Chapter 01: Link and Zelda
The princess put down her book and sighed.
"Oh, Link, you really should pay more attention!" she declared gently. She was too kind, besides the fact that they'd been best friends since birth, and couldn't chastise him well. However, he barely needed it.
"Zelda, why do read all that anyway?" he asked in the same tone.
"For all we know, you could be the hero!" she declared.
"Why would there be a need for one in these times? The most heroic thing I've ever done is rescue my sister's telescope when it fell down a toilet! And then, I got a medal!" he smiled at her. Seventeen years of knowing one another made sure that they had thousands of memories between the two.
Zelda laughed at that memory. Aryll, seven years younger than Link, had actually cut out a paper medal for him and had idolized him ever since.
"Yes, I remember," she continued laughing.
"Anyway, there are several reasons why I couldn't be the great hero. First of all, Hyrule's not in peril right now. Second of all, about half the boys in my class are named Link and wear green," he finished.
"Still, it's nice to imagine," she replied.
"You imagine too much, dear Zelda," he told her gravely. "Now come on. I want you to come to the Dojo with me today. If I win the match, I'll graduate!"
Link trained at the Dojo of the Blade Brothers, as he'd been doing for about seven years now. The brothers were pretty cool, but they were so tough on their students. Particularly Swiftblade and Swiftblade the First. Well, Zelda was unsure if Swiftblade the First even counted. He was dead, after all.
Link heaved Zelda to her feet and took her outside, to where Epona was waiting. They both hopped on, and Link went as fast as he dared. Zelda loved the speed. On the way, they waved to Anju, the cuckoo lady, as most people called her. She and her mother, and her grandmother, and her grandmother's mother, and so on, had been selling cuckoos in Hyrule Castle Town supposedly longer than Hyrule town had been around, which she was very proud of.
As Link dashed to the Dojo, he found to his surprise that Aryll was waiting for him outside. He also noticed that she had Beth, Talo, Malo, and Colin with her. These four were from Ordon village, and, like all Ordonians, were extremely proud of this fact. After all, the last known hero known as Link had been from there. However, the Kokiri claimed that they were more important. Not only did the great Hero of Time hail from Kokiri Forest, but so did the great protectress of the forest, Saria. But the Ordonians didn't care.
Link could also see that Malon, his friend from Lon Lon ranch, and her father, Talon, were there as well. Lon Lon ranch didn't really have anything of interest when visited, but the milk that was produced from there was so good, people jokingly warned other people that it was the most addicting stuff in Hyrule. Malon had tried to interest Link in some once, but he'd never had any.
"All of you are here to watch me fight and probably lose against that whiny kid from Kokiri forest?" Link asked, incredulous.
"Yep," Beth smiled. "And Renado and Luda are here as well!" Renado smiled at Link, and Luda bowed.
"I don't think you'll lose," Renado spoke wisely. "You're seventeen, and have been training here since age ten."
"Yeah. Mido has too," Link warned.
"You'll win, Link!" declared Colin obstinately. Much like Aryll, he practically worshipped Link.
Reassured by his friends, Link entered the Dojo.