THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE SACRED AMULETS

S Y N O P S I S: Takes place between OoT and TwiP. A dark power has once again ensnared Hyrule, and the pieces of the TriForce have reemerged once again. The Seven Sages are gone—the only pieces left are charms that hung about their neck. Whoever gathers all of these has control over Hyrule, the TriForce, and the Twilight Realm. Please read and review and enjoy!

A/N: Retyping this from a burst of must from last night. My hand aches now and it's a pain having to rewrite it, but oh well .

And I do not own anything from Legend of Zelda, Nintindo does. Grr…but I do own my own characters and the main plot of this story, and Camasho was my made up place. though many parts are inspired from different things…grumblesatleastIownsomethinggrumbles

I apologize in advance for any time that I might not be able to update right on the dot.

PROLOGUE: Ocarina

Evening had come over the fields of Hyrule, blanketing them in a heavy darkness from which only a crescent moon and a scarce few stars shone through. There was a complete absence of movement; not even the creatures that normally flew, prowled, walked, or loped over the fields in some manner were out. At one of the springs that wove its way through the plains, a young woman in her mid- to late teenage years was leaning against her grey horse, softly stroking its flaxen mane.

She was garbed in a traveling cloak, patched and freyed, not to unlike those of wandering peasants. Her hair was red-blond, tied up at the moment. Her violet eyes were locked upon the sillouette of the castle in the distance. She sighed, looking wistfully in its direction.

"Zelda…" came a voice to her side, "Won't you come and eat some supper."

"No," said Zelda, still looking at the castle, "I am not that hungry."

"Please trust your father dear," said the old woman, coming forward and placing a head on the young woman's shoulder. "I've been with your family for many years, and the king is wise. Please follow his judgement. Even though I have not a clue what is going on, I know he does and that is why he asked you to leave." She paused a moment before going on. "We will know more in the morning, now come and eat."

Zelda sighed, gently pushing the older woman's hand off of her shoulder. "I'm just unsure about what needs to be done…I'm…frightened."

"Don't be ashamed to be scared, dear. Well, if you feel like eating something, come over in a few minutes."

"I will Irma."

Zelda walked over to the edge of one of the rivulets cutting through Hyrule field, sitting down on a rock at its edge, letting her feet dangle. Reaching into a pouch at her side, she brought out a small blue object. She peered at the Ocarina.

So this is the famed family Ocarina… She studied it, fingers tracing over the small designs etched into it. Some were familiar Hylian runes, and others were ancient and unrecognizable. Her hand closed around the warm wooden instrument. It felt so warm and…right in her hands.

So this little heirloom is what Father wanted me to protect. I've heard its legends—the tales surrounding it. Even the Hero of Time played upon this instrument…What makes it so special?

Even though Zelda knew about the ocarina, she had never actually played or really looked at it. Her father had always kept it locked up, never taking it out. As a child, the secrecy surrounding the little object had always puzzled her. But as time went by and she grew up, she forgot all about the source of her curiosity. Now that curisoty resurfaced tenfold when her father came into her room earlier that night, gave her the pouch with the ocarina, and told her to guard it and to leave. They were headed towards the Zoras domain, knowing that they were friendly with those of Hyrule and the royal family.

A sudden harsh breeze blew from the South, causing Zelda to shiver and draw her cloak around her. This was puzzling. Normally warm, humid winds would blow from the South and collide with the dry, arid winds from the desert in the west. This would cause intense bursts of rain showers that would turn into giant monsoons sometimes. Many linked this to the reason why all of Hyrule had been flooded. So this cool, harsh wind from the South was a very unusual event.

Zelda glanced up at the sky, which was now pitch black. Swirling clouds blanketed the moon and stars, making the fields fall into darkness. The clouds had a green tinge to them, mixed with little flashes of orange that appeared periodically like lightning. She shivered again, this time from both nerves and chill.

She followed the line of the horizon with her eyes. The only source of light was a collection of tiny pipwrinks in the distance. She knew this to be the small, rural village of Camasho. It was not well-known, but it was one of the closest places one could get to rest during the night. At the moment, her group was too far away to recooperate there at the moment. Camasho was also Hyrules main source of milk and many crops. Zelda felt a little nervous they were camping out in the open—she would have felt much more comfortable in a cozy hotel room in a village rather than in blankets in the harsh blanket of night in Hyrule field.

She looked back over to the camp. The fire was now doused, the three soldiers that had accompanied them were wrapped in their blankets, and Irma had already made a palette for Zelda. Yet she was not ready to come to bed just yet; her nerves were still wired from the approaching storm.

The ocarina suddenly slipped in her hands. She grasped it close, looking at it once more. This was meant for music, obviously. Zelda felt tempted to play it, but she knew nothing of the proper way to do so. All she could do was sing…sort of.

But her mother was a wonderful singer. Zelda fell into a memory of long ago, back when her mother had been alive. Back on stormy nights not too unlike these, Zelda would stay awake in fright, calling for her mother. Her mother would come rushing in, checking on her only daughter to make sure she was fine. To make Zelda fall asleep, her mother would hum a lullaby. It was always the same one, the same beautiful one without words that would calm the princess's nerves, easing her into a deep slumber.

Zelda hummed the tune, her mother's image fresh in her mind. It had been quite a while since her death, but she still thought about her every day.

Wrapped in her thoughts and memories, Zelda brought the ocarina impulsively up to her lips, putting the mouthpiece to her mouth and situating her fingers and then blew a single note. It reverberated around the field, the most beautiful and crystalline note she had ever heard.

The tune her mother would hum still fresh in her mind, Zelda started to play it on the small instrument, her fingers moving as if she knew how to play the ocarina all along. She closed her eyes, her entire being wrapped around this one song.

She played the lullaby for a while, holding out the last vabrato note. She released it, and it flew along the breeze, now warmed suddenly. Zelda felt her left hand tingle and she reached down to touch it, when suddenly there came an ear-piercing shriek from the east.

Zelda doubled over, pain coursing through her hand as if she had held it up to a white-hot flame. She looked at it, tilting her head; what she saw made her gap.

The three triangle pattern of the TriForce had suddenly appeared upon her right hand, giving out a steady glow that almost blinded her for a moment. It extinguished briefly, to where only the lower right half was glowing and pulsating.

Wisdom? Zelda wondered, confused greatly at the moment. All in her life she had never seen or heard of anything of what just went on. She was fascinated by the marking that had just appeared, but was brought back to reality by another unearthly scream from the east—no, from the castle.

Zelda stood quickly, holding her hand. The soldiers and Irma had awoken by now, all looking in the direction that she was.

"By the Goddess…" breathed a soldier named Savo, "What is that?"

"What is what?" asked Zelda, coming to stand beside them.

Her question was immediately answered by a large form rising into the air over the hills. It was emmense and almost ghostly, the edges of its body undefined. It took the image of a winged bird or reptile—its form was so blurred that she could not tell certainly what it was—and was hovering after coming from the castle. As she looked closer, Zelda spotted a rider that was perched upon the collarbone on the lower part of the creature's neck, where it joined its shoulders. The rider seemed to survey the fields for a moment before finally locking his view in Zelda's direction.

Feeling her heart drop, she rushed to Savo. "Keep these," she commanded, putting the ocarina in the leather pouch and thrust it in his arms. She did not wait for a garbled protest as she took the small charm from around her neck. It was round and light green, the crystal within swirled like liquid. Within the odd form or a winged horse could be seen. Zelda removed it from her neck and studied it for just a second, for that was the only time she would have to study the last thing she owned that linked her to her mother.

Her mother had owned the necklace ever since she could remember. Zelda would always ask to see it. Her mother said it was magic and she believed her. Whenever one placed their hand over it and said the Hylian word for a certain creature, and the name, the animal would come forward trustingly. Whatever it was, magic or coincedence, Zelda would keep the charm close to her heart. Now she parted with it for the first time.

Before handing it to Savo to put in the pouch, Zelda put her hand over it and murmured, "Tearlach…"

Her grey stallion trotted in her direction, sliding to a stop before her. His ears were pinned and eyes rimmed with fear as he heard the shrieks of whatever the creature was. Zelda placed a calming hand on his muzzle before handing the necklace to Savo.

"Milady, what-?"

"Please keep good care of these things," she begged, eyes still locked on the flying creature, which had started to fly in their direction. "Use Tearlach and get to Camasho, which is the closest refuge, as fast as you can. He is swift and will take you there well."

"But Princess, what about you?"

"All father told me to do was to guard and take care of these things with my life, and I shall do so," she stated. And no one could change Zelda's opinion. "Besides, they don't care about a lowly Hylian soldier, that thing wants me…I can feel it." Her had had a spasm of pain going through it again, emphasizing her statement. She grimaced once before going on.

"Go! Now!"

Tearlach reared and shied away as the dragon-like creature suddenly swooped upon them, screeching and thrusting its talons out There was a purple ball of magic electrifying the rider's hands and it was thrown out at Zelda's group. She was thrown up in the air and back for a few yards before hitting the ground—hard.

Taking in deep breaths while holding her side, Zelda sat up and looked to her right. Remorse and guilt lept in her heart at seeing Irma's crumpled form beside her, eyes opened and glazed over. Without even checking, Zelda knew she was dead. But there was no time for her to even offer a prayer of grief, as the creature had landed and was now looking towards Savo.

Zelda took a deep breath, wishing for a moment she had Courage to help her, but she must use whatever blessing this new marking had given her in wisdom. "What do you want?" She hoped that the thing would turn its attention to her. The rider turned his attention to Zelda, while his mount continued to assault Savo and Tearlach as they galloped away.

The…being was completely garbed in black with orange and green lines of foreign design upon his cloak. His face was blocked by a helment that was in the shape of some sort of severe and viscious bird. Zelda backed up and tried to stand, but a sharp pain in her ribs forced her back down in a groan. The thing before her chuckled.

"I am here to retrieve something of great importance. Many things in fact," stated the humanoid, his mouth in a grin that revealed pointed teeth. "Your father would not reveal so much, so I thought that I would get more out of you, princess."

Zelda remained silent, her violet eyes boring into the gaping black holes in his mask for his eyes. He laughed again at her silence.

"Determined I see," he observed.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Ah so you do speak. I am Cronan…."

He paused before continuing. "And I'm here for a little thing that I think your father gave you?"

"I do not have the ocarina, if that's what you're after."

He cocked his head. "The Ocarina of Time? I didn't know you had that, thank you for telling me." Zelda could have mentally kicked herself. "Anyway, I'm after a little amulet that you keep around your neck."

What?! Zelda was astonished that he was after whatever her mother had placed in that charm. At least she had the faintest premonition to give to Savo.

"It's not here," she said simply.

"What?" He looked at her. She could feel the anger radiating from him.

"I told you, I. Don't. Have. It."

He snarled, his hand curving ahead of her. "Well in that case, I will just take the TriForce. That should please him enough, for wisdom brings balance to power."

"Who? Power? What are you--?"

She was cut off as his hand snaked to her throat, pinning her down. His other hand was popised above, magic starting to glow in his palm.

Zelda suddenly felt her right hand warm. Gasping for air, she saw a blinding light coming from the marking. Cronan screamed, suddenly releasing her.

The last thing she saw was the winged creature landing, the now blurry form of Cronan staggering towards it. Zelda saw black and fell into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, in the village of Camasho, a young Hylian named Link awoke with a start, the back of his left hand burning.

A/N: I know it seems a little dark, but after Chapter one it lightens a littleit brings excitement!…Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed it. Please Review if you've read!!! And sorry for the huge prologue