first off, no, I do not hate Link or Zelda. I actually have something of a soft spot for Link. This story was based off a dream I had, which is why it might seem a little weird. I'd just like to say that this story is for all those people who love LoZ but have almost no gaming skills (like me).

I'm just going to say this once: I own nothing except the idea and my OCs.

I would first like to point out that I am not traditional hero material. At five foot five and female, I'm not really cut out for anything other than housework. I'm not much of a looker either, and the fact that I choke around attractive guys means that I'll probably end up as the old cat lady who lives alone in a tiny house at the edge of town. Up until recently, that's what I thought would happen to me, provided I lived that long. Life has been hard since Gannondorf took over, and even harder since the Princess Zelda and her hero were killed in their fight with the tyrant. Since my village, Kakariko, openly helped them, we've been watched closely. You can't even go next door without one of Gannondorf's minions knowing about it.

Under those conditions it would be impossible to form any kind of resistance, right? Wrong. The people of Kakariko like their independence, so much so that they will risk everything and almost everyone to get it back. Needless to say, there was a thriving underground resistance. My parents were proud members, which, of course, endangered me as well. Even though I was practically an adult, I was never asked to join. I guess I was just not important or useful enough. Well, until the resistance decided they needed someone expendable.

It all started when my mom asked me to get something from the general store. Rather than just telling me what she needed, she handed me a piece of paper and told me to give it to the storekeeper, . I went to the store and handed Mr. Kipara the note.

"It's in the back. Come with me."

I followed him into the back of the store, a large, windowless room filled with bags, barrels, crates, boxes, and a large assortment of random items. Once the door was closed he led me to the middle of the room and stopped.

"Kari, the resistance needs your help." he said in a low voice.

"In what way?" I asked, surprised at the sudden request for my help, of all people.

"We need a message taken to Prince Daltus. Anyone else would be suspicious, and so we have decided to ask you if you would be willing to go."

My mouth moved soundlessly as I tried to comprehend what was happening. The resistance, who had hitherto pretended that I did not exist, was now asking me to deliver a message to the only living member of the royal family, who was wanted by Gannondorf and so was in hiding goodness knows where, a mission that could very well end with my head parting company from my shoulders should I be discovered.

"Sure, why not?" I said.

must have either missed or ignored my sarcastic tone. "Good. Your parents will explain what you have to do. Now take this to your mother." He handed me a covered basket and led me into the main part of the store. As I went outside, I was stopped by one of the "guards" who was there to make sure no one tried anything.

"What's in the basket?" he asked as he swaggered up to me.

I had no clue what was in the basket. With a little trepidation I pulled off the cloth covering.

"Eggs." I said, resisting the urge to sigh with relief. The guard poked around in the basket to make sure there wasn't anything under the eggs before backing off.

"Fine. Move along."

I hurried home and handed my mom the basket. She looked in it and nodded in a satisfied manner. "We'll talk after dinner." she said before going to put the eggs away.

After dinner was cleaned up my parents took me down to the root cellar. It was definitely not my favorite place in the house. For one thing, it was dark, even when all three of us were holding candles. It also smelled funny. The baskets of potatoes and carrots created weird shadows as we stopped at the far end of the cellar.

"Your mother said you've decided to help." my dad said. I nodded, and he continued. "You'll need to go to Zora's Domain. That's where Prince Daltus is hiding. Give the message to him and only him."

"How am I going to get out of town?" I asked.

"You'll be going to visit your aunt Lina, who lives near Lon Lon Ranch. She's been ill, and you are going to help her until she gets better."

"Won't they want to read the letter?"

My dad winked. "Of course. That's why it will be in code."

"I'll sew the key into the top button of your shirt." my mom said, "Just make sure that gets to the prince, too."

"Here's the route you'll need to take." My dad knelt and drew a rough map in the dirt, tracing the route as he spoke. "Head towards the Ranch, then veer east, towards the river. Cross the river and follow it to it's source. There will be patrols, so you'll have to be careful."

"How am I going to get into Zora's Domain? I thought it was completely closed off."

You'll have to play a melody. It's known only to the royal family and their messengers, so they'll know you're an ally." My mom put her fingers to her lips and whistled what sounded like a lullaby. After a few tries I managed to reproduce it. "Good." My mom said, "Once you get in say you have a message from the resistance in Kakariko. Whatever you do, don't let anyone except the prince get the message. And be careful."

And so the next morning, after some last-minute instructions and near-tearful good-byes, I found myself heading towards the entrance to Kakariko Village. The guard at the entrance stopped me with his spear.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"My aunt Lina's sick, so I'm going to take care of her." I handed the guard a note written by my parents explaining where I was going, why I was going, and how long I would be. He read it several times before handing it back.

"Do you have a letter for your 'aunt Lina'?"

I gave him the letter, praying that the code wasn't obvious. He read it and snorted.

"Soppy and cheesy. I wouldn't expect anything better from you bumpkins." he crumpled the letter slightly and gave it back. "All right, you can leave. Just don't try anything funny."

I tucked the letter into my pocket and left the village, silently breathing a sigh of relief. Of course I wouldn't try anything funny. This was the most serious thing I had ever done in my entire life. That thought brought a small grin to my face, which quickly disappeared as I looked towards what once was Hyrule Castle. Instead of tall, graceful spires a huge tower loomed over what once was Hyrule Castle Town. I had only been there once, years ago, but it was still a happy memory. To think that now it was dark and empty was sad and depressing.

Looking away from the dark tower, I started walking towards the middle of Hyrule Field. All I had to do was get over the hill and I would be able to get to the river without any guards seeing me. Hopefully. Of course, knowing my luck I'd have to fight my way to Zora's Domain. To tell the truth, I'm not much of a fighter. Chasing various animals out of the garden with a stick is one thing. Actually fighting and killing is something else entirely. I doubted I would be capable of doing something like that. That led me to the question of why they had chosen me, of all people. Did they actually think I could do this? After thinking about it for a while I decided that they just needed someone expendable, someone who wasn't vital to the resistance. Just what were they willing to give? Would my parents be willing to sacrifice their daughter for freedom? Probably not. They, at least, had to have some confidence in me. Or they were talked into it. Neither idea was very comforting.

By midmorning I had reached the crest of the hill that stood between Kakariko and Lon Lon Ranch. With a deep breath I started down the hill, keeping a sharp lookout for any movement. It was eerily quiet. About halfway down the hill I started heading in the direction of the river. How I was going to cross it without getting the letter or the key wet was still a mystery. When I finally got to the river I was relieved to see that it was low. I could probably wade across it without too much difficulty.

The water, thankfully, only came up to my waist in the middle. When I made it to the other side I realized how low the sun was getting. It would be night soon, and I didn't know how many patrols were around. They would probably slack off during the night, so that was the time to move. After a little searching I found a large dip in the ground, hidden by tall grass. It wasn't much, but hopefully it would do until it got dark. I hunkered down, spreading out my skirt in an effort to dry it. Right now I wished that I had a pair of pants. It would be so much easier to sneak around.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. After making sure there wasn't anyone around I opened up my pack. I had to chuckle. Sitting on the top was a pair of pants. I quickly changed into them before dining on some bread and cheese. Once my skirt was dry I folded it and shoved it into the bottom of my pack. I wasn't going to need it for a little bit. It wasn't quite dark yet, so I curled up and took a cat nap.

Sorry if the chapters seem to end in weird places. I don't think in chapters when I write. On the plus side, this story is complete, so I can update on a regular basis, probably once or twice a week. Review please!