Link woke up soaked on sweat, a couple drops went down his forehead. He
breathed heavily, his heart racing. The nightmares were back, and he knew
exactly what that meant: Once again, the fate of hyrule rested on his
hands.
Link wondered how much time he had before it all began... He saw Ganondorf, riding a gigantic black dragon... He saw Kakariko City burning... He saw the Kokiri Forest rotting under oily rain, its inhabitants coughing up blood, and every leaf on the forest running black with decay and death.
It was much worse than he had imagined it would be. how could Ganon gain such power during his imprisonment?
It didn't matter much anyway, since he already was well on his way to the queen's chamber.
He barely knocked on the door when it opened. The guards had no problem with him: They already knew he was coming.
-"Queen...?"
-"It took you long enough... Were you getting dressed, or something?"
-"I, uh... well..."
Queen Zelda was leaning heavily on her desk, with a few candles lit, and was writing on a piece of paper engraved with the symbol of the royal family.
-"Ganondorf... He's back." - Link uttered firmly.
-"I know he's back, why do you think I'm awake?" -Zelda stopped for an instant, and turned her attention to Link.
-"We've got to stop him!"
Zelda fluttered her eyes at Link, who smiled and approached her slowly. Once he was near the desk, Zelda stood up quickly, and leaned toward him, looking up at his surprised stare.
-"Way ahead of you." -She moved Link closer to the desk, and handed him the letter she was writing. Link began reading it, while Zelda shuffled around the papers on her desk, trying to find the royal family's seal.
-"You're declaring us under full alert already? Don't you think it's a little early to do that? Some might panic."
-"This is a warning, and it may save lives. It will also give us a chance to recruit anyone who is willing to fight. Give them wooden shields and spears if need be, but I won't let them be defenseless victims... Not again..."
-"I agree with you, but..."
-"What is it? Do you have no confidence in my good judgement?" -Zelda asked playfully.
-"Oh, I have much confidence in your judgement, my queen, but may I remind you of the last time we acted on hunches and nightmares?" -They stared at each other on the dim light of the candles. Zelda reached forward and grazed his hand softly. Link swallowed slightly nervous, and a little surprised. Zelda took the letter from his hand in a swift move and turned away immediately, folding it gently over the edges. She poured the wax on the envelope and firmly pressed the royal seal on it.
Link saw her determination on the matter, shrugged in defeat, and crossed his arms behind his back.
Zelda reached up to his face with her hand, pulled him gently towards herself and gave him a slow kiss on the cheek.
-"Please get going. I cannot entrust this to anyone else."
Link took the letter and placed it safely on his belt. Then he bolted to the exit.
-"Link...?".
Link stopped for a second and turned back at her. -"Yes?"
-"Thank you, and good luck..."
-"You too..."
And then he was gone. Zelda wondered if she was making the right decision, but one thing her father had told her before he died was to never dismiss her feelings or her dreams, because they were a gift of the gods...
-"Funny how seven years of tyranny can change your mind, isn't it, father?" -She thought to herself.
Link kept running from that minute on. Since he left Zelda's room, he was in a hurry to get everywhere. He got to his chambers, strapped on his armor, took his bow, quiver, shield, etc. but when he finally took his sword he felt something was missing from him. He looked at the back of his hand, The triforce glowing past his gauntlet. He blinked twice, and again, he was gone.
Epona felt the dark winds too, and was not surprised to see Link fully equipped and ready to go in the middle of the night. Epona nodded at him as he approached. He stopped to caress her head, and brushed her mane a couple times with his hands before he saddled her.
Epona was a seasoned mare, and her best years had passed, but Link and her trusted each other, and were as one when riding into the battlefield, so it was always his first choice when he had an important mission such as this.
Link finished his preparations, took his rations, and finally rode out of the stable, galloping into the foggy horizon...
Link wondered how much time he had before it all began... He saw Ganondorf, riding a gigantic black dragon... He saw Kakariko City burning... He saw the Kokiri Forest rotting under oily rain, its inhabitants coughing up blood, and every leaf on the forest running black with decay and death.
It was much worse than he had imagined it would be. how could Ganon gain such power during his imprisonment?
It didn't matter much anyway, since he already was well on his way to the queen's chamber.
He barely knocked on the door when it opened. The guards had no problem with him: They already knew he was coming.
-"Queen...?"
-"It took you long enough... Were you getting dressed, or something?"
-"I, uh... well..."
Queen Zelda was leaning heavily on her desk, with a few candles lit, and was writing on a piece of paper engraved with the symbol of the royal family.
-"Ganondorf... He's back." - Link uttered firmly.
-"I know he's back, why do you think I'm awake?" -Zelda stopped for an instant, and turned her attention to Link.
-"We've got to stop him!"
Zelda fluttered her eyes at Link, who smiled and approached her slowly. Once he was near the desk, Zelda stood up quickly, and leaned toward him, looking up at his surprised stare.
-"Way ahead of you." -She moved Link closer to the desk, and handed him the letter she was writing. Link began reading it, while Zelda shuffled around the papers on her desk, trying to find the royal family's seal.
-"You're declaring us under full alert already? Don't you think it's a little early to do that? Some might panic."
-"This is a warning, and it may save lives. It will also give us a chance to recruit anyone who is willing to fight. Give them wooden shields and spears if need be, but I won't let them be defenseless victims... Not again..."
-"I agree with you, but..."
-"What is it? Do you have no confidence in my good judgement?" -Zelda asked playfully.
-"Oh, I have much confidence in your judgement, my queen, but may I remind you of the last time we acted on hunches and nightmares?" -They stared at each other on the dim light of the candles. Zelda reached forward and grazed his hand softly. Link swallowed slightly nervous, and a little surprised. Zelda took the letter from his hand in a swift move and turned away immediately, folding it gently over the edges. She poured the wax on the envelope and firmly pressed the royal seal on it.
Link saw her determination on the matter, shrugged in defeat, and crossed his arms behind his back.
Zelda reached up to his face with her hand, pulled him gently towards herself and gave him a slow kiss on the cheek.
-"Please get going. I cannot entrust this to anyone else."
Link took the letter and placed it safely on his belt. Then he bolted to the exit.
-"Link...?".
Link stopped for a second and turned back at her. -"Yes?"
-"Thank you, and good luck..."
-"You too..."
And then he was gone. Zelda wondered if she was making the right decision, but one thing her father had told her before he died was to never dismiss her feelings or her dreams, because they were a gift of the gods...
-"Funny how seven years of tyranny can change your mind, isn't it, father?" -She thought to herself.
Link kept running from that minute on. Since he left Zelda's room, he was in a hurry to get everywhere. He got to his chambers, strapped on his armor, took his bow, quiver, shield, etc. but when he finally took his sword he felt something was missing from him. He looked at the back of his hand, The triforce glowing past his gauntlet. He blinked twice, and again, he was gone.
Epona felt the dark winds too, and was not surprised to see Link fully equipped and ready to go in the middle of the night. Epona nodded at him as he approached. He stopped to caress her head, and brushed her mane a couple times with his hands before he saddled her.
Epona was a seasoned mare, and her best years had passed, but Link and her trusted each other, and were as one when riding into the battlefield, so it was always his first choice when he had an important mission such as this.
Link finished his preparations, took his rations, and finally rode out of the stable, galloping into the foggy horizon...