The two children, playing in the garden. How innocent. The sun's gentle rays played across the leaves of the trees and across their miniature faces. Five years of age, they were. Well, at least one was. But that is a matter for another time. One had oak-brown hair, and his skin was pale, like the silver rays of the moon at night. His eyes were the jade of the forest leaves. He was wrapped in an ordinary peasant's cloak, the sodden boots he clad were worn down and barely fit him, his face scratched and patched in dirt. The other child was fit in custom boots, laced with intricate designs, and his grassy green shirt and hat was matched in the ornate laces. His skin was slightly tanned, his hair like the golden orb above, which was making its slow descent downwards in the sapphire sky, sapphire like the boy's innocent, endless eyes.
"Tanek, can I ask you something?" Said the wealthy boy to the peasant.
"Anything, Link." The boy responded calmly.
"Where are your parents? My parents come to bring you here to play every day, and I thought that it was kind of strange how your parents never brought you over, not once."
There was a short pause, and Tanek lowered his eyes. "Link, you know how your grandfather...disappeared? How he went to fight off bandits one day, and never came back?" The peasant said, choosing his words carefully.
The rich child's eyes widened, and he gasped, grinning. "Your parents are guards? How come I was never told of this?"
"No, pay attention to the first part, Link." The filthy child said.
"...They disappeared too?" He asked, a high pitched, innocent tone taking place. An adult would have referred to it as 'cute.'
"Yes Link, yes they did." The peasant replied.
They continued playing until the sun was gradually lowering itself beneath Lake Hylia. "Link! Tanek! Come on in!" A deep, rich voice called out to them. This voice belonged to Link's father, a mirror image of him, but beat up, older, and his eyes even deeper, like the depths of an ocean.
"Race ya!" Link said to the other child. He got down in a racing position, and Tanek stood stock still. "3...2...1... GO!" He shouted, and sprinted a little ways, those sapphire eyes clamped shut against the wind. The laced boots were never made for racing, and were decorative. Coupled with the fact that they were new, and not properly broken in, he tripped. He scrambled up as quickly as possible, and started crying. "I..." He sniffled. "I got my tunic all scratched up. AND IT'S BRAND-NEW!" He wailed uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Tanek had made it to the doorstep as Link had tripped halfway there.
"Ooh, my poor baby!" His mother called out. She ran towards him and embraced the child, comforting him. Tanek looked at Link's father. "His mother babies him, and never gives me the chance to train him." The man said.
"Then take him away for a while. Away from his mother, the pampered lifestyle." Tanek said, basically answering his problem.
The man laughed. "His mother would conduct unthinkable tortures to me if he went 'missing.'"
"What is more important, his destiny, or your temporary heartbreak?" The peasant interrogated him harshly.
Link's father sighed. "Fine. But only when he's ten. That's all you can get from me." Link walked towards the door slowly, sobbing in self pity, his mother rubbing his back.
"Don't worry, sweety, we'll get you some lemonade? How about that?" Link's face perked up immediately.
"Yay!" He cried out in joy.
"Tomorrow." She finished. "It's too late now." Link's face lowered.
Later, in Link's room.
Link and Tanek were tucked up to their necks in the soothing, goose-down blanket. Link's eyes were slowly drooping, the sapphire eyes slowly losing the unique twinkle that made Link, well, Link. Suddenly, the twinkle sparked right back up, his eyelids snapping upwards. "Oh! Link!" he cried. "Have you ever met Princess Zelda?"
The orphan slowly shook his head. "No, Link, no I haven't."
"She's REALLY nice, and we're going to play with her tomorrow." He lowered his voice. "She's also REALLY pretty, but don't tell her.."
Tanek smiled. "I'm sure she is Link. But let's go to sleep, I'm really tired." He said, feigning a short yawn, and closing his eyes.
Link's eyes were slowly losing their signature twinkle again. "Okay, I'm tired to."
In the morning.
"Link, Tanek, get up.." Link's sweet mother softly cooed, gently shaking their tiny bodies. Tanek's eyes snapped open, and he swung his legs onto the floor.
Link pushed his mother's hand away. "Can't we sleep in a little longer?" He asked, summoning his most adorable, heart-wrenching, innocent voice.
"Oh, honey," His mother said, obviously heart broken over this. "I wish I could, but Tanek's already up, and, well, we still have to see Zelda."
Link jumped up on the bed, audibly smacking his head on the ceiling, and plopping back on the bed, trying his best not to cry, his mother hugging him, stroking his head, comforting him.
"Honey!" The low voice of Link's father called out. "Tanek and I are already in the wagon! What are you doing with Link?"
"Oh, he hit his head!" She called out.
"Well hurry up! We've got to get this show on the road!" He bellowed. Minutes later, she and Link were sitted comfortably inside, with Tanek and Link's father at the head, the horses trotting hastily along.