Summary: Three months after the ferocious battle with Ganondorf, Link decides to take a look around Gerudo Valley. When he's captured by the warriors and thrown into prison, who comes to save him but a mysterious young Hylian girl raised by the Gerudos? Curious about this girl and the journey she's on, Link joins her in her quest to prevent Ganon's resurrection.

Chapter 1: A Hero's Capture… And Escape

"She's strong! Really strong!"

"Tee hee! Thanks for the compliment!"

The Gerudo warrior laughed as she made another attempt to knock Link down. The boy staggered, nearly tripping. I can't let her win! he thought desperately as he struggled to regain his footing. He had thought it would be a good idea to explore the Gerudo Valley as a child, since it was so interesting when he was an adult. However, he hadn't considered the fact that the Gerudos wouldn't know him as a friend as they knew him in the future. He also had disregarded the fact that he couldn't handle the hookshot in his younger body. Should his foe succeed and throw him into the small cell where captives were kept, he'd have no means of escape.

"Child! You are a worthy opponent, but I fear this battle must end!" the Gerudo announced, swinging her crooked swords in a circular motion near the ground. Link jumped to avoid the assault, but the sword caught on his boot and felled him. In moments he was pinned and his hands were being tied. Link struggled furiously and tried to kick the woman off of him, but she only laughed at his efforts. She forced him to his feet and brought him into the light of the Valley.

The patrolling guards snickered and whispered to each other as Link's captor paraded him in the direction of the cell. "Now stay in there, little boy, until we come to interrogate you!" she sneered as she locked the door. She turned and dusted her hands, then strode proudly into the midst of her public.

Link strained against his bonds until his wrists bled. He smiled when he heard a snap behind him and felt the pressure on his hands being relieved. He stood and looked around, rubbing the sores on his hands gently. "Now what?" he sighed as he gazed at the single open window that he could use his hookshot to escape with. If, that is, he could use his hookshot at all. Which he couldn't. He turned his back on the window with another sigh and slumped down against the wall. Young Link didn't notice when an upside-down head appeared through the window.

"Boo!" the head shouted in a feminine voice. Link jumped to his feet with an exclamation and looked around a few times before thinking to check the window. "Who are you?" he demanded, trying to come off as brave and fearless.

The presumed girl giggled and jumped into the room elegantly. She appeared to be about as old as Link. Her skin was tan, though not as much as the Gerudos'. She had blond hair tied into a braid that extended down to her knees and bangs that were brushed aside in a way that mostly covered the right side of her face. Her eyes were amber in color and glowed with the fire of youth. She wore a white shirt and an orange jacket that just barely reached her waist. She had on an orange skirt with white patterns and boots the same hue as her jacket.

Link studied the girl's features carefully, making note of any weapons she may have. The child looked at him with confusion and tried to figure out what he was looking at. She eventually gave up. "Hi! My name is Hieke! What's yours?" she asked smilingly.

Taken aback by her undying optimism, Link answered a little apprehensively. Hieke nodded, memorizing the name, and turned to the door. "Let's see," she muttered, fidgeting with the door knob curiously. "Yeah, this is definitely Gerudo workmanship. Or should I say work-woman-ship?" she giggled. Link smiled blandly at the pun. He was more interested in escape than exchanging clever quips with a stranger.

"Hum, let's see… Uh, this one is different from the others. We'll have to find another way out," Hieke announced after a short while. Link gave her a wary look. "How do you know so much?" he inquired suspiciously. Hieke shrugged. "You could say that I get around," she replied, obviously trying to hide something. Link chose not to ask at the time.

"Well, uh… heh. I'm not exactly sure how to get back up to the window. I kinda counted on the lock being like the locks in all the other parts of the Valley. Guess I was wrong. So… do you have a bomb?" Hieke asked hopefully. Link nodded and pulled a bomb from his Dodongo's skin bomb bag. He carefully placed the explosive in Hieke's waiting hands. The girl took a match from her back pocket and lit the fuse, then tossed the bomb through the window. The screams of frightened Gerudos could be heard as the bomb was about to blow.

"Take cover!" Hieke shouted as she crouched against the back wall. Link, worried, did the same. He was beginning to question this girl's sanity. The bomb exploded and took out the wall with ease. Hieke laughed and skipped outside. Her laughter ceased when she saw the dozens of angry Gerudo guards waiting for them. Link peeked around the corner of the demolished wall cautiously. When he saw the potential danger Hieke was in, he disposed of all rational thought and leaped in front of her to protect her.

"Hieke! Stay behind me!" he hissed, drawing his sword. If the Gerudos won this time, they'd probably kill him.

"Stop!" Hieke demanded as she scampered to stand between the conflicting warriors. "Where is Lea? Tell her Tadaka is here!"

One of the guards ran off and returned moments later with another Gerudo dressed in gold and crimson. "Tadaka!" she exclaimed as she dashed to Hieke's side. Link, needless to say, was thoroughly confused.

"No, Lea," Hieke said sadly. "I don't call myself that anymore. Please call me Hieke."

The regally dressed Gerudo, most likely the one called Lea, gave the orange-clad young girl a quizzical look. "Tadaka, what do you mean? What happened?" she asked, her hands on Hieke's shoulders. Link sighed and sat down on the ground, preparing himself for a long story.

"Tadaka is a Gerudo name. I'm Hylian," Hieke explained.

"But… You were raised here among us Gerudos. You are one of us!"

"I was at one point, but not anymore!"

"Why, Tadaka?"

"Because you've become bad people! You steal things, and you capture and hurt people!"

"Tadaka…"

Hieke's shoulders stiffened. "Please call me Hieke," she asked again. Lea bowed her head in surrender. "Yes, Hieke," she whispered. She looked up with a weak smile. "There was once a time when you would pillage with the best of them. You couldn't care less whether or not the people we stole from were innocent. Now here you are… only a couple years later, releasing our captive and disowning the only family you know."

Link wouldn't allow the guilt trip to continue. "Hieke is doing the right thing!" he called, walking forward to join the conversation. "She's right! It's wrong to steal from and hurt innocent people! And as for disowning the only family she has… She probably should, but that's not what she's doing."

Hieke smiled approvingly at Link. Lea watched him speak with melancholic eyes. "She has abandoned the name only, not you or the other Gerudos. And she's obviously come here to ask that you don't hurt anyone else meaninglessly," Link finished.

"We certainly can't just allow anyone into our Valley without reprimand!" one of the listening guards spat. The others murmured in agreement. Lea, however, smiled at Link warmly. "You understand a great deal for one so young," she complimented. She turned to Hieke. "I pledge from this day forward that the Gerudos will no longer be infamous thieves that terrorize and plunder villages. Hieke… will you now return to us?"

The young girl shook her head, her long braid moving in sync with her motions. "I'm sorry, Lea, but there are things I have to take care of. You don't want the Prophecy to be fulfilled, do you?" she said, declining the offer. Link turned his head at this. What Prophecy was she talking about?

Lea nodded. "You will return when your job is complete? You could easily inherent leadership in the Valley, be you a true Gerudo or not."

Hieke stared at her feet for a few moments, then looked up at Lea with a broad smile. "Of course!" she replied, her eyes closed in delight. "This is my home," she paused and surveyed the gathering of Gerudos for a short minute, "and my family."

Link grinned at Hieke. She was more mature than she appeared. Mature enough to phrase her responses delicately and know at what point enough is enough, as well as when to forgive and forget. Hieke gave Lea her farewell, then turned and headed for the exit. Link smiled and bowed to the Gerudos, then followed after his potential friend.

It didn't take Hieke long to notice she was being followed. She turned and looked at Link with a nervous smile. "Uh, I set you free. So you can go home now," she said with a soft chuckle. Link then remembered why he wanted so badly to follow this girl.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but what did you mean when you said that the Prophecy would be fulfilled if you stayed with the Gerudos?" he asked. Hieke responded by narrowing her eyes and scowling at him. "It's not your business!" she shouted as she took off in the opposite direction. Link stopped walking and stared after the running girl in curiosity. So she was a Hylian, falsely raised as a Gerudo. Just like he was brought up as a Kokiri. He summoned Epona and mounted her quickly, ready to give chase to Hieke. They were more alike than she knew, and he was determined to help her realize that.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cliffhanger? Cliffhanger? What is Hieke trying to protect? By the way, her name is pronounced Hee-AY-kay. Her Gerudo name, Tadaka, is pronounced TAH-duh-kah. And it's LEH-uh, not Lee (in reference to "Lea"). Okay, that's the first chapter of my first fiction! Five reviews and I'll update!