Hello all, it is I, Rytex, with a story that just sort of came to me. Now, it isn't TOTALLY original (I actually am basing this on ABC's Once Upon a Time), but I adapted it to The Legend of Zelda.

As a disclaimer, I, Rytex of the McLeod of Harris clan (I just found that out, and that my family is about two generations descended from the Clan Chief, so naturally, I'm really proud), do NOT own The Legend of Zelda, ABC's Once Upon a Time, or FF dot Net. Why I added that, I honestly don't know.

Anyway, this chapter is something of a pilot. Not just because it's Chapter 1, but I want to see how well it does before I worry about when I want to get chapters in to you guys. I have every intention of completing this story in due time, however. In any case, I present the Prologue of Once Upon a Time.


Prologue: The Legend of Hyrule

Once upon a time, in the Land of Hyrule…

A princess, a Hero, a Villain, a Golden Power, a magical land…

An Adventure.

There was once a beautiful land. The land was filled with verdant fields, tall mountains, vast and harsh deserts, cool and serene lakes, and sweeping forests. This land was Hyrule. Hyrule was a land unlike any in history. The land was directly influenced by the goddesses, who created the land out of the chaos that was there before all time existed. The goddesses, when finished with their creation, left the land for their own realm, beyond time and space. However, when they left, the location they departed was tainted by their divinity, and so a relic of theirs was created. A shard of pure Power, a shard of vast Wisdom, and a shard of insurmountable Courage joined together to create the Triforce.

The Triforce had many powers. It blessed the land it was kept in, it granted the wishes of the one who touched it, and it also held the power to uphold the laws of the land.

In the fullness of time, an evil man, Ganondorf by name, sought the Triforce. He sought to take it for his own. He sought to use its power to rule over all that the goddesses had created. He sought to be the god above the goddesses. He kidnapped the Princess of Hyrule to take the shard of Wisdom that was kept within her. However, when he attempted to take it for his own, a Hero rose up. Armed with the shard of Courage, he took up the Blade of Evil's Bane and defeated him. This Hero cast down the evil man and banished him from Hyrule, sealing him in a realm outside of the magical land.

And for that one moment, everything was perfect…

The young man stared into her sky-blue eyes, so pure and full of joy. Despite the spectacular temple in which they were being joined, they only saw each other, and they heard the voice that would make the other theirs for the rest of eternity.

"Cross your arms, and hold your hands open, palms facing the other. Sir Link, place your arms outside of Princess Zelda's, as the man is to hold his wife in sorrow, and shield his beloved from all danger. Princess, place your arms inside of his, as a woman is to provide structure, and to support her beloved in any way she can."

Link smiled as he and the Princess did as the Minister instructed. Zelda looked radiant in white. Her beautiful blonde hair shone in the sunlight that passed through the stained glass windows of the temple. The crowd watching had caused quite the stir when she had entered, escorted by her father, the King.

Link was also wearing white. His suit was tailored to fit him. He had combed his normally-shaggy blonde hair, and he kept his usual hat nearby. He couldn't go too long without it, as it was a reminder of everything that had happened, as well as being a sacred item in the eyes of the people. Countless heroes in ages past had worn a hat like his, and so it was fitting he keep it as well-kept as he could.

The minister took two golden cords and tied their arms together, where they crossed.

"Sir Link, please repeat after me."

Link nodded.

"I do take thee, Princess Zelda, to be my wife."

"I do take thee, Princess Zelda to be my wife."

"I will love you forever, even to the death. I will cherish and hold you dear each passing moment."

Link repeated the words, feeling himself choke up at the thought.

"I will care for you and provide for you and our family to the best of my ability, even at my own sacrifice."

And so the minister continued for a couple more lines, with Link repeating everything. When he had finished, the minster turned to Zelda.

"Princess Zelda, repeat after me as well."

Zelda's eyes were set on Link's, and he saw a determination matched only by what he knew was his love for him.

"I do accept thee, Hero Link, to be my husband."

"I do accept thee, Hero Link, to be my husband."

"I will also love you forever, even to the death. I will also cherish and hold you dear each passing moment."

Link saw tears in her eyes as she repeated his words.

"I will support you, and care for our family. I will mother our children, and I will raise them the love I show for you."

And finally, they got to the part Link knew they both had been impatient for.

"As of this moment, all gathered here bear witness. By the power vested in me, I pronounce Princess Zelda and Hero Link husband and wife."

The watching crowd erupted. Link saw the wizened king out of the corner of his eye. He was holding a sobbing queen on his shoulders, and he couldn't look more proud.

"You may kiss the bride."

Link and Zelda leaned in, watching each other. They both closed their eyes and-

BANG!

They backed up as the crowd let out gasps and shrieks of surprise.

A tall man, wearing ornate black armor, with a red cape walked calmly into the room. He had dark skin, an amber jewel set on his forehead, and long red hear, bound in a Gerudo head ornament. He held a blade, kept within its long sheath, in his hands. The handle glowed brightly, and Link knew it was the enchanted blade he had stolen from the Sages, ages ago.

"My congratulations to the happy couple," the man said in a deep voice that contained as much malice and sarcasm as the ocean had water.

Link snapped his fingers. A soldier threw Link the Master Sword, sheathed also, which he promptly drew. He bared it, pointing it at Ganondorf.

"I expected this, but that still does not make you an invited guest. What do you want, Ganondorf?" he asked.

Ganondorf smiled maliciously.

"The Gerudo tradition is to present a gift to the newlyweds. I merely came to present mine."

He walked forward, toward the pedestal they stood on.

Four Hylian soldiers ran at him, two with spears, and two with blades.

Ganondorf waved a hand and they froze in place, as if they had become statues, and he continued forward, unperturbed.

Stopping in front of them, still smiling maliciously, he looked at Link, and calmly pushed the sword away from his chest.

"Like I said, boy, I am not here to fight, but to present my gift to you."

He banged the flat bottom of his sheath against the ground, producing a loud audible thud.

"My gift to you is today. I give you a day of happiness. Take joy in it, for tomorrow, my price for this happy day comes. In one year, I will curse Hyrule. I will curse its people. I will curse the entire land. This land will be forevermore cursed so that there will no longer be any happy endings, save for one. The cycle will stop. All time will cease here, and you all will forget about this land. You all will forget about the terror I am. In short, you will be cursed to eternal torment, living in an endless prison sentence. I have spoken, and so I have spoken, so shall it be. Take joy in what little time you have left."

He turned and began to walk out of the temple.

Suddenly, someone blocked his path. It was an older man, hunch-backed, covered by a brown cloak that hid his face, and intimidating, mostly due to his magic.

"Fool! You do not know the forces you are upsetting!" he shouted.

Ganondorf lost his smirk. He stared, agitated, at the man.

"Move out of the way if you know what is good for you," he said.

"Know this, Ganondorf! The cycle will continue, no matter how hard you try to stop it! They shall have a child! A boy! On the day of his eighteenth birthday, he will rise up and cast you down! We will have our happy ending, Hyrule will be restored, and you will be once and for all vanquished!" the man said, pointing at Link and Zelda.

"I said get out of the way!" Ganondorf said, his voice rising in volume.

"You are doomed to fail, and you always have been!"

Ganondorf raised a hand and slammed it into the old man, sending him flying sideways.

Link bellowed and charged at Ganondorf, ramming into him, sending him to the floor.

Ganondorf got up slowly, and then turned around.

"I take back my gift. I begin my work today. As I said before, take joy in what little time you have left."

He swished his cape and vanished with a laugh.

The guests immediately started chattering. The higher-ranked soldiers whistled, and their men formed up. They all stood before the king.

The King, however, waved them off.

"I gave up my title when my daughter was married. He is the new King," he said, pointing at Link.

Link was taken aback. He was not expecting this at all.

The men immediately turned to him and stood at attention. Everyone was now looking at him, even the peasants and Zelda, wanting him to do something.

Link opened his mouth a little, closed it, and then said, "Ganondorf is too powerful for you to face. But he is powerless. I will defeat him when he comes. For now, keep watch for him. Make sure he does not come back."

A year went by, uneventful, but no one forgot Ganondorf's promise. Even after Zelda fell pregnant, no one celebrated. They took the old prophet's words to heart. That boy was going to become Ganondorf's downfall. The day before Link and Zelda's anniversary, however, brought the birth of their son. And for that one moment, there was happiness, even in the midst of the darkness.

But a messenger came to them, from the Kokiri.

"My King, the Great Deku Tree presents something to you. The curse is about to be cast. He can feel it, and he also knows that our only hope lies in your son," said the young boy, motioning to his friends, who brought forth a small wooden container.

"This was carved out of the Deku Tree's trunk at its own request. It will protect one person who goes inside of it from the effects of the curse, but it will only protect one. If it is anyone but your son, all is lost."

Link was horrified. To have a baby and to immediately part from it? Impossible!

But it was their only chance.

With tears of sorrow in his eyes, Link ordered the container to be moved to a secure vault, near to their bedroom.

He went to Zelda, who was cradling his son in their bed, having just given birth, and told her everything. She also was horrified, but they both agreed that it had to happen, but they would spend one night with him.

As the Castle Town clock struck midnight, Ganondorf appeared in front of Hyrule Castle.

"The time has come!" he shouted.

The shout woke Link and Zelda. Link bolted to the window and looked out. He saw Ganondorf standing there, arms raised. Storm clouds began to gather around the castle, and around the entire land. Down in the town, people panicked and began to attempt to flee.

Zelda kissed the boy, with tears in her eyes, as he cried. Link picked up his son and started to run to the vault. He opened it, opened the Deku container, and placed his son in it, placing one last kiss on his forehead, before shutting the door.

He turned. Ganondorf was staring directly at him, a wicked grin on his face.

"Thought you could keep him from me? I came to hedge my bet."

He backhanded Link, sending him flying. Link hit the wall hard, and fell to the ground, and watched in horror as Ganondorf tore open the doors of the container. However, his smirk was replaced with a look of horrified rage.

"WHERE IS HE!" he bellowed at Link.

Link gave a derisive grin, laughed, and coughed up blood.

"Gone. You've failed. He's safe from you and the curse."

Ganondorf walked up to him, drew his blade, and placed its tip directly over his heart.

"I'll ask again. Where. Is. He?" Ganondorf asked forcefully, teeth gritted.

"I honestly don't know. It's over, Ganondorf. The cycle continues."

Ganondorf yelled and stabbed the blade into Link, killing him.

Link gave one last laugh, and his head fell; he was dead.

Ganondorf clenched his fist, drew himself upright, and vanished. He would let Zelda's last memory be anguish.

Zelda dragged herself into the room, saw Link, and lost it.

"LINK! NO!"

She threw herself on him, sobbing over his body.

The walls cracked. Zelda looked up in time to see the roof of the castle be torn off. A vortex of energy spiraled above the land, and it sucked everything into it. Zelda flew off the ground, still holding onto Link's body. As she saw the nexus of energy approach them, she kissed Link's mouth one last time before time and memory ceased.


So how was it? Please let me know, I will be responding personally to each review in the next chapter. Please Read and Review! Have a good Christmas!