Author's Note

So this is the first story in my mind that I've decided to put on paper or rather on the computer so to speak. I have the whole plot of this thing ironed out so... yeah anyway enjoy and please review, it makes become a better author when I know what my readers want. Thanks,

Astra'shadow.

By the way I DO NOT own the legend of zelda series, though personally if I did, I would make a sequel to Twilight princess(My fav game other than Ocarina of time)

1.

" So how long has it been?" the man mused to himself, running his fingers over the handle of the sword he had used once. Goat horns neatly adorned the handle and he satisfied himself with running his fingers over them, reveling in the sensations that sparked to life...

Moblins cut to pieces... The feeling of blood splattering on his face.The man or rather link sighed as he moved onto another one of his old memories, a hookshoot. Link fingered the handle of the tool before setting it back onto the table. He rubbed the triangular birth mark on his hand before stroking the scales of the Zora garment.

Link sighed and stepped back I'm not a hero anymore he admonished himself placing the various tools on the table. Before halting one last time before a suit of green, underlined with chain mail and cleaned to the point where the metal on it gleamed. Link sighed again before dropping his hand to his side. He WANTED to don the old outfit again, to make himself believe he was the hero again and inside the beast inside of him reared it's head in agreement. Link grabbed his wrist with a suppressed rage. No I'm not the hero anymore he thought Now I'm a ranch hand that lives on Lon Lon Ranch with Malon and her family.

"Never mind..." he muttered out loud before turning back to the house he had once lived in, he had long stopped considering it home, what was a home if no one ever lived in it? Now to him it was more a relic, something to keep his simple roots embeded into the ground that was drowning in the guise of the hero.

Today was the day that he and Zelda had struck down Ganon, the day that he had refused to be sent back in time to relive his childhood. More important to most people, today was the day that they got a day of work, and instead got to drink with friends and family about the day where all the evil in the world had been vanquished by a unlikely hero from the forest.

And as the unlikely hero from the forest, he was expected to attend. Link sighed and ran his fingers through his long, dirty, blond hair before shouldering a pack of things he needed to get to castle Hyrule. A single sword, a bottle of red potion(not that he expected to need any) and more importantly a days worth of rations including (Dried Beef(gotta have it), a bottle of iced tea, and a brownie baked for him by Malon to indulge his sweet tooth or what ever she said.

Link sighed and walked outside, careful to avoid anyone like Talon, especially Talon, Farore knows how much he hated the idea of a queer dressing bastard boy staying at his ranch when he already had other qualified staff to help him on the ranch. Talon would be even more peeved if he realized that he was going to the festival, one that he had specifically prohibited everyone at the ranch from going to. Though Goddessess knew why in the world he did that. The fact that Link also had several lethal weapons stowed in the room he grudgingly allowed him to take would also not shine in a cherry light.

Link chuckled once, before jumping onto Epona with as much grace as he could muster, he grimaced at the audible "thud!" he made as he settle himself into the saddle. Shiek would've killed him if he saw the ruckus that made along with a few choice words like I thought I taught you better hero. Before making some insult at whether he actually was a hero or a cross dressing girl that got a kick out of getting high of mushrooms. Link smiled slightly One moment she's sane, the next she's not.

The Green hero winced at the welcome he'd get if he was late before thundering of on Epona, to hell if Talon got irritated at the fact that he was taking his daughters favorite horse. He sighed in content how long had it been since he had rode on Epona like this? How long had it been since he felt the cool breeze on his face?

Too Long he thought with a bittersweet tinge to his mental voice before promptly jumping the fence that marked the border of Lon Lon ranch and galloping away.

The wind blew in the man's hair, sending it rustling around him further enhancing his already wild and untamed look. Shit he swore as he looked at the sky, judging by the position of the sun he had about an hour before he was late to festival.

Shieks gonna kill me, he thought with a sinking feeling at the female sheikah's obsession with keeping impeccable timing. Though, it probably comes with the job, I mean think about how precise you have to be to show up right when the I need her.

30 minutes he thought driving Epona harder than she probably deserved. "Sorry about this girl" he said stroking her mane as she bolted through the plains. He could see the castle in the distance, almost he thought, his heart pounding frantically. The scent of food and wine was already in the air.

"Stop mocking me!" The green clad boy moaned as the drawbridge drew ever closer. Ten minutes.

"HALT!" What in Din's name...

"State your name traveler." The guard at the drawbridge snapped, him and his companion crossing the spears threateningly in front of him.

Link wrenched the rein's to the side halting Epona before she could bust the two guards aside like leaves in a tornado and also preventing the sword that he held in his hand from impaling the other men in the chest. A really awkward entrance for the EX-Hero of time if it did happen.

Hey Zel, I kinda busted your guards chest apart and he's dead right now so... happy holidays. Yeah right, most likely Zelda would watch Nabooru chase me a round with the traditional longsword that she carried while hiding her laughter and later graciously offering to heal my wounds.

"Link" He said panting"Now will you please let me through? Zel's gonna kill me if I'm late."

"The Hero of Time?" The guard to the left asked disbelievingly.

"No, it's a homeless deku shrub, Of course it's the Hero of Time who else is called Link?" Link said sarcastically while biting his tongue before feeling a thrill of unease should he be this impolite to the guards?. 5 minutes.

" Well,there are multiple Links in the castle, all named after the Hero of Time which is probably not you. I mean what hero eats a brownie while riding to the castle?" The guard said, a generic smart ass in general while he pointed toward my right hand which was actually holding a half eaten brownie.

"So your telling me that to be the Hero of Time you've got to not have a brownie in your hand and ride majestically into the castle? How stereo typical is that?" Link sputtered before deciding screw it he was getting into the castle and he was not going to get rebuked for being late when it was these two lump's fault for not letting him through.

Link reared Epona and almost contemptuously rammed the guards aside and thundered into the castle. 2 minutes he thought with the familiar sinking feeling he had felt at the beginning of the journey. He shouldn't be worried about Shiek, it was probably going to be Nabooru that would pound his face in. After all the sages were all going to be there save of course Saria who was bound to the woods.

He heard a rather muted "Halt!" from behind him that he summarized were the guards, Link glanced back before sighing, damnit he thought before jumping of Epona and into the throngs of people that were gathered there to attend the Festival. "Made it." he sighed in relief as he ran his fingers over the stone that made up the houses and roads on Hyrule castle.

It's been a year he thought wistfully since he had stood in the spot he was standing in now, a young boy looking at the castle that loomed above with no fear in his heart. A year since he had last seen Zelda, a year since he had even bothered to unsheath his sword. A feeling of loss pinged into his chest and he sighed I'm not a hero anymore he thought firmly before steeling himself to look for the familiar crown that had always settled on the princess' head.

Link sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, he swore he saw a flash of red, the distinct mark of a gerudo, and a cowled face some where, the sure sign of a shiekiah. But no telling crown that practically screamed I'm Zelda, come and find me. " The one time I need to find her..." he muttered looking around for the princess.

" There you are, Link." A voice said almost melodiously.

Link nodded the familiar accent and tone smoothing over his mind, it really has been a long time he thought dryly before turning around to look a certain princess in the eyes.

"Zelda."

So like, dislike give me some feed back please and this story is based losely of Ocarina of time with a little Twilight Princess thrown in, so sorry no Midna unless my reviewers want me to. *Hint*Hint*.