Ok ok make sure to read the ENTIRE intro because today, July 6th, is AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT DAY! If you don't know why, just read the entire intro:
Meh summer break has gone by way too quickly :( it's like only three more weeks until school starts back. Oh well. Anyway, as promised, I updated NEIWIS and BB before coming back to update this story so here I am updating LOZ: TL! In this chapter, there will be some interesting secrets revealed and some new OC characters! Yay! I would say enjoy but I seem to say that too much. I've decided instead to say Buckwheat, because that word has so many meanings behind it. So, Buckwheat!
Before I continue though, I'd like to try something new. Usually I don't respond to reviews in public but after seeing my username in a review that I wrote for a story being responded to in her story, I felt so extremely happy. I was squealing and clapping and cheering, it was really exciting XD. So I'm gonna do the same for the awesome people who reviewed my story from the beginning. So I'll go in order, beginning with chapter 1. (Oh and BTW that person happens to be Hawkpath of ShadowClan from her story It's Never Gonna Happen Right? If you wanna go read it, I highly advise it. It's a story about Link and Zelda in a modern day high school. It's a classic! If you're reading this Hawkpath, thank you so much!) Btw, I'm going by chapters, not the order that the reviews appear in :P just for this one though.
Chapter 1 Reviewers:
CupcakePride101 - Thank you so much! It took me a while to get the intro exactly like I wanted it, but it wasn't too hard. Also, you were my first reviewer so you get the blue ribbon! :)
StraightedgeWingZero - Well there's a story behind this review. When I first began in January, chapter 1 was up the first day but I had 7 chapters written and prepared. It took a while for the other 6 to come out but they eventually did. So this review has been answered already lol. I'm glad to know that you were interested in the story though :)
Guest - Thanks so much! Your review made my day that day, February 28th.
Chapter 8 Reviewer:
Shiny Silver Eevee - Ahaha yeah.. I watched the old Zelda cartoon series not too long ago on Youtube. I'm kinda sad that they only made 13 episodes of it :/ but eh, what can you do? That reference though, I will always remember it :) Thanks!
Chapter 15 Reviewers:
Tangolikeoak - Thanks so much for your support! Yeah, it's extensive but there will be a lot more ideas added to this story as we go along. I still believe that I will do 56 chapters, no more or less. It would suit all the ideas that I have in store. Trust me, we might be closer to revealing all of the prophecy (only two more pieces to find) but there is so much more than just the prophecy itself. Of course I might end up with a lot of choices to choose from in the future but it'll all even out in the end.
epicvideogamenerd1111- Thanks :) I sometimes fangirl myself when I read really good Zelink stories. Like this one that inspired me to write Zelink in the first place, called A Love Story by Allendra. It was just so amazing in every way.
Chapter 17 Reviewer:
ultimateCCC- Yeah, the treasure was stolen! Oh well, it'll help them in later chapters. For now though, the annoying and never-seems-to-surrender-evil-kind-of-man Dominique has it in his clutches.
Chapter 18 Reviewer:
Guest (Zelda)- Thank you so much! I have always wanted to become an author. I love it when people love my stories, especially this one. As you can see, I favor this one over NEIWIS and BB because it was my first fanfiction. I also love your use of emoticons! :D :) :P. I got your review when I was coming back from vacation and I smiled when I read it.
Chapter 19 Reviewers:
epicvideogamenerd1111- I could do that as a sequel, but I think Ganondorf has changed for good. I mean, in most stories he is the villain so I wanted to spice things up a bit and make him good in this story. As for Dominique, who said he would be defeated? ;) The prophecy stated that they have a chance of succeeding or failing, but it never specifically said which one it was going to be. Honestly I can't tell you if he will be defeated or not, that's for me to know and for you to find out :P. There is evidence that he will be defeated, but then again there is evidence that he won't. It could go in either direction.
ultimateCCC- Lolz honestly, I forgot about the stallion. I don't think he would be too friendly with Epona and Thunder though. Besides, Ganondorf doesn't have to ride an evil-looking-like-it-could-kill-someone steed all the time.
Chapter's 23&24 Reviewer:
ultimateCCC- Yep, Epona is pregnant, and yes, Link can transform into a wolf sometimes but he won't need that until later. For now it's just human Link. Thanks for reviewing!
Ok, I think I got everyone? Idk, I'm pretty sure. All 12 reviews I counted, ok awesome! Buckwheat!
Wait wait, before I really go, there's a reviewer who I missed! :O (at the time that I wrote this, they had reviewed the day after I wrote some of the story.)Anyway, I shall respond to their comment here:
Chapter's 5, 6, & 7 Reviewer:
Guest- Thanks for reviewing! Now for the answer to those 3 questions, you'll find them when you read more :). It might take a while though, especially in the later chapters. There's a lot to read lol 56,00 something words!
I finally got my Nintendo 3DS 3 days ago, and I am LOVING it! It is SO much fun, and with it I ordered 5 video games (with my money of course). There is Animal Crossing: New Leaf (I love Animal Crossing!), Tomodachi Life (Ok, I became addicted pretty fast), Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (It was so cool to see the graphics in 3D compared to the original N64, and honestly this is my second favorite game of the series after Twilight Princess), Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (The new Zelda game was EPIC! I can't wait to get the Wii U and the new Zelda game for it on December 31st, 2015! That's the release date, and I am excited!), and finally Pokemon Y (Compared to the older games, this game had awesome graphics and an awesome story line! I've already defeated the 2nd gym leader and it's brought back nostalgic tears!)
Ok ok so I have something ELSE to say. Man this Intro is going to be reallllyyyy long! Ok so at the beginning of the intro, I said read the whole thing because July 6th was an important day for this story. Know why? Can ya guess, can ya can ya?
~It's officially my 6 MONTH ANNIVERSARY! Well, not MY 6 month anniversary as a member, but my 6 month anniversary for my first fanfiction ever created, this one! A special day indeed! ^.^ Happy 6 month anniversary Legend of Zelda: True Love! I can't wait to see what the future brings! This has been an amazing journey, and it's not even halfway there yet! Only 3 more chapters though after this one, Chapter 28 is the official middle! That means I'll probably take an entire year to write the story, which will be all wrapped up by January 6th, 2015.
(I started this fanfiction on January 6th and today is July 6th. Officially 6 months, or half a year!)
I remember the first time I sat down to write this fanfiction, it wasn't exactly January but I remember how excited I was. It took me FOREVER to think of a story title, not to mention the chapter title and what exactly I was writing about. Now however, look at all the progress that I've made since then! :) I couldn't be happier! Nostalgic tears are coming indeed! Ok, I should really stop talking now for my intro might become longer than my actual story! Ok ok I'll shush~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow, this was a long intro. Well anyway, Buckwheat!
Zelda's POV
"So Link, where exactly are we headed now?" Zelda asked. They had been riding around in Hyrule Field in no particular direction for about an hour, and Zelda was very curious as to what Link was doing. He seemed to be ignoring her, completely lost in thought which was something he usually never did.
"Link? Can you hear me?" Zelda tried again, this time with a little louder volume. After Link ignored her again, she sighed. She tried pulling on his waist to get his attention, but he seemed completely lost in thought.
"Thunder, woah boy!" Zelda commanded. Thunder suddenly neighed and halted, obeying his true master. Link groaned as he smacked into Thunder's neck for not being prepared when he halted. "Zelda, what the heck was that for?" Link groaned, rubbing his nose which was bruised when it got smacked into Thunder's neck.
"Sorry Link, but you weren't paying attention. That isn't like you... but anyway, I was wondering something. Where are we headed to now?" Zelda asked again.
"Well, I have no idea actually. I do know however that we will not be able to fight Dominique on our own and so we will need back up. I propose that we go visit some neighboring kingdoms and see what they have to say about this certain matter." Link replied.
I wish you'd propose something else to someone else Zelda thought in her mind. "Oh? What kingdoms do you have in mind?" Zelda asked out loud.
"Well, I know that you have had some conflicts with this kingdom's ruler, but they do have a very strong army. You should patch things up, at least just for now. If we can get them to become our allies, we will have a greater chance of winning." Link advised.
Zelda turned to Link in shock."Oh no, I hope you're not talking about the kingdom of Arerama! I can't stand their leader, Princess Julianna! She is a disgrace to the throne, and to her kingdom!"
"Indeed, that is the one. Sorry Zelda, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to." Link reassured, turning around and putting a gentle hand on her cheek.
"I probably won't Link, I'm going to go to another kingdom and see if they can aid us. I can borrow Brandon's horse to travel there. I'll be fine, but you should keep yourself safe out there. Lots of monsters crowd the fields of Hyrule." Zelda relaxed into his touch.
"Wait, why don't I just take you there myself? It can't be that far away." Link said.
"Oh no, it's pretty far. It'll take me a few days to arrive there, but on the way there are 2 other kingdoms that I can visit. I'll be fine Link, I'll just be away for a while. Try and talk to as many kingdoms as possible, we need all the help we can get." Zelda ordered.
"Alright princess, but at least let me take you back to the village. I'll go with you to get Brandon's steed, I don't trust that man with anything." Link stated, growling a bit in his throat.
"Oh? Link, are you still jealous of Brandon? I promise you, there is nothing to worry about. I love you, not him!" Zelda smiled softly as she reached up and gently caressed his cheek.
"Yes.. of course. I'm just being paranoid...uh..." Link softly said as he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Zelda's soft hand on his cheek.
Suddenly, a loud screech disrupted their little moment. Link gasped as he saw a large dark stallion racing towards them with a mysterious man on his back. Link didn't stare at the man though, he stared at the poor startled person that sat in front of the mysterious figure. Colin was sitting there, trying to escape from the evil man's clutches. To Zelda, he looked extremely terrified. She knew that this would probably live with him for the rest of his life.\
Link's POV
"LINK! LINK, HEEELLLPPP!" Colin cried desperately as he thrashed about on the stallion's back. He looked at them with sheer terror and worry in his eyes, a expression that Link thought would never cross his face.
The stallion was going at a slow pace, so Link had plenty of time to react. "Change of plans, Zelda. Today, we free Colin from that man, and prevent him from any bad memories." Link said as he narrowed his eyes at the mysterious man. He kicked Thunder as hard as he could, trying to get him to go very quickly. Thunder seemed to understand the situation, and so he kicked his heels up high and ran at full speed straight towards the other stallion.
"AHAHAHA! You'll never get this little wimp out of my clutches!" the man exclaimed, kicking his horse to make it go full speed. However, Thunder was faster at a desperate time like this. Link soon caught up to the man and without hesitation, he sliced his sword straight through the man's stomach. "AAARRGGGHHH!" he shouted as he stabbed the man as he could. There was no way anyone was going to take Colin away from him, he was the greatest friend besides Zelda that Link had ever had.
The man made a weird groaning noise, and at that moment of weakness, Colin slipped from his clutches into Link's arms. He was glad to see him, but he was also terrified of the man who had captured him.
Link then turned Thunder around and encouraged him to go to Kakariko Village. Since Thunder was going at a very quick pace, it wouldn't be long before they entered the familiar gates. However, they didn't quite reach it there before something tragic happened.
Right as they were about to enter, the evil man swooped like a hawk with his stallions right next to Link, and stared at him with ice cold eyes. His mask had blown off his face in the wind, revealing himself to be none other than Dominique. He moved closer to Thunder, leaving only about a centimeter in between them. His arms shot out and grabbed Zelda roughly, pulling her off of Thunder and onto his steed. He then pulled his horse in a sharp turn, which caused Zelda to fall closer to him. She screamed and squirmed as Colin did, but she was harder to handle because she was bigger. Dominique had come prepared for this though, he quickly whipped out something white and pressed it to her nose. This caused Zelda's eyes to gently shut, putting her into a long and deep sleep.
Link made a noise that no one had ever heard before. It was a noise that combined all of the emotions that he was feeling right then: worry, guilt, confusion, and most of all, anger. At a racing speed that Thunder had managed to do earlier, Link turned around and raced towards Dominique, determined to get Zelda back from him. He chased him a good distance with Thunder tightly on Dominique's trail. Thunder was just as worried as Link was since Zelda was his rightful owner. As they approached closer to the castle, Thunder raced at a speed that Link had never seen him go before. He neighed desperately, signaling to Link that he was getting tired. Link gritted his teeth and kicked Thunder as hard as he could. "We can't give up Thunder, this is a battle too important to lose!" he exclaimed. For the first time in his life, Link felt as though this was a battle he couldn't win. He tried his best to catch up with Dominique, but Thunder stopped to catch his breath, letting Dominique go way ahead. As much as Link tried to get him to go again, Thunder flat out refused. He wanted to save his owner, but he gave up when it got hard.
Even though Link was slightly depressed, he wouldn't let anything stand in his way of rescuing her. Sure he had saved Zelda countless times in the past, but this was different. He could feel it. At least Ganondorf only wanted her power, he never cared about Zelda herself. Link knew that if Dominique won, he would crown Zelda as his queen and force her to love him as he loved her. It wasn't the true love that Link felt for Zelda, but more like a trap that Zelda would never be able to escape from. Link had to rescue his princess, even if it meant dying along the way. He had gone on countless quests to save Hyrule, but this time was the most important. If he didn't prevail, he would lose the only thing that he truly loved in the world. Her. If he didn't succeed, she would be forced to live a lifestyle that would not only torture her but him as well. He couldn't stand the thought of her with anyone else, royalty or not.
He turned his attention back to the current problem. Dominique rode through Hyrule Castle and the draw bridge raised after he had entered, shutting Link out and preventing him from accessing Hyrule Castle. He thought of going to another entrance, there were two other locations that he could enter from, but he knew that they were probably blocked instead. It would be hopeless to charge at Dominique on his own, Link knew his power and he knew what his capabilities were. Even Ganondorf was nothing compared to Dominique, he had truly grown strong. Link knew that it couldn't be from training, it had to be from a magical source that Dominique probably wielded in his possession. If he could find this magical source and destroy it, Dominique would be nothing. For now, he was stuck with a terrified boy, an exhausted horse, and the terrible pang of guilt that he felt for letting Zelda slip out of his grasp so easily.
Link sighed and turned Thunder back around. He made sure that Colin was properly adjusted before he practically begged Thunder to run just to Kakariko Village. He had to get Colin to safety and let Thunder take a rest. He wasn't sure how he could do it, but Link needed to go to those kingdoms that he was planning to visit. This didn't happen often, but Link needed help. He needed backup to help rescue Zelda. That's all he cared about at the moment. It didn't matter whether Hyrule feel completely under Dominique's control, and it didn't matter if Link died while trying to protect Hyrule. What mattered was that Zelda was safe and out of Dominique's hands, which wasn't the case now.
Link slid off of Thunder's back and helped Colin off. Colin looked terrified and worried for Zelda, he had gotten to know her quite well since Link had introduced her that first day. They had become close friends, and to see Colin in this kind of stress made Link feel guilty. No child should ever have to go trhough what Colin was experiencing right then. Link gave him a reassuring hug as a good friend would do. Maybe Dominique had the power to rule, but he would never understand true happiness within the mind. Link then turned his attention to Elde Inn. He knew that Renado would probably allow him to borrow his steed, but Link needed the quickest mount available. Entering the Inn with a terrified expression on his face, Link looked all around of Renado. He ascended the stairs just as he did when he needed help to find out what was wrong with Epona. Well now it was of even greater importance. He had to rescue Zelda, no matter the cost. Holding onto that thought, he searched the entire upper floor for the man. Finally spotting him sitting next to a bed, Link walked over and looked down at the patient that laid in the bed.
Looking down onto the bed, Link realized that the patient was Brandon. He looked very pale and sickly, all shriveled up like a prune. Normally, Link would be happy at seeing the state of the swordsman, but today was different. He sat down across from Renado and told him everything that happened, starting with Colin's capture. Renado listened to the full story well before agreeing to let Link take his steed. "My steed isn't the fastest steed I know however, the fastest I know is Thunder. You say that he is exhausted though, so there is a second choice. I know of a man who once lived in Kakariko Village by the name of Luke. I have no idea of his whereabouts now, but I do know that his horse Indy is just as fast as Thunder, maybe even a bit faster. You must go and find him to get his steed, only then can you get to all of those kingdoms as fast as you want to." Renado advised.
"Well, do you know where he might've gone?" Link asked. It wasn't rare for someone to disappear from Hyrule since it had so many neighbors. "He could be anywhere!" Link sighed.
"Now wait just a minute, let me think... AHA! I do remember what Impaz, the last remaining resident of Hidden Village, told me once. She said that Luke became king of a kingdom not far from here because of his noble acts. Legend has it that he was just as heroic as you were in his days. He isn't old though, he's in his mid thirties. You could probably walk to his kingdom, it really wouldn't take you that long. I know a secret trail from Ordon Ranch to his kingdom, that's the closest you could get. Then again though, it would take some time to get over there without a steed. Oh I know! I'll go over there to visit Mayor Bo! We haven't spoken in a while, and I'll take you with me on my steed. I'm sure you would like to check on Spirit, Faith, and Epona anyway, right?" Renado asked.
"Of course! We must go at once though, time is of the essence." Link said. With that, they were off at once. Link rode in front of Renado, gripping onto the unfamiliar horse's reigns tightly. He relaxed in his seat as they approached Ordon Village, the place that Link called home. Entering Ordon Ranch, Renado showed him where the trail was, starting right between two tall trees that stood just a little distance from the barn. Link walked into the barn first, wanting to check on his horse first. He knelt down and came face to face with the little curious stallion Spirit.
Link smiled, something that he hadn't done in a while since Zelda had disappeared earlier that day. He stretched a hand out and petted Spirit, while turning his attention to Epona. She seemed much better than he had seen her before. Link wondered if Fado had let them out yet. He walked outside to see the first few reddish rays of the sun, signaling that it was just about to become morning. By this time, Fado would let all of the animals out. Link knew that the gate was opened and he also wondered what that was about. Usually Fado would close it at night. Shrugging it off, Link opened all of the stall doors and let out all of the goats and Epona with her two babies. They came happily trotting around, stretching their legs and running around as energetic little foals would do. Epona neighed happily to Link and gave him a horse hug by wrapping her neck around his head and shoulders. Link smiled and wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her a loving squeeze. He kissed her on the cheek and stroked her beautiful face. "You take care, Epona. I've got some matters to attend to, but I want you to take good care of yourself.
With that, Link left hasitly down the trail. He was happy to see Epona but he needed to focus on the matter at hand. He could ride Epona, but he knew that it was dangerous to leave the foals alone without a parent to supervise them and protect them. Besides, Epona deserved a rest after giving birth to them two days earlier. So he decided to take Renado's advice and walked down the trail to the neighboring kingdom that Luke was said to be king of. He didn't know if he needed to believe the legends, but what choice did he have?
Link gasped as he came out of the trail, staring at the magnificent city before him. It was covered in pure gold, but there were no signs of any robbers or theives around. The city looked completely pure and good, like no crimes had ever been committed there.
Link walked around, admiring all of the scenery before him. Suddenly, a sword pressed to his neck as one of the kingdom's many soldiers pushed him to one of the house walls to interrogate him.
"Halt! What business do you have here at the kingdom of the Golden Sage?" the soldier questioned, pressing the sword deeper to his neck.
"Golden Sage? What? I thought that there were only seven of those." Link said. "I saw them myself when I-"
"Bartholomew, what in the world are you doing?" a voice suddenly interrupted. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL- Oh, hello Katrina." Bartholomew blushed, looking down at his feet feeling very embarrassed.
"Why in the world are you questioning this poor confused stranger?" Katrina asked with concern. "Well, I don't know..ummm... he looked suspicious?" Bartholomew replied, still looking at his feet. His face was a deep crimson red, obviously showing that he had some sort of feelings for her.
"Well, I don't thin that this stranger really appreciates it, do you?" Katrina asked, turning her attention to Link. "Uh, yeah. I came here to see a man by the name of Luke. Are you aware of a man with this name?" Link asked.
"King Luke? Indeed, we are. Shall I take you to him? His castle is just a couple of blocks from here, not too far. He's a very friendly king, I'm sure he'd love to see you. He has helped out his citizens countless times with conflicts, which has made him an amazing king. If anyone has a problem, he's the one that most people go to for help." Katrina explained.
"Why, yes please. I need to speak to him. It is a matter of great importance." Link said. Katrina nodded and motioned for him to follow her.
They walked on for what seemed a good time. Along the way, there was an awkward silence between them. Katrina seemed caught up in her own thoughts, while Link was simply concentrating on the path before him. He found it interesting that Luke was rewarded greatly for his efforts. He wondered if since he was the present hero, he would get rewards as good as that. Link had no idea what was in store, but he knew that all he wanted was to be with Zelda. If his new plan worked, Zelda would be rescued in no time.
They arrived at the palace and walked through the castle gates. Being the chivalrous hero that Link always had been, he opened the door for Katrina and let her in first as they walked into the castle. Closing the door and turning around, Link gasped as he came face to face with a man that seemed to be Luke. He had brown hair and eyes, and a radiant smile that shone through. A faint golden light surrounded him, but other then that, he looked like a completely normal king.
"King Luke, I bring you this stranger who we found coming to you. I didn't quite catch his name, but he requested to see you." Katrina said.
King Luke turned to Katrina and nodded his head in appreciation. "Thank you, Katrina, I shall have a discussion with this stranger now if you don't mind. It would be a private meeting, so could you leave this room? I grant you free liberty to explore the castle if you'd like, but I would like to speak to Li-I mean, this stranger in private if you don't mind." King Luke politely asked.
'Oh, of course your majesty. I'll go visit Bartholomew and see what's up." Katrina nodded and quickly left the court room.
"Ah, Link. I had a feeling that you would come sometime. Yes, I have heard of you and your many achievements. I'm very proud of you my boy, you remind me of me when I was your age. Look at what the goddesses have rewarded me for my good deeds, a beautiful kingdom, a nice bed to sleep in. Life here is very relaxing. When people have trouble, I'm always there to help solve it. I love solving problems. It's a nice life to live my boy, I'm sure you'll be rewarded greatly for your deeds as well." King Luke smiled at him.
Link smiled back, happy to have met this interesting king. "Well, thank you sir. I have two questions for you if you don't mind. First of all, would you mind if I borrowed your trusty steed Indy for a while? I need to visit some kingdoms to get them to join my alliance so that the kingdom of Hyrule can be protected from its trouble, a man named Prince Dominique. I'm hoping that those kingdoms will say yes and help aid me to rescue Princess Zelda of Hyrule from Dominique's clutches."
Luke chuckled softly. "Why of course my boy! Indy is my fastest steed, and I would be honored to help aid you. I can tell the tone in your voice though, it seems you really care for Princess Zelda. I remember when I was in love too my boy, the feeling is amazing. It never goes away, at least true love doesn't."
"Was in love? What happened, good king?" Link asked, curious to know.
"Oh, nothing happened. Indeed, I love a princess just as you do, but this princess's name is Kristin. She's now my wife and Queen Kristin, and she rules beside me in this marvelous kingdom." Luke replied.
"Oh, I see. That's wonderful! I hope Zelda and I will be like that one day. Anyway, my second question was, would you mind joining an alliance with Hyrule against Dominique? We are in great peril, and we need some help. I hope you can lend a hand." Link asked.
Luke nodded and smiled at the boy with great happiness. "Of course we will aid in Hyrule's darkest hour! I am very honored to meet you, Sir Link. You hold a high title in my heart. To help you out, I shall talk to my neighboring kingdoms and get them to be on your side. I'll help you defeat this Dominique character and save your Zelda, just as a king did for me to save Kristen in my days. It's like a tradition now. Anyway, you can count on our support!"
"Oh, that's just amazing to hear! Thank you very much, Luke. I must be off at once though, I have a lot of other kingdoms to visit. Please come visit us at anytime in Hyrule, we would love your company. Could you show me where Indy is being kept?" Link asked.
"Of course! We keep her at the royal stables where she is well taken care of. Follow me!" Luke said as he began to walk back to the door and out to the castle grounds.
They soon came across a large white stable with a sign that had a horse head painted on it hanging overhead. Next to the barn was a large pasture with many horses in it. Luke pointed to the beautiful white mare in the middle and turned back to Link. "That's Indy out there. I'll help you get her, she can be quite playful and hard to catch at times. Let me grab my halter and lead rope and I'll meet you out there." Luke said as he walked to the barn. Link walked into the pasture straight towards Indy, wanting to see if she would follow him without anything to lead her with. Indy perked up when she saw him approach. She cautiously approached him herself and sniffed his hand. After deciding that he was not a threat, she licked his hand, which made Link giggle a bit. "You're a funny horse, Indy!" he said. Link turned around and walked back towards the barn, glancing back to see if Indy had followed him. Indeed she had, and she was right behind his heels.
"Um, Luke, I don't think we'll need that." Link smiled at Luke's shocked expression. "Link, I knew you were good with horses, but not this good! You must be some kind of horse whisperer!" Luke exclaimed, crossing his arms and staring at Link with his mouth gaped wide open.
"Indeed, I've always seemed to have some kind of special connection with these amazing animals. Especially mares, they seem to like me the most. Stallions are ok too, but I've had the best of luck with mares." Link said.
"Ah, I see. So will you be riding with or without the saddle?" Luke asked. "With the saddle, it's going to be a long ride and I'll need to have a comfortable seat. I promise to return her in at least a week or so, she will be well taken care of." Link promised.
Luke chuckled. "Alright, as long as you have her home by eleven. Just kidding, but seriously, take your time. There is no rush, and I know that this is an important quest for you. Good luck!"
Link put the saddle and bridle on Indy, then proceeded to mount up. He waved goodbye to Luke and galloped out of the castle grounds, through the streets, and entirely out of Luke's kingdom.
He rode back through Ordon Village and back out to Hyrule Field. Galloping through the fields, Link headed towards his next destination, the kingdom of Arerama.
As Link entered the kingdom, he came across an old merchant that was selling heart containers and empty bottles The old merchant's eyes perked up as he saw Link pass, but he said nothing to him. Link rode on, straight towards the large castle that stood directly ahead. He galloped across the draw bridge and came across two soldiers standing in the front of the castle.
"Halt! Who goes there?" the soldiers both spoke in unison. Link rolled his eyes and sighed, was every castle like this? "I'm Link of the kingdom of Hyrule, and I have come to seek a meeting with Princess Julianna."
"No one may seek a meeting with the princess unless it is scheduled. Do you have an appointment?" the soldier on the right asked.
"Um, appointment? Yes, yes I do. Could I please just speak to her now?" Link said, trying not to sound too annoyed.
"We request more information about this alleged meeting. What will you be discussing with the princess? How long with this meeting last?" the guard on the left asked.
Link sighed. There was no way he could have a quick meeting with her. Those guards weren't going to go easy on him, he had suspected that the minute he approached them. "Never mind, I'll just go back." Link said in defeat. He turned Indy around and began to trot away.
"WAAIIITTT!" a voice suddenly caught his attention. He turned back around only to see Princess Julianna herself come running outside of the castle towards him. She gave her guards a quick glance that was full of annoyance and anger and proceeded to sprint in Link's direction.
"Link, how do you fare?" the princess asked abruptly, a little short out of breath. "I haven't seen you in ages."
"Princess Julianna, it is always a pleasure to see you. I have come to discuss something important, which I hope you can understand. I wish to speak in private though, this kind of information can't just be shared where bystanders may be listening." Link stated.
"Oh, why of course. Shall we go to the castle to discuss this matter further? I can have the stablemen look after your fine horse while we are in our meeting." the princess said, gesturing to a short, dirty, and tired looking man. He came up, took the reigns from Link's hands and guided Indy to a stable.
Link and Princess Julianna entered the castle together, and she directed him to a room. Entering, she locked the door behind them and gestured for Link to sit in one of the many chairs that surrounded the round table in the middle of the room. He did so, before finally breaking the silence.
"So Hyrule has come across this problem named Dominique. He's a very evil man that must be stopped at once. He kidnapped Princess Zelda of Hyrule and he is holding her captive in Hyrule Castle, which had been seized by him. He hasn't taken over all of Hyrule yet, but he is planning to. I need your help in defeating him and rescuing Zelda. I know that your army is very strong and capable of aiding me with this task, and this is why I wanted to have this meeting with you. Would you help the kingdom of Hyrule by aiding in our fight to retrive Zelda and save the land from Dominique's control?" Link asked.
Princess Julianna listened very carefully and very closely. When Link had finished speaking, she opened her mouth to say something but found that she had no words. She looked at Link with a sympathetic look on her face. "I am terribly sorry to hear about this evil man named Dominique who has been troubling you. He sounds like a really bad man. However, I do have one question. Why hasn't he taken over all of Hyrule yet if he has managed to take over Hyrule Castle?"
"Well, that part I have no idea. He might just be tricking us, which is something he is known for. However, I am not worried about that threat as much as I worry for Zelda. I really don't have that much time to talk, I have other kingdoms that I need to make alliances with. Do you have any suggestions?" Link asked hopeful that the princess could help him out big time.
Princess Julianna pursued her lips. "Well, yes I do, but you just got here! Why not rest for a while and go later to those other kingdoms? I could sure use some company, I have been trapped up in this castle for quite a while now and I just wish to explore the outside world. Would you please stay?" she begged.
"No, I can't stay. As much as I would love to, I am in a bad situation which must be fixed as soon as possible. I bid you good day, Princess Julianna." Link bowed to her in respect as he opened the door to leave the room.
Suddenly, Link felt a cold hand grab his wrist. He turned around to see Princess Julianna looking at him in a way Zelda did often. Without warning, she leaned closer to him and pressed her warm lips to his. Link widened his eyes in shock and took a step back, avoiding any more lip lock with the princess. "W-what w-was t-that f-for?" Link asked in complete shock.
Princess Julianna batted her eyelashes. "Oh Link, I know you want me. I can tell by your body language. Forget Zelda, forget the kingdom of Hyrule. I'll treat you right, something she could never do. Stay with me, you'll be much happier here anyway." she coaxed as she stroked his cheek.
Link drew his head back, avoiding the contact of her hand on his cheek. He angrily looked at her, and barely managed to get his words out. "You...I...uh... NO! NO NO NO! Ugh why is this so hard for me to say? I bid you farewell, Princess Julianna. I love Zelda, always have and always will. She's the light of my life, the fire that lives in my soul. She's the one for me, not you. Please don't ever touch me like that again." Link snarled before leaving the castle.
He fetched Indy from the stables and rode back out of the kingdom. Staying true to his word, Link visited 2 other kingdoms besides Arerama. One was ruled by a distant cousin of Dominique's, whom Link was sure to be on his side. However, after convincing him, Link managed to convert him to Link's side. He could also ask Dominique's cousin to tell Link of Dominique's weaknesses, if need be. Dominique's cousin was a tall man with gentle eyes and a bright smile. His name was Xavier, and Link had an enjoyable visit with him.
After Xavier, Link traveled to the other kingdom of which he had planned to visit. This kingdom was ruled by a long time friend of Link, he had met him while traveling all across the land. His name was Jeremy and he was the descendant of an ancient king who once aided the legendary Hero of Time long long ago. Link had seen him as a threat for the romantic hints that he seemed to give Zelda, but that all changed when he met the love of his life, Felicity. She was a lovely girl his age, and once they had met they instantly fell in love.
Anyway, Link also managed to convince Jeremy to join his side as well. While Xavier had secrets to share about Dominique and Julianna had a strong army, Jeremy had courage on his side. He told Link that he could help him rescue Zelda from Dominique and he even said that he would help Link do the honors of slaying Dominique. Though Julianna had made advances, Link decided to forgive her because he still needed her army.
After a long day of travel, Link headed back to his home in Ordon Village. He plopped on his bed and struggled to fall asleep, thinking of all the events that had taken place that day. He sighed when he thought of Zelda, only thinking about what she might be going through at that exact moment. Before he lost the battle to an overwhelming amount of a sleep sensation, he looked at his roof constructed from wood. Closing his eyes, he managed to mutter something right before he fell asleep. "Don't worry Zelda, I'll rescue you. No matter the battles I'll face, injuries I'll obtain, and hardships that I must handle, I will rescue you. Worry not my sweet Zelda, you will be rescued in no time."
To clear things up, Arerama is pronounced with the e being said as an e, like "Uhr eeh ra ma" Make sense? I'm kinda bad at spelling out pronounciations but that's how it's pronounced! Anyway, that was my 25th chapter, and this is my half a year anniversary! Yay! More to come, definitely more in the future. See you soon! Man that was close, only 6 minutes until tomorrow! Ah! Anyway, cya! Buckwheat!