Our Only Hope and Chance

Chapter 1: The End

20 years earlier

"Hurry up," yelled a voice in Zelda's ear.

Zelda blinked her eyes, not hearing what he had said for outside the castle walls, and in several parts of the castle, a war was being fought. Men were strewn across the ground and towers were being burned to the ground. Cries of agony could be heard from the maidservants and shouts of fear from the soldiers. All she could hear was a slight buzzing noise over the other yells, but no more.

In front of her, Link was running down the hallways of the castle, dragging her along. His sword was no longer in its sheath, but in his hand, ready to slice an opponent if one was received. He glanced over his shoulder at her and pulled at her hand, signaling her to move faster.

He led her down a second hall, through a doorway and the reached spiraling stairs that led up to one of the highest rooms in the castle. Instead of running to the room, he paused at a window and hoisted himself onto the window frame, breaking the glass of the window with his sword. Link reached his hand down to Zelda who knew what he was doing. She grabbed his hand and he lifted her up as well.

They walked onto the roof and walked slowly and cautiously, careful not to lose their footing. Rain was beginning to pour and in the distance, thunder rolled and an occasional lightning strike would occur.

"Link!" Zelda called over the noise from above and below. "Where are we going?!"

"Just follow me, Princess," he shouted back to her.

Zelda nodded and continued to follow. Soon, the rain began to pour heavily, blurring everything in sight. She squinted her eyes to see Link in front of her. Seeing the green of his tunic she hurried, for he was growing further ahead. When she sped up her pace, her foot slipped, and she slid down the roof with a squeal. Suddenly, she crashed into the wooden borders of the walkway, intended for the soldiers, and she banged her head on the ground, giving her the worst headache of all. When her sight was going blank, she heard Link slide down beside her, and then nothing at all.

"Princess, get up. Please!" he said desperately into her ear. He shook her shoulder roughly and frowned. Seeing, that Zelda was fully unconscious, he carefully lifter her up with all his strength and put her over his shoulder. Link carefully proceeded across the roof, making sure that he was balanced despite the pouring rain that fell.

Carefully crossing the roof, they eventually arrived at a large door, bolted shut. Link placed Zelda gently on the ground and unsheathed his sword, ready to break down the door. With his sword raised, he heard a small groan from Zelda.

"W-wait," she said, trying to stand. Zelda grabbed onto Link's shoulder for support and put her hand to her head. "I do not think that my head has felt this bad ever before…" She started to fall over but steadied herself in time. "Let me do this." She grabbed Link's hand a lowered his sword. She placed her hands on the door and closed her eyes, saying something in ancient Hylian. There was a blinding flash and the door snapped in half, permitting the hero and princess to move on. "There, now, we mustn't waste any time."

Link gave a small nod and led onward to a circular room, with a grate flooring that led down several floors to a sewer and the dungeons. "Princess, we have to jump. The stairs are destroyed."

"Yes."

Link led to where they could jump and Zelda squeezed his hand tightly. "Hold on," he said suddenly, before jumping into the water below them.

The air burst at their faces and the water was cold and unwelcoming, maybe it could have been paralyzing if the drop was from higher up. Link and Zelda's heads popped up to the surface and they swam to where the passage began once more. Link helped Zelda up and they looked at the dungeons that were ahead of them.

"There are underground tunnels, or so I've been told," Zelda said softly as she began to wring out the water from her hair. "We must be careful. A lot has changed in only two years, now come." She began to run down the passageway, her feet creating a steady rhythm as they pounded against the stone floor. Her brown hair trailed behind her and she ran at full speed, running on solid ground, trudging through the murky water of the sewer, and climbing back onto dry ground again with Link following close behind.

"Link," she began, breaking the silence the was between them. "Do you know how old these dungeons are?"

"No, Princess. Why?"

"It is said that within a hundred years at the very most, the dungeons will collapse, bringing down the castle as it fell, or so the architects have told the Royal Family. Although the drop will not be far, it can be fatal to anyone who is in the dungeons or on the castle grounds."

"Princess, but-"

"For the last time, Link, call me Zelda. Or do you wish for me to simply call you Hero?"

"I am sorry, Prin- I mean Zelda. Anyways, as I was saying… Why bring up this topic now? It hasn't been a hundred years, has it? It is older, is it not?"

"No. When the castle begins to fall, and it needs repairing, it will be fixed. But, when it had been fixed a hundred years ago, the architects that restored the castle to its former beauty decided to add underground dungeons, which, unfortunately, were not very stable, so they were predicted to fall in one hundred years at the most."

"Why didn't they just repair it at the time?"

"Link…" Zelda halted and turned around to face the green clad hero. "We haven't much time. Even if we are losing the war the enemy will not be able to claim this kingdom for it is about to fall." She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I am sorry if I come on a bit too strong, but I must get right to the point: We will die if we don't get out of here in time."

Link's eyes widened and he sprinted past Zelda, grabbing her hand and pulling her onward as he did so. "Then come on!" He led her to a dead end and they looked up. "Well, there is a hole up there but-"

"Hold on," said Zelda, beginning to ready Farore's Wind to transport them upward.

"Wait, Zelda, I have said before-"

"Ready!" She grabbed hold of Link and they warped upward. Once they were standing next to hole, Link collapsed to the ground, saying something about dizziness.

Zelda simply pulled him up and they continued onward to a clearing where great stone pillars were scattered along the ground, broken. The air smelled musty and an uneasy air was about the place.

"The underground tunnels…" Zelda breathed out heavily. "They haven't been used forever. But, although the main passage is destroyed and jagged, a second one is in better conditions than this one."

"Nice to know," Link said under his breath. "But, shouldn't we hurry?"

Zelda nodded and walked over to a bare wall. She placed her hands on it and the Triforce of Wisdom on her hand began to glow blindingly. Link squinted his eyes and saw the wall slowly disappear before them. He looked awestruck at the princess and she began to run once more. Link's eyes widened once he fully understood what was occurring and took off after Zelda.

On and on they ran, hoping that they could escape from whatever was attacking. Yes, they did not even know who was attacking the kingdom of Hyrule and winning. Over the past three years, Link had been the commander in chief for Hyrule's armies and soldiers and throughout the years they grew no longer afraid and cowardly as they did beforehand. The soldiers were strong now and Hyrule's opponent had to be all-powerful to defeat them.

Zelda stopped quickly, causing Link to almost run into her. She pointed upward where there seemed to be no end. "We must get up there." She walked over to the furthest wall and punched it, wincing as she did so. A ladder suddenly dropped and Zelda turned Link. "You go first."

Link nodded and gripped one of the ladders rungs. He began to climb and looked down at Zelda who was following. He sighed and continued upward, unsure if there even was an end.

They continued for what seemed hours and, now, both Zelda's and Link's cramped hands ached and wished for rest. Zelda's eyes widened when she thought she heard something other than Link's breathing and hers as well. Something other than the creaking of the old ladder and the footsteps on the rungs. "Link?" she asked eventually when the noise began to continue on. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Listen."

Link and Zelda paused on the ladder and they listened for the unknown. A small cracking noise could be heard but that was it.

"Did you hear it?"

"Um, yes? If that is all then-"

"No! Link, that crack, where did it come from?" she asked. Link looked down at her with a blank, confused expression but then his eyes widened. "Hurry up, Link!" Zelda called to him, her voice echoing off the stone walls. They then continued to climb faster, ignoring the pain in their hands. Suddenly, Zelda let out a squeal of fear and a large crack sounded from above them. A large chunk of stone fell -barely missing them- from above.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. Now go!"

"I'm going."

Now, whenever a crack was heard, the climbing pace of the princess and hero sped up double. Far up above, a small glow of light could be seen. Zelda let out a sigh of relief and another crack was heard. A large slab of stone fell down again and they flattened themselves against the wall. The stone cut at Zelda's leg somehow and she felt blood begin to trickle slowly down her leg. She winced when she began to climb once more but, like her hands, she ignored it.

As they climbed higher and higher, the light grew brighter and brighter until it was blinding. Link climbed onto the ground and helped Zelda up after him. They stood and looked around. They were near Castle Town's eastern gate, next to the stone bridge. On Hyrule's vast fields, a visible battle raged on. Bloody swords were plunged into one Hylian soldier after another, but not one touched the opposition.

Zelda looked at Link who had pulled out his horse call and began to blow. She then looked down at herself. Her dress was damp and almost black with filth. A long tear was along the back from the rock that fell near them. The same one that cut her leg. Thinking of her wound, Zelda looked at her calf and then sighed in relief once again to see that it was not a deep cut. She frowned at her injuries and gave a small smile for it was no longer raining. Her eyes looked up again and her smile disappeared as quickly as it had come when hoof beats could be heard coming in their direction.

Epona was running at a full gallop towards them, evading all of the soldiers who she ran by. The horse skid to a halt in front of the two and Link jumped on. He put out his hand to help Zelda up and she took it hastily. Epona reared but suddenly let out a neigh and she shook her head angrily.

"Come on, dammit. Go Epona!" Link said to his horse, kicking her in the sides to have her go. When she refused again, soldiers were rushing towards them on their own horses. "Ahh-"

Link was cut off by a deafening crack and a strong tremor. He turned around to face the castle and his eyes widened. Zelda then looked as well, gasping. Before their very eyes the castle of Hyrule was sinking into the ground. The great towers crashed into the ground, destroying parts of the town even. The ground began to quake madly beneath them and Epona was growing rowdier by the second.

"Epona!" Link shouted at the horse. Epona reared again and took off through the war. It was not as if they could go around the deathly fight. Zelda's hands wound around Link's chest as he drew his sword, ready to fight off any who attacked them.

She didn't know where they would go exactly, but their final destination would no longer be Hyrule. Possibly, when they were finally at safety, there would no longer be a Hyrule. Just ruins of the Golden Kingdom and remains of its inhabitants. Zelda felt tears slide down her face as she looked back at her castle once more as it sunk slowly into the ground. She was leaving her people behind to die or be tortured… That wasn't right. Did the Goddesses no longer care for the land they had created? Did they just decide to forget about Hyrule and let it die? Zelda buried her face in Link's back as she thought about the Goddesses and she whispered something that would have been a sin if her kingdom was still alive. "Damn you, Din. Damn you, Farore. And, damn you, Nayru."

A/N: Well, there you are. I really hope you liked it. In my opinion, I messed this chapter up horribly… I originally wanted to write something different but this just happened. Again, I hope you enjoyed and please review. Tell me what you thought and what I can improve because this is my first fic that I wrote myself. Thanks!