So, at this point you might wonder what exactly is this story and where exactly it came from. Some of you may remember this story from long ago, posted in other places or featured somewhere (Heck, it could be still posted in places I forgot I put it)...But right now, I'm going to explain -what- this story is and -why- it's reappearing.

Recently, I've had a lot of changes in my personal life, both good and bad and everywhere in between. I have a new job, I'm living on my own, I'm being a "so-called" adult now. Growing up is rough. Everyone needs to grow older, but I don't think everyone needs to grow up. I needed something to get back to normal, something small that I can focus on that, frankly, I've neglected to do for a long time.

Write.

So, this is where this story has come in. The Legend of Terra, literally one of the -first- stories I ever written and the first I've ever finished. It was a fun few years of my life doing this little project, lots of work went into it. And to look back at it all now, some parts are just so cheesy that I can barely believe I wrote them. But hey, it's good cheese. I don't regret it. It makes me smile looking back at it all and I do need to start smiling more again. (Just make sure to keep that in mind while reading, alright? ;) )

But, I can't help myself sometimes. I want to improve this story a little bit. There are some major changes, there are some small changes. But, I'm going to try to keep it all as original as possible.

Thus, without yammering one for paragraph after paragraph, I'll let you start reading...

Meet you at the bottom of the page...

The Following story takes places in a "splinter" timeline, where after Majora's Mask, Link returns to Hyrule and Zelda...

The Legend of Terra

Prologue: A Glimpse of Fire

Terra has been here countless times before. She knew that she was having the nightmare again. It was the same hellish night-terror that she has been having for as long as she could remember, but no matter how hard she tried and no matter how much Terra struggled, she couldn't wake up from her deep tomb-like slumber. What she saw was always a blur, a swirling mass off colors and senses.

What stood before her was the grand hall of Hyrule Castle. But it wasn't the hall she's come to know in her childhood. It was in ruin, the great stone columns that once held up the giant painted ceilings were fallen over and crumbling into dust. The colorful banners that once adorned the walls were burned and tattered and ripped. Gaping holes in the ceiling from where the columns once stood let in hazy red-orange rays of light that collided with the broken grey stone floor beneath.

She stood in the back, unable to move, paralyzed as if some stronger will was set against her own. In front of her was a slouching body. The figure was on its knees, a pool of dark red blood that glistened in the light surrounded it. Yet it shape was still alive, breathing heavily, the inhales and exhales were deep and weak. The figure seemed to be struggling to stay alive, almost as if it was clinging to life by a quickly breaking thread.

Terra shifted her eyes to the ornate wooden doors at the front of the hall. Like every time before it, there was always an ominous pounding against their surface, slowly growing louder with each passing thud. The metal chains that held the door in place rattled with each impact. Suddenly the great doors would burst open. Each would be blown off its metal hinges and flung to either side of the figure on the hall floor. Wooden splinters as sharp as needles showered the ground around it. A great muscular black shape stepped fourth from the black void behind the gate. Smoke rolled off the abomination as if it were aflame. The monster stepped closer with two great metal swords, large glowing fire-like orange eyes, horns ornate around its face, and flesh-like dreadlocks that dragged along the floor, leaving a trail of thick crimson blood behind them. Its feet stalked across the ground. Each step created an echoing thud off the crack stone walls.

It always ended the same way. The great black shape with orange eyes would creep up to the kneeling figure, as if savoring the moment like a long awaited meal. Her left hand would always begin to burn as the creature crept slowly across the hall, the beast slowly getting closer to its prize. As soon as it arrived in front of the figure slouching limply on the floor, it would bring its great swords above its head and would begin to swing downward. She felt an odd connection to whatever it was on the hall floor. Each time as the swords would begin to come down she would reach out and scream, even though her screams would emit no sound. But finally, just before the blows were struck, the dream would end in a flash of blinding white light…

The dream ended just as it had the many times before…

Terra awoke with a harsh gasp, chest heaving. She was back in her bedroom in Hyrule Castle, breathing heavily trying to catch her breath, slowly breaking into small pitiful sobs. The young Hylian Princess, daughter of Zelda and Link, pulled her thin purple blankets around her which she must've violently kicked off in her nightmare. Her heart throbbed as if it was going to rip itself out of the small girl's chest. Sitting up she pulled them as close to her tiny body as she could, even in Hyrule, summers nights can be chilly. Terra's window was opened, a soft wind rushing through. Her eyes darted about the room, making sure everything was still in its same place. Everything was just as she had left it when she had fallen asleep. Nothing was out of place. Nothing was broken. Nothing was different.

Zelda swiftly opened Terra's bedroom door. It turned on its rusty hinge with a high pitched squeal. Still in her white and silver sleeping-dress she rushed over to the side of the soft bed and clutched her daughter tightly with her arms. "What's wrong sweet-heart? I heard you screaming from my room, what's wrong?" Zelda asked frantically, looking down on her ten year old daughter with concern. The queen's head tilted side to side, inspecting her young daughter as if looking for some kind of open wound or broken bone.

Terra replied pitifully through her tears. "The d-d-dream came again m-mother! The creature with the glowing orange eyes was after me!" She began to sob harder, body shivering from the emotional energies that ran like electricity through her limbs.

"Oh dear..." Zelda whispered back laying her head onto her daughter's, rubbing her hand through the girl's long blonde hair. Many times before Terra had told her parents about the hellish nightmare. And many times her parents had taken no noticed.

Link strode into the room and took an empty place on the bed, wrapping his arms around his family. "Zelda, Terra…What's the matter?" his voice had the same tone as Zelda's, full of concern. He too glanced about the room, confused and unaware.

Zelda tilted her head back at her husband. "The dream…" Her eyes glanced between Link and Terra, signaling that this obviously had happened many times before.

For a second there was a look of alarm on Links face, which quickly melted into a face of compassion for his utterly frightened daughter. "There-there… I'm sure it was only a nightmare, Terra." he replied trying to comfort the small girl. The child couldn't help but give a nod, her face still buried in Zelda's nightgown. One last time his eyes looked up to Zelda. His face was full of concern, something weighed heavily on his mind.

After a long while, both Zelda and Link walked out of the room. They completed the task of calming down and putting little Terra back to sleep. As they both walked back to their chamber Zelda wrapped her arms around Link's chest, causing him to stop. This wasn't a lover's grip, but that of a worried mother. She wished to speak about their daughter before the night's end.

"Link…" She whispered into his ear "…Does it seem strange to you that she keeps having these dreams?" Zelda kept her voice down, not wanting to attract the attention of the nightly guard who may inquire in Terra's reoccurring nightmare, thus possibly spreading rumors. Rumors about their daughter were possibly the last thing they wanted to spread.

Link ran his muscular fingers through his sandy blonde hair and sighed. "I…I don't know…" The look on his face was of utter bewilderment. He knew not of any reason Terra was having such troubling dreams. Many times before this little Terra had described the scenes she had seen and each time he only grew more and more confused.

Zelda scoffed silently at their situation. "But Link…What if she is seeing something, what if…"

Link cut her off "I'm sure it was only a nightmare…It…It will pass time…" he whispered back. The man had to push the words out of his mouth. Link had no solution to their problem. They arrived at the Royal chamber's doors. His outstretched arm swept open the door as Zelda and he passed inside…

Thank you for getting this far,

Like I said, I'd meet you right here. Bottom of the page, just like I promised, and you can continue reading just like you promised, so we are all men/women of our words.

Now, you might have a question or two. I'll start off by saying yeah, it's a romance story, a cheesy, fluffy, feel-good (for the most part), romance story with Original Characters and the whole nine yards. If that offends you, go ahead and put the story down right now. This story isn't as much for you as it's more for me and the people who wish to take their mind off whatever it is they are doing and simply relax. This story isn't here to win some award. It's here to make people smile.

Next, I want to hear reviews and I want to hear from you. If you liked the story? Tell me. I want to hear it. If it made your day? Awesome! That's what I set out to do when I began and finished this story a long-ass time ago. If you don't like it, that's fine, just don't go out of your way to be a dick. I warned you at the start, remember?

Anyway, I've talked for more than long enough...

Please drop a review, I'd love to hear from you guys if you enjoyed my first ever completed story! :)

Thank you,

Mr-Watch

(And yes, I'm working on my other stories too, so don't worry they will be updated sometime).