The small raft rocked gently across the ocean waters. It was a crude raft, hastily made from the wreckage of the ship it had previously been a part of. Luckily enough, the ocean was calm, calmer than it had ever been these past few days. The wind had constantly pushed the raft eastward for a little over a week, so direction was no worry for the man on the raft.
He was dressed all in green, his trademark color. Golden hair fell across his face, half the time obscuring his sapphire blue eyes from view. He had a muscular build, but the way he carried himself never made this obvious, instead giving the impression that he was not very strong at all. He had a sword strapped to an earthen-colored strap connected to his belt but instead of like any normal person, it was strapped to his back, erupting above his left shoulder. His shield, an impressive piece of metalworking, was the only hint at where he came from. The symbol of the Royal Family of Hyrule, a phoenix, wings spread, under three golden triangles, was emblazoned on the front. It hung loosely from his back, ready at a moment's notice to be slid off and put to use. However, with no enemies to be found, it was more decorative than useful.
The man looked up from his place on the raft. He scanned the unfamiliar stars, looking for any that he recognized. He was heading home, but it was still a ways off. He leaned back against the mast, watching the dark water lap against the raft's side. Pulling an Ocarina from the small bag of possessions he had, the man played a few notes, listening to them echo across the water. He played the song once more and waited, yet nothing happened. He silently put the Ocarina in his bag and stared once more at the star-speckled sky, letting his thoughts roam.
Soon. Soon I shall be home. Home again at last. I've been away for too long. I'm sticking to land for a while. It'll be good to see the faces of my friends again, anyway. The Zoras'll probably be the first of my run-ins. They're decent people, even if they do have a few foul-tempered cousins. Ruto'll probably be the first one there. She still has a crush on me, but I think she's realizing that we can't be together. Taken her long enough.
And then there'll be Saria I have to pay a visit to. She's trapped in that forest. She's immortal, yes, but she can't go anywhere. It's sad really. I hated leaving her behind when the Deku Tree told me to leave. But she understood better than even I did, I think. It'll be a nice surprise for her.
Of course, I'll have to say hi to Darunia as well. He and I are Sworn Brothers, after all. I mean, he named his kid after me! I'm going to have to have him explain this 'Sworn Brother' thing to me a bit more fully before I do something to offend him.
And of course, I can't leave out Malon and Epona. Agreed, Malon and I aren't the best of friends, but we have one big connection - Epona. That seems enough to forge a decent friendship, and we have. Naturally, we have more than a horse in common, but she spends most of her time working around the Ranch, so we don't talk much. That, and she's always waiting around for a 'knight in shining armor' to come and sweep her off her feet. To this day, she won't answer the two questions I wanted answers for. One, why would a knight wear his armor to come and pick her up? Two, if he swept her off her feet, wouldn't she fall? Besides, armor is overrated.
And then there is Zelda. I'm definitely going to swing by the castle as soon as possible. I haven't seen her in forever, and it's her that I've missed the most while on my venture. I hate to think that I've kept her waiting this long. I still remember her, though. Quite vividly, actually. If I think hard enough, I could probably remember what dress she was wearing that day we met in the courtyard. She always touched just the right chord, because even to this day, I still wish I had had enough sense to stay and be by her side. Even now, in the middle of the ocean, I wish that I had taken her offer...
The man stood. He removed his sword and shield, placing them in his bag. He flopped back against the raft, looking back up at the ever-present stars that ran across the night sky. His thoughts once again returned to the princess.
I wonder what she's doing right now? It's around the middle of the night already, so I doubt she's awake. I do hope that she'll at least recognize me. I don't expect her to feel the same way about me as I do about her, though. That's just wishing for the impossible. More than likely, her father's got her to marry some prince of a faraway country and I'm just a kid that she met years ago.
Link sat up and looked at the horizon, of which Hyrule lay just beyond. I am coming home, Zelda. I love you, and I always will. And here's hoping that you'll remember me...