When I Was Your Age- a Breath of the Wild prequel

Episode 1: Pilot

Princess Zelda was the heir to the throne of Hyrule. But there was one problem. She never really wanted to rule. Her mother, grandmother, and all the others that came before her expected that she take the throne and rule over a peaceful Hyrule, but Zelda knew what ruling a kingdom would REALLY be like.

She heard a timid knock on her door. She had been writing in her diary, and quickly stuffed it under her pillow, yelling at who she thought was her handmaid to come in. 

"Zelda?" Asked a familiar voice as Zelda felt the sheets on her bed move slightly.

"Mother?" Replied Zelda, turning around. But it was not her mother that she saw before her.

She instead saw a hideous five armed demon, whispering in her mother's beloved voice and screeching in an ear-piercing manner. Princess Zelda began to sweat furiously, calling out her mother's name as the demon began to scream the dying cries of her mother, transforming its face into the twisted expression of a dying woman, who Zelda knew all too well. 

<<<

"Zelda?" The princess' handmaid rushed in, and squeezed Zelda in a tight embrace. "It's okay," soothed the handmaid, "It isn't real, it isn't real,"

Zelda sobbed in her handmaid's arms, bunching up her dress. "But it felt so real!" 

"You're safe, Zelda, you're safe..."

"t was my mother, Aaliah. My mother," sobbed Zelda, gripping the maid in a tight vice.

"Again?" asked Aaliah calmingly.

"Again." replied Zelda, pulling away and drying her tears. But soon new ones came, rolling down her face, onto her bedsheets, staining them. 

"Zelda, do you know what you need?" asked Aaliah, taking Zelda's hand, "You need a friend."

"But you ARE my friend, Aaliah, my best friend!" protested Zelda, lifting her gaze to Aaliah.

"You need a friend who understands the loss of a mother."

"But you DID lose your mother," replied Zelda, confused.

"I was never close to my mother," explained Aaliah.

"But... It still must have stung nevertheless,"

"It did. But I did not truly understand- or know- my mother. She was strange, quirky, but not lovable. I know someone who you would like, but we'd have to sneak around a bi-" Aaliah was interrupted by Zelda putting a hand over her mouth. 

"Say no more," smiled Zelda, wiping away the last of her tears, "Where would we be sneaking off to?"

<<<

They arrived at the gates of Gerudo Town just before the sun rose on the next day. Zelda, who had fallen asleep long before they made it out of central Hyrule, was slowly slipping off of her saddle, unaware of her surroundings.

"Princess Zelda!" whispered Aaliah, slightly nudging the sleeping princess back into her saddle. 

"Humsjghuh?" mumbled Zelda, waking with a start.

"We're here," said Aaliah, gesturing to the sand-colored walls that laid before them. 

They dismounted their horses and tread across the packed sand. 

"Who goes there?" asked an armor-clad tank fo a woman who was standing guard outside the large hole that was carved into the sand wall. 

"It is I," announced Zelda, "The princess of Hyrule."

"Listen, kid. I get fifty princesses of Hyrule a day, and must I say, not a very convincing cosplay," replied the guard, laughing.

"Listen here, you-" started Zelda, causing the author to stop narrating her speech, and spewing unclean words from her red lips. 

"Okay, okay. If you say so, your highness," teased the guard, giving a silly bow. 

"Oh, I'm sure as-" Zelda was cut off by the author, who needed to tell her to stop swearing in the clean book. However, Zelda kept right on, yelling colorful insults at the guard, who was now staring, dumbfounded, at young Zelda. 

"That's enough," said Aaliah, saying exactly what the author had been thinking that entire time. 

"Oh no it isn't. Stay out of this. I don't want to have to call you a-" the author decided to end the scene, seeing that Zelda's insults wouldn't stop anytime soon.

<<<

"Alright..." complied the guard after several hours of Zelda's profanities. 

They walked into the town, exhausted from the lengthy quarrel. Aaliah led Zelda by the hand around a street corner, dragging her towards a dead end. 

"Wait here, Zelda, I'll be back in a minute," said Aaliah, effortlessly hopping over the sandy wall blocking their way. 

Zelda was astounded at the athletic abilities of her handmaid, who had been working at the palace for years now. Being a maid couldn't have been easy, but practicing extreme athletic skills on top of that... That sounded impossible. 

"I'm back," announced Aaliah, standing on top of a rooftop. "I'll give you a hand, my lady, and watch out for that ledge in your left, it's steeper than you think it is."

They walked along the rooftops, hopping from building to building, which posed a challenge for the small princess. She had never done anything of this kind before, jumping from place, to place, so she was unstable and slow. 

"Princess?" asked Aaliah, slowing her pace. "Are you able to continue?"

"Yes, yes," replied Zelda, whose dress had gotten stuck on a small hook used for hanging plants, "I just have to..." with a mighty tug, Zelda ripped the hem of her dress off, the fabric now laying limp from the hook. Uh oh. 

"Let's go, Zelda!" said Aaliah, helping Zelda up again. They trotted along the rooftops for a while more, and it was evening before Aaliah motioned for Zelda to come closer. 

"We're here," whispered Aaliah, "But this is a rough place. Whatever you do, don't make eye contact with anyone, and keep your head down. People know your face and name, and they WILL kidnap you. Put on this robe, your dress is too fancy."

Zelda pulled on the ragged, grey robe, and hopped down from the roof with Aaliah. The fabric of the cloak was scratchy, unlike anything Zelda had worn before. 

"Come,"ordered Aaliah, "just follow me,"

"O-okay," replied Zelda nervously. She had never been spoken to like this before, and she was kind of scared of this newfound fire in her maid. 

She followed Aaliah into what seemed to be a buzzing tavern, filled with bulky women in guard uniforms. 

In the corner was a smaller girl, her skin dark, but lighter than the guards. She looked bored, like she had been sitting there all day. They walked over to her, and Aaliah bowed. When Zelda didn't follow suit, Aaliah hissed at her, tugging on her robe and forcing her into a bowing position. 

"What took you so long?" asked the girl, standing up and gesturing for them to rise. 

"Her dress caught on a hook," replied Aaliah, gesturing to Zelda. 

"Ah. That's always a pain," smiled the girl, her white teeth shining in the dim light of the bar. 

"Let's go outside," suggested Aaliah, "I can't stand the stench in here."

+++

Preview:

Zelda and Aaliah have a chat with this mysterious girl, but who is she? The King is worried for his daughter, and sends out a search party, but it seems Zelda just doesn't want to be found! What happens next in this thrilling series? You'll just have to find out!