Chapter 1

Zelda looked out her window and thought. She thought about him. She thought about what made him go away. She couldn't understand it. Seven years ago, to the day, he had left the beautiful land of Hyrule. Only the goddesses knew where he was. She had only known him for so short a time, and yet he had become one of the most important people in her life. Where was he?

Zelda thought back to a few days before he left seven years ago. She was on a horse with her attendant, Impa, riding away from the castle. She remembered why. Ganondorf was after her, or rather he was after the Ocarina of Time she carried. She threw it to Link, and she didn't know what happened afterward. She knew that after she and Impa lost Ganondorf, they looked back toward Castle Town and saw a blinding flash of light, and then nothing. She and Impa carefully made their way back to the castle, but found no trace of Ganondorf's treachery. He was completely gone.

The guards reported that the thief had entered the Temple of Time, the flash of light hit, and Ganondorf never came out. Instead, the one who emerged was a young boy in green clothing carrying a sword and shield. The guards were about to arrest him but he showed them a letter from the princess which forced them to stay their hands. After the boy left, the guards welcomed their princess and her guardian back to the castle. Zelda then checked the royal vault and found the Ocarina of Time in its rightful place, completely untouched.

A few days later, the boy sneaked back into the castle to find the princess in the courtyard. She was so relieved to see him again, but as soon as she looked into his eyes, she saw that he was sad. She didn't understand why until he told her what he had gone through. The Sages, Sheik, the monsters, and the Evil King himself. She could see what an ordeal he had been through, and that even though it never happened, he was at the eye of the great hurricane of time. He knew. He remembered.

Those memories stuck with him and eventually became so painful that he came to her again and told her he was leaving. He bought a pony from Lon Lon Ranch with all the treasure he managed to scrounge up during his adventures. He bought a new sword and a shield not made of wood as well. Zelda was heartbroken. She knew that even if she couldn't help him get past his pain, she could give him something to remind him of her. So she gave him the Ocarina of Time.

That was the last time she saw him.

In the dead of night, a lone figure climbed a ladder up a tree. He was worried it might not support his weight anymore, as it had been seven years since he had been here last. He looked around at all the different houses. The Kokiri were all peacefully sleeping. He stepped inside his old home and opened what used to be his toy chest, and what now stored his old Hylian shield and other various treasures he left behind. After packing them all up, he stopped by a particular house. He looked inside and saw his old friend Saria sleeping peacefully. She wasn't a sage now. He had averted that fate for her. Now he needed to visit someone else.

The clearing opened up to him, and Link smiled. The Great Deku Tree had been reborn, and had grown quite a bit in the last seven years.

"I know who you are," the tree said. "You gave me room to grow."

"Great Deku Tree," Link said smiling. "You may be new, but you're still the same."

"You've returned from your journey," the tree said. "Why?"

"It was time for me to return," Link said. "I wanted to see my home again."

"Well I am glad that you came to visit me," the tree said. "Why did you not come during the day? Did you not want to greet your old friends?"

"None of them would recognize me now," Link said. "I'd rather not give their young minds much confusion."

"I could explain to them."

"Please don't," Link said. "I know this is where I grew up, but I don't belong here. It's time I put this place behind me."

"As you wish, my friend. I wish you well."

Link departed the forest with haste. He knew that he would never return, but that it was for the best. He knew it was an honor, really. The forest was forbidden to all Hylians, yet he was allowed to come and go as he pleased. It didn't matter anymore. He would never go back. He stood on a hill and looked over Hyrule Field. "Nothing has changed," he said to himself. "I wonder if anything will?"

Feeling a wave of nostalgia wash over him, he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the tune he used to call his horse. The notes sounded far off through the air until Link heard the sound of hooves galloping across the field. When she reached him, Epona nuzzled his face with hers as Link pulled an apple out of his pack and fed her. He stroked Epona's mane and when she finished eating, he mounted her back and they rode through the night.

Link stopped Epona right in front of the Castle Town drawbridge, which was up. "Well, that's not going to make getting in easy," he said. "Okay, Epona. I'm going to go inside for a while. You be a good girl and don't get into trouble, okay?"

Epona neighed in agreement. Link hopped off and kissed her forehead. "I love you, you silly horse." He then pulled one of his favorite tools, the Longshot, out of his pack and shot it at a flagpole on a rampart. "I'll be back soon, Epona," he said before rocketing to the top of the castle wall.

Link snuck on to the castle grounds and climbed the highest tree he could find. When he had scaled its tallest branch, he began to play the ocarina again. He played the song sung by the royal family, Zelda's Lullaby, hoping that she would hear it and know that he had returned.

Zelda was suddenly sure that she was going crazy. First, she couldn't stop thinking about Link, and now she's hearing his ocarina playing her song. Though suddenly, she felt no more anxiety. Instead, she felt at peace. At that moment, she thought that maybe she wasn't crazy. Maybe she was hearing him play. Either way, she felt good enough to fall asleep. "Thank you, Link," she whispered.