A/N:
Happy Belated 4th of July to all of my fellow Americans! I hope you had a more interesting time than I did. Lol (It's not even worth recounting) And I hope you like the following chapter, especially since there will be a bit of fluff… (mwahaha)
Disclaimer: I HATE THIS! I DON'T OWN LOZ! STOP BOTHERING ME! ARGH!
A Meeting of Destinies
As time passed and the years went by, Zelda grew in both stature and wisdom. Eventually coming of an age to be proclaimed a legitimate healer, her ears were pierced with hoops of jade to mark her as such. As her skills matured, Zelda became noted for her incredible beauty: tresses of reddish-gold, eyes of the bluest and clearest sapphire, and lips as red as the most scarlet roses in bloom. Countless Kokiri would gather to hear the young woman sing and play her harp; the sound was almost ethereal to many. Her wit and intelligence were prized throughout her home.
No one was aware of her true status. No one was aware of her duties in the future, nor were they aware of the danger that was lurking oh so close to the woman who had become so dear to the folk of the Kokiri Forest.
The day was perfect. The sun shone brightly and warmly, while a cool breeze kept the weather from becoming too balmy. It was a blessing from the Goddesses, Zelda reflected. Summer would be coming too soon, and no one was looking forward to the inevitable heat that would follow.
Zelda had settled herself under a small tree close to a nearby stream where she hoped to find blossoming foxglove. And to her delight, there was much to be found. She plucked the flowers and placed then in her basket as her cat, Linna, played close by. The marmalade feline, despite being over seven years old, still enjoyed acting like the naughtiest of kittens; she also followed her mistress everywhere she went, not wanting to ever leave Zelda's side.
The young woman brushed back a piece of stray hair before beginning to sing a soft melody that she had known all her life. It seemed appropriate in this place of infinite beauty, what with the shoots of emerald grass that lay under her and the drooping, young willow hanging above her, giving shade upon her form. She was, however, unaware of anyone approaching her until they spoke.
"Might I share this spot with you, my lady?" a masculine voice inquired behind her.
Zelda turned her head sharply, wary of a man speaking to her so sweetly. Despite being sheltered in the forest all her life, she was certainly not naïve of the ways of the world. She found herself looking upon a rather comely male who seemed innocent enough, although she eyed the sword strapped to his side with suspicion. Hair the color of the finest cloth of gold and eyes almost aquamarine in hue, the man was certainly a sight to gaze upon. He almost seemed familiar, for some reason, which unnerved her even more.
"You need not ask permission. I certainly do not happen to own this land," Zelda answered evasively, her voice polite yet not welcoming.
The young man laughed, oblivious to her mood. "Aye, you are right. This land belongs to the Royal Family. Most certainly not to a lovely maiden such as yourself."
His laughter rang out again when she found herself blushing at his compliments. With a huff, she rose from her spot and picked up her basket. "I believe I shall be taking my leave. I find no reason to linger here with a man who possesses such a sweet tongue." She hefted the animal into her arms; unfortunately, the cat squirmed and howled until she was set down upon the ground again. With a curse, Zelda snapped, "Fine, stay here if you prefer, Linna." She turned to leave.
"Wait, my lady!" the man called. Zelda turned her head, a frown upon her face. He watched her a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly in thought, before asking, "Did you say this cat's name is Linna?" He pointed to the plump marmalade that happened to be frolicking through the thick grass at the moment.
"Yes, why do you inquire? If you wanted to know, it means 'hope' in Ancient Koki –."
Zelda suddenly found herself completely unable to finish her sentence when the man enveloped her in a bone-crushing embrace. As she squirmed out of his hold (how presumptive he was!), the man cried, "Zelda, do you not remember me? It is I, Link!"
Zelda instantly stopped squirming and peered into the man's face, her own face still set in a frown as she compared his features to the memories of the thirteen year old boy she had known back then. If this was indeed Link, he most certainly was a boy no longer. He was tall and his voice had deepened considerably and his hair was so much longer! Yet the smile that was upon his face was so familiar that Zelda found her heart pounding with excitement.
She reached a slender hand out tentatively. "You are so different," she murmured. "Is it truly you, Link?"
He caught her hand in his own and grinned happily. "Of course it is I! Am I so different now?"
Zelda fell silent as she eyed him closely. His hair was just as fair as it was the day he left, and his blue eyes continued to sparkle with hidden mirth and, she thought wryly, mischief. But he had most certainly filled out – he was no longer the lanky child anymore. He had, obviously, become a man.
Zelda felt herself blushing unexpectedly. Dear Goddesses, he may be the boy she had grown up with, but he was still a full-fledged man holding her very close to his own well-formed body! With a bit of a yelp, she disentangled herself from his embrace, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Zelda, are you well?" Link asked concernedly, his eyebrows narrowed. He reached out a hand, but she backed away slightly from his touch.
"Aye, aye, I'm well!" she replied dismissively, waving a hand. Scrambling for a change in subject, she stammered, "Aye, so, how has your swordsmanship training been going? You have done well?"
Link instantly grinned. "Yes, quite well!" he replied excitedly. "I have become a true knight of Hyrule. See?" He tugged on one of his hoops of silver that adorned both of his pointed ears. "These mark me as such. And I see you have earned the jade hoops of healing as well, Zelda. I always knew you would follow in Saria's footsteps."
"And you have a sword," Zelda murmured, also smiling. "Might I see it?"
"Of course!" With a deft hand obviously accustomed to the sword, Link unsheathed the blade and held it in the bright sunlight. The hilt was plain, but the actual blade shone as if new, almost blinding Zelda's eyes with its intense reflection from the sun. "It was made just for me. Specially balanced and crafted for left-handed use. Isn't it grand?"
"Yes, it is quite lovely, although I do not possess much knowledge about swords." She reached out a hand. "May I hold it?"
Link cocked an eyebrow and almost seemed to protest before slowly handing her the blade hilt-first, as if he were undergoing a great ceremony. Zelda took it without fear or preamble. Backing away from Link, she swung the sword around a bit, laughing as she did so.
"Zelda!" Link cried, "Take care!"
The young woman continued to laugh gaily. "This is grand! You must teach me, Link!"
As he approached her, Link asked softly, almost wondrously, "You do not fear to hold it?"
It was Zelda's turn to cock an eyebrow. "Fear it? Certainly not. It's naught but a sword. Or an extended knife, if you want my opinion." With a mischievous smile, she returned the blade to its owner. "You must teach me, though. Promise?"
After he sheathed the sword, his silent gaze lingered on her face a long moment before he replied slowly, "Certainly. I would be happy to." Then he smiled. "But I would like to be going home first. Wait here a moment."
Turning his back and walking a bit away, Link whistled shrilly; the note pierced through the summer air. Eventually, Zelda heard the sound of hooves coming nearer until a chestnut horse came into view. It ran to its obvious owner and butted its head playfully against Link's chest. The young man chuckled as Zelda approached.
"This is Epona, Zelda. She is my trusty steed." Link rubbed the mare's snout affectionately; she nickered in response.
"Where did you find such a lovely animal?" Zelda asked as she petted Epona's mane gently.
"She was bred on Lon Lon Ranch, which is one of the most excellent breeders of horses in the area. Most knights purchase stallions, but they are so pricey that I had to settle for a mare." Epona butted him, as if slighted. "But she has certainly earned her keep," Link added with a laugh. After he finished attending his mare, he turned to Zelda. "Do you ride?" he asked, his voice surprisingly serious.
Zelda shook her head, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "No. I have always desired to ride, but there are very few mounts in the forest, mostly just donkeys, you know…" Her voice trailed away.
"That is certainly all right. No fault of yours. Do you mind riding, though?"
"No, no, I would love to ride. Not to mention that it is such a long walk home."
Link smiled. "Wonderful. I'll help you up. Do you want to get Linna?"
"She will follow wherever I go. And I doubt she'd be accommodating on a horse." Zelda laughed. "She'd probably jump out of her fur, the silly cat."
Link laughed and then helped Zelda into the saddle. Zelda thanked the Goddesses silently for giving her more height than most females her age. After she was settled into the hard saddle, Link climbed behind her and took up the reins with one hand while another rested around her waist. "Comfortable?" he asked as they started forward.
Zelda felt her heart thumping while she eyed his hand around her waist. Although her thumping heart was most likely because she found herself enjoying the close proximity, her mind whispered. Blushing furiously, she stammered, "Quite comfortable."
Link just laughed.
As the fire crackled merrily in Saria's home, Link rested his head in his hands as he listened to Zelda's performance. Her sweet voice seemed to permeate the air with its sound while she plucked her miniature harp lightly in accordance with the verses. He found himself enchanted by the stunningly beautiful young woman.
That was the only word to describe Zelda: stunning. She seemed the truest essence of beauty, almost goddess-like in appearance. But Link found himself not just attracted to her obvious beauty, but to her wit, her charm. She still bantered and gibed as she did seven years ago. Opinionated as ever, stubborn as he could remember, Link had never met anyone like her before. Or must certainly a woman such as her.
The first rush of attraction had come when he had brushed his hands against her own, which happened to be as calloused as his own. No fair courtier lady desiring a simple dalliance with a handsome knight had ever possessed hands that were not as soft as rose petals. But Zelda possessed the hands of a hard worker, despite her beautiful face. Not to mention that her cheeks were dotted with many a freckle, completely unthinkable to a true lady.
She was, Link mused silently, the most beautiful yet normal woman he had ever encountered. And that, he added to himself, was quite attractive to a simple knight.
Although he had been overjoyed at seeing Saria and Triana and everyone else in the forest, Link continually found himself gazing at Zelda from the corner of his eye. When Saria asked him to do chores as he had done when he was young boy, he quickly complied with a smile and a laugh.
Especially since Zelda would be in his line of sight, preoccupied with picking herbs from her expansive garden.It was so very odd, he reflected as he clapped at the ending of Zelda's performance. She had been such a gawky little girl with huge, blue eyes and a toothy smile. But now...
As Zelda smiled specifically in his direction, Link felt himself flushing. Dear Goddesses, he had no idea his homecoming would have included falling in love with Zelda.
Hardyharhar now there's some FLUFF FOR YA!!! I hope you enjoyed it. Sure is fun to write… Oooh, and, you should know that earrings are important in this fic. (LainieG304 has a penchant for piercings; the weirdo has 7 already) Just to let you know… NOW REVIEW!!!! WOOOOOOO!
Nagem: Yeah, I couldn't help myself when writing that chapter. I just had to do it like the movie (or at least similarly). And yes, I have read the Aladdin LOZ story and I think it's very cute. It's by nightwanderer. (who should update it soon pokepoke)
babowonsuni: Sad, yet our good fairy friend is technically a fairy no longer since she's evil. XD
kat-SageOfWisdom-princessZel: Well, I'm glad you're liking it so much! I'll try and not let you fall off your seat completely. XD
lucibell: Thanks, I'm glad you didn't think the interlude chapter was totally boring. Lol But I am also looking forward to writing some fluff, so you'll be seeing more very soon! :D
aslan-chic: I agree. I actually wish that more people (or at least some) would give me constructive criticism, b/c I always want to improve my writing. Not to say that I don't enjoy compliments…XD
CrazygurlMadness: Thank you very much! Compliments like that really mean a lot to me. And I have published a bit of original fiction over at fictionpress.com, just to let you know…XD
SmileBeHappy: Well, at least you're honest. Lol You better actually be reading it now! (jk) And yes, I did get the third FB manga and I've read it a bizzilion times. I LOVED IT!!! I'm dying for the next one. (sigh)
Perfect Soldier 01: You got to go see Nickelback? No fair! Actually, they're coming to our state fair later this summer… Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the fluff that will be coming very soon! =D
Babydoll72489: I guess Moblins would look for a baby for ten years. Lol But you'd think the witch would be checking up on their progress sooner. OO Not to so smart, I tell ya. XD
Bvv: I hope to someday get out of idiotdom. Maybe, someday, I will get common sense and I will no longer be mentally unsound! Oo
Hikari no Purinsesu: I always thought that scene in the movie was kinda freaky when I was little. Lol But it doesn't scare me anymore. (good thing or I'd need some help…XD)
KatrinaKaiba: Yup, Link came back. I couldn't have an LOZ fic w/out that guy. Lol
nightwanderer: Thanks! I just had to write a witchy chapter…I think it turned out well, ne? :)
ayachan21: Well, good thing I don't update every two months or you would have died already. And that would have been sad. XD
kookey: Thank you so much! I love such nice compliments on my writing! :D I hope your inspiration for your fic turns out well. : )
Berlin'sBrownEyes: I'm glad you reviewed before you left for vacation. My family, unfortunately, never vacations b/c we have zippity zip zero money. :P
Story Weaver1: I wanted it to sound similar. I just couldn't help myself. (sigh)
Lost Soul 01: I'd only hate you if you never reviewed again. That would make me sad. But I'm so glad you're back! :D And thank you, again, for the compliments. I FEEL SO SPECIAL! =)
magnum326: I hope to be seeing your own LOZ fic very soon. I'll be waiting! :D
sawyerzelda: You didn't have internet for a month? I'd probably have died. Lol But I'm glad you're able to review again! I missed your reviews. :(
Glorfindel Silverleaf: I'm glad you got your comp back. I hate not having mine! And thank you for the compliments. They are very much appreciated. :D
Midnight Starfire: Thank you, as always! :D But you gotta update F&I soon! It's been two months! (puppy dog eyes) Lol
LostReyn: I'm glad you were able to still review! And I'm also glad you liked the interlude chapter. I actually found myself having a bit of a hard time writing someone who was evil. Lol XD
Greki: Thanks so much, I really hope I can actually become a novelist! It's easier said than done, unfortunately. :(