Author's Note: So, this is the first fanfic I've written that's not for Final Fantasy. I am a HUGE Zelda fan, and if you're reading this, you probably are, too. :)
Running through the basics:
-Link will be talking, but I mean, this would be boring if the whole thing was Link nodding and grunting. (though it works just fine in the games, lol)
-Expect some characters to be OOC on occasion. Especially Zelda. But you'll understand why once this stupid author's note finally finishes.
-I'm going to try to update regularly, but school's starting back up soon and it might take a while to settle into a schedule.
That's about it. Please enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review telling me what you thought! :)
"Good job, Link. Fastest time yet!" Fado said enthusiastically.
"All thanks to her." Link replied, giving Epona a pat on the neck. She shook her head happily and let out a loud whinny. Fado laughed, which earned him a big horse sneeze on his shirt.
"Aw, man!" Fado cried, trying to wipe his shirt dry.
"You know Epona doesn't like to be laughed at." Zelda said, appearing from the other side of the aforementioned horse.
"But I was laughin' with her, not at her!"
"It's all the same to her." Link told him. Epona displayed her agreement with a hoof stamp.
"Anyway, the goats are all locked up." Zelda reported.
"Good, that means we can go home." Fado said. "Well, see ya tomorrow."
"Later, Fado."
"See you."
As Fado walked off, Link grabbed Epona's reins firmly in his hand, and gestured upwards. "Need a ride?" He said to Zelda.
She smiled warmly and replied, "Oh, but she worked so hard today."
Epona didn't seem to care. She pointed her nose at Zelda and swung upward a few times, clearly giving the girl permission to ride her. Zelda giggled and relented. "Okay, okay. I'm getting up." She did so, gracefully hopping into the saddle.
"All right, let's go." Link started forward with Epona following behind. As they walked, he and Zelda discussed what had happened that day. Mostly they talked about how Fado had once again managed to get a goat mad at him, and was chased around the field, narrowly escaping getting rammed by closing himself up in the barn. Link was amazed that he came back everyday, he almost got killed at least once a week.
"Whoa." Epona stopped, as ordered. Zelda hopped off almost as gracefully as she had gotten on. "Goodnight, Link. See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight."
Link waited for her to open the door before tugging on Epona's reins and taking his horse along the familiar path home. As dusk fell, the air grew cold; but thankfully it didn't take very long to get home. Epona gratefully entered her little - for a horse - shelter. She waited patiently as Link unsaddled her and removed her bridle, them headed straight for the hay.
"Night, girl." Link said, walking off.
He went to and began climbing the ladder that led to the literal tree house he shared with his uncle. The wood creaked under his weight, but he didn't fear it snapping. The ladder might've been older than his uncle Rino, but it was sturdy. He pulled himself off of the ladder and took the very few steps he needed to reach the equally as old door.
"Hey, kid! How were the goats today?"
Rino was Link's mother's older brother, supposedly. Link didn't remember his mother. His uncle had short, curly hair, as deep a brown as wet dirt. His eyes were the same blue as Link's own eyes. The fifty-something year-old man had a silly streak, but he knew when it was appropriate to be serious. He was nearly six feet tall and was great with horses. In fact, his horse Blaze (named for the blaze on his forehead) was Epona's father. With Blaze, Rino made deliveries for people all over Hyrule, which meant he was often gone. But he always tried to make it home as soon as he could.
"They were great. Fado almost got rammed again, but he's still alive."
Rino chuckled. "I swear, that boy's gonna get himself killed someday." He raised one eyebrow. "Zelda saved his hide again, I assume?"
It was a safe assumption. That happened a lot. "No, he did it himself."
The older man grunted. "Good. Boy needs to learn how to defend himself."
"Against goats?"
"Hell yeah. Did I ever tell you the story about how the mayor gave up working with goats?"
"Only about a hundred times."
"Well then, you should understand." His tone was completely serious, but his blue eyes twinkled. "Did any of those kids try to sneak in?"
"Nah. Ilia was watching them."
"Good." Rino stretched. "Never understood why they want to watch you herd goats." He glanced at Link. "Seems like you had a pretty boring day, as far as days go."
"I take it you didn't?" His uncle's tone was a shade darker then usual, which was odd. He was generally very positive.
"Depends. Just some troubling rumors circling is all."
"Weren't you the one who told me to never listen to rumors?" Link said lightly.
His uncle made an affirmative noise in his throat. "Sure I did. But every rumor has a nugget of truth." He stared out the window. "I'm afraid this one might have a big nugget."
Link did not like this conversation. He'd learned over the years to only be afraid when Rino was. Almost nothing scared his mother's brother. "Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow, right?"
Rino looked back at him. "Course. Sorry if I frightened you, buddy. Guess I'm getting paranoid." He changed the subject. "How 'bout some supper, eh?"
The dark castle loomed in the distance, its silhouette appearing with every lightning flash. Thunder growled overhead, and rain poured down like oceans emptying from the deathly grey clouds. Link felt very cold, very wet, and very exposed. His heart raced a million miles an hour. Every sense he possessed screamed for him to go to the castle.
"Not yet, young hero. There is much to be done first. You have much to learn."
He was in Faron Woods. The sun was shining through the leaves, leaving speckles on the dry ground. The air was warm and comfortable. He knew these woods. He was home under these trees.
"Remember your home, hero. Sear its image into your mind. You won't be here much longer. Soon, you will have to go to unfamiliar lands, on unfamiliar feet."
As the voice faded away, pain replaced its soothing tones. Link felt like he was shrinking and stretching all at once. He fell to his hands and knees and his fingers curled inward. His bones changed their very structure and his face elongated into a snout, his teeth shaping into fangs; he grew a tail. After a few seconds that lasted an eternity, his body had taken on the form in a great beast: a wolf.
"These paws will carry you to your destiny."
Far to his right, he heard galloping hooves. His ears pricked toward the sound, and his head followed suit. Very soon Epona came into view, with Zelda in the saddle. The horse slowed to a stop at the edge of the clearing Link had appeared in, and her occupant slid out of the saddle.
Zelda looked very scared. Her clothes and hair were disheveled; it looked to him like she'd been running from someone. Or fighting. She came up to him and knelt down, taking his new body into a slightly awkward hug.
"Remember when you said you'd protect me from trouble?" She whispered into his ear. "Please don't let me down."
He tried to say he wouldn't, but it came out as a whine. She ran her fingers through his fur, eyes still holding fear.
"Promise?"
He whined again.
Zelda nodded. "I'll be waiting." She stood, and backed away from him. The woods slowly gave way to a stone dungeon, where she sat alone in a cell.
"I've been waiting for you, girl." Zelda looked, and fear spread from her eyes to the rest of her body.
Link barked at the shadow that appeared on the wall, but then it consumed everything.
Link woke with the sun, as he did every day. But this time, he couldn't lay back down and wait for Fado to come get him. It was his turn to let the goats out.
He stretched and climbed down from his loft onto the main floor of the tree. It was the only floor, really. Except for the basement. He quickly changed into fresh clothes and snatched a few pieces of bread to eat before leaving.
It was pleasantly cool outside. His sandals did little to keep the morning dew from his feet. He debated for a moment waking Epona and taking her with him, but he decided to let her sleep. He didn't need her to let the goats out, and besides, it was a short walk.
When Link reached the barn, he struggled to open the heavy wooden door. The goats seemed to know he was there before he even touched the door, because they started bleating up a storm, anticipating freedom. It took him a minute to get it open, but once he did, the goats got even louder. He stepped into the warm, smelly barn, and opened the gates.
The goats practically stampeded out. Link pressed himself against the wall until they passed, then make the short trek to the back of the building.
In the very last stall was a baby goat. The poor thing had a crippled hind leg, and couldn't get out by itself because the dirt floor in the barn was so uneven. It bleated hello as Link picked it up and carried it outside.
"There you go, little guy." He said gently, putting the baby down on the ground. It hobbled off to find it's mother.
"I feel bad for him." Said a voice.
Link turned. It was Zelda. A wave of relief passed over him, though he wasn't sure why. "He's fine, just can't move very fast."
"I know." She stepped up beside him, watching the little goat slowly wander. "Still."
"Did you get Fado up?"
"Yes. He's coming, but I didn't want to wait for him." Zelda pulled her long brown hair out from behind her head, then let it fall.
"Well, he'll get here." Link took her hand. "Let's go." Fingers intertwined, they went to the fence that kept the goats penned in and sat on the top rail. Watching the animals wasn't hard, they tended to behave as long as nobody messed with them, a lesson Fado had not quite mastered. Though by no means did he mistreat the goats, he just got bored sometimes.
"...Hey, Zelda?"
"Hm?"
"Have you ever felt like you've forgotten something important?"
She cocked her head. "Like what?"
"I dunno. That's my problem." Link sighed.
"Hey! Guys!"
They turned to see Fado jogging casually down the road. He didn't slow until the last second, then hopped onto the fence next to Link. "Sorry I took so long, I had some stuff to do."
"What kind of stuff?" Zelda asked.
"The stuff kind."
"Right."
Their day progressed as their days usually did. They sat and talked while the goats ate grass. Pretty boring in the scheme of things, but it was their comfortable norm.
Too bad normal wasn't going to exist for much longer.
Gasp, Zelda didn't get captured in the first chapter! Of course not, because that's boring. She will play her traditional role of damsel in distress, but not quite yet.
Anyway, this concludes the first chapter of LOZ: Two Kingdoms. I hope you'll stick around for the rest! :)