what reason?"
The guard simply replied, "That she did not say. Only to tell you that your presence is required immediately and that I was to escort you to the castle."
Link nodded and said, "Alright. Lead on then."
She followed the guard back to the castle and silently waited for Zelda to make her appearance. When she did Link felt the familiar skip of her heart when she saw Zelda. There really wasn't a prettier girl in all of Hyrule. Link would give just about anything to be closer to her.
Zelda smiled slightly and said, "When they told me they were bringing me Link I was expecting a man, not a lovely young lady such as yourself. I hope you can bring a solution to something that once killed a namesake and ancestor of yours."
Link straightened up upon hearing what Zelda had said. She looked at her and said, "What is the problem Princess? I'm your heroine and Hyrule's. I've known for years that it was fate that my mother named me Link."
"There is an object in Hyrule Castle known as the Guardian Sword. Legend says whoever holds it will be able to know when they person they love most is being threatened and allow them to come to guard them at will. Our records show that there is another side to the legendary blade. Once the contract between the wielder and the sword is made the wielder's life is forfeit. The last Link to hold this blade failed in his quest to solve the mysteries of the blade and died without warning as the evil power contained inside it consumed him." Zelda said feeling the gravity of her own words.
Link weighed her options. She had two choices. She could forsake her own name and destiny and go back to Kakariko and forget this was ever mentioned. Or she could be the woman she was destined to be and try to defeat the legendary evil. She just had no idea how. She looked at Zelda and said, "How long would I have to figure out the riddle of the blade?"
Zelda's faint smile disappeared. She knew Link would take this burden upon herself and she hated herself for mentioning it. She spoke again saying, "You would have one and a half years if you did nothing. More if you did what your predecessor did and follow a book of lore. His only failing was he gave the sword free reign to call him to where he was needed most and it ended up costing him everything. "
Link steeled herself and as she spoke she put her hand on the hilt of her current sword and said simply, "Where is it kept? I wish to challenge this evil."
Zelda sighed and said, "I will take you to it but I will tell you one thing about it. In order to pick up the blade you must name the one person your heart desires the most. That is the contract the blade makes you sign. The person you name is the one it will call you to when you are needed most." As she was speaking she led Link through Hyrule Castle
Link felt her heart sink as she walked. What would Zelda think of her when she was forced by the magic of the blade to say the name of the one she loved the most in her heart? She prayed to the gods of Hyrule that she would have the strength and courage for this challenge.
Zelda unlocked a door and showed Link the inside. Standing in the middle of the room was a metal stand holding a gold hilted sword with a silver sheath. Inscribed on the sheath in Hylian was the word 'Guardian'. Link looked at it and was amazed at how simple it looked. She had thought it would be more elaborate than this. She swallowed hard and fought against herself as she walked up to the blade.
A voice came into her mind that said, "Heroine of Hyrule. I see things are different than they were in the past. Maybe the charms and wiles of a woman may be enough to solve the evil that burns in my soul. State the one your heart truly loves so that we make strike the deal."
Link took a deep breath and said, "Guardian Sword, the one my heart desires most is Princess Zelda of Hyrule."
Link caught Zelda's blushing face out of the corner of her eye and clearly heard the sword say, "Hmmm. Interesting. Never had I the pleasure of finding such a unique couple that one desires. Very well. You shall be bonded to Zelda for life. You have a year and a half to solve my mystery. The book will tell you more about what you need to find to give you more time and release the evil in me." The was a bright flash and Link found herself with her blade having been replaced by the Guardian Sword.
Zelda looked over at her and said, "I-I am the one your heart desires most?"
Link blushed brightly as she said, "I'm sorry Princess. Your name has been in my heart ever since I saw you as a young girl. It is not easy to tell the one you love that you love her when she is the ruler of your country."
Zelda blushed but she did one thing that surprised Link. She gave her a warm and gentle hug. Link returned it and as they parted heard Zelda say, "The royal library will have the book you are after. Oh and before you head off Link I have something to say to you personally and privately."
Link gave her and odd look but quietly motioned for her to go on. Zelda smiled softly and said, "You're my guardian but the magic in that sword will push you and I to be more than that. I would not mind that but it is what caused the last hero to give so much over to the blade. Link, our lives are no longer separate and I know this is sudden but I would like to get to know you more. When you are done reading the book I want to invite you to stay here for the next few days so that we can get to know one another. I have a feeling that it might give one of us a clue as to the secret behind ridding the blade of its evil."
Link nodded and gave Zelda a short hug before she walked off to the library. Her head was spinning with thoughts and emotions she hadn't felt in a long time. She tried to make them all make sense but as she did she heard the sword say, "You know, I've never seen this before. Many lives have I touched and yet none of them as strange and yet beautiful as yours. Your love for her is faultlessly pure, a rare thing to be sure and even rarer still for yourself to be a woman feeling so towards another. The two of you will grow closer and not just because of the magic inside of me. It is my belief that Zelda shares your feelings. Though I cannot be sure. When you are done taking a look at the book and take her up on her offer I'm sure more than words will be exchanged."
Link was surprised the sword was so verbose. It played havoc with her thoughts though. Knowing that the sword could read her thoughts and emotions made her want to shut them off entirely. Until she read the book though she wouldn't be sure if the idea was a good one or a bad one. She sighed and left her thoughts to themselves as she walked into the library,
Walls of books was something she had only ever seen in bookstores and then she could hardly afford books. Link knew how to read Hylian but she had never owned her own book. Reading had come about from having to know what signs meant what and other things like that. She walked in and a maid quietly walked over and said, "Mistress Link? The Princess told us that you would be coming and to take you to the book you'll be needing."
Link politely said, "Thank you ma'am."
A short while later Link had the book in her hands as she sat on the floor reading it, the sword leaned up against the bookcase next to her. The book was filled with mostly legends and false stories but there was a set of chapters near the end that caught Link's attention. They were simply numerical reiterations of the first part's title which was, 'Sealing the evil in the Guardian Sword'.
Link read on, her attention given entirely over to the book. "There are seven steps to sealing the evil inside of the Guardian Sword. Upon sealing the contract the wielder has one and a half years to follow the guide given in this book or be consumed by the evil in the sword. The first three steps are considered by many to be the easiest and is often the farthest any person seeking to abolish the evil will ever get. The last four steps are beyond the hardest tests any hero will ever survive. Finishing these tasks in order is paramount. Skipping a step will result in the user of the sword being consumed on the spot."
Link sighed as she kept on reading. She had figured that most of the first bit of this section would be heavy warnings and repeated facts. Soon enough she had finally gotten to where the steps were starting. "Step one: The wielder of the Guardian Sword must save the one they love at least once without the blade warning them of the danger. Step two: The wielder must find something of value for the person they are guarding. The value here is not something worth a lot monetarily but rather something they will treasure for life. Step three: The wielder must spend one month without fighting and live with the person they are to protect."
Link saw how the first three were so easy. She turned the page and as soon as she read the fourth step she knew why others failed right then and there. She stared at the one line written in Hylian so old it was partially faded. "Step four: The wielder must hear the one they are guarding sincerely say and mean the words, 'I love you'."
She could barely believe her eyes. She read that line over and over and as she did she heard the voice of the sword quietly say, "And there is the reason most fail. Because when they told me who they loved the most without question they only told me who they currently loved and not the one in the deepest corner of their heart. This is why I have hope for the first time in a long while. You were honest with yourself. Finish reading the steps so that you can go talk to Zelda."
Link unconsciously nodded at the voice and continued her reading. "The last four steps are regarded as the hardest with only one individual having ever gotten past step four. The steps are here because we who wrote this book are the ones who made the sword. The following are the last steps to solving the mystery of the evil in the sword."
Link stretched for a moment and continued on reading. "Step five: The wielder must resist the call of the blade to protect the one they are sworn to guard only once. Step six: The wielder must leave his old life behind and live with the one he is guarding. The last and final step. The wielder must commit themselves to the one they are guarding in marriage and are to make every effort to be together for the rest of their lives."
Link let out a long sigh as she read the last part. She had a feeling that last step would be where she would fail if she hadn't already. Marriage to Zelda was impossible under current Hylian law. She finished the book and put it in her shoulder bag. She was sure Zelda wouldn't mind her taking something she might need. She stretched and got up. As she left the library in search of Zelda the sword spoke to her mind again. "Nothing is impossible if you try to make it happen. You better get going on those steps or else you will run out of time."
Link again nodded to herself as she walked through the castle. She hoped the steps would not be too hard once they got going. Her biggest fear was accidentally doing a step out of order. She set off towards where she had last seen Zelda and was quickly running. Something just felt wrong to Link as she ran through the castle. She noticed Zelda standing there looking off into space and tackled her out of the way as an arrow came through the window she had been looking through.
Link was blushing brightly as she laid on top of Zelda trying to spit out an apology. Zelda just looked up at her and smiled saying, "That magic works fast I see. I had no idea there was an arrow coming at me."
As Link was about to say something they both clearly heard a voice saying, "Thus is the first step taken and completed."
Link was surprised. She had been sure that the bad feeling had been the sword making her feel that way. Maybe it really had just been an instinctive reflex to save Zelda from something Link just knew to be wrong. Remembering what steps she needed to take now she had to get something of value to Zelda. What that was she had no idea but she knew that the next few days she was going to be spending with the Princess would give her the clues she would need to complete the task.
{Author's note: Well here's my first fanfic. I have a fairly good idea of where I want to go with this story and I hope anyone who reads this enjoys it. Read and review please. I like good constructive feedback on my stuff.}
~Mirabelle Lily~