The Legend of Zelda
The Dark Side of the Light
Chapter 1
Shadow descended on the Purest Place in Hyrule. If anyone could consider the hearts of children pure. Children that never grow. Children that cannot leave their home, for they will face certain death. Children that live...Forever. The forest of the Kokiri Children was overcome by a terrifying darkness. A figure, cloaked in black, with no visible face, attacked the unsuspecting children. The pure hearts of the children were ripped out one by one, by this unknown terror. One by one the children were killed, begging and pleading for their young endless lives. And the evil, which had descended upon them without warning, filled their now empty, lifeless bodies. They were no longer children. Their bodies had grown to adulthood, with the evil growing inside of them. They were neither dead nor alive. They were no longer pure of heart. They were the lost souls of evil. All except one. One whose body had grown with the evil that hung so dense in the air, but the pure of her heart remained inside of her. She had somehow, escaped when no one else did.
Link sat at the end of the Royal Family's long dining table, in Hyrule Castle. He was leaning back in a wooden chair, his feet propped up on top of the table, moving to the beat of the tune he played on his ocarina. His eyes were closed as he played the fast melody, that his life long friend, Saria had once taught him almost nine years ago. He was alone in the large dining room, so that each note he played echoed loudly off of the stonewalls.
When Link was not expecting it, a young woman entered the room. Her long lavender dress trailed behind her. And her long, pale golden hair fell loosely, yet gracefully over her shoulders, and her blue eyes were bright, pure, and blue in color. Link didn't seem to notice, as Princess Zelda walked soundlessly to where he sat. She reached for the ocarina, and yanked it from his lips, suddenly stopping the cheery song. Caught by surprise, Link's eyes flew open, and the chair tilted back too far, from his weight. He let out a startled cry, as he fell backwards in the chair, and onto the stone floor. The wooden chair clattered noisily as it hit the floor, and Link had a shocked expression across his face.
Zelda laughed at Link's stupidity, as he moaned, and stood up, rubbing his head where it had hit the floor. He looked at her, irritated, and lifted the chair back to its proper position, as Zelda stared up at him innocently. She grabbed his hand, forcing him to open it, and set the ocarina on his open palm, giggling childishly. "Sorry." She said, smiling. A small smile broke over Link's face. "Now, is that any way for a princess to act?" Zelda rolled her eyes, and groaned, annoyed. She pulled his hat right off of his head, and pulled him down to her own eyelevel, for she only came to just above his shoulders. She lightly took his face into her hands, and kissed the top of his head, ruffling his dirty blonde hair. She released his face, allowing him to straighten up. "Would that be more of the way a princess should act?" She smiled widely, setting the hat onto her own head, pulling it down over her eyes. He shrugged slightly "Your behavior is getting a little better." He teased, the way a boy would do to his younger sister. He pulled the hat up correctly on her head, reveling her bright, and happy eyes. He laughed at her innocent expression. It much reminded him of the children of Kokiri Forest, which was once his home. Zelda looked into his laughing blue eyes, watching his face intently. It was flawless. From his smooth, pink cheeks, to his slender, pointed ears, to her he was perfect. They stood, staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until someone made a stifled coughing noise behind them.
Link turned sharply around, to see a young girl with long bright red- orange hair, which hung down her back. It was Malon. The daughter of the owner of the only ranch in Hyrule. Talon, her father, and owner of Lon Lon ranch, had recently fallen ill, and Malon was put in charge of all the daily chores, on top of that, taking care of her father.
"Excuse me Princess." She curtsied respectfully. "Have I caught you at a bad time?" She glanced at Link, who was reaching for his hat, but Zelda was quickly pulling away from him. "No, no. Not at all." She said, ducking away from Link's grabbing hand. "I came to deliver the weekly supply of Lon Lon Milk, My Lady." Malon nervously rubbed her hands together, keeping her gaze toward the stone floor. "A young woman is being rejected entrance into the castle. She was crying something fierce, and demanding to see Link." Link swung his hand around, finally grabbing his hat, and set it back on his head. "Who is it?" He asked, not seeming too interested at that particular moment. Malon shook her head. "No idea. She said she would only speak with you." Zelda looked up at Link, who's brow furrowed in frustration, thinking of whom it might be.
"Where is this girl?" He asked, the subject now seeming to catch his interest. Malon raised her gaze, to finally meet Link's eyes. "She's sitting right outside the market. I think she might sit there all day waiting for you, the way she was acting." Link nodded, told Zelda he would be right back, and waving his thanks to Malon as he hurriedly walked out the door, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Each guard outside the castle bid Link a good day as he walked past. One guard, standing by the gates to the castle courtyard, stopped Link to talk to him. "Some girl be wanting to talk with you, sir." He said in a hushed voice. "She was rather hysterical, She was crazy I say." Link nodded in response, as the guard opened the gate for him.
Link stopped at the path leading into the market, when he saw a young woman sitting in the dirt, on the ground. Her knees were gathered up to her chest, and her head lay on top of her knees as she rocked gently back and forth. Her long, bright green hair flowed slightly in the afternoon breeze. Her forest green dress was tattered terribly, almost shredded, and was stained darkly with blood. "Excuse me..." Link said quietly. The young woman looked up at Link with dull blue eyes. She had obviously recently been crying. Link gasped. Even though this woman's eyes were dull and expressionless, he knew those eyes. This was a very beat up, very grown up, Saria.
"Saria..." Link kneeled down beside her. "What happened to you? You- Your wounded." Blood ran down the side of her head, dark against her bright hair. "Not only that." She said in a defeated voice. It was much more a woman's voice, than the child's voice that Link had once known. "I'm...older. I was never supposed to grow. All of them. All of the Kokiris are like this, but they're...different. The evil. The evil has...has..." Her voice faded and she didn't finish her sentence. She fell over onto Link, exhausted and beaten. He held her in his arms, her head leaning on his chest, looking down at her. He gently moved a lock of hair away from her face with his fingertips. How strange the adult face looked to him. But nonetheless, she was beautiful. He shook the thought from his head, and stood up, cradling her against his chest. He turned and ran back toward the castle, fearful of what had happened to the innocent children of Kokiri Forest.
Priests and royal attendants stopped and stared, as Link ran past with the strange, injured girl in his arms. He followed the bright red carpet that trailed endlessly down winding hallways through the castle. Link turned a corner too sharply, in a frantic hurry, and fell over hard onto his side. A sharp pain shot through his leg, from the contact with the hard floor. He cried out, more surprised than in pain, and pulled himself up, forcing himself to continue running. Now breathing heavily, he turned another corner, and ran right into Princess Zelda. "Oh, Link. There you are." Zelda said, taking a small step backward. Link stood, his knees slightly bent, with Saria's limp body in his arms. Zelda let out a startled gasp, clamping her hand softly over her mouth. "Sh-She's hurt." Link said, not thinking before he spoke. Zelda nodded, and motioned for him to follow her. She swiftly turned around, her golden hair and satin dress, flowing elegantly behind her.
They swiftly walked down an empty hallway, lined with wooden doors. Zelda stopped at one of the doors, and turned to Link, her finger across her lips, in a gesture for him to be quiet. Link nodded, as she opened the door slowly and quietly, peeking in. The room wasn't occupied. She opened the door fully. It creaked softly as she did so.
This was a royal guest room, Link thought to himself, laying Saria down on the large bed. The bed was draped with heavy, velvet curtains, that hung beautifully over the bed, to serve as a canopy. Link looked around the room, after he knew Saria was comfortable on the feather-soft bed. It was brightly lit, with sun filtering in through two stain glass windows, high up on the walls. Different colors danced around the room, giving it a peaceful look, a welcoming look. Zelda turned back to the door. "I will be right back." She said, disappearing into the hallway. Link dragged a wooden chair, with velvet cushioning, from a table, and set it by Saria's bed. He sank heavily into it, leaning his elbows on his knees, and resting his chin in his hands. He watched Saria's pale face. Questions flew through his mind, as he watched the unfamiliar girl, who was his childhood friend. How did this happen? Who did it? What happened to the other children of Kokiri Forest?
Zelda walked back into the room, closing the door softly behind her. She carried a bowl of wine, an old rag, dripping with water, and a dry rag. She sat at the edge of the bed, setting the dry rag and the bowl of wine on a polished, bedside table. She gently wiped the sleeping Saria's face with the damp cloth, cleaning the dirt, and blood from her cuts. Saria groaned quietly in her sleep. Zelda folded up the cloth, and set it on the table, grabbing the bowl and dry cloth. She dipped the cloth into the wine, and set it on a rather large cut, on Saria's temple, to sterilize the deep wound. Saria cried out in pain, but her eyes remained closed. Link didn't like to see Saria in so much pain. Zelda ran the cloth over the other cuts, until she was satisfied.
She picked up the water-damp cloth and folded it onto Saria's forehead. "She should be okay now." Zelda said looking up at Link. She smiled sweetly and stood up. "I guess you shall want to stay here?" Link nodded. "I shall call upon the castle doctor to check up on her." She said, turning to leave the room. "Wait...Zelda?" Link halted her before she could leave. Zelda turned her head around, to look back at him. "..Thank you." He said after a hesitant pause. Her smile widened slightly, her eyes lighting up happily, as she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
* * * *
Saria opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurry at first, as she looked around the dimly lit room. She blinked a few times, focusing her vision. Moonlight flooded through stain glass windows, and washed the room in a pale light. A candle burned low on a table beside her bed. She looked to her other side. Link sat in a wooden chair, his arms crossed, and his head bowed. He was softly snoring. Saria thought, he looked very much like a child in his sleep. Innocent.
She sat up. Her body ached all over and her face stung terribly. The folded cloth on her forehead, now dry, fell onto her lap. She threw it aside, turned and set her feet lightly on the stone floor, realizing that they were bare. She spotted her worn boots sitting by the door. She stood up, her legs a bit shaky, and she walked slowly, and weakly toward the door. She turned the knob, opening it halfway, looking back at the sleeping young man. She had never realized how much she had missed him while he had been gone. A pain hit her hard, like a knife at her chest. She wished she could have spent more time with him, and was glad that she had come.
The Dark Side of the Light
Chapter 1
Shadow descended on the Purest Place in Hyrule. If anyone could consider the hearts of children pure. Children that never grow. Children that cannot leave their home, for they will face certain death. Children that live...Forever. The forest of the Kokiri Children was overcome by a terrifying darkness. A figure, cloaked in black, with no visible face, attacked the unsuspecting children. The pure hearts of the children were ripped out one by one, by this unknown terror. One by one the children were killed, begging and pleading for their young endless lives. And the evil, which had descended upon them without warning, filled their now empty, lifeless bodies. They were no longer children. Their bodies had grown to adulthood, with the evil growing inside of them. They were neither dead nor alive. They were no longer pure of heart. They were the lost souls of evil. All except one. One whose body had grown with the evil that hung so dense in the air, but the pure of her heart remained inside of her. She had somehow, escaped when no one else did.
Link sat at the end of the Royal Family's long dining table, in Hyrule Castle. He was leaning back in a wooden chair, his feet propped up on top of the table, moving to the beat of the tune he played on his ocarina. His eyes were closed as he played the fast melody, that his life long friend, Saria had once taught him almost nine years ago. He was alone in the large dining room, so that each note he played echoed loudly off of the stonewalls.
When Link was not expecting it, a young woman entered the room. Her long lavender dress trailed behind her. And her long, pale golden hair fell loosely, yet gracefully over her shoulders, and her blue eyes were bright, pure, and blue in color. Link didn't seem to notice, as Princess Zelda walked soundlessly to where he sat. She reached for the ocarina, and yanked it from his lips, suddenly stopping the cheery song. Caught by surprise, Link's eyes flew open, and the chair tilted back too far, from his weight. He let out a startled cry, as he fell backwards in the chair, and onto the stone floor. The wooden chair clattered noisily as it hit the floor, and Link had a shocked expression across his face.
Zelda laughed at Link's stupidity, as he moaned, and stood up, rubbing his head where it had hit the floor. He looked at her, irritated, and lifted the chair back to its proper position, as Zelda stared up at him innocently. She grabbed his hand, forcing him to open it, and set the ocarina on his open palm, giggling childishly. "Sorry." She said, smiling. A small smile broke over Link's face. "Now, is that any way for a princess to act?" Zelda rolled her eyes, and groaned, annoyed. She pulled his hat right off of his head, and pulled him down to her own eyelevel, for she only came to just above his shoulders. She lightly took his face into her hands, and kissed the top of his head, ruffling his dirty blonde hair. She released his face, allowing him to straighten up. "Would that be more of the way a princess should act?" She smiled widely, setting the hat onto her own head, pulling it down over her eyes. He shrugged slightly "Your behavior is getting a little better." He teased, the way a boy would do to his younger sister. He pulled the hat up correctly on her head, reveling her bright, and happy eyes. He laughed at her innocent expression. It much reminded him of the children of Kokiri Forest, which was once his home. Zelda looked into his laughing blue eyes, watching his face intently. It was flawless. From his smooth, pink cheeks, to his slender, pointed ears, to her he was perfect. They stood, staring at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until someone made a stifled coughing noise behind them.
Link turned sharply around, to see a young girl with long bright red- orange hair, which hung down her back. It was Malon. The daughter of the owner of the only ranch in Hyrule. Talon, her father, and owner of Lon Lon ranch, had recently fallen ill, and Malon was put in charge of all the daily chores, on top of that, taking care of her father.
"Excuse me Princess." She curtsied respectfully. "Have I caught you at a bad time?" She glanced at Link, who was reaching for his hat, but Zelda was quickly pulling away from him. "No, no. Not at all." She said, ducking away from Link's grabbing hand. "I came to deliver the weekly supply of Lon Lon Milk, My Lady." Malon nervously rubbed her hands together, keeping her gaze toward the stone floor. "A young woman is being rejected entrance into the castle. She was crying something fierce, and demanding to see Link." Link swung his hand around, finally grabbing his hat, and set it back on his head. "Who is it?" He asked, not seeming too interested at that particular moment. Malon shook her head. "No idea. She said she would only speak with you." Zelda looked up at Link, who's brow furrowed in frustration, thinking of whom it might be.
"Where is this girl?" He asked, the subject now seeming to catch his interest. Malon raised her gaze, to finally meet Link's eyes. "She's sitting right outside the market. I think she might sit there all day waiting for you, the way she was acting." Link nodded, told Zelda he would be right back, and waving his thanks to Malon as he hurriedly walked out the door, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Each guard outside the castle bid Link a good day as he walked past. One guard, standing by the gates to the castle courtyard, stopped Link to talk to him. "Some girl be wanting to talk with you, sir." He said in a hushed voice. "She was rather hysterical, She was crazy I say." Link nodded in response, as the guard opened the gate for him.
Link stopped at the path leading into the market, when he saw a young woman sitting in the dirt, on the ground. Her knees were gathered up to her chest, and her head lay on top of her knees as she rocked gently back and forth. Her long, bright green hair flowed slightly in the afternoon breeze. Her forest green dress was tattered terribly, almost shredded, and was stained darkly with blood. "Excuse me..." Link said quietly. The young woman looked up at Link with dull blue eyes. She had obviously recently been crying. Link gasped. Even though this woman's eyes were dull and expressionless, he knew those eyes. This was a very beat up, very grown up, Saria.
"Saria..." Link kneeled down beside her. "What happened to you? You- Your wounded." Blood ran down the side of her head, dark against her bright hair. "Not only that." She said in a defeated voice. It was much more a woman's voice, than the child's voice that Link had once known. "I'm...older. I was never supposed to grow. All of them. All of the Kokiris are like this, but they're...different. The evil. The evil has...has..." Her voice faded and she didn't finish her sentence. She fell over onto Link, exhausted and beaten. He held her in his arms, her head leaning on his chest, looking down at her. He gently moved a lock of hair away from her face with his fingertips. How strange the adult face looked to him. But nonetheless, she was beautiful. He shook the thought from his head, and stood up, cradling her against his chest. He turned and ran back toward the castle, fearful of what had happened to the innocent children of Kokiri Forest.
Priests and royal attendants stopped and stared, as Link ran past with the strange, injured girl in his arms. He followed the bright red carpet that trailed endlessly down winding hallways through the castle. Link turned a corner too sharply, in a frantic hurry, and fell over hard onto his side. A sharp pain shot through his leg, from the contact with the hard floor. He cried out, more surprised than in pain, and pulled himself up, forcing himself to continue running. Now breathing heavily, he turned another corner, and ran right into Princess Zelda. "Oh, Link. There you are." Zelda said, taking a small step backward. Link stood, his knees slightly bent, with Saria's limp body in his arms. Zelda let out a startled gasp, clamping her hand softly over her mouth. "Sh-She's hurt." Link said, not thinking before he spoke. Zelda nodded, and motioned for him to follow her. She swiftly turned around, her golden hair and satin dress, flowing elegantly behind her.
They swiftly walked down an empty hallway, lined with wooden doors. Zelda stopped at one of the doors, and turned to Link, her finger across her lips, in a gesture for him to be quiet. Link nodded, as she opened the door slowly and quietly, peeking in. The room wasn't occupied. She opened the door fully. It creaked softly as she did so.
This was a royal guest room, Link thought to himself, laying Saria down on the large bed. The bed was draped with heavy, velvet curtains, that hung beautifully over the bed, to serve as a canopy. Link looked around the room, after he knew Saria was comfortable on the feather-soft bed. It was brightly lit, with sun filtering in through two stain glass windows, high up on the walls. Different colors danced around the room, giving it a peaceful look, a welcoming look. Zelda turned back to the door. "I will be right back." She said, disappearing into the hallway. Link dragged a wooden chair, with velvet cushioning, from a table, and set it by Saria's bed. He sank heavily into it, leaning his elbows on his knees, and resting his chin in his hands. He watched Saria's pale face. Questions flew through his mind, as he watched the unfamiliar girl, who was his childhood friend. How did this happen? Who did it? What happened to the other children of Kokiri Forest?
Zelda walked back into the room, closing the door softly behind her. She carried a bowl of wine, an old rag, dripping with water, and a dry rag. She sat at the edge of the bed, setting the dry rag and the bowl of wine on a polished, bedside table. She gently wiped the sleeping Saria's face with the damp cloth, cleaning the dirt, and blood from her cuts. Saria groaned quietly in her sleep. Zelda folded up the cloth, and set it on the table, grabbing the bowl and dry cloth. She dipped the cloth into the wine, and set it on a rather large cut, on Saria's temple, to sterilize the deep wound. Saria cried out in pain, but her eyes remained closed. Link didn't like to see Saria in so much pain. Zelda ran the cloth over the other cuts, until she was satisfied.
She picked up the water-damp cloth and folded it onto Saria's forehead. "She should be okay now." Zelda said looking up at Link. She smiled sweetly and stood up. "I guess you shall want to stay here?" Link nodded. "I shall call upon the castle doctor to check up on her." She said, turning to leave the room. "Wait...Zelda?" Link halted her before she could leave. Zelda turned her head around, to look back at him. "..Thank you." He said after a hesitant pause. Her smile widened slightly, her eyes lighting up happily, as she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
* * * *
Saria opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurry at first, as she looked around the dimly lit room. She blinked a few times, focusing her vision. Moonlight flooded through stain glass windows, and washed the room in a pale light. A candle burned low on a table beside her bed. She looked to her other side. Link sat in a wooden chair, his arms crossed, and his head bowed. He was softly snoring. Saria thought, he looked very much like a child in his sleep. Innocent.
She sat up. Her body ached all over and her face stung terribly. The folded cloth on her forehead, now dry, fell onto her lap. She threw it aside, turned and set her feet lightly on the stone floor, realizing that they were bare. She spotted her worn boots sitting by the door. She stood up, her legs a bit shaky, and she walked slowly, and weakly toward the door. She turned the knob, opening it halfway, looking back at the sleeping young man. She had never realized how much she had missed him while he had been gone. A pain hit her hard, like a knife at her chest. She wished she could have spent more time with him, and was glad that she had come.