Dedication

Dedicated to Sarah Beth, one the many best friends who inspired me. And also to the creators of Zelda for with out them Hyrule would cease to exist.

Oh, and thanks to Kyle, my brother. I'm not sure what you did, but I'm sure there's something that you helped me with.

Prologue

I know these prologues, epilogues, and after word things are a pain to read, so I'm going to try to make this as short as possible.

I just wanted to say that I got a lot of my ideas from the Legend of Zelda video game series. Most of the story is based on the three games Ocarina of Time (a.k.a. OoT), Majora's Mask (a.k.a. MM), and The Wind Waker (a.k.a. TWW.) A lot of the characters and settings are from the OoT. However, I personally made up some characters my self. My friend, Sarah Beth created Princess Mandy and her sidekick, Ritl. Princess Mandy is originally from the story Mandy; A Princess Warrior. If you would like to learn more about Link, Lance's father, I suggest looking up one of the games.

Chapter I Freedom?

There is a land called Hyrule. You will not find Hyrule on any map or in any history book. In Hyrule there are no television, no computers, no t-shirts, no big cities, or continents either. Hyrule is ruled only by a monarchy as it has been for centuries. Hyrule is a place of brave knights and princesses. In Hyrule, anything is possible. Fairies, fish people called Zora; rock people called Goron; even strange plants and animals dwell there. But, wherever there's a hero there's always villain, remember that. Hyrule exists only in your mind. But you can make Hyrule real.

Lance was a special boy. Lance was a prince, son of King Link and Queen Zelda. Together, Link and Zelda ruled Hyrule. And someday, Lance would take their place with a queen of his own. Link was once a great hero saving Hyrule and Termia. But that was a long time ago. Now, he's settled down, and we have Lance.

Lance took after his father; he has thick blonde hair with overgrown bangs and refuses to cut them. Lance pretty much wears normal Hyland clothes: brown pants with a too big tunic of any color. But, on his tenth birthday he was dressed in green, because of the custom. The custom states: All boys will be garbed in green as to remind them of the courage their great hero, Link, had when he faced the evil Ganondolf. Lance didn't have to keep wearing the unusual green tunic but Lance found that his birthday tunic was softer than his others were and decided to wear it year-round.

After turning ten, Lance was exploring everything and longing to leave the castle grounds. But, ironically Link had forbidden him to go further than the castle gate. No one but Zelda dared to argue with the king. Zelda complained that Link was his age when he began his adventures but Link still would not let him start adventures of his own.

Lance's longing grew stronger and stronger. He couldn't stand seeing those open fields out there waiting, just waiting for him. They were waiting for him to roam through and to explore… to run in and play in, anything as long as he could do it with out his parents watching over him every second of every day. All he could do here at the castle was pretty much study, read, write, and think. The castle in the heat of the summer can get pretty boring. Lance spent the next two years doing basically nothing. Of course he had friends but they were only distant relatives and the occasional Great Aunt Millie from far, far away, or so she said.

Three days after Lance's twelfth birthday, he was told to wait longer still, to begin his adventures. That was the last straw! He absolutely could not stand it any longer! How long would he have to wait? How old was old enough anyway? Lance decided he couldn't stand the boredom any longer! He had to do something… Running away seemed the best idea…or it did at the time at least.

That night Lance got a knapsack and assembled his things that he was to bring. He picked out his Kokiri sword, given to him on his seventh birthday (just a precaution, you never know what you might meet in the vast fields of Hyrule." He also decided it would be good to bring a bottle of red potion, which can be used for healing. And lastly, his Hyrule shield that he bought in the market bazaar, to go with his sword. Despite his present feelings for his father, he quickly stashed a picture of Link and Zelda in the side pocket of his knapsack.

After he thought he had everything, he looked once more at the room he was attempting to leave. Holding back tears, he tiptoed out of his room and out the castle doors. He easily crept past the poorly guarded grounds and market. He didn't think it would be that easy… He expected the second he stepped out of his room they'd catch him and ground him for life! Thank goodness, his parents slept deeply and they didn't wake! He could—no, should, have done this ages ago!

Now at the gate, Lance told himself not to look back, but he couldn't help him self. Lance turned, and through blurred eyes he saw a towering castle which had been his home all this life. Not being able to look at the scene any longer, he turned and ran. He ran through the gate and into the vast fields he'd always dreamed about. He ran with his eyes sealed shut. The uncontrollable tears streamed down his face as he left his one and only home for whatever lies beyond the castle walls. He thought about going back, but he quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind. There was no way he could turn back now.

Icy winds cut through him and finally forced him to open his eyes. He saw a small stone wall right in front of him. His faced burned. Well, burned isn't a good word. Froze is better. His face was still wet from the crying. When the icy wind blew on his face it stung with pain. He wiped his face with his sleeve. His warm hand brushed his face, relieving it of the icy burn.

Wondering where this was, he suddenly realized how useful that map given to him recently would be now. Unfortunately it sat useless on his bed stand. He looked out into the horizon, searching for the sun. All he saw was the rippling grass as the cold wind blew across it. Now, he looked up at the sky. It was unusually cloudy. But of course Lance didn't get out much…Is Hyrule like this everyday? He thought a moment…he was sure that he could remember going out one day and seeing the sun… it was bright. He didn't like this weather very much. Lance hated fall weather this early in the morning. It was always so cold. It looked like rain. It would probably come tomorrow. He wished it were midsummer…the best time of the year. It's warm and sunny and the flowers have all bloomed. But it wasn't midsummer. It was endfall and there was nothing he could do about it. Lance walked along the wall searching for an entrance or a sign at least. He had recovered quickly from the short burst of emotion he had earlier.

Now his mind was far from home…just as he was right then. Just his luck, he found an entrance and a sign! Lance easily read the elfish on the block of wood. It read: Lon Lon Ranch. Strangely enough, beside the sign was a stone statue with an eye carved into it. Its gaze caught Lance and pierced into his mind. Intrigued, he drew his sword and slashed it once. It shook violently at the small blow, giggled, stated the time, then fell silent. Very surprised, Lance jumped back, staring at the peculiar stone. After he realized the statue would not attack him, he moved on. Lance cautiously entered this Lon Lon Ranch. Lance was strangely never taught geography, so he didn't know what to expect. Now morning, he stepped forward into the light, to see a house to the left, stables to the right, and to the front: a grand racetrack with a training field in the center.