A/N: I noticed there are hardly any OoT fanfics exploring the potential repercussions of time travel. Considering how crazy that is since OoT is a game all about time travel, I thought I'd write one of my own.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O
Chapter 1 – It Begins
I really hate the guards around Hyrule Castle.
Did I also mention that I'm not that great at sneaking around them undetected? Of course, at my age, they mostly just see me as an annoying nuisance instead of a real threat. This is definitely to my advantage—after all, people have a tendency to underestimate the little guy.
"And don't you dare come back!" the front gate guard yells at me angrily. He tosses me unceremoniously on my rump outside the castle entrance for the umpteenth time. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he really meant it this time. As it is, I don't think I'll be able to sit normally, free of pain, for at least a week after this.
I make a...uh, let's say, "tactical retreat" (yeah, that's what I'm going with) to the safety of a large tree far from the front gate in order to reconsider my castle-infiltration strategy. Not long into my thoughts, I notice a young boy, probably about the same age as me, which is to say around ten years old, carrying a large pot and wearing clothing very similar to my own, consisting of a simple green tunic and brown boots. I would have thought he was from Kokiri Forest like me, but I knew that was extremely unlikely since all Kokiri believe they will die if they ever leave the forest. I am, of course, an exception to that since I'm not actually a Kokiri, as I learned very recently. I'd always had my suspicions about that, but now I know it for sure.
I peek around the tree so I don't lose him from view, curious as to what will happen. The boy approaches the castle gate and speaks with the guard for several moments. Although I can see that the boy's mannerisms exude calmness—friendliness, even—the hostility in the guard's demeanor is apparent right from the start. Suddenly, the guard becomes fully enraged, shoving the boy to the dirt before beginning to beat him mercilessly with the pommel of his sword. I hear the boy's cries of distress even from my hiding spot quite a distance away. Because of the severity of the blows he's enduring, there's no doubt he will end up with a number of bruises and cuts at the very least. Naturally, my first instinct is to go to the boy's aid immediately...which is what I truly wish I could say that I'm doing. Yet for some reason, I remain frozen in place, too scared to move, too afraid that I'll be beaten as well, or worse yet, taken to a dungeon for an extended session of torture. Am I simply too stunned to take action? Well, I had held the belief that the current king of Hyrule would only appoint soldiers to his guard who valued justice and honor above all else. Attacking a defenseless child certainly didn't embody either of those values. Needless to say, I was clearly mistaken in that belief. My shock at this revelation certainly could be to blame for my sudden case of lead feet.
Despite the boy looking completely haggard and defeated with a thin trail of blood trickling from a wound on his head, he somehow still manages to muster enough strength to run away, although he sobs into his palms the whole way. I can't even adequately describe the horrible feeling this sight leaves me with, knowing that I could have done something to help him but didn't. I'm fully aware that the guard must have confused the boy for me because of our similar appearances, causing me to feel even more guilt for not having intervened.
My friend, a diminutive fairy named Navi, is obviously just as surprised by my lack of action as I am. "Link! That boy needed help! Why didn't you do anything?"
"I don't know," I mutter dejectedly. "I just...wasn't thinking, I guess."
She makes numerous hand gestures for emphasis while flitting about in front of my face. "You weren't thinking?...Oh...you're not getting scared, are you, Link? Look...I know it's a great big world outside your cozy little forest and it's probably a huge shock to you just how different everything is to what you're used to, but you gotta pull it together! The Great Deku Tree is counting on you!"
Navi is referring to the tree who is like a father-figure to me and to all the child-like Kokiri who live in Kokiri Forest. The Deku Tree had told me a few days ago to leave the forest, which marked the the first time in my life I had ever left the safety of my childhood home, and to seek out Princess Zelda who would have further information for me. Thus, the reason I am trying—and failing—to sneak into the castle. Obviously, no one in their right mind would allow a nobody like me to simply waltz into the castle to see the princess and future sovereign of this whole kingdom.
"I know, Navi. It won't happen again. No need to worry," I assure her.
Knowing that I have to be extremely careful not to be spotted now that I've seen exactly what could happen to me if so, I survey the landscape to see if there are any natural features I can take advantage of. I notice some vines growing on the side of a small cliff not far from the front gate. The vines would never support the weight of an adult, but a child like me could use them, no problem. From this higher ground, I crawl ever-closer to the castle, passing within a stone's throw of many guards. Any time I get worried that I'm making too much noise with my movements, I stay perfectly still, letting the color of my clothing camouflage me in the grass until I can be mostly sure the danger has passed. Eventually, I reach the side of the castle's east wing. I find myself completely in awe of some rectangular works of art which are interspersed along the wall, depicting graceful, angelic figures in various poses. Navi informs me that these are called stained glass windows. She also has to explain to me what glass and windows are.
"How do you already know so much about the world outside Kokiri Forest?" I ask her curiously.
"Oh, I spent time doing this and that all over the place before I finally decided to come to the forest," she explains quickly in a disinterested tone, dismissing the question with a wave of her hand. I'm intrigued to discover that Navi has an adventurous past. There's apparently more to the little pixie than met the eye.
After testing several of these ornate 'windows', I find one that can be opened relatively easily and, more importantly, without making noise. I climb over the windowsill into a small room containing a desk cluttered with various papers. The words mean nothing to me since I have never learned to read, so I quickly move to the door and open it just enough to peek out. The coast is clear.
"Do you have any idea where the princess might be?" I whisper to Navi.
"Um...no..." she replies apologetically.
"...Guess we'll just wander around then," I sigh in frustration.
I'm thrilled to find that the castle isn't as heavily guarded as I had expected, but I still have to occasionally duck into a vacant room or behind some bulky furniture as I hear the footsteps of a guard approaching. Luckily, the palace is so quiet and the clanking of their armor so loud that I have no trouble at all hearing them approach before they get even the slightest inkling of my presence. I spend a lot of time on my hands and knees looking under doors and through keyholes while letting Navi do the actual reconnaissance. I'm seriously hoping that the princess didn't choose today to go on a field trip out of the castle, but it's taking so long to find her that I'm afraid this might be the case.
As I pass through yet another long, red-carpeted hallway, I hear the muffled voice of a girl wafting over to me from a large interior room of the castle. I lean over to take a peek through the keyhole in one of the doors and see a dim area full of tall bookshelves which are filled to the brim with countless tomes. Sitting at a small table in the center of the room is a girl, roughly the same age as me, whose face is illuminated by the light from an oil lantern. She is evidently reading some passages aloud from a book. The fabric of her dress is clearly of the finest quality, her long blonde hair is pulled into a sensible yet stylish bun with just a few strands hanging loose to frame her face, and her skin is clearly that of a person of privileged status, being so fair, smooth and unblemished as to be simply divine. There's no doubt about it—this is the princess I've been looking for.
Unfortunately, I'm more absent-minded than usual today because I don't notice my handmade wooden Deku shield slowly creeping out of its proper position over my back, the typical spot where I sling it when not needed. Navi, however, does notice it. She flits around me frantically, trying to warn me. Yet it's already too late—Navi can only cringe in horror as it lands with a noisy plunk on the stony floor below. Almost immediately thereafter, I hear the sound of alerted guards storming toward my position. I know in an instant that I must hide myself right away. Panicking, I reach for the door closest to me...which happens to be the door to the library containing a now fully-alert princess, currently too startled to move.
"Who—who are you?" she asks fearfully, her voice trembling.
I close the door quietly behind me and pause for several moments to decide what I could possibly say that will not cause her to scream for help. I'm deathly afraid she will do exactly that before even hearing me out, so I employ the calmest, most reassuring voice I can muster to explain this...peculiar situation. I silently pray to the goddesses that she will not find my story as ludicrous as the average rational person undoubtedly would. That's not to mean I was hoping she was an irrational person, but...hell, even I probably wouldn't believe myself.
To my great relief, not only does she listen to me intently, she also nods her head along with my story, urging me to continue whenever I falter. Even though the worst of the danger in being caught seems to be over, I'm still deathly worried that I will say something that will spark distrust in me or offend her. After all, I have no idea how to behave in front of a royal, but the Kokiri have always held this ingrained belief that royals are a bunch of unfriendly, easily-irritated snobs. In addition, I'm all too well-aware that royals are more than powerful enough to dictate whether a single lowly commoner like me lives or dies.
Her fearful eyes are replaced with those of wonder and excitement before long. "So it's you!" she shouts, a little too exuberantly. A guard's footsteps can be heard coming nearer as a result, prompting me to almost instinctively dive behind a nearby bookshelf. A mere second later, the guard enters the room. By peeking through spaces between the books, I can make out the surprise on his face from having found the princess here. He fumbles with his hand while in the act of saluting her. Something about this scene suggests to me that even a princess finds enjoyment in sneaking around under other people's noses. "S-so sorry to disturb you, Your Highness, but...are you aware of any strange activity or noises around here?"
"No, Donovan. Nothing strange at all around here. Everything is quite all right," she responded with a gentle smile.
"Very well then. I will be patrolling the area. If Your Majesty requires any assistance, I will be more than happy to assist."
Even long after the guard's departure, I stay in my hiding spot out of exhaustion from the considerable effort of evading them all day. After locking the door, Zelda approaches me and crouches in order to make eye contact. I'm amazed that a monarch would actually come down to the level of an insignificant peasant like me. If all royals are like Zelda...well...then clearly the Kokiri have been mistaken in their beliefs all this time. It's no exaggeration to say that her smile simply lights up her face. I immediately feel so calm and warm in her presence. All fear has left me. She asks for my name and repeats it for posterity. I don't think I've ever heard a voice as syrupy-sweet as hers.
"I've been having visions that a boy from the forest would come to see me and that he would be the one to vanquish the evil from this land," she tells me. "You must be that boy. I can sense it."
To say that I'm stunned to find out that a nobody like me actually has such a lofty destiny to fulfill would be the understatement of the year. She eagerly fills me in on the details regarding a legend surrounding the kingdom of Hyrule, although she's not quite certain how she knows it, just that she's known it for as long as she can remember. She mentions the significance of a mystical artifact known as the Triforce and describes the three goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru, who created the world as we know it. She gives me a task to fulfill, of collecting the three Sacred Stones, which I am to bring back to her as soon as possible. She even teaches me essential information such as the geography and principal races of Hyrule using various books in the library as an aid.
I have a few matters of my own to inform Zelda of—principally, about the guard at the front gate and what he had done to the boy.
"Oh, my. You must be talking about Darius. I'm already aware of his...'performance issues,' to put it nicely...and I really wish there was something I could do, Link, I honestly do...but I'm powerless in that regard." A look of defeat shows on her face. "My father is the one to make decisions concerning the appointment and dismissal of guards, but he never listens to me. Plus, I could hardly tell my father that I heard about Darius's latest transgression from a boy who sneaked into the castle, now could I?"
I sigh in resignation. To know that this fellow could potentially be delivering undeserved beatings to defenseless people until the day he retires is, of course, disheartening.
Sitting side by side on the floor, Zelda engages me in a long and involving conversation about a variety of topics. She excitedly riddles me with questions about life in Kokiri Forest, my humble origins, people I've met, monsters I've done battle with, you name it. She hangs on every word as if she had never heard a more riveting story in her whole life, gasping and laughing along at appropriate moments and frequently asking for further details when I fail to describe things as adequately as she would like. Navi assists me in providing some of the details that escape my memory.
It's apparent that Zelda's voracious curiosity about life outside the castle walls simply can't be sated. However, I manage to squeeze in a few inquiries of my own, asking Zelda how she feels about the various people of Hyrule, what life is like as a monarch, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
Responding to the latter question, she confides, "I hope for what I'm sure every good monarch wants for her kingdom—peace and happiness for all, an end to suffering, and a better tomorrow for the next generation." Looking directly into my eyes, she adds, "I know you're a key part of providing Hyrule with all those things someday, Link."
I can't help but muse about how today has been a great day for boosting my self-esteem. "I'm truly honored to be part of making this kingdom a better place, Your...um...Your Highness," I confess wholeheartedly. I had to struggle to remember the proper way to address her, borrowing the term that the guard from earlier had used. Formality was still a foreign concept to a child raised among the laid-back Kokiri like I was.
"Oh, no, no, no, Link. There's no need for formalities between us. I consider us to be equals in a sense. Please, call me Zelda," she urges me.
By this point, I can't help but feel that I've known this wonderful person—Zelda—for far longer than just this single day. I even have this strange sensation of being reunited with a long-lost friend. I shake my head slightly, telling myself what a ridiculous a concept this is...Nevertheless, we enjoy each others' company so thoroughly that we completely lose track of time until a knock on the door brings us back to reality.
"Princess? Are you in there?" comes the voice of an older woman through the door.
"Y-yes, Impa," Zelda sputters out quickly. "Give me just a, um, minute. I'm in the middle of something."
"I know someone's in there with you. Open this door right now and explain what you're doing in there!" she commands sternly.
I have no idea who this 'Impa' is, but I find myself seriously praying she's not a guard since it sounds like she means business. I guess Zelda notices my nervousness because she gently places a hand on my shoulder and assures me that Impa is no one to fear. She unlocks the door to allow entrance to a silver-haired woman wearing odd, dark blue skintight garments. Impa promptly fixes her gaze on me and crosses her arms disdainfully. I swallow heavily. I'm not feeling too good about how this meeting is going so far.
Zelda calmly explains the situation. "Impa, this is the boy from the visions I've been having. Remember? I told you about them."
Impa remains in deep thought for several moments before thankfully appearing to loosen up. "Ah, yes, the boy from the forest. I beg your pardon...um..." She trails off, apparently searching for the proper way to address me.
"Link," Zelda offers.
"Yes, Link." Crouching down to be at my level, she adds, "You are destined for great things, young man. I don't need a sixth sense like the one Zelda possesses to tell me that. I can see it, plain as day, in your eyes and in your soul."
I suddenly feel quite safe in the presence of this woman, much the same way as I feel with Zelda, who offers me a warm hug before bidding me farewell. As it's now late in the evening, I must leave. Impa guides me safely away from the castle and gives me a patriotic salute before seeing me on my way.
O.O.O.O.O.O.O
A/N: I decided to change how Link and Zelda met in this fic in order to reinvent and keep things fresh. Plot exposition-y chapter. Next one is where the real stuff begins