Author's Note: Heya guys! Okay – so it wasn't once a week. It took me a while to actually write something – I had major writer's block. So here it is – Chapter 1 of my story, A Never Ending Love Song (NELS) Enjoy. Oh – and if my characters are Mary Sue-ish, SHH. I don't want to hear it. Oo Just keep it to yourself if Yuko is, and please only comment on the ENTIRE story – Critique welcome, of course.
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Link brushed his golden blonde hair out of his eyes, taking a deep breath as he did so. It was unseasonably hot in Hyrule, but that happened every now and then.
Link smiled as he looked around the small ranch he was currently visiting. Malon, the ranch's current owner, was a friend of his from about a year ago – she was the one that had given him Epona.
"Hey – Malon – I'm gonna head out now- -" Link was cut off by the sound of approaching horses. Curious, Link wandered over to the main gate. The horses were all black, save one, which was pure white. Royal Guards sat on all the black ones, Link noticed, and he also noticed how the horses were dressed in parade gear.
On the white horse sat a young lady, probably about his own age, maybe a year or so younger. She had short brown hair that flipped out at the ends, revealing several layers of hair doing the same thing, until eventually her hair was straight against her neck. When she got closer, Link could see that she had pale blue eyes, like their owner had lost something of value. The girl wore a heavy black riding cloak, which hid the rest of her clothes, but on her head was a golden circlet, a pointed 'v' shape in the middle of her forehead, from which hung a tear-drop shaped emerald.
"Her royal highness, Yûko." One of the guards declared, and Link automatically sank down on one knee, his head bowed deeply in respect.
'So this is the next in line for the throne…' Link looked up slowly as Yûko passed him, and then caught her looking at him. 'Why does she look so sad…?' Link stood up slowly, walking up to the entourage as they came to a halt.
"Greetings, Highness - Royal Guards." Link said, automatically bowing again. Malon came rushing over, apparently flustered – what mad it worse is that she didn't seem to notice the guards of Princess.
"Link, those cuccos escaped again! Can you go get them for- -" Malon froze, saw Yûko looking at her, then immediately clasped her hands in front of herself, bowing repeatedly. "H-Highness – Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch!"
Yûko smiled sadly at Malon and dismounted her horse, one of the guards taking the reigns as Yûko walked over to Link.
"Hello," She said, inclining her head slightly to Link, then turning to Malon and doing the same, "I need to speak with the Hero of Time."
Link looked at Yûko, a questioning look on his face. "I'm the Hero of Time, Highness. How can I help you?"
"Get your horse – you're coming riding with me." Yûko nodded to her guards, and then she mounted her horse again. Link nodded obediently and mounted Epona, and then he smiled at Malon, who looked very sad and alone.
"And don't worry – I'll get those cuccos for you when I get back." He said, waving. Malon instantly brightened up and waved back, smiling boldly.
Yûko looked back at Link, who had turned Epona and was now following her, but was separated from him by the guards. Frowning, she cut out of line and went back to Link, frowning at her guards, who were giving her dark looks.
"Looks like your guards don't like you very much, huh?" Link said in an undertone, looking at Yûko. Yûko shook her head sadly, sighing heavily.
"That's part of the reason I wanted to talk to you. My guards are corrupt – all of them, Link. I can't trust them." Yûko looked at the sky, and now Link knew why she looked sad.
"You think they worked for Gannon, don't you?"
"Exactly. Link, I want you to protect me. You saved Hyrule…" Yûko looked at him and forced a smile. "The other reason is because I heard about them planning to resurrect Gannon. I was in disguise, you see, and I over heard them talking about it. Link, I need your help- -"
"Princess, we should be heading back." One of the guards called back, while looking straight ahead. Now that Link was listening, he could hear a hint of hatred in the voice of the guard.
"I'll help you, Princess Yûko." Link said, nodding to further back his promise. Yûko smiled at him.
"Please – just Yûko. Such formalities are not needed between you and I, Link." She smiled warmly at Link, which made him blush slightly.
"May I ask why Pr—Yûko?" Link asked, looking away and rubbing the back of his head with one hand.
"Because you're the Hero of Time. If anything, I should be calling you Link-ô. You saved us before – I haven't done anything special. I was born into the Royal Family as Zelda's younger sister; second in line; I'm not that special, I assure you." Yûko smiled at Link, who blushed again and smiled back.
"Alright." Link grinned sheepishly, and Yûko looked ahead, watching her Guards. Link pitied her for not being able to trust anyone in the castle.
"Good. Now – come by the castle tonight, all right? There's something you need to see."
"Eh..? Alright, Yûko; I will." The company had now made a full loop around Lon Lon Ranch and had stopped in front of the entrance. Yûko smiled once more at Link, but this was another sad smile.
"Whenever you get the chance, Link; after you help Malon with the cuccos or something, Okay?" Yûko even sounded sad – like she was afraid. Link inclined his head to her, glared at the guards and rode back into the Ranch.
Yûko looked after him, a grim expression setting in on her face. 'I am afraid for you, Link. Please hurry.'
Link had rounded up the cuccos with greater speed than Malon had ever known that Link possessed. Amazed, she walked up to him in awe.
"How did you do that?" She gaped, poking his chest. Link looked at the redhead in shock, then he took a step back.
"I got a spurt of energy." He said with a shrug. "I have to go talk to Yûko. I'm sorry."
"You said you'd spend the WHOLE day with me!" Malon wailed, poking Link's abdomen, hard. Link coughed from the poke, then he gave Malon a look that clearly said, 'oh come off it.'
"Yeah – that was before the Princess requested an audience with me." Link rolled his eyes. Malon could be such a child at times.
"Tch, fine, but if you go off again without telling me you're going to disappear for another 7 years, I will be SO pissed off at you…" Malon growled dangerously and Link backed away, then turned around and ran to Epona and quickly mounted her.
"Bye, Malon!" Link said, evidentially afraid of this mood that Malon was in. He waved at her, and then rode off towards Hyrule Town Market and the newly rebuilt castle.
When Link got to the castle, a mage in a heavy black cloak with the hood up was waiting for him. The mage didn't say a word, only motioned for Link to follow. Link dismounted Epona and tied her reigns to a tree, then hurried after the mage, who had opened a portal of a sort in the dirt wall outside the castle.
The mage motioned for Link to enter first, but Link looked at the dark portal uncertainly. The mage shook its head, walked behind Link, and push dim into the portal. Link immediately felt like he was swimming. He was flailing horribly, but he wasn't moving. Link also noticed that a faint green glow seemed to be surrounding him in the immense darkness.
Calming down, Link looked around and saw the mage enter the portal, which then sealed itself up. The mage was glowing the same pale blue color as Yûko's eyes, Link noticed. Then he wondered why he had the color of her eyes memorized already.
The mage grabbed his elbow and pulled Link along a memorized path. Link wanted to scream and ask where they were going, but it was like Link had lost his voice.
And as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. Link blinked as he looked around and realized that they were in the underground of the Castle, in what appeared to be a sort of temple.
"Where are we? Who are you?" Link growled, putting his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword incase of an attack. The mage turned towards Link and held out its hand, the portal sealing itself shut. The mage then lowered its hood, revealing that it was Yûko.
"Y-Yûko!" Link gaped at Yûko like a fish. 'Yûko's a mage…?' Link thought, shaking his head.
"Sorry I didn't say anything. I had to run from main castle because the Guards know I told you about what's going on." Yûko shrugged, then gestured to the extravagant temple that the duo were standing in. "Welcome to the Temple of the Goddesses Din, Nayru and Farore. This was the original hiding spot for the Triforce."
Link looked around, and, sure enough, in the middle of the place were three Human-sized gold statues, sitting gracefully in the center if a well-tended flower garden.
The statue of Din looked like she was about to dance or do a graceful twirl; the statue of Farore was sitting on her knees, a freshly picked flower in one hand; and the statue of Nayru was sitting with her legs bent beside her, and in her hands Nayru held a harp, apparently playing for the other two. Link could almost imagine the Triforce hovering above the golden statues.
Everything else was made of white marble with flecks of silver running through it, except for the walls. The walls appeared to be made out of something like water, restricted by magic.
"It's amazing." Link breathed, his gaze returning once more to the statues of the three Goddesses. He walked towards the statues, admiring the artistry. "They almost look like they could come to life at any moment."
"This was where they lived, Link." Yûko said quietly, shuffling her feet. She always felt uneasy being in their temple, because it was just so majestic.
"Their home?" Link looked at Yûko, surprised. "We're not in Hyrule, are we?"
"No – we're in the Sacred Realm. And those were the Goddesses before the guards found out how to get here and how to resurrect Gannon." Yûko sighed.
"You mean… they're IMPRISONED?" Link half-shouted, poking one of the statues. I seemed to actually be made of gold.
"I was hoping you would know how to unfreeze them, Link." Yûko looked at the ground, unable to met Link's gaze. Link looked at Yûko, puzzled.
"This is out of my league, Yûko. We'd have to ask the Sages."
"The Sages?"
"The protectors of the Six Temples –Sage of Light, Sage of the Forest, Sage of Fire, Sage of Water, Sage of Shadow, Sage of Spirit." Link said, listing off the Temples that he'd saved the year before. Yûko looked at him blankly.
"Who were the sages?"
"Well, there was this really fat guy… I can't remember his name, but he was the Guardian of the Temple of Light. Saria of the Kokiri was the Guardian of the Forest Temple. Darunia of the Goron was the guardian of the Fire Temple. Princess Ruto of the Zora was the Guardian of the Water Temple, Nabooru or the Gerudo was the Sage of the Spirit Temple" Link paused, knowing that the last two would hit home for Yûko, "Impa, the Sheikah and Guardian of the Royal Family was the Guardian of the Shadow Temple. Princess Zelda held the Triforce of Wisdom."
Yûko blinked, then frowned. "Impa was Sage? Why didn't she tell me?"
"Because they didn't know until it was awoken within them." Link said, walking over to Yûko, who was looking at him again, but with that same sad look she always had. Link wanted to hug her, to hold her, anything to make Yûko feel better, but he knew that it wasn't allowed.
"So… she couldn't have told me anyway…" Yûko bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. She knew that they had to have had a good reason for leaving, but being a Guardian of a temple?
"So are you coming or not, Yûko?" Link asked, folding his arms across his chest and watching the mage for a moment. "Because I need to get out of here if I'm going to go ask the Sages."
"Oh – what? Ah. Yeah. Let's go." Yûko opened the portal back up and took Link's hand, pulling him inside. She walked along until she found the appropriate rip in the dimension, then she opened it, closing the first portal simultaneously. Link was amazed with how she could do that.
Once the pair stepped out of the portal, the Guards immediately saw them. Link stared at them blankly for a moment, before he heard himself yelling, "Run!"