Note to audience: I began writing this story four years ago, and I've just decided to come back to it. The first four chapters I wrote back then, so you'll notice the fifth chapter has a much different tone and probably better writing altogether. Eventually, I'll get to rewriting those chapters and getting rid of the old author's notes.

RECENT UPDATE: I rewrote some of this prologue, but I left a lot of the drawn-out stuff. I promise I won't be this overly descriptive later on.

Also, Link was originally away from Hyrule for two years, but now he'll have been away for three.

A Hero Comes Home

Prologue

"Out of the mist of history he'll come again

sailing on ships across the sea to a wounded nation

signs of a savior like fire on the water

it's what we prayed for, one of our own

just wait though wide he may roam

always, a hero comes home

he goes where no one has gone

but always a hero comes home

deep in the heart of darkness sparks a dream of light

surrounded by hopelessness, he finds the will to fight

there's no surrender, always remember

it doesn't end here, we're not alone

just wait though wide he may roam

always a hero comes home

he goes where no one has gone

but always a hero comes home…"

The vibrant community of Castle Town died down as the sun vanished over the horizon. Keepers closed up their shops and market stands, degrading the loud, bickering sounds of auctions and consumer to clerk negotiation. Children were put to bed, and those who had no families retired to the lusty taverns. These taverns remained active well into the night, but the noises from within were so suppressed by the walls and surrounding buildings that they were almost mute from the exterior. Before long, a serene darkness covered the skies of Hyrule and invited in the gentle cradle of night. Lights from the houses within the marketplace dimmed in view from up at the gates near Hyrule Castle. Soon, the lights were no more, and the only bright object in view was the great white moon, slowly rising higher into the sky with each passing minute.

It was when the moon reached its utmost height that the castle drawbridge lowered with a loud clanking of chains which woke even the deepest of sleepers. The bright interior of the castle grew with shadow for a brief moment as a rider rode out onto the pasture in front of the drawbridge. The rider was too youthful to be a knight, and his horse was too youthful to be a mare. Anyone who knew nothing of this youth would mistake him for a thief or a courier. He was a boy and a blonde, no older than twelve. He wore a strange, bright green tunic that certainly would appear strange to Castle Town citizens or any of civilized Hyrule for that matter. The tunic almost looked too small for him, as the lowest end exposed his skin from the top of his knees down. A belt kept the tunic from dangling down and supported the structure of the lower part, which resembled a skirt. Another curled around his back and supported both a shield and a sword. The shield was steel and elegantly emblazoned with the royal family crest. The sword was short but decorated. It had a gilded hilt and a bright blue pommel. The blade itself was sharp but too short to be capable of any serious destruction. Two brown boots-which were almost too small-warmed the rider's feet, and atop his head was a long, green cap.

As the hero closed the little door on the lantern, he took his hand and wiped it clean of oil. His hand jerked away as he heard crunching footsteps approaching from behind on the surface of the crisp grass. He turned around to see a familiar and pretty face.

The face belonged to a girl. She was slightly older than the rider, who had now straightened his posture upon her arrival. She too was blonde and wore a white gown with a pink tapestry that draped down to the bottom of the dress. The tapestry was decorated with the Hylian royal crest, and a golden belt rounded her midriff to keep it from parting with the dress. Around her neck was another piece of jewelry, which had a crimson-red crystal in the center and resembled an inverted crown. The girl wore golden bracelets around her wrists, and she had a cute pink and white headdress that dangled down the back of her neck. Her skin was a lot paler than the rider. She wore a grand smile across her face that was too pronounced to be real.

The rider opened his mouth, as if to speak, but he kept it shut as the girl passed him by and walked over to a nearby rock, where she looked like she would sit down. Instead, she just massaged the rock and began to hum a tune.

"Just wait though wide he may roam
always, a hero comes home
he goes where no one has gone
but always a hero comes home…"

Her voice was so entrancing and beautiful, like that of a siren. The rider couldn't recognize the lyrics or the rhythm of the song, but he was more than aware about what she was singing about. He wanted to sing or even hum along with her to rid of the gloominess that settled throughout the song, but knew it wouldn't help her cope with the situation at hand.

Suddenly, she stopped singing and her hand came to a halt. She had held something in her other hand and was now holding it close to her heart with both. She closed her eyes, breathed in heavily, and then spoke.

"You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" she said quietly.

The rider didn't say a word.

"Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever." She continued, turning around to face him. "I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule…"

She took a long blink, and a small gleam appeared in the corner of one of her eyelids. The rider noticed this but still said nothing. His emotions were prolifically expanding within his body and mind, but they would not allow him to speak.

"And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again…"

Suddenly, her tight grip released on the object in her hands, and the rider was able to take in a small glimpse of what lied between them.

"Until that day comes, please…" she said, "Take this…"

She held out her possession to him. The rider wanted to keep his eyes on her face, which was now streaming tears, but his instinct told him to look down. In her hands was an instrument that was far too reminiscent and significant for him to forget: an ocarina. His mouth opened, but once again, no words came out.

"I am praying…" she told him, looking to the side, "I am praying that your journey will be a safe one."

She looked back at the rider whilst pulling up the ocarina to her blemished and tear-ridden face. Although sniffling throughout every word, she managed to make out a clear message:

"If something should happen to you, remember this song…"

Her hands then brought the mouthpiece of the ocarina up to her lips, where she whispered a few words before blowing.

"This reminds me of us…"

She then began to play slowly and solemnly on the small, blue instrument, vaguely rocking back and forth between beats. It was a song that the rider knew all too well. It was the theme of the great goddess of time. He had played it more than once on that same instrument this girl was playing on now and had virtually memorized just about every note. It was the Song of Time, a melody innovated by the great Nayru herself. Instead of rocking back and forth like the girl, he simply closed his eyes to get a greater feel of the music.

She released the mouthpiece, wiped it, and handed the ocarina to the rider. The boy was hesitant for a moment, but he gingerly took the instrument in his hands and looked down at it. It was as light as a feather and a deep blue that was neither chipped nor scratched. It kept in such a flawless condition-likely by the gentle girl standing in front of him.

With approval and encouragement by the girl, he put the mouthpiece between his lips and began to play as well. He slowly rocked back and forth, in mimic of the girl, and she began to hum the song. They both made music in unison for a while, as if time itself had stopped just to take in this invaluable moment. When the two of them finally stopped, the rider saw that sadly time had not stopped, and that the first rays of the sun were beginning to peek over the distant countryside.

He took his mouth off the tube and stowed it in the compartment of his young horse's saddle. The girl kept her eyes on him the entire time, and when he was finished his gaze fell upon her intense stare and distraught expression.

When all was done, she threw herself upon him and began a long sulk that lasted longer than most. She cried herself not a river but an ocean, leaving an unforgettable wet spot on the shoulder piece of the rider's tunic. The boy just held her close, still keeping mute but allowing her to release her melancholy.

They parted a while later and the boy mounted his horse. He took her saddened gaze in one last time before he rode off the pasture and down to the main gate of Hyrule Castle, where the iron bars had been parted long before. He soon rode down the road into the Castle and then disappeared for a while before coming into view as a small black dot riding along the countryside.

As he drifted past the ranch sitting far away in the remote field, the girl clasped her red, sweaty hands together, closed her eyes, and whispered to herself:

"The Goddess of Time is protecting you. If you play the Song of Time, she will aid you…"

Opening her eyes, she removed her headdress, revealing short blonde hair that was bedraggled and twisted from her hat. She wiped the tears away from the bottoms of her cheeks, which had created long, red streaks down her face.

"I'll see you soon, Link."

But it would take three years and a lifetime of changes before they'd meet again.