Well, another day, another chapter. At this point, it's pretty much impossible to schedule when I'll update, but I'll try to publish one or two chapters a month. Now it's chapter three (or four if the prologue is a real chapter) , and if this was a movie, I'd need a training montage for the first part. Unfortunately, this isn't a movie, so just play some epic music in your head and imagine a Mulan-style montage.

-=]I[=-

Zelda was exhausted. She had been training with Link for hours, and already, the faint pink rays of dawn were illuminating the sky.

"How much longer must we do this for? I am exhausted."

Link scowled. "You can rest when you've actually learned something. So far, you haven't been able to land a single blow. Do you really think that the Yiga Clan is going to stand still and allow you to get a free shot? No. Now, back to work."

Zelda's entire body was aching, her palms were sweating, and wisps of her hair had plastered themselves onto her face. She had ditched Malon's dress, and was instead clad in a Hylian tunic, dyed blue to honor the royal colors. Of course, she didn't tell Link that, only that blue was her favorite color.

They were sparring, and while Link claimed he was going easy on her, it was clear that he was no normal swordsman. Every motion was executed so perfectly and so effortlessly that she could barely keep track of his movements, much less copy them herself.

"Link, please. I can't do this. I'm just not that kind of person. I'm not suited for combat. And I won't be able to learn anything if I'm too tired to swing my blade."

Link parried her feeble thrust and pointed the blade at her heart. "You're dead. Again."

"Are you even listening to me?!" Zelda exclaimed, throwing her weapon to the ground. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, which were already drooping with exhaustion. Exhausted, she picked up a bow. She'd had a bit more experience with archery than swordplay, but rage coursed through her body, causing her fingers to tremble. She doubted she could hit anything in her current state.

"You aren't failing this because you're ill-suited for combat, you're failing this because you're frustrated, and upset, and you're allowing your emotions to best you. Again. You're a mess, Lana. I don't know why you're like this, but your problem isn't your physical strength, it's your emotions. You need to ignore them, or better yet, channel them into a perfect thrust." He demonstrated, driving forward with his blade.

Link turned his back, slowly walking towards the tower. "We're done for today. I guess I overestimated you. You aren't really suited for this sort of thing, after all. I guess I just had my hopes set far too high. After all, what could a frail traveler like you do against me? You'll just have to find someone to save you again. Shame though, you had potential. I almost thought you-"

THWAP! Zelda let loose an arrow, landing it less than an inch away from Link's face. He whirled around.

"Don't call me weak. You know nothing about me. Nothing."

Link stared at her, dumbstruck. Then, his surprised expression melted away, replaced by a wide grin.

"There we go. That's the kind of spirit I like to see. You didn't allow your temper to deter you, rather, you channeled it into your own strength. Good job."

It was Zelda's turn to be confused. "Good job? I could have killed you…"

"But you didn't. Instead, you impressed me. We can grab some sleep, but now you're starting to get the hang of this."

"Well, I'll be damned," Zelda muttered under her breath, glancing back at Link. He was a bit of an enigma, but he was interesting to spend time with.

His wolf, Twilight, glanced up at her as if to say he's like this all the time.

The two of them retired, resting on the ground underneath the Sheikah tower. Not the usual luxury Zelda was used to, but she was out, in the wild, with a new friend. While she was further from the castle than she had ever been, this was the first time she really felt at home.

-]I[-

Zelda usually didn't dream, but on the few nights she did, it was terrifying. In this dream, she was lying perfectly still, unable to move, or speak,or even breathe. She could only watch with unblinking eyes as a darkness swept over the land, consuming everything in its wake. When it finally reached Hyrule Castle, it stared directly at her with glowing yellow eyes, full of malice and hatred. Finally, it lunged at her, its tusks boring straight through her heart.

The scene shifted. She wasn't alone this time, Link was at her side, clutching her hand. Across from them, a dark shape drew a blade made of pure darkness. It launched itself forward, plunging its sword straight through Link's heart. It turned to face Zelda, and she realized that it had the same face as Link.

"You can't save him from himself, no matter how hard you try. I will always be watching."

The world around her began to flake apart, then shatter like glass completely. The space behind it was dark, and grotesque figures bending in impossible directions moved slowly towards her, reaching toward her, and eventually pulling her into a mass of bodies.

And suddenly, she was falling into a limitless chasm. The world around her slowly darkened, until she couldn't even see her own hands. She was weak, powerless, and doomed to fall forever. In resignation, she slowly let her eyes flutter shut.

The problem isn't your physical strength. It's your emotions.

Link's voice was perfectly clear, almost in her mind. Zelda opened her eyes. She was still alone, but a tiny sliver of light seemed to gleam above her.

Link was right. She wasn't going to let her fear overcome her. Not this time. She lived her whole life letting her emotions control her. She let her fear go, releasing it into the chasm. Fear was only dragging her down. So was sadness. So was anger. While these emotions were all necessary, she couldn't let them influence her actions.

Zelda allowed her eyes to shut again, this time greeting the darkness like an old friend. Slowly, she allowed her rapid breaths to slow, felt her racing heart calm to a normal beat. The emotions that had been poisoning her slowly escaped, and she was left with a newfound calm. It washed over her like a wave. Hesitantly, Zelda opened her eyes.

She wasn't falling anymore. She was in a beautiful temple. Zelda recognized it as the Temple of Time from before. While it was in much more pristine condition, it was still recognizable. The statue of Hylia had vanished, and a young woman sat it its place.

"Zelda," she said, with a warm smile. "It's so good to see you."

"Who are you?"

The woman laughed. "I'm known by many names, but most call me Hylia."

"Your Grace…" Zelda fell to her knees. "I… why?"

Hylia laughed slightly at her confusion. "Stand up, my dear. Reverence is not something I demand. I simply ask for you to speak with me. I assume you want to know why I'm here?"

Zelda nodded, dumbstruck.

Hylia's expression darkened. "I'm here to warn you. A great evil is coming into your world. You must find awaken the spirits of knowledge, courage, and power. They will guide you. But you must hurry. Demise has reawakened, and you cannot defeat him as you are now."

"I don't understand. Your Grace, please, I…"

Hylia smiled again. "You will understand. Speak with Link when he wakes up. Hyrule needs you both."

She began to fade away in a gleam of golden light. "One final thing… help comes from the most unexpected places. There's more to some creatures than meets the eye."

With that, Hylia vanished, and Zelda, confused, was left alone in the Temple.

-]I[-

"Weird dream?" Link glanced at Zelda as she woke up, sweating slightly.

"How did you know?"

"I had one too," he said, looking grim.

"Oh? What about?"

He turned away. "I'd rather not."

"But maybe I could help decipher it. I wish you would talk to me more. I do want to learn more about you, if you would permit it."

"No. Now leave me alone. I'm going to find some food for breakfast."

He strode off, leaving Zelda alone and a bit sad. He wasn't really one for personal conversation, but she would like to know him more. The mystery that was Link was one she would enjoy unraveling, provided she didn't expose herself in the process.

Zelda turned to Twilight, who was staring after Link sleepily. "He doesn't talk about himself much, does he?"

In a surprisingly human-like manner, Twilight shook his head. Actually, the more Zelda looked at Twilight, the stranger he looked. White patterns ran through his fur, grouped around an odd rock in his head. His eyes were as blue as Link's, and looked different from any wolf she'd seen: the pupils especially looked more like those of a human. This was all ignoring the shackle on his leg.

Of all the people on Hyrule, she had gotten involved with the strangest one. At least she was getting better at fighting. Maybe these lessons would save her life someday.

-=]I[=-

Okay, I intended to use Twilight as a supporting character, but I was replaying Twilight Princess and my god, I love that dork. So I might be giving him a big role in the story… ;).

Reviews! Oracle of Hylia, glad you like Twilight and the relationship. Both will get their fair share of attention. Bladeofthebookworms, I'm glad you enjoy the story! I also love your username. Mageofspace, to answer your question, Link is the most talented warrior in Hyrule and would have become a prince if he didn't… you know… started a personal war against the legions of Ganon

To everyone reviewing and following, I appreciate you guys so much! I'm really happy to have so much support! Thank you all and keep being awesome!

~Silver