Heavy mail rested on the soldiers of the young boy. He remembered his house as he looked into the open room. Large, glossy stairs lead up to an empty stage. He heard a familiar voice in his mind congratulate him, and for a brief moment, he wanted to lay down.

He gripped his sword tighter and brought his shield to his chest, the voice continued and told him to take his prize. Three golden relics spun to the stage forming a large pyramid in the center. Before the boy could think he rushed up the stairs and lowered his weapons. He grabbed the relics and thrust them over his head in victory. Nothing could stop him now. He searched his mind for thoughts of a golden land and memories of when the world was good. At this moment, nothing would be lost for him. Or so it should be. But this is not the world you know. The boy was as flawed as you or I. Things like this don't happen often. The boys' mind was perhaps a minute too young or an hour too old, we will never know. His mind, focused on the world he fought so hard to save, fallen for, then risen again and again; for all this time, his uncle slipped from a thought to an idea.

How much he wanted to see him, one last time. Then he realized that he was not responsible for any of this. He could've said no and moved on, but now he didn't have to. He could wake up tomorrow with his uncle by his side, nothing could hold him back. Thoughts like these would be deemed unworthy for such a power, but the boy's mind was not of ill intent. He was feeling loss, and there was nothing wrong with that. Parts of me wonder how it would be if I never saw this, if I never knew. But the boys' mind turned on those he served and aided, he drowned them out in his loss in his loss. He spoke aloud to the relics as he lowered them from his joyous stance. He stared at the gleaming pyramid and spoke slowly:

"I wish the Seven Sages had been able to keep that beast in his prison forever."

Oh how long it has been.

"Get up Link."

Link's head moved an inch then slumped back into his pillow.

"I said, get up. We have work to do," the man stood firm in the center of the room.

"No way it's morning already," Link groaned.

"I assure you it is. Just like yesterday and the day before that. Now get up, I'll meet you outside. You have breakfast waiting for you in the den."

Link waved him away, the lazy boy sluggishly rose. He stared vacantly into his mirror, the golden shimmer of the glass outlining his thick blue hair. He gave it a tussle and shook his head, putting on a short green cap. After putting on his boots and slipping a tunic over his underwear, Link headed outside to meet his father.

"Grab the shovel, I'm planted fifteen on the west side of the house. You need to plant about 5 near the creek." His father said with a plunge of his spade. The thick pink hair rested on his shoulders, hints of grey hazed around his head. His thick beard covered his stained shirt, his eyes were squinting from the hot sun.

"I thought I planted enough by the creek." Link said in anger.

"You did. Some beetles got into them this morning and I had to burn them out to save the rest on the Westside. I'm sorry, but we need to cover that area. Our defenses won't last till Winter if we don't work quickly."

Link frowned, there was a solution to every problem. He scoffed as he walked behind the house and towards the creek. Planting trees wasn't his idea of defense. He slowly dug the holes in a diagonal pattern. His father hadn't exercised any idea of leaving the woods, you'd think that after the first five attacks would make one think they were unwanted. Link's father was strong but lacked the will to act on any more than instinct. Link, on the other hand, often wrote and dreamed of running away but his will was tied to his father, his responsibility. He stared up from the creek to the hill. He looked long at the graves atop the hill, his great uncle and late mother. He wondered if his uncle would have had any thoughts on his father's actions, he wished that he had known him.

A scream from the house woke Link from his daydream, "Dad!"

Link rushed to the house, he hid behind a tree and watched as two guards pulled his father out of the house.

"You can't do this, we owe nothing to Hyrule. My uncle was a royal guard, the Hylian crown will hear of this."

The guard laughed, "why do you think we would come here. We have orders to take you to the Queen in Hyrule."

Father's eys widened "I won't go, I want nothing to do with that city."

"Come on old man," the other guard shifted his weight. "We haven't got all day."

Link's eyes met with his Dad's. His Dad nodded and looked up at the guard, "I'll go."

The guards pulled a seed from his pocket and threw it towards the ground, a whirl of wind sprung from the ground and the three vanished.

Link stood still for a moment then slowly walked inside the house. He saw, on his father's bed, a packed bag. Link staggered as the weight finally hit him. He felt powerless and frozen. He couldn't do anything. He vowed to never wait for danger to decide his fate again, he threw the pack over his shoulder and headed for Hyrule. He took a long look at the land behind him and realized that he couldn't leave just yet.

He ran the nearest village and into a general store.

"What can I do for you kid?"

"I need a sword."

"A sword? Aren't you a little young for such things."

"Maybe, but I can pay."

"I'll give you a blade, but only if you buy a shield too. I can't have you goin into the wild without a defense."

"Fine," Link pulled a sack of rupees from his pack and paid quickly. He noticed a bow in the back and stared down out his money. He had just enough but didn't want to journey on without any money. He thought of his father and knew he needed all the help he could get, "I'll take that bow too and as many arrows as you'll give me."

With that, he was on his way. A sea captain granted him passage to Hyrule in exchange for work and the boy Link was on his way. He looked at Holodrum shrinking in the distance.

Once he arrived, he never looked back.