• My name is Danielle Ordonia, I am a sixteen year-old girl in eleventh grade. I live with my adopted dad, adopted step-mom, two adopted step-sisters, and my adopted brother. I live in a town called Pleasant Hill, Missouri. I go to Pleasant Hill High School. I had a pretty normal life except for the fact that I was adopted and was found in a bush with a note saying "Her name is Danielle Ordonia. She was born on May 4th, 1996. If anyone finds her you can have her, because I don't want her." My adopted parents, Randy and Mindi, took me in as their own. When I was about to turn four they had my adopted brother Ryan. When I was five, Randy met my current adopted step-mom, Delanie, she and Randy became friends. Then when I was about to turn eight my adopted mom, Mindi, passed away. She died in her sleep when she and Randy were split up. Then about a year later Delanie and Randy got married. Then I had two adopted step-sisters, Morgan and Kya. So that's my background story. What I'm going to tell you is a story that will blow your mind. It's a story about how my life was changed after a strange wolf followed me home. One day I was walking home from school and I noticed something running through the woods near my neighborhood. I stopped to try to see what it was. Then it ran out of the woods an came to stand by me. It was a wolf, a pretty big wolf too. It was kind of odd looking as well, it had dark green and white fur, some strange marks on its head, bright blue eyes, and bluish-purple earrings. I stood there standing still, terrified, but it didn't attack me, it just sat down and smiled. I noticed it was a boy and he had a collar around his neck. I slowly reached my hand toward him and stroked his head. He let me pet him and he liked it. I looked at the tag on his collar, on it said, Link. I stroked his back, he started to wag his tail. "So, your name is Link, huh," I said, "I wonder if you have an owner." I turned around and started to walk home. When I got to my house I noticed footsteps behind me, dog footsteps. I turned around and saw Link following me. He came up to me and wagged his tail. "Link, you can't come home with me, Randy probably won't want a stray wolf in the house." I tried to shoo him away. Then I heard the front door open and Randy stepped outside. "Danielle? Is that a wolf?" "Yeah, he followed me home, his name is Link, as it says on his collar. he's actually a friendly wolf. I can't seem to get him to leave." I replied. "Well he can't stay here." He told me. "I know, I'm trying my best to get him to leave but nothing's working." I said. "You said he has a collar, right? Do you think that means he has an owner?" He asked. "Maybe, but I'm not so sure that someone here in Pleasant Hill has a pet wolf." I replied. "Well, I guess he could stay here until someone claims him." He said. "Really!? But what if no one claims him?" I asked, exited. "We'll see how he turns out, if he turns out okay and no one claims him we'll keep him." He replied, "But you have to take care of him and he'll sleep down in the basement with you." Yay!" I shouted. Then we took Link inside. At home it was just me and Randy because Morgan was at track practice and I came home an hour earlier than Ryan and Kya. Then I took off my fake ear covers and rubber bands off my ears. I have to wear them because my ears are pointed. The doctor that examined me when Randy and Mindi found me said that it was just a harmless birth defect, and won't harm me. The ears are actually helpful because they allow me to enhance my hearing. It's pretty neat but I want to look normal so I wear fake ears. I then noticed Link was looking at me with an expression that appeared to be shock. Even he noticed that my ears were different. I took my bag downstairs and Link went with me. I sat on the basement couch and motioned for him to sit with me. He jumped up to sit beside me. Randy wouldn't mind because our old dog Chief, who was a German Shepherd, always sat on the couches before he died three years earlier. I stroked Link's back while examining him. I looked at his earrings and thought "What jerk would pierce a wolf's ears?" Then after an hour passed by, Ryan and Kya got home. I went upstairs to show them Link. They were both fascinated by his dark green fur, marks on his head, and his earrings. I told them about how he had followed me home. Later that night we were all in bed, it was almost ten and we all went to bed at 9:30p.m. Then as soon as it turned ten, there was a strange glow in my room, I quickly sat up in bed and turned the light on. I saw in the spot where Link was sleeping, a boy, about seventeen by the looks, only a year older than me. He wore a green tunic with a brown belt, light brown boots, brown gloves with the fingers cut off, and a green elf-like hat. On his back was a sword, a shield, a bow, and some arrows. He was a little skinny but not a lot. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and pointed ears a lot like mine, he also wore bluish-purple earrings. "Wh-who are you?" I asked in astonishment. "I am Link." He said shyly. "Link? But how is that possible?" I asked surprised. "I am from an alternate dimension, where I was transformed by the twilight into a wolf. I was with someone good from the twilight world but we were separated and I accidentally found a strange portal leading here. This dimension messed with my wolf form and now during the day I remain as a wolf and from 10:00p.m. to midnight on week nights I turn back to a human." He explained. "Wow, that's amazing!" I said amazed. "Please don't tell anyone, I have nowhere else to go, and I don't think your parents will want me to stay here if they knew I was some stranger." he pleaded. "Sure, I'm really good at keeping secrets." I replied. "Are you sure?" he asked unsure. "Of course, I've been keeping my ears a secret for my whole life, I'm an expert at keeping secrets." I assured him. "Okay, good, thank you. Why do you have pointed ears even though no one else does?" he asked changing the subject. "I'm not entirely sure, but the doctor says it's probably just a birth defect." I answered, "So, you're actually a hero from another dimension?" "Yes, I am, I'm from a land called Hyrule. I originally lived in a small village called Ordon, but I've moved from place to place over the years. I save Princess Zelda from the evil wizard, Ganondorf. Currently the whole land has been covered by the twilight. I was trying to help get rid of it, but I accidently came here." He explained. "Wow, that's amazing!" I exclaimed. "I think you should get some rest, it's getting late. He said. I looked at the clock and it was almost midnight. "Yeah, you're right, and I have school tomorrow." I replied. Then I turned the light off and went back to sleep. My alarm went off the next morning at 5:30a.m. and I shut it off. I sat up and turned my light on to see Link, as his wolf form again, asleep on the floor. I sent him out of the room and got dressed. I went into the bathroom and brushed my dirty-blonde hair in the mirror with my bright blue eyes staring back at me. When I was finished I grabbed my glasses, backpack, jacket, and my cell phone then headed upstairs. I put my backpack on the dining room table and went to the kitchen. I grabbed a couple of pop tarts and sat at the table. When I finished I sat on the couch and Link jumped up with me. Then Randy came downstairs. "Danielle, would you mind putting some food in Link's bowl, we went out and bought him some food last night and he can use Chief's old food and water bowls." I did as told and went back inside. Morgan came down and told me it was time to go. I got up and put my shoes on. "Danielle, we're going to keep Link in Chief's old kennel when we're gone, could you please put him in there." Randy asked. "Sure." I replied, then brought Link into the garage. "Link, I hope you don't mind, but you're going to have to stay in this kennel while we're gone." I said, unsure that he would be okay with it. He walked in as if to say it's no big deal. "Good, thank you." I replied. I went back inside and told them I got him in. "That was fast, and did I hear you asking him politely to go in and then tell him thank you?" Delanie asked, suspicious. "Yeah, but doesn't everyone talk to dogs." I defended. Then I went outside and walked to school. When I was at school, I told all of my friends about Link, leaving out the fact that he's actually a hero from another dimension. When I got home I let Link out of the kennel and went inside to find that no one else was home as usual, Randy had a day off the other day though. That night Link told me one of his stories about saving Princess Zelda, he told me stories every night after that until midnight. After a while of searching for Link's owner we gave up, and we decided to keep Link. Then one day Kya wanted Link to sleep in her room on a week night. "No, Kya, Link is mine I found him, and when we decided to keep him Randy said Link was my wolf since I take care of him!" I denied. "Danielle, let him sleep in Kya's room for just one night." Randy urged. "Fine, but tomorrow night." I agreed. Link looked at me, surprised and worried. Later that night at ten Link changed to a human. "Danielle, what are we going to do, if Kya sees me as human, she'll tell your parents." Link said, panicking. "Don't worry, I have a plan. When you get into Kya's room at 9:30p.m. she'll close the door. You'll have thirty minutes before you change back into a human. When she goes to sleep, start scratching at her door as much as you can, also bark and whine until she lets you out. Then start scratching at the basement door, and either Kya or I will let you down." I suggested. He nodded. "Good plan." Then we talked some more about the plan until midnight. The next night at 9:30p.m. Kya went upstairs with Link. I went to my bed and waited. Fifteen minutes had past when Link came scratching at the door. I heard Kya come downstairs with Link. "Dan, Link wants to sleep down here, I guess, he keeps whining and scratching at the door." She complained. I sat up and acted tired. "Okay, then I guess he'll sleep down here." She left Link down in the basement with me and went back upstairs. Mission successful. "I knew that would work." I said. Then I went back to sleep until Link turned human again, and we talked until midnight as usual. During the three months he had been here, I still hadn't told Link I was adopted. I didn't like to talk about it, until one night at dinner, Kya and I were arguing. Kya thought it wasn't fair that Link always got to sleep in my room, but it ended out us just making fun of each other. "At least I didn't almost flunk kindergarten!" I shouted at her. "At least I don't have mutated ears!" She shouted back. "At least I wasn't named after a donkey on a cartoon!" I shouted in reply. "Well, at least my parents didn't hate me enough to get rid of me!" She shouted, crossing the line. I froze trying to hold back the tears."Kya! We do not speak of that, you know Danielle doesn't like to talk about it!" Randy shouted at her. Link cocked his head in surprise and curiosity. I quietly finished my dinner and went down to the basement with Link following me. I shut the door behind us and sat on my bed sobbing in my hands. Link laid his head in my lap and I stroked his head. Then he sat up and I hugged on to him, sobbing into his fur. I stayed in my room for the rest of the night. Then at ten Link turned into his human self, as usual. "What did Kya mean about your parents hating you?" He asked. I sat up and looked down. "When I was a baby Randy and Mindi found me in a bush crying with a note saying that my parents didn't want me." I replied. He sat at the edge of my bed. "That's terrible." He replied softly. I sat closer to him and put my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around me. He comforted me until midnight and I went to sleep. The next day in the afternoon I was in the basement with Link. I was on the computer and Link turned into his human form. I turned around to look at him. "Whoa! What just happened?" I exclaimed. "I don't know." He replied. Then out of nowhere, a big blue portal appeared. "A portal! Now I can get back to Hyrule!..." He paused. "But if I go in there, I might not be able to come back." He looked over at my surprised face, then at the ground. I continued to gaze at him sadly. I stood up and walked over to him. He looked up at me. "Danielle, this is the hardest decision I'll ever have to make. I have to save Hyrule, but... I don't want to leave you. When I first saw you out in the woods, I was amazed at how you didn't run when you saw me, I followed you because I was curious. When I got to know you more, I started liking you more. But, well, I guess what I'm trying to say is," He held my hands and looked me straight in the eyes, "I love you, Danielle." He then grabbed my arms and kissed me right on the lips. I felt my heart start to beat faster and my legs start to weaken, but I held them up. Then we heard a gasp. We both looked up to see Kya's shocked face, we hadn't even heard her come down. "Dan? Who is that, and why are you kissing him?" She stammered. "Uh... uh, well, um, you see..." I started but couldn't continue. We went upstairs and explained everything. No one said a word. Me and Link went back downstairs to say our last goodbye. "Danielle, before I go, I want you to have this." He pulled out a necklace with a glowing amethyst on the end of it. "This is a very powerful gemstone, so keep it safe and as long as you are wearing it, I'll be able to find you." Then he kissed me on the cheek and left through the portal. It disappeared and I sat down on the basement floor sobbing. I would never see Link again.

    Epilogue
    Today I am living in Hyrule with my real parents and Link. After about six months since Link left, he returned. I was very glad to see him again after so long. When he came back he told me he had found my real parents. They never actually wanted to get rid of me. My grandfather on my mother's side wanted a boy to teach to be a swordsman, but they had me instead. My parents didn't want another child and that enraged my grandfather. In revenge, he kidnapped me an sent me through a strange portal he found in the woods and was never heard from again. My parents are Hylians, which means they have pointed ears. Hylians are a common race in Hyrule, even Princess Zelda is a Hylian. That explains my pointed ears, so I'm not mutated after all. The necklace Link gave me was actually the Triforce of Light. It was given to Link by Princess Zelda for protection. Link held inside him the Triforce of Courage, and one triforce could be used to locate another. The triforces are all very powerful and when combined they can be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. That's one of the two reasons Link gave it me, one so no evil in Hyrule could find it and so Link would be able to locate me easier if when he came he appeared somewhere far from me. So that's my story, of the wolf that followed me home.