Where Have You Been Hiding?

Chapter One: Flashbacks and Echoes

17 years ago, Princess Zelda Hyrule was born. On that same day, her mother contracted an incurable disease, and the Princess was stolen right from the castle. A search party was sent out, of course, but there wasn't a trace. She was just... gone.

Our world is pretty big. The two forests, Kokiri and Faron, are to the south, Kakariko and Death Mountain to the east, Zora's Domain, Lake Hylia, and Snowpeak to the northwest, and the desert to the west. Not to mention the 65 plus islands surrounding the mainland and the gigantic seas. Zelda could have gone anywhere, and there just wasn't enough people to search everywhere.

A year later, Zelda's mother and Hyrule's queen, Taebryn, died from her disease. Old King Daphnes was left completely alone to keep the vast kingdom of Hyrule together.

Not only was Zelda the Princess, she was a vessel of the Goddesses. Chosen to wield the Triforce of Courage. But Zelda was gone, so nobody could know if she still possessed her bit of the Triforce- or if she was even alive. The king waited and waited outside in the grounds for years, but no little girl ever came to repel his overpowering grief and loss.

King Daphnes is sick now. The sorrow from being alone has made him ill, and his days are beginning to look numbered. Hyrule is falling apart, and there is nobody that can help him.

Except for one girl.

* * * (To the present)

"Link, look!"

"What?" I asked, being pulled from my stupor. "What is it, Ilia?"

"T-there's a girl!" she cried. "Oh my Goddess, we have to help her!"

I jumped up and followed Ilia's voice. Sure enough, a blond girl lay in the water, covered in sand and seaweed.

"What the-?"

"Link, w-what do we do? We can't just leave her like this!"

"Calm down. Let's take her back to Ordon. Maybe someone will know what to do there. We may even have to get a healer from Castle Town."

I carried the fainted girl to town on Epona, my horse. Ilia rode hers, but I had to lead Epona all the way back from the shore.

"Hello! Rusl, Pergie, Uli? Anyone? Father?" Ilia called. "We found a girl! A girl was on the shore, can anyone help her?"

Bo and Rusl carried the girl to Bo's house, and Uli, Rusl's wife, revived her.

"What's going on?" she mumbled groggily. "Gonzo? Niko? Zuko?"

"Who are you talking about?" Ilia asked. "No one here goes by those names. My name is Ilia."

"Tetra," the girl said. "Pleasure. Where's my ship and where is my crew?"

"What?"

"Tetra, you were on the sea shore," I said. "Ilia and I found you. Okay, more like just Ilia, but my horse carried you back. You're in Faron Woods, the village of Ordon."

"Mainland! But... wait... Oh no..."

Tetra slowly sat up, putting her head between her hands.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm the captain of a pirate crew," she said. "My ship is Storm Flier, and there was a massive storm... the ship was on a crash course with some rocks, and I told everyone to abandon ship. It was loud... I don't think any of them heard me..." Tetra's shoulders shook. "All of my crew are probably dead now. I'll never see them again. I can't get to Mercay to get Father's medicine... everything I know is gone now."

Uli stood up. "Shoo, all of you. Tetra needs to rest. She'll come outside when she's ready, so go!"

Ilia grabbed my hand and yanked me outside. "Come on, Link, you heard Uli."

I saw Tetra lay back down from the corner of my eye.

She was so strange. Her voice was accented in a way I had never heard before. She was from the islands, obviously, because pirates weren't really big on the mainland. So where had Tetra come from... and why did the Goddesses want her to come to Faron Woods?

* * *(An interlude)

"There's gonna be a big storm, Captain," Gonzo called out to me. "We need to head for shore!"

"As if you could tell which was is shore!" I yelled back. "What way are we facing now?"

"North, sir!"

"Well, keep headed that direction, the mainland is to the north," I said. "Keep your wits about you, we'll be fine!"

How wrong could I be?

The whirlwind of a storm practically threw my ship, Storm Flier, into the mainland of Hyrule. I had to get to Mercay Island, but it wasn't going to happen with this big storm.

Waves crashed against the sides of the ship, knocking me off my feet, while rain pounded down like hammers to a nail. The icy wind sliced against my skin, but I had to stay here for the crew. But it was no use.

We were going down.

Nobody had control of anything, let alone the ship. We were headed straight for rocks, and there wasn't a way to stop it.

"Abandon ship!" I screamed over the roars of the sea and whistles of the wind. "ABANDON SHIP!"

To this day, I have no idea if they heard me. I have no idea if I could have saved them or if it happened the way the Goddesses intended it to. All I know is that I jumped off and tried to swim while the ship stayed on its Doomsday course. It wasn't long before I was pulled under the icy black waves, sinking down and losing my sense of direction.

Which way was up?

I fought to go where I thought was up until my world went black and I knew no more.

Not-So-Short Author's Note: And another new story! The interlude was originally before the Ilia and Link part, but I didn't like it there so I italicized it and made it like a flashback after fixing Link's little inner monologue.

I'll finish Left to Fate. I swear I will. I was playing Twilight Princess today and this came to me, so I had to write it. I have the whole idea in my fancy Idea List word document for reference, and so everything is all planned out. So as soon as I finish LtF, I won't have lost the plot bunnies for this story. They're in a cage and not in my sock. XD

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are so appreciated, I'll reply to each one! (Unless you're a guest reader, then I'll mention you in the Author's Note. Just give me a name to call you!)

Peace out!

*Zabria Rose*