Tura here!

I'm beyond excited to begin publishing this story that I've been working on for months now.

But that doesn't mean I won't be open to constructive criticism seeing that it is my first work on this site. So please, feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think of the story or if you have any suggestions. I'm trying to improve my writing, after all.

About the story: my goal was to focus on TP Zelda and develop a personality for her. In the game, I always felt sorrowful and regretful vibes radiating from her character, and I wanted to interpret that into Metanoia. So this story will be about her growth and character development, as well as her relationship with Link because I am ZeLink trash:) It also alternates between Zelda's and Link's perspectives throughout the chapters.

I now present my Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess fanfic, Metanoia.

-o0-0o-

METANOIA: noun - the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life.

-Prologue-

ZELDA

I struggle to keep my lips from lifting to a smile as I hurry through the halls, my footsteps light as a cat's. Cautiously, I tug the hood tighter around my head as turn the corner and exit the stone walls of the castle, stepping into the golden light of evening. A thrill of rebellion pulses to my fingertips, though rationally I know that I am doing nothing of true excitement. Really, the castle is leeching life from me. Any little secretive excursion is enough to spark life back into my heart, even if it is minuscule.

My careful footsteps lead me through the outer edges of the courtyard. The cover of pruned hedges and greenery shields me from any potential passer-bys. Perhaps I should avoid looking so suspicious, but that would be much less thrilling, wouldn't it?

Finally, I arrive at my destination around a few more corners and vines. My hands lift to remove my hood from my face, allowing my braided hair to fall over my shoulders. I take in my surroundings: a small alcove enclosed by stone walls. Nearby is a wooden old stable, forgotten once the new, larger stables finished construction. My eyes rove around me, alert and ready for motion. My fingers twitch in anticipation.

I wait.

A light footstep sounds to my left, and in an instant I summon my rapier into my hand and parry a heavy blade arching toward me with my own. I spin and find myself face to face with wild blue eyes.

"You'll have to be more silent than that to surprise me," I reprimand teasingly. He only gives a half-grin in response and twists away to swing again. Our blades clang as they meet again, though this time I swiftly move to jab my rapier at his side. He deftly dodges and meets my attack with a brute swing of his own, to which I dance out of the way. He takes on a defensive stance as I continue a flurry of attacks, all of which he dodges with ease. The almost lazy look on his face gives irritated strength to my arms.

We go on for a while, neither of us successfully disarming the other. I know he's holding back. He always does—irritatingly as it may be.

After long minutes of parrying and attacking, my arms lose their strength and become numb from the vibration of clashing steel spiking through my bones. I stumble, if only slightly, trying to catch my breath.

But he catches the mistake quickly, slamming the pommel of his sword into mine so I yelp in surprise and drop my rapier. The cold point of his broadsword presses gently to my neck, and I lift my hands in surrender.

"One of these days I will win, Link," I promise him as he leans down to pick up my rapier and hands it back to me with a smug look on his face. My breaths come quickly, and I feel a light sheen of sweat gathering at my hairline. But somehow, he hardly even seems winded.

"You can keep dreaming, my Queen," he gives a mock bow and leans casually against his sword.

"So sure," I wipe at my forehead, and steady my breaths. "And so smug when you are in combat. What happens to the humble Hero of Twilight once he has a sword in his hand?" I don't wait for a response before I kick his blade out from under him. I allow a the small victory to make my eyes twinkle as he struggles to catch his balance.

"You're getting better," he says, seriousness replacing his light tone. "Just remember to take advantage of your stealth rather than use pure strength."

I ignore the flutter of pride rising in my stomach at his approval. "And what if I encounter another swift opponent?"

He opens his mouth to answer, but my attention is suddenly snatched elsewhere. My eyes flicker across the small courtyard, trying to pinpoint the sudden potent smell of strange magic in the air.

Link notices the change in my demeanor and quickly tightens his grip around his sword. "Zelda? What is—"

A sudden crash interrupts his inquiry, and I hold my hands up to shield my face as pieces of stone fly through the air. I cough as dust slowly settles, revealing a gaping hole in the stone wall next to us. In an instant, my rapier is back in my hand and I summon my magic to my fingertips. They tingle with energy waiting to be released.

Link eases into a fighting stance, sword gripped firmly in his left hand as he waits for a threat to show itself. In the distance, I can hear shouts of commotion as people try to pinpoint where the explosion was.

At first, nothing happens. The dust clears completely, the stones stop tumbling. The gap in the wall reveals a clear view of the northern part of Hyrule Field, with a single river twisting through the center of the land. Nothing happens. My heartbeat slowly calms. I begin to retract my magic and turn to Link.

Whatever the attack was from, it clearly wasn't strategic. We'll need to dispatch some soldiers to find the culprit—

But I dropped my guard too soon.

A black dart flies through the air and hits Link in the side. He gasps in shock, glancing down at the blood beginning to seep through his tunic. He sinks to his knees, jaw clenched in pain as he leans heavily against his sword.

In a moment I am at his side, my thoughts frenzied and panicked. "Zelda, watch out—!"

I jump back to my feet in time to summon a light barrier as a cloud of black energy zips toward me. It clashes against the barrier, retreating back as the light burns it. Below me, Link begins to writhe and hiss in pain. His hand presses against the wound in his side and I watch in horror as the dart begins to sink further into his flesh until it disappears altogether. Once again I drop to his side and press my hand to the wound, trying to halt the bleeding. My eyes are wide as I retract my hand from his side.

The wound is colder than ice.

"Link, we need to get you out of here at once," I decide amidst my spinning mind. His blood is seeping into the grass beneath us. But he doesn't hear me. A agonized scream escapes his lips that chills my bones. I reach for him, but then stumble back on my hands in horror.

His limbs begin changing, skin and fabric morphing. It's a sight that is painfully familiar.

Before I know it, a gray wolf lies before me, unconscious with gaping wound in his side.

"Twilight magic," I whisper. A clash catches my attention. I look up to see the mass of dark magic shatter through my barrier, weakened from my distracted state. The cloud of magic suffocates me at once, filling my lungs until I feel like I'm drowning in cotton. I fall to the ground in agony, writhing and struggling for air. I feel my consciousness fleeing from me like the setting sun, my vision beginning to darken.

But through the haze I feel my hand warm—too warm. It burns with energy. A blinding light radiates from it, and I lift it to my neck. In an instant, the choking magic releases from my lungs, and I gasp greedily at the fresh air around me. The cloud of dark matter begins to zip away, but I face my palm toward it before it can escape, the mark of the Triforce shining brilliantly on the back of my hand. Gold light engulfs the mass of dark magic, halting its flight. I pull on my magic, contracting it inward until the mass is contained. Inward I pull until it confines the darkness into a small orb, hardly bigger than a marble. It clatters onto the green grass.

My chest heaves with exhaustion as I crawl to it and tuck it into the pocket of my skirts.

What was Twilight magic doing in the light realm?

At once, my attention returns to Link, now beast, laying on the ground. I reach him shakily, panic rising like bile in my throat. He's lost too much blood.

"Please, hold on," I beg him quietly. "You can't leave me now."

I breathe in relief as I hear voices coming closer to inspect the scene. I hear footsteps quicken when they see me amidst the rubble next to a bleeding wolf.

"Your Majesty!" A soldier shouts as he lifts me from the ground. "Are you alri—"

"Bring him to the infirmary at once," I interrupt him, urgency lacing my tone. The soldier glances down at Link on the ground, confusion open on his face.

"But, it's just..."

"Now," I insist as I break myself from his hold, others arriving at the scene with a mix of excited and worried looks.

"At once, my Queen," the soldier gives a deft bow and begins shouting orders to scoop up Link and bring him to the infirmary. I follow afterwards, willing my steps to remain strong despite the fatigue eating at my mind. A haze of fog settles over my mind as we rush to the infirmary. I order the physician to operate on Link at once, despite his obvious confusion.

"Forgive my protests, Your Majesty, but I am no veterinary—"

"Do what you can," I insist, leaving no room for further objections. The slight man swallows uncertainty, but offers a bow before attending to Link.

I offer no more explanation. I only wait as they work to stitch him back together, pacing in across the polished wood of the infirmary. Nurses fuss about me, checking for injuries despite my insistence on being fine.

I just need Link to be fine.

I need him to be alive.

Hours pass. Years pass. A lifetime passess. I will my thoughts to calm, pushing out the frantic, darker ones that insist he will not live. I shut them out until my mind is blank. All that remains is my plea to the Goddesses. Please, please. Don't take him yet, please.

"Your Majesty," a gentle voice prods me from my dazed state. "I would advise you return to your chambers. It is very late…."

"Have they finished operating on him?" Is my only response as I look at the young maid. She wrings her hands nervously, uncomfortable under my masked gaze. "Yes, Your Majesty."

I dip my head in acknowledgement. "Move him to my chambers to recover."