The Legend of Zelda (and Link)

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OrganicPsycho

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Link swung the axe one last time. With an almighty 'thud', the tree hit the ground.
"That's the easy part..." he muttered to himself.
Having trained himself with a sword since he could remember, using an axe wasn't terribly difficult.
He promptly started chopping it up for firewood. His village was a tiny little place on the edge of this forest. They called it the Faron Woods. Rumour was that at one time, a race of people known as the 'Kokiri' had lived here. But that was way back in the era of the Hero of Time. Today it was just full of birds and trees ripe for cutting down. As for his village, it was almost weird for the young, blonde haired boy. There were some children, but they were 13 or younger. He was the only older teenage male, so he was sent to do all the hard work that some of the adults didn't want to do. He had thought from time to time that he should feel incensed by this, but he was happy to help. Such was his nature.

Having finished chopping the wood, it was time to transport it back to the village. Thankfully one of the residents owned a beautiful, earthy brown mare that went by the name of Epona. Link had been riding Epona since he was about 7, and she trusted him completely. He loaded up the wood and set off for the village. There was no rush, and today was a beautiful day, so he decided to ride slowly. Link gazed up at the blazing Sun. It hit him right in the eyes, so he held his left hand up to cover his eyes. For the most minute of moments, he could almost have sworn he saw a triangle pattern on the back of his hand. Putting it down to tiredness, he carried on towards the village, looking forward to a hard earned rest.



[[Hope this is enough =/
I wasn't sure whether you were making Zelda a princess or a regular Jo like in SS so I left out any mention of her or any of Hyrule beyond Faron so you can detail whatever of it you wanted]]
 
Sun was streaming through the windows, bouncing off the needle in her hand and casting odd lights across the ceiling. Anyone that needed needlework done often came to Zelda, as she was swift and light-of-hand. She set down the skirt she had just finished re-hemming, brushed down her own bright clothing to remove any strands of string, and slipped out the door. She knew that Link would be returning some time soon; she liked meeting him outside the village occasionally, just to have a few quiet moments together.

The village was separated from the forest by a boundary of trees. Light filtered softly through layer upon layer of green leaves, a pathway illuminated by the many shafts of golden sun that pierced the thinner layers. Zelda tiptoed past the rough boundary, wandering along the dirt path. Line after line of trees gave way quickly, revealing the silhouette of the man she'd been looking for. She smiled brightly and stepped into his path.

"Long day?"

((don't worry, you're fine ^^ I'm not so hot at intros x.x;;))
 
If there was a single person in all of Hyrule that could brighten Link's day, it was the girl standing before him. He and Zelda had been friends forever. She was the only other person in the village his age too. People often joked they were like an old married couple, but for some reason, he never minded.
"You have no idea" he said, returning her smile.
The few remaining beads of sweat from the morning work now gleamed in the Sun's fierce light. Link climbed down off of Epona so he could walk the remainder of the way beside Zelda.
"I hear the Mayor's been preparing wildly for me. I still don't know about this little 'trip' he has planned"

About a week ago, the Mayor had approached Link. He needed something delivered to the Goron Elder. The Goron's were a mighty race, though Link had only heard of them. He had never ventured far beyond the forest, save any adventuring he and Zelda might have done when they were younger. To think he would actually get to travel to, and meet a member of another race that inhabited the lands was thrilling to him. As it had transpired, a man of some dark description had launched some kind of brutal assault against the Gorons. The rocks from the landslide had proved too tough for them to break through, and they had been cut off from their supply of Bombs. Fortunately, nearby in the woods, a strange substance grew that was quite volatile when set alight. The Mayor had been carefully gathering a supply of it, and it was Link's duty to deliver it. It wouldn't be easy though. If something happened to the bag, it could easily explode and take him with it. He was nervous to say the least. The only thing that seemed to comfort Link, aside from getting to meet the Goron's, was the knowledge that he would get to return to Zelda and regail her with his great tale of bravery and hardships. He had jokingly nicknamed it 'The Legend of Link'.


[[Glad it was alright =)]]
 
Zelda stepped closer to him as they walked. Her face clouded, albeit momentarily, when Link mentioned his trip to the Goron Elder. The general gist of it had reached her ears and proceeded to worry her constantly over the last couple of days.

"You know, I sort of wish I could come with you." She smiled at him wistfully. "I'd feel much more at ease if I were with you, regardless of any danger that might pop up. I seem to recall you had a knack for finding it, even as a kid." She gazed off into the distance, seemingly caught up in thought. She was calculating the probability of being allowed to accompany her friend. It seemed rather slim, given she had rather unpolished skills when it came to self-defense and fighting in general. She was marginally better with magic, but her true skills were in delicate work. She shook her head to clear the thoughts.

"Do you think I could sweet talk the Mayor into letting me go? I think he has a soft spot for some of my cooking..." Zelda's hands clasped round Link's arm; she hung on loosely as she spoke softly into his pointed ear. She never paid much attention to personal boundaries, although it seemed that Link was one of the only people whose boundaries she risked crossing.
 
Link's cheeks went a light pink. He turned his face up to the Sun so they would be hidden. It seemed only Zelda has the ability to do this to him. Or rather, when people mentioned certain things in relation to the pair. He could remember distinctly 4 years ago. The two of them had been playing in the forest and returned to the village. Link had spoken to the Mayor who had said the two would probably be playing together in the forest for the rest of their lives. Link had asked what he had meant by that but had been met with laughter. He had walked out, annoyed by the Mayor, and four years later, had still yet to find out what he meant. He might be older and wiser, but he was completely oblivious when it came to the subject of romance, much less anything between Zelda and himself.

Link looked back at his friend and gave her a worried smile. He would have loved nothing more than her to accompany him. But the roads were dangerous, and his cargo would be even more so. As much as he loved her company, the last thing he ever wanted to see was Zelda getting hurt. So he couldn't quite make up his mind what to say to her. In the end, he settled for the truth. He had found out over the years that no matter how much it might hurt, when it came to the pair, honesty was the best policy.

Link looked right into her soft eyes. They only compelled him more to be honest with her. The fear of never gazing into them again would be too much for him to handle.
"It would be fun if you could come with, but it'll be seriously dangerous. I'd never forgive myself if you got even the tiniest of scratches"
 
For a few short instants, it seemed like Link was ignoring her, his gaze turned skyward. Zelda waited, her fingers playing up and down the sleeve of his shirt. When he turned his gaze back to her, worry was written deep in his eyes. Her heart wrenched slightly, though she smiled outwardly.
"It's sweet of you to worry, Link. You're probably right, too." She sighed; the air was much thicker now than it had been when they met, or perhaps it was her imagination, overactive as ever. Her grip on his arm tightened very slightly and she tugged him to a stop.

"If I can't go with you then you need to promise me you'll stay safe. As safe as you can, anyway." She laced the fingers of one hand with his. She glanced down at the intertwined digits, her own cheeks imitating Link's with a darker, almost scarlet blush. Something in Zelda had changed gradually when she watched her friend over the years, but she hadn't seen that change in Link.

The sound of Epona whinnying at the pair of them tore her from her silent and frankly far too thoughtful state.
 
Link also looked down as their hands joined. He made no effort to stop it. Something about Zelda being this close to him always made his stomach feel like there were butterflies inside of it. He had no idea what this feeling was, and he had never spoken to anyone about it before. The feeling of Zelda's soft skin against his made him smile wider and long to take her with him all that much more.
"I promise you I'll be as safe as I can. I'll be safe anyway, but for you I'll be extra safe."
And he was telling the truth. Usually whenever he said he would be safe on a trip, he made a conscious effort to take the time and find some excitement before returning to the village and his normal routines, wherein the only excitement was getting to be around Zelda. But if she wanted him to be safe, something inside of him told him he would have no choice but to honour her wish.

"We should get back to the village and deliver this wood." he said, and started walking again, but not letting go of Zelda's hand.

The Mayor was waiting for them at the entrance to the village. He saw the pair holding hands and gave Zelda an inquisitive look. He was wondering if she had finally taken the plunge and told Link what a fool he was for not realising he had feelings for her. In fact, by this point, the Mayor was sure that whenever people in the village mentioned Link and Zelda, they were either saying they should be a couple, or wondering when exactly they'd become a couple.
 
As they wandered back, Zelda breathed a sigh that was equal parts relief and contentment, although the latter would be short-lived. They passed the boundary back into the village and she ducked her head for a few moments, avoiding the Mayor's questioning gaze. He was one of the many residents who seemed to wonder how long they were going to tiptoe round one another, something that Zelda was beginning to wonder herself. Still, even today was a bit of a step.

"Looks like Mayor wants to talk to you again..." She cast a sideways glance at Link. "Today might be your day." She squeezed his hand gently before letting go, throwing a warning look at the Mayor. Don't say anything, it said. Whether it would carry threat or not, she didn't know.

((Sorry for taking so long. Yesterday was... busy.))
 
The Mayor raised an eyebrow at Zelda, half tempted to defy her and tell Link himself. Yet he wouldn't, because he knew her wrath would be terrible and he would likely face some horrific punishment from both her and his wife.
"Zelda" he called out, "I need a word with both Link and yourself."

"It has transpired over the past day that the Gorons had found a village a little way to the north of the Forest. It could be accessed from the mountainous path from the Goron home, but a landslide had also blocked the lower, easier route that the people of the village might take. In return for agreeing to help them, The Gorons will clear out the rocks blocking the path. Doing so will open us a relatively peaceful route to this new town. Word has it they're seeking a few things we can provide, whilst in turn offering a few things we need. This could be the start of very valuable trade relations between us. The Elder has agreed to meet with our emissary once the Gorons have received their aide and cleared out the route for us. Unfortunately...as much as I value your adventuring skills Link, when it comes to negotiations, let's just say you're not the first person I'd turn to."

The Mayor heaved a deep sigh, wondering if Zelda had cottoned on to where he was going with this.
"That's why Link is going to take you with him, Zelda. If you'll go, I mean. You'll stick to Link like glue whilst he's delivering the volatile tree sap to the Gorons so you don't get hurt. Then the Gorons will use the sap, and then break open the route to the Village for us. then you and Link will proceed to the village and meet with their town Elder and negotiate a trade agreement for us. If of course, you'll accept being our emissary?"


[[No worries ^^. We all have busy days]]
 
Zelda's face went through a transformation as the Mayor spoke, a thoughtful expression gradually evolving into a bright smile that lit her face. "Yes!" She paused, then corrected herself with a rather embarrassed look crossing her face.
"I mean, uh, of course. I'd be glad to go. Sounds like a learning experience as well as anything else." She turned to Link as soon as she'd given her answer, rather eager to get started already.
"So, you're the expert on adventures and the like. What do I need to bring with me? Actually, do you even take anything with you?" She paused, pressing a finger to her lips as she considered this thought; her face promptly went scarlet once more as a rather inappropriate thought struck her, and she turned her eyes away from him.

"Well, I suppose I should go start... uh..." She squirmed rather visibly. "I'll go pack some essentials. If you come by in a while we can negotiate what else we're taking." She turned on her heel and scurried off to her home, rather wishing she hadn't opened her mouth in the first place. It occurred to her about a minute after she'd shut the door behind her, slid down its frame and was sitting with her face buried in her arms that she'd left Link outside alone to unload the wood. She'd feel guilty for that later...
 
Link stood there blinking, having not a clue what had just happened.
"Why...did I do something wrong?" he asked the Mayor curiously.
"No Link, you just have little understanding of the way the mind of a woman works. Welcome to the world of being a man."
Link looked even more confused than before. The Mayor sighed a little.
"You'll understand soon enough I think. When you realise just why Zelda acts differently around you."
"That I did notice, but I don't understand why..."
"You will Link. In fact, this hourney together is probably just what you need to better understand Zelda. Now go unload this wood and then pay Zelda a visit" he said, walking towards his own house.

Link stood perfectly still for a moment. It seemed everyone around him was an enigma these days. He wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination, but when it came to talking about girls, they never really told him anything. He had forever been told he would discover these things on his own. He knew he couldn't push Zelda to reveal whatever it might be that was making her act so weird, let alone what it was that made him act so differently around her.

After having unloaded the wood as quickly as he could, Link slowly walked round to Zelda's house, wondering if she would even let him in. He tentatively knocked on the door.
"Uh, Zelda, it's me. Link I mean. Can I come inside?" he asked, speaking his words gently as he knew not how she would react right now.
 
Link's voice sounded from just outside the door. Zelda sprang to her feet, fanning the last of the redness from her face and pushing her hair back into place. So much for packing. He'd been rather faster than she'd thought he would. She opened the door and gestured he should come in, closing it quickly behind him. She lived in a fairly basic house unit; kitchen-cum-dining room, single door separating that and a bedchamber. Multi-coloured fabrics and paintings brightened the room. She'd very clearly not actually done anything since coming home; aside from the needles and fabric still spilled over the table, the place was immaculate.

"Sorry for running off." She stepped back, brushing away the needles and taking a seat on the edge of the table. "I didn't mean to land you with that work yourself, just..." She trailed off, not sure how to explain herself. Her fingers tapped nervously against the side of the table as she glanced up at him. "Well, I'm sorry regardless." She paused for a few seconds, thinking of another direction to lead the conversation.

"I've not even started packing things up yet. I'm such an awful companion, aren't I?" She smiled at Link, laughter seeping back into her eyes. "Need a bit of a rest before we get cracking?"
 
Link looked around the small house. It was just as clean as it ever was. After all, this was hardly the first time he had visited Zelda's house.
Link walked around the table once, then sat himself beside her.
"No, you're not an awful companion." he said, giving a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about the work as well, it wasn't as much as it looked to be. As for packing, I don't mind, we could make a start now. I think the Mayor wants us to leave either tomorrow or the day after, so we'd best not leave it too long."

Link paused and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. His hand seemed to have made its way to Zelda's of it's own accord, the tips of his fingers gently sitting on and beside the tips of her fingers.
"Zelda, we've been friends for a long time. In fact, you're probably the oldest friend I have, and you were the first friend I ever made too. I trust you completely. It might seem odd that I'm saying this, but when we go, there is a good chance we might run into danger. Bokoblins have been spotted more and more in recent weeks. So if something happens...our lives might well be in each others hands. So you need to know, whatever happens to me, I trust you absolutely and completely. So you need to promise me something. It sounds horrible, but if something does happen to me, you have to protect and save yourself above and beyond me. Your safety is paramount to me, no exceptions."
 
A smile flitted across Zelda's face as Link settled next to her, his fingers brushing against her own. The smile turned into a frown as he spoke to her, however. She looked directly at him, an incredulous look in her eyes.
"The Mayor's exact words were 'stick to Link like glue'. Unless something happens and I'm utterly unable to help, I'm not leaving your side." She twisted to face him, bringing her free hand up to touch his face.

"I won't compromise my safety if there's really nothing I can do, but that's the most I can promise you. So you'll have to hope we don't run into too much in the way of danger." She paused, fingers caressing his cheek, then spoke with a slight tremor in her voice. "We better not run into a reason for me to have to leave you behind. I can't stand the thought of losing you, Link..." For a few long moments she stayed that way, gazing almost unseeingly into his eyes, then seemed to snap back to reality. She cleared her throat and retracted her hand.

Get it together, you're acting really really oddly. You're probably confusing the hell out of him.
 
Link stared into her eyes as she did to him. Something deep inside of his heart seemed to click into place, but this turn of events had struck him dumb. But Link was now wiser than before, and at long last, he realised he was falling in love with Zelda, or perhaps, he dared to imagine, he had always been in love with her, perhaps he was only just realising it? His mind was working furiously on the questions passing through. He unconsciously, though gently, grabbed her hand as she moved it away, and held it in his. For the longest time his mouth was teetering on the precipice of words, but they didn't come out. Not yet, anyway. Though if she were attentive enough, Zelda, perhaps, could have seen Link's eyes widening as he came to the long awaited realisation.

"Zelda...I," he began, after what felt like a lifetime of admiring her beautiful eyes, "I swear by the Godesses...the Triforce...I swear by my own life, nothing...nothing whatsoever will harm you. There is not a thing in this world that can change that. Especially..."
His voice faltered at the last word. His mind had settled after the dust. It was clear, whatever realisations he had come to, he wasn't yet ready to admit his feelings. But he knew the day would come eventually, and the Mayor's words had made sense at last. Perhaps indeed this trip was exactly what the pair needed after all.
 
Zelda stopped dead as Link's hand closed over her own, glancing back at him with surprise written into her face. His eyes widened. Zelda tilted her head to one side and regarded him quietly, watching the cogs in his mind turn over. He seemed hesitant when he spoke, though his words didn't match that attitude. Eventually he fell silent, trailing off mid-sentence.

"I'm glad you feel so strongly. I'll feel safe as houses with you, Link." She smiled, then began to think about rerouting the conversation. There was an air of tension that she was all too familiar with; she usually did silly things when she sat in such an atmosphere for long. She slipped her hand from his grasp and pushed herself off the edge of the table.
"Now, I think we might need to start prepping for when we need to leave. Not to put a damper on anything, but if we need to leave and we're not ready then I will be cranky." She brushed down the front of her skirt, more out of habit than anything. "I have a feeling you need to regulate what I'm taking anyway. I've never been out of the village for extended periods of time before. On the upside, if you need dinner tonight I can give you that if you help me out."
 
Link's face lit up slightly. The prospect of a dinner made by Zelda was exciting to him. He had never been much good at cooking, so the idea he might actually have half decent food on the trip made him that much more excited.
"Of course I'll help you out Zelda. And not just because I love your cooking" he laughed.
He got up from the table and walked towards her.
"We should lay out everything you want to take with you, and then we can whittle it down to what's necessary and what we might be able to take with as extra. We'll have Epona with us, so there should be room for a few luxuries too."

Link looked out through the window and saw the Sun beginning to sink beyond the horizon. How it had gotten so late already was beyond him.
"We could do that now if you'd like? Then I'll run back to mine and pack my belongings. I'll then bring over the bag for you so we can pack yours, and then any luxuries we think we might want to take with us. If you're willing, I'd love if you could make us dinner whilst I'm off packing?"
Somehow, the prospect of sitting and eating dinner with Zelda, just the two of them by candle-light, seemed to get him a little more excited than usual.
 
Zelda giggled quietly at the light which passed over Link's face at the mention of dinner. She made a mental note that she'd need to make a special effort to match his enthusiasm. She normally just threw something simple together and that was good enough; for all her love of cooking, there wasn't much satisfaction in making anything complex for herself. She tucked the thoughts of food away for later, returning to the task at hand as Link strode towards her.

"I think it's probably a good idea to get started at least. It's not like there's much else to do tonight." She twirled a lock of hair round her index finger. "As far as I figure it, the essentials are food, water and bedding, correct? I'd imagine you're bringing weaponry, and we'll need clothes-" She broke off suddenly, the thoughts from earlier brought back to the front of her mind by association.

"Link, what're we going to do about clothes when we're out? Hide behind Epona to change or something? I mean if it's not safe to wander off..." The blush returned with a vengeance, painting itself vividly across her cheeks. She blustered to defend herself before he could even answer. "I know it's a silly question, it's probably completely unrelated, but you know, I have to think about it. I know I'll need to worry about it sometime, so might as well do it now."




[[I just completed the game! *squeal* Loved it sooooo much <3 I've not played a game that gave me shivers down my spine in forever <3]]
 
Link's eyes blinked rapidly, this time taking a notice of her blush, though not quite sure what to say in response.
"I...well...uh..."
He paused for another few moments as the question stumped him. Alone, it had never been an issue. Suddenly the logistics of having Zelda with him were becoming all too real.
"I guess using Epona as a wall seems like the most logical thing to do. Of course we'll have to trust each other not to look"
Link's cheeks became as red as Zelda's a moment after he realised exactly what he had said.
"I mean not that I would peep of course! I mean not that I wouldn't want to! I just...um..."
He turned and walked rapidly to the door.
"I'll go pack, see you in a bit" he said hurriedly and rushed out of the house without another word.

The moment he reached his house, he slammed the door shut and banged his head against the wall for a few times.
"Link, what IS your problem?" he sighed to himself.
Link became lost in thought.
Why am I acting so strange right now? I need to keep my head together for this trip. If I mess up I'll be letting everyone down, and Zelda too. She's so looking forward to this...


[[Woooo! It really is an awesome game xD
Glad you got to play it ^^
I'm working on my 100% run right now, which is probably why there's more of a gap between my replies X_X
If you can get a hold of them, I seriously recommend you play Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. If you have a 3DS, definitely get OoT for it!
And I LOVE Link's comment about the peeping, I couldn't resist xD]]
 
Zelda stared at the door for a minute or so after Link rushed off, their conversation doing a speedy replay in her head. She took it as a bad thing that she wasn't sure whether to be flattered or scandalised by his words, and a worse thing that she was leaning towards some form of flattered. She shook the thoughts away once more, wandering into her kitchen and rolling her sleeves up. If it was only perishables and clothes they were to take she could just pack in the morning. She was better off starting to cook, knowing Link.

Not too much later, Zelda's hair was falling from a haphazard bun into a slightly flushed face as she worked. The heat from the oven was washing over everything, being one of the wood-burning type that cooked things slowly. She sighed and brushed the hair from her face, hearing the satisfying sound of burgers sizzling inside it. She leant back against one of the countertops, watching the oven with an eagle eye. The smell of the burgers and thick homemade fries was curling round her house. She'd thrown together salad in a bowl on the counter and picked a few lettuce leaves out at random to nibble on. She always felt guilty if she didn't include something that at least pretended to be healthy.


((I've got both those, yeah. It's been a while since I tried OoT: Master Quest though, so I might pull that back out too ^^ I should totally go back and get the 100% too; I missed some of the cubes and really annoyed myself trying to figure out wtf I'd done. Not to mention heart pieces.. >>))
 
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