This is dedicated to HyruleHearts1123, who gave me this idea in the first place.

I don't own LoZ. I find this to be somewhat obvious, but it's better just to appease the great Protectors of Copyright.

It could have been dumb luck. Or maybe the goddesses were just bored and decided to play a joke on the inhabitants of Hyrule. Impa didn't know or particularly care how it had happened as much as the fact that it had in the first place.

Despite the logic of the situation, she could remember a future where she had awakened as the Sage of Shadow. A future where a young boy had grown into a young man and saved Hyrule from evil. A young man who had been sent back in time so he could have a childhood and prevent all the death and suffering that Ganondorf had caused. Now a young boy who, somehow, some way, had managed to retain the skills, items, and wallet of an adult Hero.

If it was the goddesses' work, they were indeed laughing. Probably cackling their heads off.

Impa sighed.

She had just finished the last of the paperwork that would take care of Link's latest escapade. How the boy thought that smashing all of the supply pots in the southeastern guardroom was a good idea escaped her.

Still, she felt it was worth it if Zelda got to have a friend her own age.

Slowly, Impa stood up from the desk and stretched. Time for a well-deserved lunch. I wonder if they're serving fried cuckoo today?

The goddesses were, indeed, laughing.

Impa walked to the door of her office and opened it. As soon as she did, she heard the yelling coming from the west side of the hallway.

"An attack?" she asked herself. "But who would possibly be attacking?"

Suddenly, a certain green-clad figure skidded around the corner.

Impa had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Link sprinted straight towards her. As he attempted to run past, Impa grabbed him by the collar and held him up in front of her.

"Link," she asked resignedly, "what've you done this time?"

Link tried to force Impa to release him, but even his skills as the Hero were ineffective against her iron Sheikah grip. "Lemme go, Impa! I have to keep running!"

Impa stared at him suspiciously. "Why?"

Link continued to squirm and struggle. "Seriously, Impa, if you don't let me go I'll die!"

"Really?" Impa asked as she raised her eyebrow. "What could possibly be so important?"

Link stopped struggling. "Impa, I'm begging you!"

Suddenly, the most ominous sound in all of Hyrule drifted down the hallway.

"BOCK bock bock bock BOCK bock bock bock BOCK bock bock bock..."

Impa just looked at Link. "You didn't."

Link at least had the decency to look ashamed of himself. "I did."

The Cuckoo Swarm of Death rounded the corner. Upon sighting their prey, the swarm became even more agitated.

Impa knew there was only one course of action.

She ran as fast as she could down the hallway, still holding Link.

Somehow, she managed to glare at him as she ran. "I swear, Hero or not, if I end up having to pick up any of those feathers, I will toss you down the Kakariko well."

Link gulped. "Understood."

A few days later...

Impa was back at her desk once again filling out the paperwork needed to keep Link from being thrown into the Castle Town insane asylum.

She leaned back in her chair. As she did, she bumped against a nearby bookshelf.

Slowly, ever so slowly, gracefully twirling through the air, was a single, perfect cuckoo feather. Gently, it alighted upon the edge of Impa's inkpot. And somehow, whether through dumb luck or the goddesses being bored and playing a joke, that perfect cuckoo feather managed to tip the inkpot just enough for it to spill all over the pile of paperwork.

Impa stared.

And stared.

And kept staring.

She took a deep breath.

"LLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNKKK!"