The Child of Hyrule
Prologue
Jazmyn's Dream
The land was covered in dark clouds. Evil had summoned that blanket of black. Evil had called it forth for its own foul deeds. And I'm stuck in the middle of it, unable to find a way out. Suddenly, a boy appears. He's more of a man, really. A sword and shield rest on his back, and a blue light flutters about his head. For a moment, that is all I can see before he turns slightly, as if looking at me side-long. His clothing is styled like that of the Kokiri, from his hat all the way down to his boots. The only problem is that all Kokiri stay in a perpetual eleven-year-old state. So why does he look like he's eighteen? All of a sudden, five shafts of light appear. Green, in the deep forest; Red high on Death Mountain. Blue from Lake Hylia; Gold in the Desert, Purple from Kakariko. They join together high above me, forming a glorious white light. But even with this dazzling display, my eyes are drawn back to the boy. Three stones and six medallions hover over his head, and he holds a blue ocarina to his lips. On his left hand I can see a glowing triangle, even through his gauntlet. Why is that symbol familiar? My train of thought cuts off as he begins to play a soothing melody that flows over my very soul. Together, the melody and the light drive back the clouds, letting light fall on Hyrule once more.
"Hey, Jazmyn! Wake up! You've been asleep for hours! Come on, we have work to do." Jazmyn opened her eyes. She blinked in the bright light, then pulled the sheets back over her head.
"Go away, Leyan. I'm trying to sleep here!" She mumbled at him. He glared at her sheet-covered form. He thought a moment, then reached out and ripped them off of her bed.
"That's just too darn bad! We're lucky to have a place to stay right now, and if we want to keep it, we need to the chores asked of us! I'll be back in ten minutes with your breakfast, so you had better be dressed." He stalked out of their tiny room and downstairs to the kitchen. Jaz sighed, but got up and did as her adopted brother said. She rummaged around in a drawer, and hung her head as she discovered the only thing she had that was clean was a dress. She pulled it on, uncomfortable in the yards of loose fabric. She greatly preferred a tunic, a shirt, and leggings. They were much better suited to traveling.
Jazmyn loved to wander around, but Le wanted to stay in one place for a little while. That's they were living in Kakariko Village, under the care of a woman who calls herself Jan. She had taken them in because she greatly disapproved of ten-and-a-half-year-olds wandering around on their own. She said she was a friend of Impa's, which explained why they were living in Impa's house. For now, at any rate. She had been very strict when setting the rules, which meant that Jaz would get bored soon and want to leave. She always loved living on the edge, and having the freedom to go where she wanted when she wanted. Leyan came back into the room and set her breakfast tray on her bed.
"Thanks, Le." She said as she smiled. It was an omelet and toast, her favorite. This was the first home they had had in over two months, which meant that it had been two months since she last ate omelets.
"No prob, sis. Hey, did you have that dream again?" Jaz looked up in surprise from her omelet, half of it already stuffed in her face. She swallowed, hard, the stared at him in disbelief.
"How did you know?" Le grinned at her, the made her sit in front of him so he could pull her hair back.
"Easy," he told her as he pulled the brush through her mane of red and white hair. "You where mumbling, and humming that tune again. I swear you must have that melody memorized by now!" Jaz shrugged uncomfortably.
"Please! You've never said a swear word in you life! Besides, it's kinda hard to forget," she mumbled. "I just, I feel like I should know what that melody is, and the symbol on the boy's hand. It's just so familiar. And the look on his face . . ." She said. Le had a little trouble understanding her, because she was massaging her face in her hands. He didn't really need to hear her, though. He'd heard it all before. But why did he get this funny feeling whenever she talked about the boy?
"What symbol?" The siblings jumped, then turned and saw Jen standing in the doorway, hands on her hips. Apparently, she had excellent hearing. "I shouldn't have to repeat myself. What symbol?" Jaz looked over at Le, who shrugged, and turned back to Jen.
"It was a triangle, on his left hand, and it had a smaller, up-side down triangle cut out of the middle. That caused it to form three small ones, and all three glowed pretty bright." They both watched in fascination as Jen's face paled of all color. Almost as an afterthought, Jaz added: "But now that I think about it, the bottom right one glowed brighter than the other two." Jen's eyes opened wide, the shock visible on her face.
"A-and the melody? Do you remember what it was?" Jaz nodded.
"Sure," she replied. "If you would bring me an instrument, I could even play it for you." Jen nodded.
"Good idea. What type of instrument do you play?" Jaz shrugged.
"A little of everything, I suppose. Drums, woodwinds, guitar. Anything, really." Jen raised her eyebrows at her, but Le jumped in before she could say anything.
"Jazmyn has always been like that. Put any kind of instrument in front of her and give her ten minutes to fiddle with it, and she can play it." Jen studied them both for a moment, then shook her head.
"I'll be right back. I think I have just the thing." Le seized the opportunity to finish Jaz's hair, so it would be back out of her way for the day. They began tidying up their room, but no sooner had they started than Jen reappeared. "I can't find it. Stupid house," she muttered under her breath. To Jaz, she said: "I don't have it right now. Could you sing it, or hum it?" Jaz immediately launched into the tune, singing a soft "daa" on each note. She got no more than half way through it when she noticed Jen's legs were shaking. Jen collapsed on the bed, unable to stand on her own.
"Th-that melody . . . are you positive you have never heard it before?" Jen's voice was forceful, even though she was shivering.
"I'm positive. The first time I heard it was the first dream." Jaz told her, slightly bewildered.
"When did the dreams start? I need a date, or a location. Anything you can remember!" Jaz looked over at Le, fright in her eyes. She tried to focus on Le, but her eyes felt as if they were being dragged back toward Jen.
"It was about a month-and-a-half ago. I think we were near the Lost Woods. Right, Le?" Le nodded in agreement.
"I'm going to go get some water for you, Jen," he said, and he started downstairs. By the time he returned, Jen had wrestled her voice under control, and had gotten Jaz to calm down a bit. He paused at the door to listen.
"Can you tell me everything that happened in the dream?" Jen asked. Jaz nodded silently. Le pushed the door open with his foot, and set the water tray down.
"I'll be downstairs if you need me," he told them. As he left, he heard Jaz start to explain the dream. He stopped at the top of the stairs, enjoying her voice. But as soon as she got to the part about the boy, he had to leave. He always got butterflies in his stomach when she talked about him. He had absolutely no idea why, but it made him extremely uncomfortable. That did mean that he wasn't around to hear Jen's next announcement, though.
"I think there is more to this dream than you think, Jazmyn. But enough of that for right now. Go get Leyan. You two need to pack. We're leaving as soon as you're done." Jaz looked at her quizzically.
"What? Why? Where are we going?" Jen looked at her sternly.
"I don't need to explain myself to you. Now go on, get your brother and get packed. We have a long way to go." Jen watched as the young girl scurried out of the room. She still didn't believe that they were truly brother and sister. Oh well. I'm sure they only say that so they don't get separated, she thought. She shook her head wearily, then headed to her own room. She would need to pack a lot of things. If her suspicions were correct, she wouldn't be back at this house for a very long time.
By the time Jen lugged her bags downstairs, Jazmyn and Leyan were ready. Jen pointed them out the door, then spoke quietly to the guard outside. After that, she hoisted her packs onto her shoulders, and hustled the two children down the steps and toward the entrance of the village. They reached the bottom of the steps, and set off for the bridge.
"Ok, first stop is the castle." Jen said. Jaz and Le stopped dead in their tracks. Jen had taken all of a dozen steps before she realized they weren't following. She looked back and raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Le finally gave in and answered.
"Well, we aren't really sure if they'll welcome us with open arms," he said hesitantly. "Last time we were near the place they got a little ticked off at us before chasing us down to the Market Square." Jen said nothing, choosing to simply stare the two youngsters down. They both shifted under her gaze, and Jaz finally decided to answer.
"They don't really like us because the last time we were there we tried to sneak in," she mumbled. Under a glare from Le, she amended that with: "Alright, fine. I tried, Le just followed to keep me out of trouble. I wanted to meet Princess Zelda, and talk to her. From what I'd heard, it sounded like she needed a friend. It was about a year ago, and we've tried to steer clear of the place ever since." Jen stared at them for a moment, then threw back her head and laughed. Jaz and Le looked at each other, startled. By the time Jen was finished, she had to wipe tears of mirth from her eyes.
"You won't have to worry about the guards. Remember my friend, Impa?" Both of the children nodded. "Well, she just so happens to be the Princess's very own caretaker. If she will forgive you, you'll never have another worry in the world. About the guards, at least." Le immediately relaxed, and did a quick hop-skip thing to catch up with Jen. Jaz was still a little worried, but she knew she would never find out if it was safe if she didn't try.
They traveled for the rest of the morning, making good time to the Market. Jen lead them past all of the shops, straight to the pathway up towards the castle. By the time they arrived at the gate, Le and Jaz were huddled behind Jen, trying to make themselves as small as possible. Jen showed something to the guard, and he let them through as he snapped to attention. Jen walked with an air of confidence and leadership. They past by all the guards without a hitch, and walked right up to the main doors. When Jen saw that Jaz looked a little daunted, she detoured and took them around to a side door. She rapped on the wood smartly, and a guard poked his head out.
"Yes, Ms? How can I help you today?" He asked. Jen showed him the same thing she had shown the guard at the gate, and he instantly snapped to attention.
"Please go find Impa for me," she said pleasantly. The guard snapped off a salute before he scurried away. Jaz looked up a Jen, a look of awe on her face.
"How did you get the guards to listen to you? What did you show them?" Jen glanced down at the two children standing behind her, her brow furrowed.
"Didn't I tell you?" When they both shook their heads she sighed, then produced the peace of paper she had shown the guards. She held it down at their eye level so they could read it. "I happen to be one of the King's top Generals." The siblings stared at the certificate, amazed.
"Did you fight in a war?"
"Was the training really hard?"
"Why did you-"
"How did you-" They both stopped when Jen threw up her hands to stem the tide of questions.
"Calm down! I can't understand you when you talk over each other!" Jaz and Le looked at each other, embarrassed. The guard chose that moment to poke his head back out the door.
"If you'll follow me this way, General Dase?" He beckoned the trio in the door. As they walked along behind him, Jen returned her attention to the children.
"Now, if you're good and ask one question at a time, I'll do my best to answer them." Le grinned like a kid in a candy store, and Jaz's face lit up like a candle. One by one, their questions came pouring out. More than once they had to stop and take a deep breath to calm themselves down. They had never talked to a General before! By the time the solider had stopped and allowed them to precede him through a door, the two youngsters were deeply submerged into their conversation. When they saw the furnishings around them, however, they fell silent.
Plush cushions covered lounging chairs, velvets and silks used for almost every cloth. Rich hangings hung in front of open windows, which let in both light and a refreshing breeze. Low wooden tables sat next to the chairs, covered in lace tablecloths. A set of fine china tea cups waited near by on a silver tray. Jen motioned at them to sit, so they dumped their meager packs on the floor and tentatively sat in some of the chairs. They heard the door click shut behind them as the guard left. They needed only wait moments before they heard an impatient tapping sound. It came nearer and grew louder at the same time, so it was safe for them to assume it was footsteps. The door one the other side of the room slammed open, and a whirl of white, blue, and purple swept in.
"I told you, child, you must wait until you are done! It would never be proper for a young princess to be caught with her guard down!"
"And I told you, Impa, this is the first time I've met kids my own age! I don't care how I look, I want to meet them!" The fight between the two abruptly ended as they realized that they were not alone in the room. Both Le and Jaz were on their feet, their cheeks a little red. Jen was sitting right where she had been, observing the scene with a tea cup on her hand.
"My, my. It seems like the Princess is even more of a handful than you described in your letters, Impa!" Jen set the cup down with a big grin on her face, and she rose. Impa blinked once or twice, then smiled.
"Jen, you old rascal. Why didn't you tell me you were going to visit?" Jen shrugged her shoulders slightly before embracing her childhood friend.
"Believe me; it was as much as surprise to me as it is to you. I met this young lady-" she indicated Jaz "-and after hearing some of the things she had to say, I knew I needed to bring her to you and the Princess at once." Impa nodded, her gaze focused on Jaz. Jen interrupted by saying: "Can I talk to you alone for a minute, Impa? There's something I need to discuss with you. Besides, I'm sure the Princess wants to meet these two without all the pomp and ceremony." Impa nodded, and led Jen through a side door, leaving the kids alone.
Once Impa had closed the door, she raised an eye brow at Jen. "Ok, out with it. You have never had the discretion to do something like that. You just blurt out what you have to say without a thought for who is listening."
"Normally, I'd say your right. But this time, I have an excuse. You saw the girl, right?" Impa nodded. "The red hair and the white bangs. Her white eyelashes and red-gold eyes. Those are all natural. She has never used a bottle of dye or a pair of contacts in her life. She doesn't happen to ring a bell, does she? Maybe, oh, I don't know, from a legend?" Impa's brow furrowed.
"Wha-Oh. You don't mean-?" Jen grimaced.
"I do. I think she is the one said to appear only when another's destiny has been altered. I believe that she is the Child of Hyrule."
* * * *
After Jen and Impa left, Zelda looked curiously at Jaz and Le. She remembered what Jen had said, and decided informal was the best way to go. So, instead of curtsying, she stuck her hand out.
"Hi! My name is Zelda. What's yours?" Jaz and Le looked at each other warily. Was this how a princess was supposed to act? They stared at her hand just long enough to make her uncomfortable, and then Jaz decided to break the ice.
"My name is Jazmyn. But my friends call me Jaz. The silent one standing next to me it Leyan, but I just call him Le." She stuck her hand in Zelda's as she made the introductions. She smiled as warmly as she could, then plopped herself back down on her chair. As Zelda and Le sat she smiled even wider, then started giggling to herself. Zelda quirked an eyebrow at her.
"What's so funny?" Jaz coughed, and her eyes opened a little wider.
"I tried to sneak into the palace about a year ago, to meet you. Unfortunately, the guards caught me and threw me out. If I had known all I had to do to meet you was find Jen and have a crazy dream, I would have done it back then!" Zelda giggled with her, then straightened at the mention of the dream.
"Could you tell me what the dream was about? I have strange dreams sometimes, and Impa says that they are prophesies. Maybe I can help you interpret your dream." Jaz nodded enthusiastically.
"That would be great! Jen wouldn't tell me anything. She got all worked up and everything! It was kinda freaky." Zelda nodded in understanding.
"I know exactly what you mean. Impa does that to me sometimes, and it's very annoying. I had one just recently . . . oh, my. I'm sorry. Why don't we talk about your dream first?"
"Yes, please do." They all jumped when they heard Impa's voice. They hadn't even heard her open the door again. "Jazmyn, please describe your dream. In as much detail as you can remember." Jaz swallowed, and it was hard. She had told Le, and Jen, but that had been in a private, one-on-one setting. Now, she had to tell Impa, the Princess Zelda, and make Le and Jen sit through it again? She felt a slight pressure on her arm. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw that it was Le's hand. He gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed before letting go and picking up his own tea cup.
"Well, the dreams themselves started about a month-and-a-half ago. We had been wandering near the Lost Woods, but we knew enough about them to know that we couldn't go in unless we were welcomed." Jaz started right at the beginning, so she wouldn't have to go back later. She talked for what seemed like hours, covering everything from the first dream to the present moment. She closely watched both Impa's and Zelda's face, but they showed no reaction. No doubt because of all the meetings Princess Zelda attends. Honestly, the King has been training her since she could talk! It's like he expects to die tomorrow, and Zelda will have to take over. She shook her head, clearing it of stray thoughts, and finished her tale. She watched anxiously for reactions from the two who hadn't heard the story before.
Both Zelda and Impa sat quietly for a moment. Impa turned her burning gaze to Zelda, who was staring down at her hands. She wrung them in her lap, fidgeting every time she glanced up at Impa. Finally, something in her resolve snapped.
"Ok, Ok! I admit it. I did what you made me promise not to. I sent Link back so he could have a normal childhood! I didn't want to take that away from him!" She cried. Impa's face, normally immobile, looked fit to burst with rage.
"How could you?!? Not only did you promise me, you promised yourself! Besides, it wasn't your choice to make! You weren't the one who gave him his destiny. You were not the one who dragged him into this. Your destiny was to help him, then guide Hyrule to an age of prosperity! Not to send him back so he could do everything over again! What time did you send him, and us, back to?!?" Zelda shifted, then mumbled. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you," Impa said.
"It was going to be the day when Navi first came to him, but I got distracted as I wove the spell, so we went a little farther back then that." Impa's eyes asked the question she didn't voice. "Ok, a lot. Six years, actually." Jaz's head twitched at that.
"That's when Ms. Oravk found me." All eyes turned in her direction. "Well, she was the first person to take me in. She had already taken in 6 children, including Le. She told me that she found me in one of the farthest and coldest mountain passes. It was near to were she lived. It was when she died that I started wandering. Le and I were best friends by that point, so he came with. Before she died, Ms. Oravk told me that I had only been about 4 when she found me, and it had been like I appeared out of thin air. She said she had been walking the pass, looking for a certain fungus, and stumbled over my little form lying in the snow. I have no memory from before that. It's like I didn't exist." Jen and Impa exchanged a knowing look.
"Right, well, in that case, I'm going to have to send you away sooner than I thought." Jaz and Le's heads snapped up at that.
"You're going to do what?" They demanded simultaneously.
"Your destiny is to leave here, and learn how to take care of yourself. Then, you have to come back and help with the most important quest in the country. Trust me. It will make more sense to you when you're older." Jen told Jaz. She turned to Le. "Your destiny will be slightly different, but no less important. You both will accompany me to a remote region, far beyond the lands you have roamed. You will be trained. It'll be hard. There will be times when you want to give up. But you both can do it. I know you can." She stood. "So? Are you willing to throw away the lives you have now, and pursue a different, and difficult, course?" Jazmyn stood, Leyan only a second behind her. Without a moment's hesitation, they nodded.