A/N: Behold, chapter one. This fic is divided into parts, with chapters within those parts. Please R&R, and as always, enjoy what you read.
PART 1: OH CHILDREN
As the sun finally fell beneath the horizon, darkness blanketed Hyrule. Single, chilling stars began to appear, and the moon slowly rose from behind the hills to the top of the inky sky, serving as the world of night's large, snow white sun. Watching from the Hyrule Castle was a young girl, only around ten or so in age, standing outside on the balcony. A cool breeze caused her to shiver, but she remained outside while the world was swathed in black. She smiled at the sky that hung so high above her; while the day was beautiful to her, the night was so enchanting. With each gust of wind that blew through Hyrule, she felt it whispered long-lost secrets to her eager ears, that each gentle wind could lead her to an adventure far away. She extended one dainty hand towards the sky, as if she planned to pluck a star from it, and she closed her fist around nothing but the air. Her arms dropped to her sides in disappointment, believing that adventure was not what fate had in mind for the princess of Hyrule.
"Zelda," a throaty voice called to her from inside. Zelda frowned at the empty land of Hyrule before obediently turning around to face the voice's possessor. Impa, her caretaker and member of the mysterious Sheikah, came walking towards her slowly. "Zelda," Impa started once again, "it's time you got to bed."
Zelda pouted at her, wanting nothing more than to stay outside. Her heart ached as she was reminded that the outside world, where opportunities for exploration crept, was no place for her. "But I'm not tired," whined the princess. She folded her arms over her chest in defiance, trying to show that she was old enough to not be escorted to bed at certain hours. However, her mouth rounded out over a yawn and her sleepy, heavy-lidded eyes betrayed her. Before Impa could respond, Zelda's arms fell in admittance of the defeat she had expected. "Never mind," she mumbled. She walked back into the castle with slow, reluctant steps, truly tired but not wanting to fall asleep.
Impa quickly caught up with her and went to her side. Zelda said nothing as she approached the door to her room, but before she could open it and slip quietly inside, Impa put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Princess…is something bothering you?"
Zelda stopped, slender fingers still reaching for the door. Her hand recoiled and laid across her heart, and she tilted her head up to look at her pleasant caretaker. With a smile that didn't touch her eyes, she said, "I'm okay Impa," even though she wasn't. She didn't care to talk about it, so she said goodnight to Impa before quickly shutting herself inside of her room for the night.
The young princess's room was simple but elegant. A tapestry hung from the northernmost wall, and stitched into its surface in gold was the Triforce. Around the room hung portraits of family members and Princess Zeldas of the past, which she occasionally found frightening. It was strange to look upon the face of a girl whom she shared both a name and a face with. Sometimes Zelda would have nightmares, where all the other past princesses of Hyrule surrounded and enclosed her. She would always awake with her heart nearly beating out of her chest. Thinking of it made her uneasy. Now, as she crossed the room towards the wooden desk next to her bed, Zelda kept her eyes away from the other Zeldas. She didn't want to have bad dreams tonight.
She sat down in front of the large, rounded mirror that was hung on the wall before her. Her own tired, blue eyes stared back at her and watched as she removed her headdress. Thick, golden locks fell to her shoulders, gently waving and messy from being underneath the headpiece. Zelda reached for a silver hairbrush and began to pull it through her hair. As she brushed her hair, her mind backtracked to her time spent outside. She wondered how long it would be before she was allowed to go outside of the castle courtyards. She knew that when she was an adult, it would not matter anymore and that she could dictate her own life, but seven years seemed so long to wait. All she wanted was to be able to roam, to live the life of an adventurer like the ones of the stories Impa often told her.
Zelda set down her brush and stood from the stool she was seated at. She undressed quickly to change into her sleep clothes, the she went to her bed and crawled into it, surrendering to the world of slumber. As she laid her head down on the pillow, she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. It wasn't very long until she was fast asleep, mind free to roam while her body was left far behind.
Zelda was standing in the midst of Hyrule, caught in a nasty patch of tall grass. It was dark out, the moon was perched high above her head, black clouds rolling across it and covering the sky, and she guessed it to be around midnight. The grass whipped wildly in the harsh wind blowing through the field as she tried to fight it off, but she kept getting tangled up in it further. The wind was colder than usual tonight, and she shivered as she tried to move through the grass. She could feel it wrap around her ankles, and in confusion she went toppling over onto her knees. She was sure that the plant had a life of its own, for the harder she fought the more it resisted. It wound tightly around her ankles, binding her to the dirty ground as she attempted to crawl away once more. Terrified now, Zelda opened her mouth wide and let out a scream, but only then did she notice that the wind was much louder. It flooded her ears and burned her eyes to look now, and as she squinted towards the sky she knew that she was in the middle of nowhere.
Heart beating hard and fast, she attempted to scream louder and pull herself away from the wicked grass, but it tightened its grip and she knew she was stuck. She blinked, and this time when she opened her eyes, high orange flames sprung from the ground and began to encircle her. Zelda's eyes began to fill with tears, both from the burning wind and the fear she felt in her heart. She gasped as she saw a tall, dark shadow fall across her face, and she felt the tears roll down her cheeks as she stared up at his face. His skin was dark and a sickening shade of greyish green; his eyes were fiery but dangerous and bore deep into her. His hair billowed around his face in the wind, bright as the flames that danced around them. She let out a sob, trapped by the grass with no way of escaping.
The man approached her slowly and leaned down to look at her. A jewel encrusted on his forehead glared at her like a cruel red eye. His mouth spread into an unnatural smile, and he laughed an evil laugh that Zelda could hear even over the sound of the wind. She screamed again, now from fear instead of crying for help, and she continued to shed tears as one of his huge, gloved hands reached for her. He grabbed her by the collar of her dress and pulled her closer. The weeds that were wrapped so tightly around her began to snap and break, and soon the man had her completely off the ground. She attempted to screech once more, but his hand closed tightly around her throat. Hot tears rolled down her face as he continued to cackle at her, the sound as deep and malevolent as his eyes. He squeezed tighter, and Zelda's hands shot for his. She clawed wildly at them, trying to tug them off, but he simply closed his fingers tighter on her neck. She gasped for air, throat throbbing from yelling and the pressure. Desperately, Zelda's eyes looked around, the smoke from the fire stinging them. She bit her lip, accepting what was inevitable while the despicable man laughed. She rolled her eyes back up to the sky, hoping to see something pretty instead of his twisted face before she slumbered eternally.
The black clouds that had been swirling across the sky suddenly began to dissipate; they pulled away from the full moon, which was now directly overhead. As they faded, the moonlight pooled around her, forming a circle of pure light across her body. Zelda gasped audibly as the man's hand released her, and she watched as he began to scream. His hand seemed to be dissolving, the light filtering through it. While she saw him suffer, a figure appeared behind him, and in its hand was a long blade, glinting in the light of the moon. Her eyes widened and she raised her hand to her face as the sword sunk deep into the man's back, and he began to bellow from the pain. In the light, she could see a boy's face and body on the man's back, hand gripped tightly on the hilt of the sword. He ripped the sword from his back and flipped off, down into the tall grass. Holes began to appear in the evil man, beams of light coming from every pore, and both the screams and wind slowly got quieter as his entire being was consumed in light. When he was nothing but a figure cloaked in white, he burst into black smoke that snaked up the sky.
Zelda wiped the salty tears from her dirtied face before she lowered her hand. She glanced around, seeing no terrible grass, and her breaths began to slow down as the flames dwindled before completely disappearing. She crawled about on the grass for a moment, making sure that there truly were no signs of the man. The fear began to leave her mind, for he had been nothing but a phantom in the night. Zelda tried to stand, but her legs were as weak as water and she fell back to her knees once more. From the corner of her eye, she saw another shadow approaching her in the grass, and she shut her eyes in fear again. She waited, but when nothing happened, she opened her eyes to see no one but a young boy.
He was looking down at her, hand extended for her to grab. Zelda eyed him carefully, noticing his Kokirish clothing, not quite able to see his face. Warily, she placed her hand into his and he pulled her into a standing position. She dusted herself off and adjusted her headdress, unsure of what to say or do. Her eyes flickered back to him, and she could see his face clearly now. His eyes were clear and very blue, the color of the sky on a cloudless summer day. He stared back from behind his blonde hair, mouth barely a smile as she gaped at him. Zelda's hands acted on their own accord and wrapped around his, and she brought them close to her mouth without looking away from his kind eyes. Her lips pursed together and she kissed his knuckles before murmuring, "Thank you, my hero."
Princess Zelda awoke with a start, her heart hammering in her chest. She sat straight up in her bed and looked around her room; when she realized that she was not standing in the fields of Hyrule, her hands moved to her neck and she felt around for any contusions or finger marks. When she felt nothing but her own skin, she sighed in relief that she had only been dreaming. She tried to slow the beating of her heart and calm herself down, but even in reality she could see that evil phantom's eyes. Glowing red and piercing, Zelda knew that they had been etched into her memory. Thinking of them made her shake and fill with fear all over again. She clasped her quaking hands together in an attempt to relax, but the dream began to replay in her head. She whimpered, but suddenly the image of a pair of sweet, azure eyes formed instead of rings of fire and she felt her hands still. The young hero from her dream slashed away the scary scenes, and she thanked him once more before climbing out of bed.
As Zelda waded through her morning activities, all her brain could concentrate on was the boy she had encountered during sleep. Now, she absent-mindedly bathed, thinking only him and who he might've been. She wondered, dreamily, if he could be real; was there actually a hero waiting to rescue her? Zelda shushed these girlish thoughts as she washed her hair and skin, feeling it inappropriate to think of boys while she took a bath. The steam of the hot water did not clear head, though, and as soon as she was dressed she ran to find Impa to tell her of her dream.
She found her nursemaid outside of the castle, in the garden. She leaned against the wall of the castle, surrounded by a sea of red roses and narcissus, most likely taking a break to relax from the chaotic feel of the castle. Zelda came running towards her, white dress clutched in her hands in order to not trip, and Impa chuckled at her as she came to halt.
"Impa!" Zelda exclaimed, excitement twinkling in her glassy eyes. She clasped her hands together, hopeful for answers to the questions that she had. She trusted that Impa, being both a wise and well-traveled woman, would be able to lead her in the right direction.
Impa smiled down at her fondly and gave her a pat on the head. "Well Princess, you seem quite eager this morning. Did you sleep well?"
Zelda's smile began to fade. "No, Impa," she said with a shake of her head, "that's actually what I came here to talk with you about." With this said, she began to wring her hands. "Last night…I had this horrible dream…a nightmare…" She flickered her eyes to Impa's, who was looking at her with concern.
The nursemaid frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened, Zelda?" she asked, a peculiar tone in her voice.
Zelda carefully told her the details of the dream, from the plants to the sinister man surrounded by fire. Impa's mouth was a tight line as she listened, nodding here and there as she walked her through the details. "What… what could've possibly sparked those kinds of dreams?"
"I don't know…" Zelda responded, fear in her own eyes. "I didn't understand it in my dream, and I don't understand it now."
"Perhaps it was…prophetic?" she suggested.
At this, Zelda raised her eyebrows. "I didn't think about that…but I'm not sure what it could have symbolized…it was very realistic and…straightforward…" She brought her finger to her lips as she pondered the possibility.
"Did you wake up after that?" Impa questioned.
"No…" Zelda paused for a moment, thinking things over, before adding, "And it wasn't all bad."
"How so, Princess?" She seemed more interested now.
"Well," Zelda started, a blush spreading across her cheeks, "there was a boy." She turned her back to Impa as she said this and began to pace back and forth; she worried that she would be teased about this.
"…A boy…?" Impa smirked at the young girl. "And?"
"And…he got rid of the man. He destroyed him, I suppose," she said, the excitement in her voice audible. As she spun around to face Impa, her face was flushed, and her eyes glistened as she talked about him. "He carried a sword, and he just came out of nowhere…so brave! And then…everything was okay." Zelda shuffled her feet around and twiddled her fingers, a little embarrassed by her confession and the passion it was delivered with. She had made sure to skip over the part where she thanked him; her face would've been as red as the roses they stood beside.
"I suppose that's why you seem so spacey today. You've been thinking about some dream boy!" She laughed heartily, obviously amused with her story.
"I haven't been spacey today…! Have I?" Zelda was irritated now, both with herself for swooning and Impa for giggling at her. She wanted her to know how real he had seemed to her. She had felt as if he were standing beside her, and when she imagined it, she could almost feel his warm hands in hers again. It made her heart skip a beat and her cheeks redden more. "He was just very realistic!"
Impa laughed a little more and placed a gentle hand on her small shoulder. "So this boy…have you seen him before? Or his he just a product of your wild imagination?"
Zelda shook her head and bit her lip in thought. "I know I haven't. But he seemed…so…familiar…as if I have met him before… it was so strange!" Her mind conjured up the image of his eyes once more, intently looking back at her. "I mean…I don't know how I could dream up a person real…so alive…if they didn't really exist." She glanced back at Impa, eyes pleading that she didn't sound crazy for saying all of this.
Impa looked down at her, then moved from the wall and faced away from the castle. She looked out of the courtyard and back down at Zelda again. "Perhaps he is real then. Out there somewhere. Sometimes dreams can lead you to all sorts of places…and all kinds of people."
The princess sighed heavily at this, for she wished that to be true. She now stared out of the courtyard, wishing that she would one day go far beyond these castle walls and meet the one that had invaded her dreams. She looked back up at Impa and said, "Thanks for listening, Impa. I appreciate it." With those words, she entered the castle once more and resumed her day, trying her best to no longer think of her own little hero.
It wasn't until sunset that Zelda stepped outside again. She was standing out on the same balcony, washed in the warm colors red and orange. She approached the parapet and inserted her feet into the open slots, then raised herself up to where she was higher up. Slowly, she spread her arms out and leaned her head back, and she giggled at herself for being silly. It felt nice, though, to be so free. She set her hands back down on the parapet and placed her feet back on the ground once more. She leaned on her elbows over the top of the parapet, watching the sun as it nestled itself below the rolling hills of Hyrule. She allowed herself thoughts of her dream once again, and she wondered if somewhere out there, the boy was watching the sunset too.
Before long, darkness had fallen over the land again. Tonight, Zelda could see more stars than usual; they appeared in clusters spread across the blackened sky. She smiled to herself, wishing that she could be out there on the grass, gazing up at the stars from the ground. She held her hands in front of her face and reached for the moon, no longer full but instead lopsided and waning. From where she was standing, it seemed so close and within her reach, but she knew that the moon, along with other things from her dream, it was inconceivably distant. A sad sigh escaped from her lips; she longed to meet that blonde-haired boy, and all she could do is hope that he was real. A part of her believed that he was, in fact, in Hyrule at that very moment. Perhaps he was sprawled on the ground somewhere, gazing up at the stars and yearning for her as well.
Hand on her heart, Zelda turned away from the beautiful sky and went to her bedroom, hoping that her dreams wouldn't be as troubling as the previous night's.
Once more, Zelda found herself underneath the huge, starry sky, but this time she was stretched out on the cool ground, completely undisturbed. She grinned as she drew pictures in the air with the stars, connecting the shining dots together. A cool breeze rolled through, and she shivered a little. She then felt a warm hand fall on her shoulder. She flipped on her side to see a blonde boy with thick bangs laying beside her, his arm draped around her to keep her warm. She smiled again as she observed his green forest clothing and his small wooden shield. He turned his head to look at her, and when he smiled she felt much warmer.
Zelda sat up and turned towards him. He looked up at her with his frosty blue eyes, and she couldn't help but stare back. She leaned over him, smoothed his hair away from his forehead with her hand, and he fluttered his eyes shut. She wanted so desperately to ask him his name, but her lips wouldn't form over the words. He sat up now, too, and when he gazed at her, she felt her hands wrapping around his for a second time.
"Come find me again."