The trees of the lost woods swayed quietly in the wind, their thick branches shading the ground below from most of the morning sunlight. A single figure on horseback rode quietly, his head down. His horse nickered nervously.

"Easy, girl…" the man said with a reassuring pat on her neck. Something about the lost woods always bothered Epona. Even now, after years of traveling through the thick woods south of Hyrule, Epona would get nervous. Link assumed it was just a product of the horse's preference for wide open spaces. He didn't like to think there was something out there that Epona could sense and he couldn't.

Link sat up straight, sighing. He was tired: tired of traveling, tired of living on the road, and tired of searching. For years he'd been away, and he had little to show for it. He hadn't found Navi, and after seven years he'd been forced to admit wherever she was, he would not be finding her. He'd saved Termina from the spirit of Majora, but nothing remained of his adventure there. In fact, the more time that passed, the more he wondered if Termina even existed at all. He'd traveled through the faraway kingdoms to the south, but Navi had not been there.

Seven years. Seven long, fruitless years he'd been gone from his home of Hyrule. It had seemed like the right thing to do at the time. He and Zelda had just saved the kingdom from Ganondorf's evil clutches. They'd been thrust back into their child bodies, and any evidence of the Gerudo king's evil reign was gone. Zelda had insisted they go their separate ways, at least for the time being. With the Master Sword back in the Temple of Time, and her insistence that their pieces of the Triforce be kept hidden, there was nothing to separate him from a commoner. And suspicions would be raised if the princess spent too much time with a commoner.

It had stung, but Link hadn't argued. She was the princess after all, and infintely wiser than he was. Besides, his feelings for Zelda were complicated and confusing, and he needed some time to figure them out. He'd been thrust into the body of an adult and pulled back to childhood again. It had taken years of growing up the normal way to realize he'd held a great deal of affection for her. Of course, that ws years ago, and such a long time apart left him unsure of his own feelings, not to mention hers.

Soon he'd be back though, back in Hyrule after so long away. He'd debated going to the Kokiri Forest first, but had discarded the idea. No one there except Saria would even recognize him, and it was likely she'd be in the Forest Temple anyways. It was his home, but he'd long since outgrown it. Instead he was heading for Hyrule Castle Town. Something seemed to be pulling him there.

Link shook his head slightly. The sooner he got to a city with a proper inn, the better. He wondered if anyone in the city would even recognize him. He'd spent a lot of time there as a child, but that had been a long time ago. He stood much taller now, and he'd grown his hair out long, pulled tight into a bun behind his head as many people in the kingdoms south of Hyrule did. He still wore a green tunic, but he'd abandoned his matching green hat. And he'd added a stiff leather jerkin. A sword and shield were on his back, but they weren't the right ones. The Master Sword and a Hylian shield, that's what he wanted.

Slowly he and Epona continued, the woods starting to thin as they approached the southern border of Hyrule. Soon they were finally reaching Hyrule Field, its great expanse the last leg of this long journey. As the trees began to fade and more sunlight reached them, Link could feel Epona's nervousness fade and her excitement grow. Link loosened the reins and let her run, enjoying the feel of the wind rushing by him. Epona whinnied excitedly. Even after all these years she seemed to recognize her homeland. Link shared her feelings.

The hours passed quickly, and by early evening Link could see the castle walls in the distance. He urged Epona onwards, and she complied. Soon they were approaching the drawbridge that led into the city, and Link dismounted.

"Okay girl," Link said soothingly as Epona breathed heavily. "Go find your way to Lon Lon Ranch. I'll call you when I need you."

Whether Epona understood or not, she trotted away. Link gave a smile. No doubt Malon would be happy to see Epona after so long away. She'd been hesitant to let him take the horse, but Link had insisted and Epona was happy to follow him. But as he turned back to the walls, his smile faded.

It was strange, but he almost felt… nervous. It had been so long since he'd seen the city. And in an alternate timeline he'd fought through hordes of undead creatures to reach the castle. He'd heard the howling wind blowing through the dilapidated city. He'd watched as the castle collapsed in on itself. There were a lot of memories here, a lot of them bad ones. But there were some good ones too: playing games in the town square, meeting a princess in her garden. It was these memories that pushed him onwards across the drawbridge and into the city.

The city was bustling. The main street he was on led into the town square, and he could barley see it over the crowds of people walking along in every direction.

Was the city always this crowded? He thought to himself. Maybe it's grown over the years, or maybe I'm just used to walking through the woods alone.

He walked slowly, looking all around so as to not miss anything. Houses and stores lined the streets, and people were talking to each other animatedly. It was a happy atmosphere, and Link soon found himself wandering nonchanlantly through the crowds. He listened the the conversations as they passe him.

"Did you hear the news about the Gerudo?" One man asked another. The man he was speaking to nodded excitedly.

"I sure did, Princess Zelda has finally secured a treaty with the savages," the second man replied. "She's going to make an amazing queen."

Link smiled sadly at this. It was great to hear Zelda was accomplishing so much, but it made him miss her even more. He wanted to see her again, but he doubted she'd have the time. It sounded like she was keeping herself busy in her role as ruler-to-be.

Link continued his wandering, noticing the changes from his memories. Everything seemed busier. Eventually he arrived at a familiar building: the Temple of Time. It was quieter here, a stillness resting over this holy place. He walked inside.

There were people inside: a few priests and some civilians sitting in the pews. Link wondered why there were people here. The temple had always been empty when he'd been a child. The altar and Door of Time still stood at the far end.

Maybe Zelda has something to do with it?Link thought. It would make sense if she'd taken an interest in revitalizing the temple; both of them had a special connection to it.

Link took a seat in one of the pews, wishing to observe the goings-on of the temple. Soon a priest approached, dressed in a white robe with a decorated stole around his neck. He gave Link a bow and Link returned it.

"Blessing of Hylia upon you," the priest said. "I am Priest Logain. I have not seen you before, is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm from out of the city," Link replied, "I wanted to see the temple for myself. What can you tell me about it?"

The priest seemed excited by the question. It was clear he enjoyed this topic.

"Well," he began, "This temple stands waiting for the Hero of Time. Someday he'll be sent to us by Hylia in our hour of need to stop the coming darkness."

Link nodded in interest, a small smile threatening to show on his face. It was strange to hear someone talk about him like this. Logain continued.

"Someday he will bring the three Spiritual Stones here, open the Door of Time, and draw the Master Sword form its pedestal."

"The Master Sword?" Link asked with a hint of wonder in his voice. He was playing with priest, sure, but the Master Sword still inspired some awe in him; even after all his time with it.

"Yes, the sword of evil's bane," Logain said with reverence. "The princess has taken an interest in the temple, she's instructed us to watch carefully for the Hero of Time."

That's interesting, Link thought. Why would Zelda do that except to know when I returned?

Maybe she missed you, another, quieter voice in his head pointed out. Link ignored it; it was most likely a foolish hope. Still, if she wanted the Hero of Time to reveal himself, he would not disappoint her.

"Logain," Link interrupted the priest's recital of important figures in the Temple's history. "I hate to stop you, but there is something I must do."

Link stood and calmly began to walk towards the altar. Logain followed him, unaware of what was about to happen.

"You want to pay respects to the goddess?" Logain asked quizzically.

"Not quite," Link smiled.

"Then what is it?" Logain asked.

"This," Link said as he placed his hands on the black metal of the altar. The light streaming in through the high windows of the temple seemed to fade as the three Spiritual Stones appeared above him, shining like the sun. They were always with him, gifts from the kokiri, gorons, and zoras. They spun slowly in the air as they lowered onto the pedestal. A few gasps could be heard, but otherwise it was only silence. Then the rumbling started.

The door behind the altar shook as it started to open. Slowly the room behind it revealed itself, and Link smiled as he saw the Master Sword there waiting for him. He strode confidently through the door, ignoring the eyes on him. He reached the pedestal and stopped. The sheath was lying on the ground behind it, where he'd left it all those years ago. Link ran his hand slowly over the sword's hilt, savoring the feel of leather.

It's been so long, he thought with a smile. But finally I've got you again.

He grabbed the hilt with both hands and drew it from the stone. It gave a satisfying ring that echoed through the silent chamber. Link looked at the blade lovingly before giving a few practice swings. It felt so right. He grabbed the sheath off the ground, and slid the sword in before tying it onto his back. As he turned back towards the entrance, he saw Logain there, pointing and trying to speak.

"You're- you're- you're the Hero of Time," Logain stuttered out. He seemed to be overwhelmed.

"I am," Link responded with a knowing smile, "Please inform the princess."


Princess Zelda put on a brave face as she walked through the great hall of the castle. Her father's throne stood at the far end, nearly obscured by the large pillars that lined the hall. A young nobleman walked by her side, talking nearly nonstop. He'd asked to speak her about official business. He'd said his family was having issues with their trading partners in Kakariko Village and he wanted her advice resolving the issue. So far he'd only spoken about himself. It was becoming clear that the noble had simply wanted an excuse to meet with her for personal reasons.

It was becoming more common, young and not-so-young nobleman were attempting to woo her. Some of them were after the power, some saw her as a trophy to acquire. It was frustrating, even moreso because her father seemed to encourage them. She would often tell him she was much too busy serving the people of her kingdom to waste her time dating, but her father never seemed to hear her.

She'd been raised to someday become the ruler of Hyrule. Her life was dedicated to Hyrule. She'd spent seven years conquering Ganon, living in hiding as a Sheikah. Then she'd been thrust back into the body of a child. As a result she felt a good deal more mature than any other seventeen year old. After that she'd dedicated all her time to studying, preparing to be the best ruler she could.

Remembering the time she'd spent fighting Ganon brought a small smile to her face. She remembered Link as she often did nowadays. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she missed the forest boy. They'd developed a bond during their time together, united by a common goal. And then they'd gone their separate ways: him to his travels and her to her royal duties. It was good, to get some distance, but it had left her with a twinge of regret that never quite faded.

The nobleman next to her continued to talk animatedly, and she smiled politely as he laughed at his own joke. It was important she keep up appearances, and it wouldn't do for him to rebuke him outright. But her mind was mostly elsewhere.

There was the treaty with the Gerudo to worry about. Yes it had been signed, but tension between them and the Hylians was still high. There was a lot of distrust, no matter what she and Nabooru, the Sage of Sprit, did.

Rauru, the Sage of Light, had been coming to her in her dreams. He was concerned with rumblings in the Sacred Realm. He had no proof yet, but he swore something dark was coming.

All in all, she was kept very busy. Her musings were interrupted by a servant running towards her, nearly in a panic.

"Princess," the servant gasped out, "The Temple of Time!"

"What is it?" The princess asked quizically. It was rare for a servant to interrupt a meeting like this, even a casual one. "Is something wrong?"

The servant shook his head, gasping for air before continuing. "Someone opened the Door of Time and drew the Master Sword."

Zelda gasped. There were only two possibilties. One was that some dark force had forced their way into the Temple of Time, the other…

"I'm sorry sir," Zelda said to the nobleman who had been curiously silent during the servant's outburst. "But I must see to this."

Zelda hurried away before she heard his reply, the servant following closely at her heels. She hoped it was Link who'd drawn the sword, but she needed to make sure. She ignored the worry in her stomach at the thought of seeing him after all these years.

She left the castle in a hurry, walking down the path towards the castle gate. A few tense minutes passed as she walked down the path towards the temple. The people around her pointed and stared, but she ignored them, intent on her destination. Soon she was walking up the path towards the temple where a large crowd had gathered. Her presence did nothing to calm them, and the furious whispers increased in volume. The crowds parted as sheapproached, and she made her way into the temple.

There, leaning against the altar, the Master Sword strapped to the back of his green tunic, stood Link. His hair was different, but the smile was the same. She froze upon seeing him.

"Hello Princess Zelda," Link said with a cocky smile. "It's good to see you."