The Legend of Zelda: A Queen's Hope

[moffnat]

The threads of her dress began to loosen. Zelda stopped running, breathless and exhausted, crouching on the forest floor to take the hem of her nightgown in hand. She smoothed her thumbs over the broken stitching. One of her friends had gifted her the nightgown on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. "Every princess should feel pretty," Lady Donna had explained, "no matter what time of day it is!"

Zelda's lip began to quiver with sorrow. She had seen Lady Donna days ago, her corpse twisted apart by beasts of darkness.

They came in the night. Snarling teeth with howls that would shake even the most steeled warriors. Corruption dripped from their forms like ooze, and their eyes, their eyes, glowed red and tainted from the abyss. Zelda had known of the prophecy regarding such creatures. She'd been taught the words backwards and forwards from the moment she first showed holy ability, but nothing had prepared anyone for the timing of evil's revival. It should have been years from now. Decades.

The truth was, Zelda should have listened better to her father. And now he was dead. The monsters had seen to him first, eviscerated him before the young princess's eyes.

Everything was wrong. Hyrule had collapsed, overthrown by monstrosities in the course of a single night. The life Zelda had known was gone. The family, the friends, the sense of duty to her kingdom. Who was left? Were there still outposts throughout Hyrule, small villages and towns with no knowledge of what had happened? How fast would the corruption spread?

How much longer until Zelda was the princess of nothing at all?

She collapsed to her knees and wept. Her unstitched gown was of little consequence now, in the face of certain doom. Zelda cried until there were no more tears to be shed, no more fluids inside her to spare, and she fell asleep curled up beside a tree, unsure if she would wake.

 

[Griff]

He could feel the ice-cold droplets pierce through the linen of his cloak as he watched the last bit of life fade from his eyes..

He was gone.
​

He pondered those last few moments in a dream-like state, sky-blue hues staring out into the wilderness surrounding him. The ever-pressing rainfall and looming mist was enough to invoke the dreadful sense of déjà vu as memories of the fateful day returned to him; something he had forgotten long ago.

Or at least, he tried to forget.

The hylian took a glance at the sky; night would soon be upon them. He sat up from his resting place under one of the many large, older trees. He took a few steps toward his mare; her snow-white mane flowed intensely with the violent winds, which only continued to pick up with the storm. He placed a hand upon the side of her head, gently petting her dark brown fur, which still felt slightly damp. After mounting his steed, they headed off into the mist on the way to safety; on the way to home - something he wasn't sure many had still.

*****
​

The storm had only grown worse as he approached the gates of Fairwolf; lightning flashed across the now blackened sky, striking a frenzied panic in his mare, which nearly sent him flying into the darkness. There were two guards that manned the front gate, dressed in shabby leather armor and clutching their worn spears tightly.

"He's one of us, let him in!" he could hear a voice shout from the other side of the gate. He rode into the small village after the path was clear, commanding his mare to come to a halt once they were within the surrounding palisade walls. He dismounted, huffing a sigh of relief; he was safe, if even for a fleeting moment.

"Link!" a familiar, gruff voice called from his side. The boy turned to see the hulking figure of what he perceived to be his mentor ever since his arrival a few months back. "You're just in time!" Felix hustled his muscular form over to the young hylian. "How did things go out there?" he asked, voice filled with both hope and concern. Link grabbed one of the many packs strapped to the mare, before quickly handing it over. The man unwrapped the pack, examining the many different colored herbs that it contained. Even in the dim, one could still see his the joyous look on his face as he observed the contents. He closed the pack, laughing a humble laugh before placing a large hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're a lifesaver, Link." Link shifted somewhat uncomfortably, as he only grew colder by the minute.

"Listen," he mentioned as he stowed the pack of herbs away. "Elinor's got her hands full from earlier today. One of the patrols pulled in another; lass has had her lights out since they found her. She's not terrible shape by the looks of it, but still needs to be looked after tonight." Link nodded as he took a two more pouches from the horse.

"Where is she?" the boy asked in a soft, composed tone.

"Your place," Felix replied, seemingly a bit sheepish at the fact. "That's where the bloody dullards decided to put her - no room in the clinic, they said." It didn't seem to phase Link however, as he simply nodded while continuing to retrieve his supplies. "Here," he continued, "Let me take Epona in for you; it's the least I can do." The hylian smiled in appreciation while the towering figure lead the horse in the direction of the stables.

Then he was alone, surrounded by the sounds of the village and rainfall. He gathered himself before heading in the direction of his home, which took the form of a medium-sized, humble structure placed upon a tree near the outskirts of the village. He thought it odd, how the patrolmen had decided his home would be best fit for this patient. He supposed the climb wasn't enough of a deterrent.

Link entered the warm confines of his home. The main room was well furnished; a small stove resided in one of the corners, placed near a few cabinets that each contained a variety of different cooking ingredients and spices. A circular, oak table made for two took a spot near the center of the room. The walls were decorated with framed paintings and hung lanterns, which lit up the interior with a cozy vibe. Opposite the stove there resided a shelf, littered with books of many different topics. This was home; a bit of a respite from the horrors that now lurked in the outside world.

Link doffed his cloak, resting it upon the wooden coat hanger that sat next to the entrance. He approached the doorway near the back of the room. A small hallway that hooked to the right led to the bedroom.

Sure enough, someone was there; a girl, blond, only a few years younger than him if he were to guess, and still unconscious by the look of it. Link knelt beside her and began to tend to her wounds, however minor they were; merely a few cuts and scrapes. It took him just under half and hour before he applied the final bandage, wrapped firmly around the girl's arm.

It was strange, though - she seemed familiar in some way.

He would have to ponder the thought later, however. His body had grown terribly fatigued overtime. The hylian carefully looked over her one more time, making sure he hadn't missed anything. Once done, he headed back out into the main room, taking a seat on a comfortable, olive-colored arm chair next to his bookshelf.

Link closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds of cackling flames and the still raging storm, until eventually drifting off into a deep sleep.

 

[moffnat]

Slowly, reluctantly, Zelda awoke. Her sleep had been deep and dreamless. In her heart, Zelda had hoped that such a sleep would ease the pain welling up inside her, so sharp and sudden that she bled within. But it was not to be. The sorrow haunted her the moment she opened her eyes and refused to leave. She was not a girl who succumbed much to sadness before, preferring to stay jovial in the face of opposition and stress, but this was... different. Everything, everyone she knew before was dead. There was no returning to the old life.

Mourning as she was, her surroundings gave her pause. She sat up. The bed was... comfortable. Zelda lifted her arm and noticed a bandage. Someone had treated her wounds? Or, rather, someone had touched her in her sleep?

She didn't like this. Zelda couldn't reasonably say her life was in danger here, but after the things she'd witnessed, it was better safe than sorry. She carefully crawled out of bed and crept into the hallway. Morning light bled in from the windows -- how long had she been sleeping? -- and illuminated the modest yet comfortable home. Nothing looked evil here. She took slow, steady steps into the main living area, looking around cautiously for signs of life.

A floorboard creaked behind her. Out of fear, Zelda whirled around, balls of dangerous white fire emanating in her hands. "Who are you?" she demanded to the stranger, "and where am I? Tell me or I'll hurt you!"

 

[Griff]

Link had stared out the small, circular window out into the hamlet below. His bright blue eyes would glance at the occasional passerby. It was a shabby way to pass time, but his thoughts were too sporadic and unfocused due to the groggy feeling for a reading session, and he thought it not to be the brightest idea to leave his home; he didn't know how the blond residing in his bed would react when she woke up in a strange, new place.

He had always loved the sounds of Fairwolf during the morning hours; the birds chirping, occasional chatter between the citizens, and overall the entirety of the village itself waking up to tackle the day ahead, a task that was only going to become more difficult as the days passed by.

He wondered - were things ever going to be the same?

Link's thoughts were interrupted by the creaking of floorboards from below. She was awake! And walking just fine, it seemed. He sat up from his spot surrounded by boxes and other forgotten items from over the years. He made his way down a sturdy ladder leading into the living room.

He could immediately feel the heat emanating from the magical flames against the skin of his face. Link jolted in surprise as he backed up against the wall more than he already had been. He put his hands in the air, empty palms clearly visible - he had never felt so vulnerable in his life. He took in a deep breath. "You're in Fairwolf - a little lumber town East of Faron," he explained as clearly as he could muster under the intense pressure; even though danger had been staring at him point-blank, his voice managed to remain calm and composed, his image expressing identical emotions.

"You can call me Link."

 

[moffnat]

Fairwolf? That name struck a bell. Zelda had to reach into the recesses of her memory to find the source. A lumber town east of Faron -- yes, that sounded right. On the far edges of Hyrule. Perhaps this place remained untainted, somehow. It was all she could hope for.

"Link?" Zelda repeated softly. Her hands lowered, the flames in her palms diminishing to nothing. There wasn't a single thing she could find threatening about the man before her. He was young, not much older than her, and yet painfully familiar for a stranger...

The sudden surge of magic left her exhausted. Her body wasn't quite ready for that level of excitement, it seemed. Zelda pressed her hand against the wall to stay standing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm not normally so jumpy, I promise." A weak smile passed her lips. "I'm guessing it was you who helped me?" she questioned, motioning to the bandage on her arm.

Zelda wasn't sure why, but something deep inside commanded her to trust him.