Author's Note: Howdy boys and girls. Let's just take a moment and "pretend"
Zelda didn't give Link back his time. So..........enjoy....My first, lousy attempt. I'd promise it would get better later, but I'm not you and I don't know what you think is better :-)
Children who scampered out into Hyrule Field for a picnic would often take a good hour out of their meal time to scale a large hill overlooking a valley surrounded by legend. It had been ten years since Link had finished off a ruler who terrorized Hyrule with unspeakable evils, but his story showed no indications of fading into distant
memory. Now it was surrounded by even more myth and legend than the initial tale claimed, but he was always the central hero. What these children were searching for was a glimpse of a large, towering manor surrounded by a rare forest of enchanted trees. This had been his place away from everyone, and here his privacy was respected.
After his quest of Fate had been accomplished, Link did as everyone thought he would--he left for travel. He wandered about Hyrule for a good three years before a sense of being lost overtook him. It was then that he asked his personal but estranged confidant, Zelda, for funds to build a residence of his own. It was the first and last
time they would speak in a decade, but both had developed their own separate lives.
The day he came to visit her was a rather cool day in the later seasons of the year. Hyrule Castle Town was bustling as usual, but none of its residents were too busy to recognize a stranger in their midst. Although age and experience had changed his face, Link was still the hero they knew and deeply loved. No matter what he did, he never seemed to be able to escape the loving adoration that plagued his public life. The
crowds prohibited any movement as people shot questions at him and offered stories of how his quest had changed their lives.
"You've been a true hero to all of us!" an older woman declared, She must have been around even before the Evil Reign, and was looking up at him like a daughter would to a father. Link turned his head and silently attempted to keep moving.
"Link, oh Link! Please, just a couple of questions!"
He shook his head, but was being pushed into submission by the eager faces and chattering voices. Luckily, a group of castle guards stepped forward and managed to break the crowd up. He kept his head up as he walked through the gates into the castle grounds, and didn't look back at the eager crowd.
"It's a real pleasure to see you again, sir," one of the guards mentioned. Link studied him closely, sure he was one of the many men who kicked him out of attempting to get onto the grounds when he was unknown. Nonetheless, he chose to ignore the man's hypocrisy, and continued on in silence.
He was led to the steps of the castle gate and allowed to pass without dispute. What a change it was from his younger days, of sneaking in from the side and having to dodge the harsh patrolling of the castle guards. But, the courtyards, having been reconstructed after Ganandorf's collapse, were replicated exactly how he remembered them. And a figure stood at the end of the last one; an irrefutable figure of a thin,
powerful woman who never seemed to compromise her dignity.
The guard announced Link's arrival with loud formality, and she turned to study her visitor as well as dismiss the guard. Once he had left the gardens, she turned back away to stare down at the sprig of dying flowers at her feet. Link stood without a word--his silence being his easiest defense against the mounting miscommunications and lack of
compromising decisions to let one another to converse with a freedom of awkwardness. They both wished to express a deep feeling that neither truly understood, so they knew the words would never come out correctly even if they tried.
"What have you come for?" She asked, her voice different than what he remembered. Perhaps his memories were slipping after all, and in time who would be able to tell what was true and what was fiction of his adventures?
"I see. Where would you wish to live?" she continued the conversation after he answered from the same position. Her eyes ceased to take themselves from their focus on the brown flowerbed.
She listened to him closely, and took a moment to speak. When she did, her words were thick with remorse--she had hoped he would agree to live closer.
"Of course I will give you the money. I have carpenters as well, who will build you a residence in due time. Just name the place."
He explained in a brief and direct way his desire for a place in the field, at a center to all of the places he would like to visit, when the mood took him. Moreover, he informed her of the agreement between himself and Saria that the transport of some magic sprouts would be taken from the forest to give him privacy. At the mention of the ever-young Forest Sage's name, Zelda's mouth turned up a little.
"You are still in contact with her? And you keep no such correspondence with me?"
She smiled briefly at the time of his answer, which consisted of a direct, honest-sounding reason as to why he neglected to keep in touch--he was far too busy to communicate
with anything but an ocarina. That wasn't true---he had spent a large amount of idle time wondering what would happen if he did visit her, or even simply write a letter.The amount of words that he wished to speak or write seemed far too many, however, and he decided against even attempting a simplified version of his thoughts.
"Well, I shall give you what you wish, and hope to increase our contact over the next few months. You shall have your house in a week, Link."
He thanked her and was about to leave when she began to hum softly. The tune brought back a rush of memories--the beginning of his quest and the very end all melting together with the soft notes of a royal lullaby. They were both older now, but the tune remained as a testament to a youth when she had been a naive visionary, and he an adventurous hero. Time changed them greatly, but there was still a constant soul to the notes that stopped Link in his tracks.
Zelda ceased her humming and stared at the stiff form in front of her. She sighed silently, and her eyelids lowered to lazily stare at the changes she did not wish to comprehend. Link was the valiant hero described by the society she now ruled, but he was a shell of a champion. Truthfully, as she stared at the stone coldness of his figure, she realized that he a life of self had been the martyr to his selfless crusade.
Zelda didn't give Link back his time. So..........enjoy....My first, lousy attempt. I'd promise it would get better later, but I'm not you and I don't know what you think is better :-)
Children who scampered out into Hyrule Field for a picnic would often take a good hour out of their meal time to scale a large hill overlooking a valley surrounded by legend. It had been ten years since Link had finished off a ruler who terrorized Hyrule with unspeakable evils, but his story showed no indications of fading into distant
memory. Now it was surrounded by even more myth and legend than the initial tale claimed, but he was always the central hero. What these children were searching for was a glimpse of a large, towering manor surrounded by a rare forest of enchanted trees. This had been his place away from everyone, and here his privacy was respected.
After his quest of Fate had been accomplished, Link did as everyone thought he would--he left for travel. He wandered about Hyrule for a good three years before a sense of being lost overtook him. It was then that he asked his personal but estranged confidant, Zelda, for funds to build a residence of his own. It was the first and last
time they would speak in a decade, but both had developed their own separate lives.
The day he came to visit her was a rather cool day in the later seasons of the year. Hyrule Castle Town was bustling as usual, but none of its residents were too busy to recognize a stranger in their midst. Although age and experience had changed his face, Link was still the hero they knew and deeply loved. No matter what he did, he never seemed to be able to escape the loving adoration that plagued his public life. The
crowds prohibited any movement as people shot questions at him and offered stories of how his quest had changed their lives.
"You've been a true hero to all of us!" an older woman declared, She must have been around even before the Evil Reign, and was looking up at him like a daughter would to a father. Link turned his head and silently attempted to keep moving.
"Link, oh Link! Please, just a couple of questions!"
He shook his head, but was being pushed into submission by the eager faces and chattering voices. Luckily, a group of castle guards stepped forward and managed to break the crowd up. He kept his head up as he walked through the gates into the castle grounds, and didn't look back at the eager crowd.
"It's a real pleasure to see you again, sir," one of the guards mentioned. Link studied him closely, sure he was one of the many men who kicked him out of attempting to get onto the grounds when he was unknown. Nonetheless, he chose to ignore the man's hypocrisy, and continued on in silence.
He was led to the steps of the castle gate and allowed to pass without dispute. What a change it was from his younger days, of sneaking in from the side and having to dodge the harsh patrolling of the castle guards. But, the courtyards, having been reconstructed after Ganandorf's collapse, were replicated exactly how he remembered them. And a figure stood at the end of the last one; an irrefutable figure of a thin,
powerful woman who never seemed to compromise her dignity.
The guard announced Link's arrival with loud formality, and she turned to study her visitor as well as dismiss the guard. Once he had left the gardens, she turned back away to stare down at the sprig of dying flowers at her feet. Link stood without a word--his silence being his easiest defense against the mounting miscommunications and lack of
compromising decisions to let one another to converse with a freedom of awkwardness. They both wished to express a deep feeling that neither truly understood, so they knew the words would never come out correctly even if they tried.
"What have you come for?" She asked, her voice different than what he remembered. Perhaps his memories were slipping after all, and in time who would be able to tell what was true and what was fiction of his adventures?
"I see. Where would you wish to live?" she continued the conversation after he answered from the same position. Her eyes ceased to take themselves from their focus on the brown flowerbed.
She listened to him closely, and took a moment to speak. When she did, her words were thick with remorse--she had hoped he would agree to live closer.
"Of course I will give you the money. I have carpenters as well, who will build you a residence in due time. Just name the place."
He explained in a brief and direct way his desire for a place in the field, at a center to all of the places he would like to visit, when the mood took him. Moreover, he informed her of the agreement between himself and Saria that the transport of some magic sprouts would be taken from the forest to give him privacy. At the mention of the ever-young Forest Sage's name, Zelda's mouth turned up a little.
"You are still in contact with her? And you keep no such correspondence with me?"
She smiled briefly at the time of his answer, which consisted of a direct, honest-sounding reason as to why he neglected to keep in touch--he was far too busy to communicate
with anything but an ocarina. That wasn't true---he had spent a large amount of idle time wondering what would happen if he did visit her, or even simply write a letter.The amount of words that he wished to speak or write seemed far too many, however, and he decided against even attempting a simplified version of his thoughts.
"Well, I shall give you what you wish, and hope to increase our contact over the next few months. You shall have your house in a week, Link."
He thanked her and was about to leave when she began to hum softly. The tune brought back a rush of memories--the beginning of his quest and the very end all melting together with the soft notes of a royal lullaby. They were both older now, but the tune remained as a testament to a youth when she had been a naive visionary, and he an adventurous hero. Time changed them greatly, but there was still a constant soul to the notes that stopped Link in his tracks.
Zelda ceased her humming and stared at the stiff form in front of her. She sighed silently, and her eyelids lowered to lazily stare at the changes she did not wish to comprehend. Link was the valiant hero described by the society she now ruled, but he was a shell of a champion. Truthfully, as she stared at the stone coldness of his figure, she realized that he a life of self had been the martyr to his selfless crusade.