The Legend of Zelda: TTP - A new Adventure

'Please... Help me... It burns... It's burning me...'

A burst of light emits violently with a blood curling scream following behind it...

Link was suddenly sitting up on his bed, sweat drenching his face as he panted rapidly. His eyes darted around looking for whatever was calling out to him. The familiar wooden walls and furniture put his mind and body at ease. The young man shook any remaining uncertainty from his head. A sigh of relief escaped him as he pushed himself off of his bed and stood up, feet landing on a soft but worn out rug. It was time to get ready for the day and whatever was to come from it.

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A knock on the door caught his long pointed ears attention. He walked to his front door as he finished dressing - putting on his gauntlets right before turning the knob. The door opened slowly as his eyes slowly peeked to the outside - dawn clung on behind a bowing royal soldier that stood in his view.

"Sir Link, I apologize for any disruption but you have been summoned by her royal highness, Princess Zelda," the royal messenger pulled out a small scroll, unrolling it as he cleared his throat and began to read from it, "Her majesty, Princess Zelda, hereby requests you assistance with a new mission. It is of utter importance that you report to her immediately for further explanation." The soldier rolled the scroll back and held it tightly in his hand.

"Do you need an escort to the castle?" The Royal guard sighed under his breath knowing the pointless attempt of asking. Link smiled kindly and shook his head before bowing in return. "Of course. I will notify her highness that you have received the summon and are on your way." The royal messenger handed Link the scroll, bowed once more before he carefully climbed atop of his royal horse and raced back to the kingdom.

Link waved aimlessly as he looked curiously at the scroll in his other hand. His shoulders shrugged before a determined smile drew on his face. Another adventure was to come after such a long time.

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As the blond haired man raced on his horse to Hyrule castle, he could only imagine what new discoveries were made that needed further assistance. It had been several months since he had been asked to appear before his royal friend. His leather gauntlets gripped Epona's reigns with eagerness as he continued to create a bigger distance from his wooden home in the Hyrule Forest.

Several minutes passed before he reached his destination - the sun now exposed over the Hyrule mountains to one side of the castle. He was relieved it hadn't changed much - the large drawbridge was still as large though some wooden planks looked replaced. As the border guards greeted him with a quick salute, the drawbridge began to lower. The creaking and clanking of the drawbridge opening raised goosebumps on his skin. A loud thud emitted the surrounding area as the wood set down onto the rocky ledge, hovering a few feet above a large moat. Link nodded to his fellow guards and quickly trotted over the drawbridge and into the Hyrule Town.

Though he didn't want to spend too much time gazing at the new and improved shops and familiar townspeople, Link still managed to take quick glimpses at the bright colors and happy faces in the large town before taking a horse-only route to the castle. A pleased smiled shaped his mouth with the knowledge of how well the town had progressed.

The dirt road to the castle brought nostalgia over him. He took in a deep breath, the air perfumed by the aroma emitted by various flowers in the small grassy field before the castle. A restrained giggled escaped his lips as he finally reached the entrance of the enormous stronghold that was Hyrule castle. Its walls and pillars still made of the strongest stone and metal Hyrule could produce. Stained glass windows sparkled lightly as the sun's rays bounced off of a small stream that flowed beside the castle and reflected on the colorful pieces of glass. It was truly wonderful to be back.

"Sir Link," the entranced young man was startled to see a royal guard beside Epona, "her royal highness is waiting for you in her courtyard. I will take your horse to the royal stable now if you permit me." Link nodded happily and jumped off of Epona. He placed a hand on her neck and softly stroked her short bristly hair before patting her goodbye and hurriedly making his way into the royal castle.

It wasn't long before he got through the maze of a castle, which he still remembered how to get through even after the time he had spent away from it. As he walked through the large hallway, the glare from the sunshine hitting the courtyard made it hard for him not to raise a hand to his squinting eyes. Finally, the green tunic man stepped into the beautiful courtyard. A circular stream made its way through two pathways into a glistening fountain that stood in the middle of the surrounding large mound of grass. Patches of colorful field flowers were scattered around the quaint field. His eyes searched for the familiar friend through all of the distracting garden wonders.

"Welcome back, Link. Or should I say, Sir Link?" a coy voice came from behind him, making him turn with a startled look upon his face. The young blond woman giggled pleasantly at his reaction. Link gave her a weak smile as he scratched under the seam of his long green hat before taking it off and bowing in respect. She stepped closer to him and smiled kindly,

"It's great to see you once again. I hope you have taken enough time for leisure. It has been a bit unlively without your presence." Princess Zelda lightly giggled at her own teasing remark while Link's brow raised for a second then gleefully nodded in response. Her hand landed softly upon his shoulder, calling his attention to her warm blue eyes. The young royal was well known for her warm and kind beauty.

"Well, I thank you for coming to see me. As you know, something has come up and in these strange dreams I have recently had, I see you and another taking charge of this new mission," The princess turned away from Link and walked around the fountain, pondering as she watched the little waterfalls from the center piece pouring softly down to its basin, "As a knight of Hyrule, I trust that you will follow through with your duties. I also feel a certain well-know swordsman will be of help to you. His name is Lian. Please find him and ask him to assist you. Then return to the castle and I will give you both more information on what this imperative mission entails." Her facial expression was soft and kind as she turned to face him but her voice held a strong command. She knew her friend couldn't resist another opportunity for an adventure but what wasn't sure of was whether he would accept joining together with another on this journey. Link stared at the splashing of water in the fountain basin while rubbing his chin. He let out a quick satisfied grunt and nodded at the princess.

"Thank you Link. Please, take your leave and travel safely." Again her pleased smile returned as she nodded softly to her side, and gestured an arm to the hallway he had come through. Link bowed once more and placed his green hat back onto his head. He turned and started for the hallway,

"One last thing," she paused and waited for him to stop and look over to her, "Don't forget the Master Sword." Princess Zelda smiled one last time, knowing what that meant to her long time friend. A long grin appeared on his face as he turned back around and walked through the shadowy hallway.