BIG HUGE thanks to Matt for editing, proof reading, helping,
inspiring....you get the idea. Oh, and many thanks for trying to beat me
upside the head with the smart stick. *kisses Matt's feet*
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any of its characters, but this story was my original and not very well thought out idea.
[ "Your Highness?" There was a rapping at her chamber doors, and upon hearing it, the princess quickly shoved her notes and books under the bed.
"You may enter," she replied.
"How are you this morn, Princess?"
"I am well, thank you."
"Are you ready for your lessons?"
"Actually...if you wouldn't mind, I would rather like to skip them this morning and go to the library." Zelda's caretaker looked at her strangely.
"You know how important your studies are, Princess, and I do not think it very wise-"
"Please?" the princess interjected. "I beg of you. I only want to go to the library, there are many books from which to learn whilst I'm there."
"Oh, very well, Highness. But just this once." Zelda nodded her gratitude and proceeded out the doors. Zelda quickly raced through the grand corridors of the castle, but she was not headed toward the library. She grabbed her cloak and opened the wide wooden doors of the castle entrance.
"Good day to you, Princess." Zelda smiled at the guards and hurried past them to the market. When she got there, she raised the hood of her cloak so she could move freely without being recognized.
"Oh, drat!" Zelda raced frantically back up to the castle. When she approached her bed chambers, she could see the door was slightly open. She crept up quietly, and moved into the room. Her caretaker turned around swiftly and held up a book.
"Were you looking for this?" She said, scowling. "Zelda, you are mad. You cannot possibly be thinking of attempting this!" Zelda slyly moved to a corner of her room, where she had a sword lain there. Picking it up secretly, she unsheathed it behind her back as silently as she could, hoping her boisterous caretaker would not notice her actions.
"Zelda, it says you need the blood of a Sheikah, how do you propose on getting-" With one swift movement, Zelda had driven the sword head into the breast of her maid. "No! Your...highness!" Zelda watched as she died, and picked up the sword again to sheath it.
"So long.." grabbing the book the maid had dropped, she headed back out of the castle...]
"Hold it!" Li jumped to his feet. "Are you telling me...that you, Zelda, killed one of the sages?!" Zelda looked at him in shock.
"Where did you get an idea like that?"
"You just told me. Impa said something about needing the blood of a Sheikah, which she was. You killed her, for the Love of Nayru!! You ran her through!" Li waved his arms about dramatically.
"Oh, Dear Goddesses boy, of course not! That was not Impa, that was just another maid my father hired when she became a sage. Of course Impa would not have enough time to look after me and be a sage. I had to kill that maid because she would have tried to stop me." Zelda laughed slightly and motioned for Li to sit back down.
"Oh, then how-"
"Just be quiet, silly boy, and let me finish. Sit down."
[ Zelda raced up the steps to the Temple doors, and swung them open. Upon entering, she lowered her hood, pulled out her book and headed for the Door of Time. Once inside the chamber, she knelt before the Master Sword and laid the sword she carried along with the book down in front of her, flipping through the pages.
"Ahh, here it is." She removed a small dagger which she carried in her boot, and cut a large gash across her palm. Looking down in the book she chanted: "Shishtelig al beliah dornie, mortie utul al sistenel. Hansult fenrieig ailebe. Schudamel al geit il tiranl!" Reciting the words, she raised her palms upwards and brought them back down to smear her blood over the pedestal in which the sword rested. Grabbing her book and sword while standing up, the princess grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword, bloodying it, and pulled. A brilliant flash of light filled the room and the princess was gone.]
"I am really confused." Li turned and looked at Zelda. She merely sighed and rose, pacing back and forth. "Why did you do that to yourself?" He asked, wonderingly.
"Remember? I needed the blood of a Sheikah, and being taught and trained by one, I was my most reliant source. I was practically a Sheikah anyway. I took a chance and hoped it worked."
"But why? Why did you need the blood?"
"Well, according to the Book of Mudora, since only the Hero of Time may pull the sword, you needed something special to get it out otherwise. Since the Sheikah are bound protectors of the Royal Family and guardians of the Legend, the blood of one is a sacred thing. It is known that the Sword was made with drops of Sheikah blood, mixed in with the metal."
"Oh." Li fingered the hilt of the Sword. "So...when are we?"
"We are..I believe..right after I pulled the Sword."
"Couldn't we have come back sooner?"
"No. I cannot control it. Not completely anyhow."
"Then how did you end up in my time?"
"It was part of the chant. I could specify an era, but not an exact date or time. The Sword brought us back now because it is where I left off. It is going in sequence, so there was not a second lost or repeated." Li gazed out into the distance.
"Are we in the past or future?" Zelda smiled.
"My present time, your past."
"How far into the past?"
"Oh, I'd say about 3 million years." Li almost fell over.
"3 million years?!"
"More or less." Zelda smirked.
"Ok...." sighing inwardly, and shaking his head, Li continued. "I have another question..."
"Go on?"
"How, exactly, did I do it? I mean, I know it was with the Sword and all, but..how?"
"Remember the lake?"
"How could I forget?" Li took a deep breath, as if he were about to be plundered underwater again.
"Well, that lake was the exact location of the Temple of Time. I forced you to stick the Sword in the bottom of the lake before you blacked out. Where the Sword was thrust, was the exact spot in which the Sword originally rested. And that brought us back" Li took another deep breath, trying to grasp every bit of information. He had so many questions.
"Why me? Why my time? Isn't there another Hero of Time in another era?"
"Of course, but I just chose at random. I...just wanted a new experience. That's all."
"Ok then, why did you stay for so long? I mean, I'm sure someone in my family before me was a Hero too."
"To tell you the truth...I liked your spirit the best. I liked the air about you, it gave me a good feeling. I was waiting for the right one, and since I had all the time I needed, that's what I did. Waited."
"How long was it, exactly?"
"Well, let us see...I was 74 there, so that would have made it...57 years." Li's mouth dropped open.
"57 years? All because you..you...you didn't like the 'air about someone'?"
"I didn't feel they were worthy. They had good families, happy lives. I didn't want to take them away if they weren't completely willing to leave all that behind."
"Oh, I get it." Li seemed somewhat depressed at the thought. "Well tell me another thing, Highness...what of the other Link? Did you really send him back in time?" Zelda looked at Li and stifled a bitter laugh.
"The 'other' Link, is...well..."
"You don't know?"
"Well, he's off somewhere...defending another country."
"So you didn't send him back?"
"Well, I did..."
"...."
"The first time at least. The second time there was no need."
"...The second time?"
"It's hard to explain..."
"So...if you sent him back with the Sword, then how-"
"I didn't use the Sword, I used the Ocarina."
"Then why didn't you just use that for when you traveled time? I mean, instead of cutting yourself and guessing where you were going to end up?"
"The Ocarina's power was not great enough to carry me for such a distance. I wanted to travel far, mostly because I was interested in seeing how the world would work in the years to come."
"Well you found out, didn't you. Didn't like it much, did you? That was sure a long time to stay, just waiting for one person...." Li's mood changed from curious to dark in one instant.
"Link, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just trying to fathom this whole thing, trying to take it in all at once. You know, it's a pretty scary thing for me. In fact, it's terrifying." Li absent-mindedly grabbed the hilt of the Sword in his right hand and started to swing it around. " It sounds to me, like you were bored with the other Link. You were bored, so you went searching for a new, more interesting one. He didn't go willingly, did he? You sent him away." He got up and started to advance forward and Zelda took a step back.
"Link, you're starting to frighten me..."
"Am I?" Li held the point of the sword straight at Zelda. She was surprised at how naturally Li handled the Sword. It was reassuring that Li seemed to be able to wield a sword instinctively, yet it scared her; was scaring her immensely. "Let me ask you something, Princess. If you knew all along about the Sheikah blood, then why didn't you use the Sword yourself to stop Ganondorf? Hmm? Why did you put that boy through all of that evil Gerudo's tyranny?"
"I...I- it was destiny!" Zelda stammered, obviously afraid.
"Right...destiny." Li chuckled sarcastically. Zelda bowed her head. As Li's anger grew stronger, a shot of burning pain ran through his right arm. Li yelped and dropped the sword. After realizing what he had just done, guilt and regret tore at him. "I'm...forgive me, your Highness?" Taking a deep breath, the princess relaxed a little and rested an arm on Li's shoulder.
"Of course, Link. You're obviously a bit taken aback with all of this. I understand." Zelda never lifted her head.
"Thank you." Li cast his gaze downward. He felt so strange... then all of a sudden a loud rumbling noise could be heard. The ground shook fiercely as a dozen horses galloped into the market. Zelda looked up and saw three, heavily armored soldiers approaching her and Li.
"There you are, young lady!"
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any of its characters, but this story was my original and not very well thought out idea.
[ "Your Highness?" There was a rapping at her chamber doors, and upon hearing it, the princess quickly shoved her notes and books under the bed.
"You may enter," she replied.
"How are you this morn, Princess?"
"I am well, thank you."
"Are you ready for your lessons?"
"Actually...if you wouldn't mind, I would rather like to skip them this morning and go to the library." Zelda's caretaker looked at her strangely.
"You know how important your studies are, Princess, and I do not think it very wise-"
"Please?" the princess interjected. "I beg of you. I only want to go to the library, there are many books from which to learn whilst I'm there."
"Oh, very well, Highness. But just this once." Zelda nodded her gratitude and proceeded out the doors. Zelda quickly raced through the grand corridors of the castle, but she was not headed toward the library. She grabbed her cloak and opened the wide wooden doors of the castle entrance.
"Good day to you, Princess." Zelda smiled at the guards and hurried past them to the market. When she got there, she raised the hood of her cloak so she could move freely without being recognized.
"Oh, drat!" Zelda raced frantically back up to the castle. When she approached her bed chambers, she could see the door was slightly open. She crept up quietly, and moved into the room. Her caretaker turned around swiftly and held up a book.
"Were you looking for this?" She said, scowling. "Zelda, you are mad. You cannot possibly be thinking of attempting this!" Zelda slyly moved to a corner of her room, where she had a sword lain there. Picking it up secretly, she unsheathed it behind her back as silently as she could, hoping her boisterous caretaker would not notice her actions.
"Zelda, it says you need the blood of a Sheikah, how do you propose on getting-" With one swift movement, Zelda had driven the sword head into the breast of her maid. "No! Your...highness!" Zelda watched as she died, and picked up the sword again to sheath it.
"So long.." grabbing the book the maid had dropped, she headed back out of the castle...]
"Hold it!" Li jumped to his feet. "Are you telling me...that you, Zelda, killed one of the sages?!" Zelda looked at him in shock.
"Where did you get an idea like that?"
"You just told me. Impa said something about needing the blood of a Sheikah, which she was. You killed her, for the Love of Nayru!! You ran her through!" Li waved his arms about dramatically.
"Oh, Dear Goddesses boy, of course not! That was not Impa, that was just another maid my father hired when she became a sage. Of course Impa would not have enough time to look after me and be a sage. I had to kill that maid because she would have tried to stop me." Zelda laughed slightly and motioned for Li to sit back down.
"Oh, then how-"
"Just be quiet, silly boy, and let me finish. Sit down."
[ Zelda raced up the steps to the Temple doors, and swung them open. Upon entering, she lowered her hood, pulled out her book and headed for the Door of Time. Once inside the chamber, she knelt before the Master Sword and laid the sword she carried along with the book down in front of her, flipping through the pages.
"Ahh, here it is." She removed a small dagger which she carried in her boot, and cut a large gash across her palm. Looking down in the book she chanted: "Shishtelig al beliah dornie, mortie utul al sistenel. Hansult fenrieig ailebe. Schudamel al geit il tiranl!" Reciting the words, she raised her palms upwards and brought them back down to smear her blood over the pedestal in which the sword rested. Grabbing her book and sword while standing up, the princess grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword, bloodying it, and pulled. A brilliant flash of light filled the room and the princess was gone.]
"I am really confused." Li turned and looked at Zelda. She merely sighed and rose, pacing back and forth. "Why did you do that to yourself?" He asked, wonderingly.
"Remember? I needed the blood of a Sheikah, and being taught and trained by one, I was my most reliant source. I was practically a Sheikah anyway. I took a chance and hoped it worked."
"But why? Why did you need the blood?"
"Well, according to the Book of Mudora, since only the Hero of Time may pull the sword, you needed something special to get it out otherwise. Since the Sheikah are bound protectors of the Royal Family and guardians of the Legend, the blood of one is a sacred thing. It is known that the Sword was made with drops of Sheikah blood, mixed in with the metal."
"Oh." Li fingered the hilt of the Sword. "So...when are we?"
"We are..I believe..right after I pulled the Sword."
"Couldn't we have come back sooner?"
"No. I cannot control it. Not completely anyhow."
"Then how did you end up in my time?"
"It was part of the chant. I could specify an era, but not an exact date or time. The Sword brought us back now because it is where I left off. It is going in sequence, so there was not a second lost or repeated." Li gazed out into the distance.
"Are we in the past or future?" Zelda smiled.
"My present time, your past."
"How far into the past?"
"Oh, I'd say about 3 million years." Li almost fell over.
"3 million years?!"
"More or less." Zelda smirked.
"Ok...." sighing inwardly, and shaking his head, Li continued. "I have another question..."
"Go on?"
"How, exactly, did I do it? I mean, I know it was with the Sword and all, but..how?"
"Remember the lake?"
"How could I forget?" Li took a deep breath, as if he were about to be plundered underwater again.
"Well, that lake was the exact location of the Temple of Time. I forced you to stick the Sword in the bottom of the lake before you blacked out. Where the Sword was thrust, was the exact spot in which the Sword originally rested. And that brought us back" Li took another deep breath, trying to grasp every bit of information. He had so many questions.
"Why me? Why my time? Isn't there another Hero of Time in another era?"
"Of course, but I just chose at random. I...just wanted a new experience. That's all."
"Ok then, why did you stay for so long? I mean, I'm sure someone in my family before me was a Hero too."
"To tell you the truth...I liked your spirit the best. I liked the air about you, it gave me a good feeling. I was waiting for the right one, and since I had all the time I needed, that's what I did. Waited."
"How long was it, exactly?"
"Well, let us see...I was 74 there, so that would have made it...57 years." Li's mouth dropped open.
"57 years? All because you..you...you didn't like the 'air about someone'?"
"I didn't feel they were worthy. They had good families, happy lives. I didn't want to take them away if they weren't completely willing to leave all that behind."
"Oh, I get it." Li seemed somewhat depressed at the thought. "Well tell me another thing, Highness...what of the other Link? Did you really send him back in time?" Zelda looked at Li and stifled a bitter laugh.
"The 'other' Link, is...well..."
"You don't know?"
"Well, he's off somewhere...defending another country."
"So you didn't send him back?"
"Well, I did..."
"...."
"The first time at least. The second time there was no need."
"...The second time?"
"It's hard to explain..."
"So...if you sent him back with the Sword, then how-"
"I didn't use the Sword, I used the Ocarina."
"Then why didn't you just use that for when you traveled time? I mean, instead of cutting yourself and guessing where you were going to end up?"
"The Ocarina's power was not great enough to carry me for such a distance. I wanted to travel far, mostly because I was interested in seeing how the world would work in the years to come."
"Well you found out, didn't you. Didn't like it much, did you? That was sure a long time to stay, just waiting for one person...." Li's mood changed from curious to dark in one instant.
"Link, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just trying to fathom this whole thing, trying to take it in all at once. You know, it's a pretty scary thing for me. In fact, it's terrifying." Li absent-mindedly grabbed the hilt of the Sword in his right hand and started to swing it around. " It sounds to me, like you were bored with the other Link. You were bored, so you went searching for a new, more interesting one. He didn't go willingly, did he? You sent him away." He got up and started to advance forward and Zelda took a step back.
"Link, you're starting to frighten me..."
"Am I?" Li held the point of the sword straight at Zelda. She was surprised at how naturally Li handled the Sword. It was reassuring that Li seemed to be able to wield a sword instinctively, yet it scared her; was scaring her immensely. "Let me ask you something, Princess. If you knew all along about the Sheikah blood, then why didn't you use the Sword yourself to stop Ganondorf? Hmm? Why did you put that boy through all of that evil Gerudo's tyranny?"
"I...I- it was destiny!" Zelda stammered, obviously afraid.
"Right...destiny." Li chuckled sarcastically. Zelda bowed her head. As Li's anger grew stronger, a shot of burning pain ran through his right arm. Li yelped and dropped the sword. After realizing what he had just done, guilt and regret tore at him. "I'm...forgive me, your Highness?" Taking a deep breath, the princess relaxed a little and rested an arm on Li's shoulder.
"Of course, Link. You're obviously a bit taken aback with all of this. I understand." Zelda never lifted her head.
"Thank you." Li cast his gaze downward. He felt so strange... then all of a sudden a loud rumbling noise could be heard. The ground shook fiercely as a dozen horses galloped into the market. Zelda looked up and saw three, heavily armored soldiers approaching her and Li.
"There you are, young lady!"