Hello! Thanks for clicking~ Uh... I've written some stories before but this is a first for being on the web. I really want Nintendo to make a "Dark" Legend of Zelda. This will be pretty much my take on it. Hopefully I will have time to write more soon! This will have nothing to do with Ganon as the bad guy. Just wanting to give a heads up. And it may be more on the Teen side. I just did that for just in case. For right now.. well we'll see. Thanks for reading! Please give any thoughts you may have.

A young man sighed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The hot sun made it feel as if he was burning up inside. He looked down, taking in the garden before him. It seemed to thirst for water. Feeling sorry for the plants, he pulled out his canteen and after taking a swig, gave them the rest.

'This is no good,' he thought to himself as he scratched the back of his head. 'They surely will not grow without some rain.'

He aimed his head towards the sky, his ocean blue eyes searching for any sign of a rain cloud. There was nothing. He reached down for the hoe lying by his feet. His hands were tough and almost leathery from all the farming. His muscles were lean and fit from hauling hay for his father's horses. He began once again to dig up the withered crops. While tossing and turning the soil to see if he could make it fertile, he heard a shout.

"Link!" called the voice, "Oh, Link!"

He turned his head slightly, his sweat soaked golden brown hair sticking to his face.

"Oh hi, Mother," He responded standing up straight and facing her.

His mother walked toward him quickly, carrying a jug filled with water. Even in her hurried shuffling, she was a graceful as a butterfly.

"I figured that you might need some more water. It's a hot day," she exclaimed, lifting up the jug and smiling.

It was impossible to say that she wasn't a beautiful woman. Her long brown hair was always neat and never out of place, while her blue eyes sparkled in the light. His father always called himself the luckiest man in the village. That was certainly not a lie. He managed to have Link's mother take his hand in marriage even as lines of men waited outside her door. Not to mention, they were doing a lot better than half the village. More than half of Link's crops had survived this terrible heat and none of the horses had perished.

"Thanks," Link began with a small smile, "We're going to need a lot more water though if we ever want these plants to grow."

He handed her his canteen and watched his mother fill it to the brim.

"Yes, I know," she answered, sighing and handing him back his water.

She looked past him towards the dark looming woods beyond. The thick trees encircled the entire village. They were shadowy and the even saplings near the edge of the forest seemed to block out all light so that nothing else could grow. Nothing was green, only brown and black. It was a miracle that the forest itself even survived. It was an eerie and forbidden place. No one was permitted to travel inside and anyone who entered was never seen again. It was said that Castle Town was beyond the woodland, but the darkness cloaking the place would not allow it to be seen. It was said that terrifying creatures that feed off of your sanity made their home there. Just looking at them could send you into a madness so powerful that your reason may never return. Link shuddered at the thought and glanced at his mother. The longer his mother looked at the forest, the more the smile she wore seemed to fade.

"Mother?"

She shook her head, as if releasing herself from a trance, and looked at Link with sorrowful eyes.

"It'll be okay, Mom," he whispered quietly.

She nodded and gave him a long hug, "It'll be time soon. You should come back to the house with me. Your father should be returning shortly", she replied softly, freeing him from the hug.

Link nodded and picked up the gardening tools he had scattered around on the ground. After taking a long drink of cool water, he trailed his mother back to the house, watching the ground as he stepped making sure not to step on any budding plants. The farm house was not far from the fields. It was just big enough to hold Link's family and have enough room in the attic for storing hay in the winter time for the stable. The white paint was chipping on all sides and almost every board inside squeaked, but it was still cozy. It was home. Family portraits lined the entrance hallway, telling tales of ancestors with just a glance. The floral wallpaper was pealing in some places but not enough to make anyone worry about fixing it just yet. Straight down the hallway was the kitchen and the dining area while to the right were the stairs and two small bedrooms. A big bellowing laugh came from the living room to the left. Link poked his head around the corner as his mother made her way to the kitchen. His father stood in the middle of the room laughing with a man who Link had only seen once a year, the mayor. Link cleared his throat drawing attention to himself. The men looked and Link and his father smiled.

"Ah! Link! There you are," boasted his father, "We were just talking about you. Where is Luna, in the kitchen?"

Link nodded.

"Yeah. Mother said she was going to get started on making lunch," replied Link, taking a couple steps into the room. He leaned on his Mother's favorite rocking chair and watched the mayor and his father carefully.

The mayor was at least as tall as his father, but much more plump with dark hair and dark eyes. He was certainly not a man who needed to do hard labor to make a living. There was just something about the man though. Something seemed off but Link couldn't put his finger on it. It always seemed as though he was a man that should never have received the power he had.

"Link this here is Mayor Hollum. I know you two have never been formally introduced. Now I guess is better than never."

"Nice to meet you, Link," Mayor Hollum sneered, slowly extending out his hand.

Link took it reluctantly and shook his hand, forcing a smile so that his father would not be angered. Link's father gestured for the Mayor to sit down on the couch with him. Link took a seat in his mother's rocking chair after a quick glance from the kitchen to see if she was watching.

"Rufus was just telling me how you had a birthday recently. That makes you how old now?" Mayor Hollum questioned, eyeing Link with those dark eyes.

"Nineteen, Sir," Link muttered as he looked down at his tan pants.

He felt nervous and he pulled at the collar of his thin white cotton shirt. Here he was in what seemed like rags compared to what Mayor Hollum was wearing. Those were rich fibers strung together, not the thin cotton the commoners wore. Mayor Hollum and his wife were the only ones to have such fabric. No one could figure out where they had gotten them. Castle Town, perhaps? Couldn't be. Something just wasn't right. He felt someone touch the top of his head and he quickly looked up to see his mother. She stroked his hair gently and then slightly pulled on one of his pointed ears signaling to him to get out of her beloved chair. He quickly got up and Luna took her rightful place. She pointed towards the kitchen and Link quickly went to get the meal she had prepared. He retrieved the special platter that Luna only used for special guests, which held their lunch. He scrambled back to the living room almost tripping in the process, but he quickly caught his balance.

'Oops,' he thought, 'Wouldn't want the Mayor to see me off balance. He wouldn't want to find a weak boy after his trip here.'

As Link approached the living room, he could hear them quietly whispering. He figured they were talking about him. What else would a bunch of grown-ups talk about? He waited outside for a moment, thinking of when would be the best time to interrupt their conversation about him. He could have sworn he heard Mayor Hollum say something about the harvest for this year, making Link shudder. He believed now would be the best time to stop their discussion. Link quickly walked in, making the whole room grow silent. He nervously handed Mayor Hollum a plate, continuing to his father, and then his mother. He swiftly brought the platter back to the kitchen, and then grabbing his own plate, went back to join them. He sat on the floor and began eating slowly, savoring every bite. They ate in silence for a few moments. Nothing but the sound of chewing could be heard. Occasionally Link would glance up at one of his parents as he tried to read the emotions on their faces. Luna looked saddened, just moving around the food on her plate. His father ate too quickly, scarfing down the food. Rufus must be nervous; normally he would be eating so slow that a snail could be moving faster. Rufus enjoyed Luna's cooking so much that he felt the need to eat it slowly, savoring every taste, every flavor that entered his mouth. Mayor Hollum put his fork down on his plate with a clang, which made everyone look over at him.

"We have a decent amount of candidates this year," he said, after clearing his throat. "Hopefully something worthy will come of it."

Link choked on his meal and coughed several times before it went down. He was dreading every minute of this conversation, hoping it would not lead to this. His family would be ruined if it he was to be chosen. He set his plate on the floor, suddenly not having any appetite. He began playing with a loose string dangling from the hem on his light brown pants. Link could feel the Mayor's brooding eyes studying his every move.

"Yes," began Luna, "I certainly hope the crops will get better. We only have so many that are still willing to continue the struggle."

Luna gave a very quick worried glance at Link and then looked back at Mayor Hollum, hiding her worry with a smile. Rufus finished his lunch and set the plate in his lap and studied Luna with a grim look. Link could tell that his father was disappointed that she was not able to keep a straight face. It was important that they did not show any doubts around the Mayor.