Disclaimer: Again, not mine!
Hey, I got a review for this! Thanks anyone ()! I am glad you liked it! Trust me, it's only gonna get better!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Three
The Enigma of the Triforce
"It's huge!" Link gasped, his eyes growing wide.
Link was riding in the cargo area of a milk cart. He had grown so exhausted as he was walking on the plains of Hyrule, that he had nearly collapsed when the cart driver found him on the side of the path.
Link was amazed at the Castle that was off in the distance. A drawbridge was just ahead of the cart.
"It's a good thing we saw this carriage, huh, Link?" Navi commented.
Link gave Navi a frustrated look. "I was practically starving!" Link gulped down the bottle of milk the driver had let him have, free of charge, then said, "Go and meet... was Princess Zelda her name?"
"Yes, Link," Navi sighed impatiently. "And you give the Stone to her."
"Hey," came a gruff voice from the front of the cart. The voice belonged to Taron, the driver and owner of Lon Lon Ranch. "We're here; we're in Hyrule's market."
The carriage crossed the drawbridge and then came into the main area of the marketplace. The market seemed so big to a small boy like Link. There were lots of people, the Hylians, everywhere. Link could point them out distinctly because of their long, pointy ears; their ears were exactly like Link's...
Everybody in the square was selling, trading or buying.
"Wow, there's so many people," Link said as he stood not believing what he was witnessing. "So this is 'the world'? So many tall buildings, too!"
Then, it hit Link-he had no idea which one was Princess Zelda's castle! He scanned the tops of the buildings; a majority of them had tall turrets, just like the one in Link's dream.
Link turned to Navi and whispered, "Navi, which one is the Castle?"
Before the fairy could respond, a great voice behind made Link jump a foot in the air.
"Welcome!" the salesman boomed. "It's cheap! If you don't take a look, it's your loss!"
Link turned around at his eyes lit up; a feat was spread out all over the table! The boy was so hungry. Link crumpled to the ground, clutching his growling stomach.
"I'm so hungry," he moaned.
"Hang in there," Navi said kindly. "You did just finish a bottle of milk."
But Link couldn't hold himself back any longer: he stood up and started feasting from the table in front of him. It was so good!
"Oh, this is wonderful!" Link muttered as he stuffed a carrot in his mouth. "Ten times better than the food in the Forest!"
"Hey, boy," the vendor interrupted. "You are going to pay us money, right?"
Link stopped eating and looked curiously at the salesmen; the one's partner had appeared from behind a curtain. "'Money'? What is that?"
Link then felt someone's hand inside the pocket of his tunic.
"You have something nice here, don't you?" the second vendor had gotten a hold on the Kokiri Emerald!
Link reached out to get it back as he pleaded, "Give it back! Please, give it back!"
But the man just held it out of Link's reach as he said nastily, "If you want it back, then you have to give us the money!"
Link was panicking. He had to give that Stone To Princess Zelda; the Deku Tree was counting on him.
"Hold it!" a female voice rang out above Link's pleads. "I'll pay you. Now, give him back his Stone."
The girl walked up and gave the men a gold Rupee, the currency in Hyrule, which was equivalent of two hundred Rupees. That was more money than the vendors asked for! While the men were still in a state of shock, the girl grabbed Link's arm just as he had retrieved his Kokiri Emerald. The girl led Link away from the stand, running as fast as she could while Link did his best to keep up.
"Who are you?" Link asked her as they sprinted.
She ignored Link's question and said instead, "Hurry!"
Link and the girl stopped finally at the fountain in the center of the market. Link was holding his chest with his left and rubbing a spot in his side, massaging a stitch. The girl was standing calmly beside Link, slightly out of breath, but in nearly as much pain as he.
This girl, Link noticed, was very pretty. She wore a blue jumper that matched her eyes and under that, a white blouse. She had beautiful blonde hair that went just to her chin. Like Link, she had pointy ears.
She's probably Hylian, Link thought.
After link caught his breath and the stitch was gone, Link told this girl his story.
"I see," she said sweetly. "So you're from the forest, huh?"
"Yes," Link said. "Thank you, for what you did back there... This is a very important treasure."
"It's a beautiful Stone," the girl confessed.
"It's called the Kokiri Emerald," Link said. "The Deku Tree told me to give it to Princess Zelda. That's why I have to go to the Castle!"
"But you can't go into the Castle," the girl insisted. "It's guarded very well!"
"Oh..." Link said, lowering his head. "Now what do we do, Navi?"
"Hey, I know!" the girl said excitedly. "Why don't you play with me all day, and if you do, I'll take you to see Princess Zelda!"
Link looked up, surprised by her response. "You mean it?"
"Sure, I do!" she smiled. "The Princess and I are best friends. Look, here's proof."
The girl pulled out a blue Ocarina that looked exactly like the one Saria gave to Link. But this Ocarina was different; below the mouthpiece, there was a Triforce emblem...
The girl looked out of the corner of her eye and gasped. Someone was coming. Before Link had a chance to inspect the Ocarina closer, the girl had run off behind the fountain. When she was hidden, she whispered to Link, "Whatever she asks, say 'no'!"
Link looked up and saw the "she" the girl was referring to. A woman was standing in front of Link, towering over him.
"Boy," she said kindly. Her voice was deceiving to her stature. "Have you seen a little girl around here? She has blonde hair and blue eyes."
Following his friend's instructions, Link said nervously, "N-no..."
The woman thanked Link and then walked on. Link looked around and saw the girl come out of her hiding place. Link wondered why she had had to hide... But before he had time to ponder that inquisition, the girl had grabbed Link's arm and yanked him into a nearby shop.
When they were inside, Navi whispered into Link's ear, "Are you sure about this? Trusting our fate to a girl we hardly know?"
"But, she said she let us meet Princess Zelda," Link argued. "Plus, she kind of cute..."
Link's face turned a violent shade of red!
Link and the girl spent the whole day together; they went "Bombchu Bowling" which was fun because you used an actual bomb as a bowling ball!
While they were playing this game, Link asked his friend, while holding a bomb, "Hey, about the Princess... is she beautiful?"
"Um," the girl stammered. "Well..."
"Or maybe," Link interrupted, still blissfully unaware of what he was holding. "She's a big ugly pig!"
BANG! The bomb Link was holding in his hand exploded in his face. Link wasn't seriously hurt, but his face and the tips of his pointy ears were black with soot and ash. Link coughed, clearing his throat, looking very embarrassed, and a little ashamed at what he had said about the Princess.
The store clerk asked Link sheepishly, "Want another try? You don't have to, though, if you don't want to..."
As the girl was giggling under breath at Link, Link shook his head and said, "No, thanks. I'll pass."
After bowling, they went to the new mask store called The Happy Mask Shoppe and tried on all of the masks. Then, to practice his skills, they went to the shooting gallery. Link used his slingshot to shoot all the targets, earning a perfect score! Not even all the adults with bows and arrows received perfect scores; Link had bested them all.
When they left the gallery, it was night outside. Link and the girl couldn't believe how fast the time had gone!
"Looks like the day's over. Thank you for everything," the girl said to Link kindly. "I just wanted to know what it was like to buy things with my own money and play with somebody for a change... Just like a regular girl."
Link pondered on her words for a while. What did she mean, 'just like a regular girl'? Wasn't she normal? Link then realized, for the first time since he had met this girl, that he hadn't even asked her for her name; nor had he given his!
Link found his voice and said, "Your name." He sat down next to her on the fountain. "Please tell me your name. Mine's Link! Let's play again sometime!"
The girl looked at him. "I..." she faltered.
Link's keen sense of hearing heard someone approaching them from behind. He turned around and saw three women, each grasping two sabers, in an attack formation. Their lower faces were covered, as to hide their identities.
One of them raised her sword and, pointing at the girl, said forcefully, "Girl we know who you really are! Now, give us the Ocarina of Time!"
Link looked to his left and saw the girl run.
"Running away, are you?" the leader said as she jumped up and prepared to strike the girl. But Link saved her by intercepting the blow with the Kokiri Sword, saving her life!
Link said to the girl behind his shoulder, "Go, I'll handle this!"
She looked at Link, worry in her tearful sapphire eyes.
"Go! Run, before it's too late!" Link shouted again.
She finally heeded his words and ran off to safety.
* * *
Link was outnumbered, three to one. But he had to fight' he felt that his destiny was to protect that girl...
"Hmph," the leader of the assassins grunted, looking at Link as if he were the scum of Hyrule. "Who the hell are you?"
But suddenly, one of her accomplices said into her round-tipped are, "Someone's coming!"
Without another word, they started running into the night. Link had to chase them and bring them to justice.
"Stop right there!" he hollered, but they didn't halt. Link followed in hot pursuit.
* * *
The girl was resting her hand in a brick wall, gasping for air. She felt so guilty for leaving Link to fight those Gerudos.
What are the Gerudo warriors doing here, in Hyrule? Their territory is to the west of Hyrule. And why do they want the Ocarina of Time? she thought to herself, Lately, though, Ganondorf has been showing his ugly face around the Castle. And I've even seen him snooping around... That's it! He's looking for the Ocarina of Time! But...that would mean...he's after the –"Oh!" she said out loud.
A soft hand had landed on her shoulder, startling her. The girl turned around to see her nurse, Impa, behind her. This was the woman she had hid from earlier in the day.
"Princess..." Impa said kindly.
"Hello, Impa," she replied, smiling bitterly. Her night of fun was over.
"I'm glad to see that you are safe. Now," Impa whispered to the Princess. "Let's return to the Castle."
"All right," the Princess said somberly as Impa led her in the direction of the Castle.
* * *
"What the --?" Link said as he rushed into the fountain square, expecting to see the girl he had met earlier; it was empty.
Link had been unsuccessful in following those women. He felt like a loser; he had let her, the girl, down.
Just then, Link noticed something on the ground by the fountain. It was that girl's Ocarina! He picked it up and suddenly Link felt a warm and relaxing sensation inside him, almost like this Ocarina was...connected to him somehow...
"Link," Navi said, waking the boy from his trance. "Let's go to the Castle tomorrow."
"Okay," Link said, not fully taking in what Navi had just said.
That girl, Link thought. She was so pretty, and so kind. I wish I could see her again. I just wish I had learned her name...
* * *
Early in the morning, there was a quarrel taking place between the Princess and her father, the King of Hyrule.
"Father! I beg of you," she pleaded. "Don't meet with that man! For some reason--!"
But the King interrupted, shouting, "Again with this dream of yours? Nonsense; this is a time of peace!"
And he went off to his throne room, leaving the Princess, his daughter, standing in the red-carpeted corridor, speechless.
"We're almost there!" Link whispered to Navi as he climbed up a vine to get over a wall. He and Navi were storming the Castle, dodging and avoiding every guard there was. Then finally, the courtyard was in sight! Maybe the Princess was in there...
Link walked up to the small flowerbed in the center and saw a figure wearing a floor-length gown. She had her back to Link but she still knew of his presence.
"Link," the girl said kindly. "I haven't told you my name yet, have I?"
How does she know my name? Link thought.
The young girl turned around and Link gasped. "You-you're..."
This girl was indeed Princess Zelda, but she was also the girl Link had spent the day with yesterday! Link was speechless; why hadn't she told him the day before? Link kept on staring at Zelda, wearing a beautiful pink long-sleeved gown with the Triforce symbol pictured on it.
Link was again in a trance, and Navi whispered into the boy's ear, "Link, the Stone and her Ocarina!"
Link woke up from dreaming and gasped, "Oh, yeah!"
Link nervously walked up to Princess Zelda and handed her the Kokiri Emerald. "And then there's this..." he said as he pulled out the blue Ocarina. "You dropped it yesterday on accident."
Zelda accepted the Ocarina, smiling as she said, "Thank you. It means a lot to our family."
Link sighed and said to Zelda, "What a surprise... that it would turn out like this..."
Princess Zelda suddenly hid the Ocarina and the Emerald behind her back and focused her attention on the back of the courtyard. Link turned around and saw a man with dark skin and red hair enter the yard. Link was reminded of his and Zelda's attackers from yesterday...
"Greetings, Princess," the man said in a voice that was as oily as his hair. "I've come to meet with your father."
"Sir Ganondorf!" Zelda raged. "How ill-mannered of you to enter this garden without permission!"
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness," Ganondorf replied as he stepped closer to Zelda and Link. "Glory would be if you allowed us to enter into a union with Hyrule. There is no country as beautiful as this, and no Princess as lovely either."
"No need for flattery," Zelda said forcefully.
As he was drawing nearer to Zelda, Ganondorf said, "By the way, the treasure of the Royal Family, the Ocarina of Time... You have it, don't you, Your Highness?"
"I know not of which you speak," the Princess retorted, folding her arms across her chest. "However, I did hear the same thing from those women yesterday. Could they be acquaintances of yours?"
Ganondorf remained silent. As he left, Link caught Ganondorf's eye and a sharp pain went through the boy's chest, through Link's heart. The pain was quick and it left as soon as it came. He knew, then and there, that there was something not quite right with that man...
"The chief of the Gerudo race, who reside in the western corner of Hyrule: Ganondorf," Zelda said bitterly. "Right now, he may vow loyalty to my father, but what he really wants is the Triforce."
"The Triforce...?" Link gasped. Then is he the one the Deku Tree spoke of?
The Princess continued, "I had this dream. It was a frightening dream in which Hyrule was overridden by black clouds. But then, a ray of light appears and cuts through the clouds and shines upon the earth. There, I see the silhouette of a person followed by a fairy holding a green Stone. The Stone is shimmering with a green aura.
"From the moment I saw you," she said as she looked at Link with her beautiful sapphire eyes. "I knew that you were the one who appeared in my dream."
Link looked shocked. "M-me?"
"Yes. But," Zelda said, frowning. "I-I am afraid. Ganondorf has to be represented by the black clouds in my dream! I feel that his evil heart will destroy Hyrule. And, worse, my father won't believe me..."
"I believe you," Link said firmly. "The Great Deku Tree died because of Ganondorf's power.
"We must not let him get the Triforce!" Zelda said.
"Where is the Triforce?" Link asked, the question burning in his mind.
"The entrance to the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce is located," Zelda said quickly. "Is in the Temple of Time... However, the door is sealed with a stonewall. In order to open it, 'collect three gems and put them in their place at the Temple...' it is written.
"There is one more secret," Zelda said as she slowly pulled out the Ocarina Link had returned to her. "You need the Royal Family's heirloom: the Ocarina of Time!"
"And counting Kokiri's Emerald," Link added. "There are only two gems left. I'll find them and bring them back here!"
Zelda looked worried. "Link...?"
"Princess Zelda," Link cut in. "You keep the Ocarina of Time. I'll go and retrieve the two gems for you!"
"All right," Zelda said reluctantly. "We must keep the Triforce out of Ganondorf's hands! And, Link," she added quietly, under her breath. "You can just call me Zelda..."
*~*~*~*~*
Well, there ya go. I'll have the next chapter up really soon. Maybe on Saturday...? Yeah, most likely Saturday.
Until then, namárië!
Hey, I got a review for this! Thanks anyone ()! I am glad you liked it! Trust me, it's only gonna get better!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter Three
The Enigma of the Triforce
"It's huge!" Link gasped, his eyes growing wide.
Link was riding in the cargo area of a milk cart. He had grown so exhausted as he was walking on the plains of Hyrule, that he had nearly collapsed when the cart driver found him on the side of the path.
Link was amazed at the Castle that was off in the distance. A drawbridge was just ahead of the cart.
"It's a good thing we saw this carriage, huh, Link?" Navi commented.
Link gave Navi a frustrated look. "I was practically starving!" Link gulped down the bottle of milk the driver had let him have, free of charge, then said, "Go and meet... was Princess Zelda her name?"
"Yes, Link," Navi sighed impatiently. "And you give the Stone to her."
"Hey," came a gruff voice from the front of the cart. The voice belonged to Taron, the driver and owner of Lon Lon Ranch. "We're here; we're in Hyrule's market."
The carriage crossed the drawbridge and then came into the main area of the marketplace. The market seemed so big to a small boy like Link. There were lots of people, the Hylians, everywhere. Link could point them out distinctly because of their long, pointy ears; their ears were exactly like Link's...
Everybody in the square was selling, trading or buying.
"Wow, there's so many people," Link said as he stood not believing what he was witnessing. "So this is 'the world'? So many tall buildings, too!"
Then, it hit Link-he had no idea which one was Princess Zelda's castle! He scanned the tops of the buildings; a majority of them had tall turrets, just like the one in Link's dream.
Link turned to Navi and whispered, "Navi, which one is the Castle?"
Before the fairy could respond, a great voice behind made Link jump a foot in the air.
"Welcome!" the salesman boomed. "It's cheap! If you don't take a look, it's your loss!"
Link turned around at his eyes lit up; a feat was spread out all over the table! The boy was so hungry. Link crumpled to the ground, clutching his growling stomach.
"I'm so hungry," he moaned.
"Hang in there," Navi said kindly. "You did just finish a bottle of milk."
But Link couldn't hold himself back any longer: he stood up and started feasting from the table in front of him. It was so good!
"Oh, this is wonderful!" Link muttered as he stuffed a carrot in his mouth. "Ten times better than the food in the Forest!"
"Hey, boy," the vendor interrupted. "You are going to pay us money, right?"
Link stopped eating and looked curiously at the salesmen; the one's partner had appeared from behind a curtain. "'Money'? What is that?"
Link then felt someone's hand inside the pocket of his tunic.
"You have something nice here, don't you?" the second vendor had gotten a hold on the Kokiri Emerald!
Link reached out to get it back as he pleaded, "Give it back! Please, give it back!"
But the man just held it out of Link's reach as he said nastily, "If you want it back, then you have to give us the money!"
Link was panicking. He had to give that Stone To Princess Zelda; the Deku Tree was counting on him.
"Hold it!" a female voice rang out above Link's pleads. "I'll pay you. Now, give him back his Stone."
The girl walked up and gave the men a gold Rupee, the currency in Hyrule, which was equivalent of two hundred Rupees. That was more money than the vendors asked for! While the men were still in a state of shock, the girl grabbed Link's arm just as he had retrieved his Kokiri Emerald. The girl led Link away from the stand, running as fast as she could while Link did his best to keep up.
"Who are you?" Link asked her as they sprinted.
She ignored Link's question and said instead, "Hurry!"
Link and the girl stopped finally at the fountain in the center of the market. Link was holding his chest with his left and rubbing a spot in his side, massaging a stitch. The girl was standing calmly beside Link, slightly out of breath, but in nearly as much pain as he.
This girl, Link noticed, was very pretty. She wore a blue jumper that matched her eyes and under that, a white blouse. She had beautiful blonde hair that went just to her chin. Like Link, she had pointy ears.
She's probably Hylian, Link thought.
After link caught his breath and the stitch was gone, Link told this girl his story.
"I see," she said sweetly. "So you're from the forest, huh?"
"Yes," Link said. "Thank you, for what you did back there... This is a very important treasure."
"It's a beautiful Stone," the girl confessed.
"It's called the Kokiri Emerald," Link said. "The Deku Tree told me to give it to Princess Zelda. That's why I have to go to the Castle!"
"But you can't go into the Castle," the girl insisted. "It's guarded very well!"
"Oh..." Link said, lowering his head. "Now what do we do, Navi?"
"Hey, I know!" the girl said excitedly. "Why don't you play with me all day, and if you do, I'll take you to see Princess Zelda!"
Link looked up, surprised by her response. "You mean it?"
"Sure, I do!" she smiled. "The Princess and I are best friends. Look, here's proof."
The girl pulled out a blue Ocarina that looked exactly like the one Saria gave to Link. But this Ocarina was different; below the mouthpiece, there was a Triforce emblem...
The girl looked out of the corner of her eye and gasped. Someone was coming. Before Link had a chance to inspect the Ocarina closer, the girl had run off behind the fountain. When she was hidden, she whispered to Link, "Whatever she asks, say 'no'!"
Link looked up and saw the "she" the girl was referring to. A woman was standing in front of Link, towering over him.
"Boy," she said kindly. Her voice was deceiving to her stature. "Have you seen a little girl around here? She has blonde hair and blue eyes."
Following his friend's instructions, Link said nervously, "N-no..."
The woman thanked Link and then walked on. Link looked around and saw the girl come out of her hiding place. Link wondered why she had had to hide... But before he had time to ponder that inquisition, the girl had grabbed Link's arm and yanked him into a nearby shop.
When they were inside, Navi whispered into Link's ear, "Are you sure about this? Trusting our fate to a girl we hardly know?"
"But, she said she let us meet Princess Zelda," Link argued. "Plus, she kind of cute..."
Link's face turned a violent shade of red!
Link and the girl spent the whole day together; they went "Bombchu Bowling" which was fun because you used an actual bomb as a bowling ball!
While they were playing this game, Link asked his friend, while holding a bomb, "Hey, about the Princess... is she beautiful?"
"Um," the girl stammered. "Well..."
"Or maybe," Link interrupted, still blissfully unaware of what he was holding. "She's a big ugly pig!"
BANG! The bomb Link was holding in his hand exploded in his face. Link wasn't seriously hurt, but his face and the tips of his pointy ears were black with soot and ash. Link coughed, clearing his throat, looking very embarrassed, and a little ashamed at what he had said about the Princess.
The store clerk asked Link sheepishly, "Want another try? You don't have to, though, if you don't want to..."
As the girl was giggling under breath at Link, Link shook his head and said, "No, thanks. I'll pass."
After bowling, they went to the new mask store called The Happy Mask Shoppe and tried on all of the masks. Then, to practice his skills, they went to the shooting gallery. Link used his slingshot to shoot all the targets, earning a perfect score! Not even all the adults with bows and arrows received perfect scores; Link had bested them all.
When they left the gallery, it was night outside. Link and the girl couldn't believe how fast the time had gone!
"Looks like the day's over. Thank you for everything," the girl said to Link kindly. "I just wanted to know what it was like to buy things with my own money and play with somebody for a change... Just like a regular girl."
Link pondered on her words for a while. What did she mean, 'just like a regular girl'? Wasn't she normal? Link then realized, for the first time since he had met this girl, that he hadn't even asked her for her name; nor had he given his!
Link found his voice and said, "Your name." He sat down next to her on the fountain. "Please tell me your name. Mine's Link! Let's play again sometime!"
The girl looked at him. "I..." she faltered.
Link's keen sense of hearing heard someone approaching them from behind. He turned around and saw three women, each grasping two sabers, in an attack formation. Their lower faces were covered, as to hide their identities.
One of them raised her sword and, pointing at the girl, said forcefully, "Girl we know who you really are! Now, give us the Ocarina of Time!"
Link looked to his left and saw the girl run.
"Running away, are you?" the leader said as she jumped up and prepared to strike the girl. But Link saved her by intercepting the blow with the Kokiri Sword, saving her life!
Link said to the girl behind his shoulder, "Go, I'll handle this!"
She looked at Link, worry in her tearful sapphire eyes.
"Go! Run, before it's too late!" Link shouted again.
She finally heeded his words and ran off to safety.
* * *
Link was outnumbered, three to one. But he had to fight' he felt that his destiny was to protect that girl...
"Hmph," the leader of the assassins grunted, looking at Link as if he were the scum of Hyrule. "Who the hell are you?"
But suddenly, one of her accomplices said into her round-tipped are, "Someone's coming!"
Without another word, they started running into the night. Link had to chase them and bring them to justice.
"Stop right there!" he hollered, but they didn't halt. Link followed in hot pursuit.
* * *
The girl was resting her hand in a brick wall, gasping for air. She felt so guilty for leaving Link to fight those Gerudos.
What are the Gerudo warriors doing here, in Hyrule? Their territory is to the west of Hyrule. And why do they want the Ocarina of Time? she thought to herself, Lately, though, Ganondorf has been showing his ugly face around the Castle. And I've even seen him snooping around... That's it! He's looking for the Ocarina of Time! But...that would mean...he's after the –"Oh!" she said out loud.
A soft hand had landed on her shoulder, startling her. The girl turned around to see her nurse, Impa, behind her. This was the woman she had hid from earlier in the day.
"Princess..." Impa said kindly.
"Hello, Impa," she replied, smiling bitterly. Her night of fun was over.
"I'm glad to see that you are safe. Now," Impa whispered to the Princess. "Let's return to the Castle."
"All right," the Princess said somberly as Impa led her in the direction of the Castle.
* * *
"What the --?" Link said as he rushed into the fountain square, expecting to see the girl he had met earlier; it was empty.
Link had been unsuccessful in following those women. He felt like a loser; he had let her, the girl, down.
Just then, Link noticed something on the ground by the fountain. It was that girl's Ocarina! He picked it up and suddenly Link felt a warm and relaxing sensation inside him, almost like this Ocarina was...connected to him somehow...
"Link," Navi said, waking the boy from his trance. "Let's go to the Castle tomorrow."
"Okay," Link said, not fully taking in what Navi had just said.
That girl, Link thought. She was so pretty, and so kind. I wish I could see her again. I just wish I had learned her name...
* * *
Early in the morning, there was a quarrel taking place between the Princess and her father, the King of Hyrule.
"Father! I beg of you," she pleaded. "Don't meet with that man! For some reason--!"
But the King interrupted, shouting, "Again with this dream of yours? Nonsense; this is a time of peace!"
And he went off to his throne room, leaving the Princess, his daughter, standing in the red-carpeted corridor, speechless.
"We're almost there!" Link whispered to Navi as he climbed up a vine to get over a wall. He and Navi were storming the Castle, dodging and avoiding every guard there was. Then finally, the courtyard was in sight! Maybe the Princess was in there...
Link walked up to the small flowerbed in the center and saw a figure wearing a floor-length gown. She had her back to Link but she still knew of his presence.
"Link," the girl said kindly. "I haven't told you my name yet, have I?"
How does she know my name? Link thought.
The young girl turned around and Link gasped. "You-you're..."
This girl was indeed Princess Zelda, but she was also the girl Link had spent the day with yesterday! Link was speechless; why hadn't she told him the day before? Link kept on staring at Zelda, wearing a beautiful pink long-sleeved gown with the Triforce symbol pictured on it.
Link was again in a trance, and Navi whispered into the boy's ear, "Link, the Stone and her Ocarina!"
Link woke up from dreaming and gasped, "Oh, yeah!"
Link nervously walked up to Princess Zelda and handed her the Kokiri Emerald. "And then there's this..." he said as he pulled out the blue Ocarina. "You dropped it yesterday on accident."
Zelda accepted the Ocarina, smiling as she said, "Thank you. It means a lot to our family."
Link sighed and said to Zelda, "What a surprise... that it would turn out like this..."
Princess Zelda suddenly hid the Ocarina and the Emerald behind her back and focused her attention on the back of the courtyard. Link turned around and saw a man with dark skin and red hair enter the yard. Link was reminded of his and Zelda's attackers from yesterday...
"Greetings, Princess," the man said in a voice that was as oily as his hair. "I've come to meet with your father."
"Sir Ganondorf!" Zelda raged. "How ill-mannered of you to enter this garden without permission!"
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness," Ganondorf replied as he stepped closer to Zelda and Link. "Glory would be if you allowed us to enter into a union with Hyrule. There is no country as beautiful as this, and no Princess as lovely either."
"No need for flattery," Zelda said forcefully.
As he was drawing nearer to Zelda, Ganondorf said, "By the way, the treasure of the Royal Family, the Ocarina of Time... You have it, don't you, Your Highness?"
"I know not of which you speak," the Princess retorted, folding her arms across her chest. "However, I did hear the same thing from those women yesterday. Could they be acquaintances of yours?"
Ganondorf remained silent. As he left, Link caught Ganondorf's eye and a sharp pain went through the boy's chest, through Link's heart. The pain was quick and it left as soon as it came. He knew, then and there, that there was something not quite right with that man...
"The chief of the Gerudo race, who reside in the western corner of Hyrule: Ganondorf," Zelda said bitterly. "Right now, he may vow loyalty to my father, but what he really wants is the Triforce."
"The Triforce...?" Link gasped. Then is he the one the Deku Tree spoke of?
The Princess continued, "I had this dream. It was a frightening dream in which Hyrule was overridden by black clouds. But then, a ray of light appears and cuts through the clouds and shines upon the earth. There, I see the silhouette of a person followed by a fairy holding a green Stone. The Stone is shimmering with a green aura.
"From the moment I saw you," she said as she looked at Link with her beautiful sapphire eyes. "I knew that you were the one who appeared in my dream."
Link looked shocked. "M-me?"
"Yes. But," Zelda said, frowning. "I-I am afraid. Ganondorf has to be represented by the black clouds in my dream! I feel that his evil heart will destroy Hyrule. And, worse, my father won't believe me..."
"I believe you," Link said firmly. "The Great Deku Tree died because of Ganondorf's power.
"We must not let him get the Triforce!" Zelda said.
"Where is the Triforce?" Link asked, the question burning in his mind.
"The entrance to the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce is located," Zelda said quickly. "Is in the Temple of Time... However, the door is sealed with a stonewall. In order to open it, 'collect three gems and put them in their place at the Temple...' it is written.
"There is one more secret," Zelda said as she slowly pulled out the Ocarina Link had returned to her. "You need the Royal Family's heirloom: the Ocarina of Time!"
"And counting Kokiri's Emerald," Link added. "There are only two gems left. I'll find them and bring them back here!"
Zelda looked worried. "Link...?"
"Princess Zelda," Link cut in. "You keep the Ocarina of Time. I'll go and retrieve the two gems for you!"
"All right," Zelda said reluctantly. "We must keep the Triforce out of Ganondorf's hands! And, Link," she added quietly, under her breath. "You can just call me Zelda..."
*~*~*~*~*
Well, there ya go. I'll have the next chapter up really soon. Maybe on Saturday...? Yeah, most likely Saturday.
Until then, namárië!
