Disclaimer: I do not take ownership of the original characters of Zelda.
The now seventeen years old princess welcomed the taste of sweet success of her escape after five years of failed attempts, yet on the sight of her home, her heart sunk. Princess Zelda may have escaped the grasp of Ganon, but the Hyrule Castle laid ruined.
A symbol that once meant for a flourished and lively kingdom now a devastated ruin. Five years trapped and the memory of her beloved home tarnished.
She took a shaky breath, and shut her eyes tight. She could feel the cool breeze, then the warmth of the sun that kissed her fair skin. Without a thought, she placed a hand over her heart for a moment.
Then she turned her attention back to her goal: to find Link and get far away as she could from Ganon who still lingered in the castle. When he discovered her missing, he would do everything in his power to get her back. So she ran. Ran with no sense of direction as she entered the forest. Deep into its dark depths, unaware of the dangers it possessed.
Zelda pumped her legs to go faster that she could feel her muscles burned and her breath coming out harsh and deep. Perhaps she did not run far away, as she felt she had, or the forest echoed that sound to her very soul. The distant scream of Ganon's fury.
She flinched and felt the fear consumed her. Her head whipped around her shoulder as if to check to see if he had found her yet or began his chase for her. That moment and distraction was what it took. A ditch that laid in front of her took her by surprise. Zelda gasped as she fell forward, her body half turning around before she hit the slope.
A pained cry escaped her lips as she felt herself rolling down the remaining ditch. She wanted to shut her blue eyes closed, yet they stayed open as her arms flustered around to grab something to help stop her harsh descent. She could see her dress, getting dirty and wrinkling, then her legs, to the trees and the ground. A root touched her hand, but she did not grip fast enough. Before she could hit the ground, she felt a sharp pain on the back of her head then on her back.
She landed on the soft ground with her injured back facing the forest's treetops, and her left cheek touching the floor. She groaned and tried to get up. She blinked and found her vision blurry with large black dots popping in and out. The princess collapsed on the ground with a winced.
Her muscles from the fall felt bruised and battered that it sent her nerves screaming. More so from her back and her head that felt like it took the most beating. Then she blinked on the sight coming toward her. A male figure that she felt her hope almost soaring when he looked almost like her beloved hero. But he was in the forest's shadows and her vision could not make her so sure.
"Li-Link," she tried to call out to him, but it sounded weak and more like a whisper.
Either way, he did not respond to her on the sound of the name. He stood over her now, but with the black dots and her tired mind, she could not focus on his face. She tried to fight against darkness, but she failed as she blacked out.
The tall dark figure stood over her, gazing down at her unconscious body. He thought of leaving her for dead and began to walk away when he stopped. He took another stare at her. Despite her injuries, he had to admit that she still had an angelic face and was beautiful. Blood and dirt coated parts of her face and on her blonde hair. His eyes traveled down to her petite yet feminine form where his sight roamed. Her clothes torn and dirty from the fall, exposed parts of her soft fair skin.
As she laid there unconscious on the forest's floor, her silent beauty captivated him.
He could not remember the last time he had seen a woman since he lived in solitary within the forest. Thoughts from his dark, evil heart filled his mind. I could have her- all of her if I wanted to, he thought. A smirk form across his face as that single thought aroused him. In that same instant, he shook it away.
Despite his heart of stone, he would not take much pleasure on forcing himself onto her. More so that the fact that he could see that she was young and still pure. She wore the colorful robe of royalty that signify that no man has touched her. The colors of white and purple. Even though he appeared not much older than she did, he did not want to feel like a desperate old pervert.
He took a deep breath, and then sighed. "What a bother," he murmured, feeling compelled to help her at least.
He picked her up, felt her fragile body, and hosted her over his shoulder. He caught a whiff of her sweet, clean aroma. The urge to do something inappropriate to her felt strong, but he fought the urge and headed deeper into the forest. Their forms disappeared into the dark shadows and the misty fog.
She woke up to the gentle sounds of rushing water. Zelda opened her eyes slowly, trying to make out the environment around her. When she left her home it had been daytime, but now it appeared to be sometime at night. The source of light came from the full moon and a small campfire near her. The darkness fought back.
She found herself laid on a grassy area not far from a small creek, which seemed too lead to a river. She sat up straight in fear. She could not remember how she got here or where she really was. She took notice on the sight of a bandage on her right arm. She touched the dressing then searched for anymore. She felt one around her head and winced on the remembrance of the fall.
Her body was sore, but she ignored it as she pondered. Someone had tended to her wounds, but the question was who was it?
Again, she searched around, curious, but found no one in sight.
It hit her that she had saw Link before she passed out. She scampered to her feet with a little gasp. She had to find him. He must be close by with the evidence of the fire and the bandages placed on her. "Link! Link, where are you?" She called out.
Only the cold silence of the forest and the stream answered her.
Tears formed in her sky blue eyes and she took a shaky breath. She wrapped her arms around herself for comfort that failed. Link could not have easily abandoned her like this. She fought back the urge to cry as she collected herself. He could be nearby unless it was someone else that rescued her. Which left her to wonder where she really was. She could not stay here forever with Ganon wanting her back. "I must find out where I am," she told herself.
She took a step forward and winced on how her body cringed of the soreness of the ordeal she faced. She mustered up the strength to continue on, and decided to follow the creek. She past a large boulder and touched the rough surface. Zelda hoped that following the creek would lead her to...
Suddenly she stopped in her tracks and hid herself behind a large boulder. Peaking around the rock, she saw a young man that sat on a stone in the middle of the river. His focus up on the moon.
"Link?" She whispered.
No, she could see now that this man may have resembled Link, yet he appeared different.
He was dressed in a black hooded tunic with red trimming. A white long sleeve shirt underneath, and wore open finger swordsmen gloves. His bottoms were black pants and black leather boots. His facial features handsomely sculpted, with skin smooth and colorless as if he never seen the sun. He had shoulder length silver hair that glistened in the moon light. The most distinct feature was his eyes... crimson red eyes that shined like precious ruby. He also accessorize with small red loop earrings that complimented his eye color. He was like a mystical creature from the underworld.
Zelda, fascinated by him, could not take her eyes off of him. Until he looked in her direction.
She felt her body grow cold and her heart stopped in panic. She threw her back against the rock, ignoring the bruise, and hope he didn't notice her. She closed her eyes to hide herself in such a way that would make her feel invisible...
Author's Notes
Hello everyone first off I want to thank you for reading! This is my first fan-fiction so im nervous and excited to see how it goes. Thankfully I met someone amazing to edit and revise my story so HUGE props to GreenFantasy64!! Thank you!! Your the Best! It may take me awhile to edit the next few chapters but they will be up soon!
Stay Tuned!