My second Fanfiction! Once you've read a little bit of it, please go onto my profile and take part in the poll I have on there :) Keep in mind...I am not going to write the story based on the popular vote. I'm just curious! Enjoy the story, and don't forget to leave me your comments! Thank you.

ALSO: The cover photo of this page is by Sakimichan, who has an INSANELY good Deviantart page. I highly suggest that all of you go check it out. Now...story time!

Prologue

The world was moving slowly as he blinked a few times, light slipping in through the opening in the tent. He could see the sun just barely beginning to peek over the horizon, giving the sky orange, purple, and blood red hues. As he sat up, the first thing he felt was the usual ache in his back. Sleeping on a thin mattress on the cold, hard ground was never good for his body.

The training will take the ache away, he thought optimistically, stretching his arms and legs. A quick shiver ran through his body, and goose bumps appeared for one moment, and then disappeared. After a few minutes of sitting passively, he managed to stand up and arch his back, letting the cool morning breeze surround him. It felt good on his bare torso, and he wiggled his toes in the dirt beneath them.

A smile now on his face, he pulled the plain white shirt over his head, and then put his boots on. He knew that there was something about this day, something special...he just couldn't put his finger on it. Then, as if by magic, the answer appeared.

"Good morning, sunshine!" A young, energetic girl flung open the flap of the tent, letting herself in. The sun outlined her slender silhouette perfectly, creating a dramatic and shadowy effect. She put her hand on her hip, cocking her head to one side. Long, pure silver hair ran down her back in broad, gorgeous waves, like a long white waterfall. Her skin was olive-colored; a nice contrast to her bright hair, and her cheeks maintained a certain rosy complexion. The most noticeable parts of her were her large, twinkling eyes; they were greener than even the grass on the ground.

Her smile suggested that she was a perky, energetic, and enthusiastic girl. She was wearing a long, silky red dress with golden floral designs, and two slits down the sides to help her move freely. At her waist were an intricately tied golden ribbon, and a golden embroidered collar that came up her neck. She wore tall black boots that came up to her knees. Attached to the belt were two sharp, deadly looking sabers. There was a mischievous expression on her flawless face as she entered.

"Oh, look, you're awake," she raised a thin eyebrow.

"You act like I sleep so much!" he laughed quietly, straightening up and rolling his eyes.

"Well you usually do," she argued, taking another step into the tent. He felt chills run down his spine as she gazed into his eyes. "But it's natural for somebody to wake up early on their birthday."

"My...birthday?"

"Yes, Link! It's your birthday!" she laughed, throwing her head back. "Did you honestly forget your birthday?"

"Uh...I guess I did," he chuckled, scratching the back of his neck taking another step toward her. She licked her lips, grinning as she looked away anxiously.

"Who forgets their own birthday?" she joked, though she was now a bit distracted. Link's face was now inches from hers, and there was a soft expression on his face.

"But you know," she finally looked up, and put her hands gently on his shoulders and began swaying slowly. "Today you're officially a man."

"I wasn't a man before?"

She laughed again, her clear, silky voice floating through the atmosphere. It was music to his ears.

"Eighteen is the age of a true man," she rolled her eyes. "And, what do you know? Today is your eighteenth birthday."

"What's the age of a true woman?" he asked quietly, leaning forward so that his forehead was leaning against hers.

"Um," she paused for a moment, squinting as she thought over the question. "Twelve." His thumbs stroked her rosy cheeks, and his heart pumped at the sight of her beautiful smile. Link knew that he would never be able to get the image of her face out of his head. He chuckled along with her, gazing into her deep eyes and getting lost in their sparkle.

He then put his lips gently on hers, running his fingers gingerly through her hair. She put her slender fingers around the back of his neck. It was a momentary—yet beautiful and meaningful—kiss that left Link completely star struck. Damita was grinning, and blushing madly. He loved seeing her so happy, and he loved being able to hold her in his arms and caress her, and love her...

"Come," she suddenly pulled away, grabbing his hand. "I want to show you something."

"Did you get me a present?" he raised his eyebrows hopefully as she led him out of the tent. She let out a quick burst of sarcastic laughter.

"Ha! Good joke, Link."

He simply rolled his eyes with a small grin and followed obediently. The people of the camp were beginning to stir, as men began to prepare themselves for training and their women aided them. Then there were the girls like Damita, who were also getting ready for training. Though there were few, those women who took part in the fighting were, most of times, fiercer than the men. That was certainly the case with Damita; nobody dared cross her path. As Link gazed at her, she seemed so innocent and beautiful, with her twinkling green eyes and silky white hair; then his eyes moved to the weapons at her waist, and he remembered her skill with them. She could easily defeat most of the men in the camp. Her biggest asset was the fact that she didn't look dangerous.

"Where are you taking me?" Link asked with a chuckle as they entered the woods, a place that was rarely entered by the warriors of the camp.

"You'll see!" she replied defensively. Link laughed softly under his breath and reluctantly continued on through the winding paths, lined by the tall tees and their colorful leaves. He noticed that Damita had a certain pattern in her step; she always tried to avoid the shadows that the trees cast. She was constantly jumping from one slither of light to the next, and Link found himself smiling at her childish ways. Yet there was something free and wild about her, something more beautiful than he could describe. She never let anything restrict her, and she let herself become one with nature. It was one of the many things that Link loved about Damita.

"Here we are!" she finally exclaimed as they emerged from the forest. Link let out a gasp of awe as he stepped up beside her, gazing forward with wide eyes. "I bet you didn't expect this to be here."

"No, I didn't," he admitted with a deep breath "This is beautiful. How did you find this?"

"Oh, you know," she shrugged modestly. "Exploring through the forest..."

"Skipping training sessions?" he looked at her accusingly. She grinned guiltily, flashing her bright white teeth.

"Eh, you don't need them anyway," he dismissed. Damita straightened up.

"Thanks," she replied. He nodded.

They sat down on the edge of the cliff, looking out across a perfect, untouched landscape. Grass was spread out as far as they could see, with a glassy pond in the center. In the background, they could see mountains rising up above the horizon, and birds flew freely through the sky.

"Isn't it just breathtaking?" Damita said dreamily, weaving her fingers through Link's. She then leaned her head against his shoulder. He grabbed a strand of her hair and began playing with it absentmindedly.

"Thank you, Damita," he whispered, and she looked up at him with her large, twinkling eyes. "This is better than any birthday present."

"It can be like our little hideaway," she sighed, leaning into him. He welcomed the warmth of her slim body. "We can come here when we want to just get away from the world, and be alone."

"I love you," Link said, lifting her chin up with his fingers.

"I love you, too," she replied quietly, letting him kiss her softly. She ran a hand through his shaggy blond hair as he stared out across the landscape, and everything felt perfect. He was seemingly in paradise, with the girl of his dreams by his side, on his birthday. There was nothing that could ruin this moment. Nothing...

Suddenly, they heard a large boom coming from behind. Scrambling to their feet, they turned around to face the forest. Rising above the trees was a large puff of smoke that seemed to be coming from...

"The camp!" they both cried in unison, and then began rushing through the forest's labyrinth to reach their destination. Everything was a blur for Link; he could only see Damita running nimbly by his side, and the trees rushed by in a foggy blur, and for a few minutes, everything was silent. He could only hear Damita's heavy, worried breathing, and his footsteps on the leaves beneath him.

After what seemed like centuries, they ran out together to the camp. Damita gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth in horrified shock. Link's hands clenched into fists, and his face took on an angry and determined expression. There, right before their eyes, the evil soldiers of the enemy were invading the camp: the radical camp. They rampaged, crushing everything and anything in their paths. The men and women were fighting bravely, trying to fend them off and escaping their burning house.

Without a word, Link and Damita looked at each other, giving each other quick nods. Then, they sprinted into the chaos, unsheathing their swords. Link gritted his teeth as he raised his sword, letting it come down on the first invader in his path. He became engaged in numerous battles, easily outsmarting each and every radical he came across. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Damita swinging her two sabers and quickly crushing the enemy's defenses. Men, glassy-eyed and bloody, lay crumpled at her feet. Her expression was one of ferocity, and the softness of her features was gone. By now, Link could barely tell who was friend and who was foe. Smoke was rising and burdened his eyesight, and everything was a blur.

Link's heart became heavy from all of the death that he was seeing, and it gave him immense pain to watch his fellow men fall at the hands of these barbarians. Slowly but surely, the number of radicals was beginning to decline, and Link felt the triumph beginning to rush through his veins. But just when he thought victory was theirs, they heard a strange whistling sound. Link looked around frantically, and immediately, his eyes fell on a large barrel a few yards away. In the barrel, an arrow was embedded, and fire was beginning to spread through the container. Damita and Link looked at each other with wide eyes, and then, Link knew what was happening. The first thing that crossed his mind was protecting her at all costs.

"Damita! Get down!" he leapt at the love of his life, pulling her to the ground and protecting her in his arms. Just as they crouched, a large explosion of flame erupted where they had just been standing. Link flinched at the sounds of screams and burning that reached his ears. He could see tears running down Damita's cheeks as she closed her eyes tightly, still holding onto her swords for dear life.

Link hurried to his feet, helping Damita do the same. She was trembling ever so slightly, but he knew that she would never admit to that fact. She was not one to show any weakness. Still determined to continue, she retained her harsh expression and ran her swords against each other, creating sparks. Link nodded to her, lifting his own, blue-hilted sword.

Suddenly, before he could really process what was happening, a shadow was cast across Damita, and a dark figure appeared behind her. It was a large, dark horse with bright red eyes. And on top of the horse was a black figure, his silhouette emphasized by the fire burning behind him.

"Damita! Watch out!" Link took a step forward, screaming as loudly as he could to warn the oblivious warrior. Just as she turned around, the large horse reared, and the man cackled evilly. Before she could so much as lift her sabers, a large, beefy arm reached down and wrapped around her neck. Damita dropped the swords, clutching at the arm blocking her windpipes.

"Put her down!" Link cried, stepping forward to save her. Right now, there was only one thing on his mind: keeping Damita from harm. Simply seeing her in any form of pain made his heart pound unbelievably hard, and he would do anything to protect her.

"Link!" she managed to squeak once before he felt a sharp, shooting pain run through his shoulder. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as he fell to his knees, clutching the gash on his right shoulder. Glancing back, he saw a soldier looming over him, wielding the bloody sword that had just cut through Link's flesh. The world began spinning, and Damita's figure began to blur. Unable to sustain himself, he fell to the ground, his face being splattered with dirt.

"...D-Damita..." he panted, blackness beginning to take over his sights. That last thing he saw before slipping into unconsciousness was the man on the horse galloping away from the battlefield, with Damita squirming in his arms. "No."

After what seemed like centuries, the blindfold was removed from Damita's eyes. She was at first unaccustomed to the bright light, and attempted to shield her eyes. But she found that her wrists were tied together behind her back with a piece of coarse rope that cut deeply through her flesh. She was on her knees, in a cellar covered in filthy grime. Damita's entire figure was covered in dirt, and scratches covered her skin. All of her limbs ached, and her head was pounding. The only thing she could see when she closed her eyes was Link's panicked expression, and she could practically feel his arms wrapping around her and pulling her in close...

"There she is," she heard a gruff voice say. Then, footsteps approached the bars of her cell, and she stared up at the two soldiers in pure contempt. They were heavily clad in armor, and held a piece of parchment in their hands. "She's the one on the wanted poster, right?" They held up the parchment to the light.

"Who are you?" Damita demanded, refusing to let fear restrict her actions. They both faced her, their faces masked with protective helmets.

"That's none of your concern, is it, Damita?" the taller one spat, as if her name was something to be ashamed of saying.

"How do you know my name?" she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"You're famous here, my dear," the shorter one declared, showing her the parchment. It was a crudely drawn picture of her, with a reward and her name written below. "You're part of the enemy camp."

"We're not the enemies," she hissed. They ignored her, turning back to their conversation.

"So what should we do? Just keep her as a prisoner of war?" the taller one asked.

"No. Here, we have no prisoners of war," the shorter one said, his beady eyes narrowing through the slits in his helmet. "Where's the executioner?"

Damita couldn't stop the pang of fear from rushing through her, and tears came to her eyes as they unlocked the cell. One of them came in and grabbed her arm. Harshly dragging her after them, they made their way through the dark hallways of this dungeon, pulling her through filthy water and past mangy, scavenging rats.

"Any last words?" They finally reached their destination, a small, dark room without any windows or light of any sort. The door closed harshly behind them, and a hooded figure emerged from the shadows, carrying a large, intimidating axe in his bulky arms. All Damita could think about was Link. The only thing she wanted was for him to be okay. There was nothing in the entire world that could ever stop her from loving him; he was a part of her, and even in death, she would be a part of him.

I never even got to say good-bye, she thought hopelessly. In the center of the room, there was a small platform, and they propped Damita's head onto the platform mercilessly. Strands of dirty, silver hair stained brown fell across her face, and a single tear rolled down her scratched cheek. She closed her eyes for a moment, just so that the last thing she saw before death was Link's face. He was her love, her life...

She heard the executioner step up beside the platform, and heard him lift up the axe. Her stomach flipped as he shifted his feet, and she could feel the tension in the air.

I love you Link, she thought as she heard the whistling of the axe flying through the air. She could tell when it was just inches from her neck, and had to use all of her will power to keep from screaming in terror. She was going to die with honor.

"Stop!" the door swung open, interrupting the execution. Damita ventured to open her eyes, and let out a frightened sigh of relief when she saw how close the axe was to her flesh. At the door there was a man... the same man that had first captured her. He wore a long, dark cape and black armor. His bright red hair was set in tight curls on his head, and his skin was darker than any skin Damita had ever seen. There was a bright, lustful glint in his bloodthirsty, orange eyes.

"I'm sorry, but did I give you permission to execute the girl?" he took another step forward, letting the door crash behind him. The executioner immediately withdrew the axe, allowing Damita some breathing air. The two soldiers who had escorted her began stumbling incoherently, while the man kept his fierce gaze firmly on them.

"No, I don't believe I did," he continued, keeping his voice low and calm. Damita found that worse than if he had been screaming. Though she couldn't see the expressions of the masked soldiers, she knew that they were sweating in fear. The man came closer to Damita, and she glared up at him with daggers in her eyes. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"It would be a shame to kill such a beauty with such skill, would it not?" he lifted her face with his dirty fingers, and Damita growled as she pulled away stubbornly. The man was relentless; he began stroking her cheek, cocking his head as he observed her. "Damita...Welcome to the Rebellion Camp."