Chapter 1

"You could live the life you were supposed to, be the way you were supposed to be."

"Zelda, this is the way I was supposed to be."

Zelda lowered her head, her expression presenting one of sorrow.

"But I robbed you of-"

"Nothing. You robbed me of nothing and you need to realize that."

"I'm sorry Link… it just… has to be this way."

Link's hands shot toward the blue, clay ocarina on his belt around his waist only to find the instrument that had been there only moments ago now rested in the soft hands of Zelda.

"Zelda, please don't!" Link practically shouted at the princess, trying desperately to change her mind before she committed an act that would take all of this away from him. "I fought through all of this for a reason! I want to see Hyrule prosper again, I want to see the people come out from the darkness and rise to see the world is theirs again. I want to see your face again… It had been so full of life the first time I laid my eyes on you, back in the courtyard all those years ago. I want to see that same girl again and I'm not going to let you take that away from me now that I'm closer than ever. Zelda, I lo-"

"Please don't say it Link. I… It'll just… I can't Link… I just can't feel that same way towards you… Not right now."

Link's smile faltered from his face.

"And why not Zel? You don't have to hide from anyone anymore. You don't have to be the cold, emotionless person you pretended to be. Zelda, the sky is the limit right now, why can't you see that?"

Zelda's eyes looked up towards the black sky above her. The smoke from the battle with Ganon was now starting to slow, giving way to the sunlight that shined above the clouds, mixed in with the ruins. They created a beautiful sense of a new beginning that seemed and felt almost frozen in time itself.

Zelda slowly let air out of her lungs as her eyes once again stared deep into her hero's.

"I'm sorry Link… It is much more complicated than all of this. Maybe we'll meet again, Link, and I'll be able to tell you why I had to do this."

With that, Zelda slowly raised both of her hands and held the fabled Ocarina of Time to her lips. Just as the sweet sounds of the Song of Time began escaping the confines of the instrument, Link opened his mouth in a final, desperate attempt to speak to someone he had come to love one last time.

"Will I remember any of this? Will anyone remember any of this?"

Zelda opened her eyes as she blew the last couple of notes, the song concluding and herself lowering the ocarina from her lips.

"You'll find out. Link… I'm sorry…"

She stared at him with a saddened look amongst her face and as his vision began to grow ever paler, the last thing he saw was her face… The last thing he would forget from this land was her face…


"Impa, why can't I go outside of the castle ever? All of the other children get to play in the street with each other but every day you tell me that I can't go out there and play with them."

The innocent girl of six years old turning seven asked her caretaker, Impa.

"And every day you ask this same question to me and what do I tell you?"

Zelda jumped away from the window, too high for the little girl to see out of fully and therefore had been forced to stand on her tippy toes to get a look outside, and onto her bed just feet away where she looked up into Impa's eyes.

"Because I'm a princess?"

Impa smiled at her.

"Exactly."

"But that's not fair!" the young princess whined as her nursemaid set out her outfit for the day next to herself on the bed.

"Zelda, you have it way better than many have out there. You should consider yourself lucky."

"But I won't ever get to live a normal life like everyone else."

"Well, what do you consider normal?"

"Normal people get to play with other people their age."

"Well then, you are a normal person, Zelda."

"No I'm not!"

"You play with Malon whenever she comes to the castle don't you? Therefore, going by your definition, you are considered normal. Now Zelda, you need to get ready. Your parents are going to be expecting you ready for the day ahead at breakfast and we don't want to keep them waiting do we?"

Zelda shook her head back and forth quickly.

"Good, then let's hurry along and get ready."


This was her least favorite part of the day. Every day at the exact same time, her parents and her sat in the throne room and listened to pleas of the citizens of Castle Town demand something of King Daphnes or Queen Hylia.

"I haven't even heard of the town of Ordon. Why should we build a road to a town we have barely established relations with?" the king asked in his bold, arrogant voice that echoed off of the walls of the throne room they sat in.

"Well, we have a lot to offer you…like the surplus of pumpkins, and goat milk and-"

"Pumpkins! You want us to pay for your road so that you can bring pumpkins to Hyrule? You must be joking!"

Zelda didn't like having to sit here for long periods of time and listen to the commoners rant on about things like this all day, but the thing she hated most about this time was how mean her father became during this time. Many of the times, what the people who came here asked for wasn't too unreasonable but her father always reacted rudely to them. Anytime she brought this up to Impa or her mother, they just kept telling her she was too young to really understand what was happening.

Zelda slowly began slumping in her seat and her eyelids began closing but her behavior was quickly noticed. Her mother cleared her voice, somewhat loudly, which Zelda knew meant to straighten up and sit up properly or else she would get in trouble.

"I just don't see the benefit of trade relations with Ordon Village, I'm afraid. Next!"

"But your majesty!" the rather chubby man who had been talking to her father had pleaded before being whisked away by one of the guards. There was short time between now and when the next person would enter their presence which the Queen took as an opportunity to talk to her daughter.

"Zelda, what have I told you about sitting up straight and acting attentive when there are guests in the room?"

That was another thing Zelda hated. Everyone but Impa always used such big words that she was expected to know but she was only six! She felt like they forgot that sometimes.

"I'm sorry Mommy. I just get so bored here."

That was one thing Zelda did like though. Her mother was still a caring person and even though they didn't see each other all the time, she knew she could be completely truthful with her and her mother would not get mad at her for stating her opinion.

"I know Sweetheart but it's important you know. One day, you'll be making the big decisions instead of your father and you should know what to do and how to act so that when that day comes, you'll know just what to do and how to best preserve Hyrule's best interests. But I guess you have been a good girl lately. How about this, you come scoot your little but over her and give me a hug and I'll let you go and have fun for today instead of staying in here. Deal?"

Zelda leapt out of her seat and jumped into her mother's lap, wrapping her arms around her mother before jumping down and running out of the room. She dashed around tight corners and made her way through the many hallways and rooms the castle had until she reached her destination, her favorite place to play in the entire castle: the Courtyard. The flowers were among her favorite things here. The red tulips, the violets that grew together in the corner, the different colors the orchids grew in; she could go on for hours about the different flowers here and why she loved each one.

She began at the roses and began walking towards the small pond created by the small waterfall that cascaded into the yard but there was something off. Something was not right. She bent down to pick up a rose but when she came back up, she yelped and jumped in the air.

Standing only a few feet in front of her was a boy garbed in green with a weird, green, cone-shaped hat. He had a wooden shield on his back and a sword resting upon his back.

She quickly gathered her composure and looked the boy in the eye.

"Uh… hi… sorry, you scared me, is all."

The boy smiled back at her but didn't say a word.

"You must have gotten lost. See, usually no one but me and my mommy and daddy aren't allowed here so I just got scared when I saw you and… you don't talk much do you?"

She cocked her head ever so slightly and her brows furrowed down as she waited for a response. But just as he was about open his mouth, both their heads turned to the side where a voice came shooting sharply at them.

"Zelda! What are you doing here? Get away from that boy!" she practically shouted as she brought out a small dagger and ran to position herself between the boy and Zelda.

"Mommy told me I could go and play so I came running here but when I got here, he was just standing here!" she said hurriedly.

"You have no reason to be in this area of the castle. Now drop your sword and-"

"Wait Impa! He seems like he is a nice boy and think about it, someone wouldn't just break into the castle for funsies. He probably has something important to tell me."

Impa's eyes narrowed and her grip seemed to tighten on the knife she wielded. Instead of saying yes however, he only nodded his head slightly up and down.

"Well then boy, get on with it!"

The boy in green slowly lifted his hands up and when his hand grabbed the hilt of his sword he carried on his back, Impa lunged forward at him and tackled him to the ground. He laid helplessly on the ground with Impa's knee pressed firmly against his back and her dagger pointed right at his throat, maybe an inch from slicing through his skin.

"Don't try anything funny again boy! You're under arrest for trespassing into Hyrule Castle and for threatening to inflict harm on the Princess of Hyrule.


"Boy, you are in a heap of trouble and now is the only chance you'll have to clear yourself so you better get on with it!"

Impa had handcuffed the boy who looked no more than six or seven years of age. She pushed him forward where he bowed slightly in front of the King. He then turned towards the Queen who held Zelda in her lap as she quietly cried into her mother's shoulder. She had come running up to her scared out of her mind when Impa had tackled the boy.

"Is all of this really necessary?" the queen asked her husband but instead of him answering, Impa came forward and answered.

"He was found in the Courtyard when Zelda went out to play earlier. I had to arrest him after he reached for the sword around his back and I brought him straight here afterwards."

"I understand that Impa and I thank you for protecting my daughter from a potentially harmful situation but this boy looks to be about Zelda's age! I highly doubt he could do harm to us. He is probably just as scared as Zelda is, but he can't show his emotions since he has to try and clear his own name right now."

"He's a killer Hylia." The King belted out.

"How dare you say that Daphnes! He is just a boy! And you haven't even given him a chance to talk and explain what he was doing!" Hylia almost shouted out to him as she continued to pat her daughter's back in comfort.

"Well boy, speak up then!"

The boy in green didn't however. He remained calm and only brought his handcuffed hands forward and held them out in front of him which the Queen quickly realized was the boy asking to have his hands released.

"Impa, would you please?"

She looked at the Queen with an astonished look.

"Your highness-"

"Please Impa. I know you mean well but if the Royal Family's personal guard can't defend us against a six year old boy, then I think we need to reconsider your job."

Impa shook her head and quickly walked towards the boy where she undid the handcuffs around his wrist.

"Don't even think about doing anything funny." She whispered into his ears before walking towards the thrones, placing herself in a position where she could defend against the boy in case he attacked.

The boy, once he had the full attention of the room, moved his hand towards his sword which Impa quickly became alert of and readied to attack him. He brought out the sword and held it by the hilt but instead of attacking, he reached for a small area on his belt and pulled out a note. He turned the sword so that it was perpendicular to the royalty in front of him and kneeled down on one knee as he lifted his hands up, offering the sword to them. Impa walked carefully towards him, keeping one hand on her dagger's hilt. She grabbed the sword from his hands and took the note as well. She then walked back towards the King and Queen and handed the King the sword and the Queen the note.

The Queen finally picked up Zelda and placed her on the ground next to her. She held out the note in front of her and read it out loud.

"I bring my greetings to the King and Queen of Hyrule, but I unfortunately have nothing to give to them. This sword I bring as a present to the young Princess of Hyrule, Zelda. I was born Hylian but grew up as a Kokiri. When I left, I was given the Kokiri Sword as a parting present and realized such a gift was only meant for the hands of royalty. I may be young but I realize that this sword is fairly small for someone like you, the King or Queen to handle but perfect size for the Princess since I figure we are the same age. I understand that right now you may not want to give the young Princess a weapon since there is virtually no need but as she grows and matures, she may learn how to handle it. Thank you for your time and I sincerely hope you enjoy this precious gift of the Kokiri."

Hylia finished reading the note out loud and looked towards her husband. Zelda in the meantime had stopped crying and walked over towards her father. She tried getting up on her tippy-toes to look at the sword in her father's hands… her sword.

"And you accused him of being a killer Daphnes."

"I apologize, boy, for that."

The boy in green got back onto his feet and smiled upon hearing the king's apology. It wasn't every day the top member of a nation apologized to its people for being wrong. The boy, content with the sight in front of him, turned his back around and began making his way towards the door. The queen had been handed the sword and had been admiring it, the young princess climbing back into her lap to look at it, when she noticed the boy heading for the exit.

"Hey, just where do you think you're going?" she yelled out across the expanse of the room.

The boy, hearing this, turned around and looked back at the three with a terrified look.

"Please make your way back here immediately," she belted out with a stern voice.

He slowly made his way back to the front of the dark room, the only light coming from the windows which filtered in the now setting sun's rays.

"You are still in trouble for breaking in to the castle. I think my husband here will agree with me that some punishment is required."

This line not only made the young boy (now cowering beneath her) raise his eyebrows in surprise, but the King's and Zelda's did as well. In fact, she had never seen her mother this way before and this terrified her.

"Uh… yes, I quite agree with this and-"

"Do you have anyone waiting for you outside? Is there anyone looking after you?" The boy in green looked down with a saddened look before finally shaking his head side to side "I see. Well then, as punishment for breaking into the castle and threatening my daughter, the princess of Hyrule, with a gift you brought to bear us, I hereby sentence you to attend dinner with us tonight and stay with us here, for one night." She finished this last sentence with a smile.

"Really?!" Zelda questioned her mother all the while squealing with absolute delight. This, after all, would be the first kid her age, besides her friend Malon, she would actually get to play with.

King Daphnes however, was not in the slightest pleased with this.

"You cannot be-"

"I meant full well what I had to say and that is the final word. Now, our attendant here, Impa, the lady who caught you on your way in, will show you to your room where you will be staying with us tonight."

Impa walked to the side of him and quickly gave him a little bow with her head.

"You shall find there anything you will need tonight. Do not hesitate to call a maid to help you out."

He bowed lightly to her, a wide grin forming along his face.

"Zelda, please come with us. I can help you get ready for this evening as well after showing… uh… say boy, what is your name?"

The boy went to grab another item from his belt, a small, wooden ocarina and handed it to Impa, who turned it around to see a small engraving on the backside.

"Link, huh?"

The boy nodded in agreement.

"Well then, no hard feeling about earlier I hope. Come, young Link and Zelda. Let us prepare for the evening."

Zelda jumped off of her mother's lap and ran towards the two, joining them as they made their way to the chambers.


"Little did I know that that night, her and I would spark a friendship that would go on to last years." I said to the lady next me. I took a quick drink from the bottle before me and placed it back down on the table.

"I'm sorry, but this whole thing just doesn't make any sense."

I raised an eyebrow and looked curiously in her direction.

"What about it doesn't make sense?"

"You really want me to believe that the King and Queen would just be fine and dandy with you trespassing like that? I feel like a person in their right mind would not be fine with that."

I chuckled at this comment.

"Well, they were."

"Okay fine, but what happened after that?"

"You're the one who cut me off. Anyways, Zelda walked next to me as Impa showed me the way to the room I'd be staying in, but she didn't say a single word. She only stared at me with those beautiful eyes of hers. They were so full of childlike curiosity but the walk was short. I'll save you some boring parts of this story and skip ahead a couple of hours to dinner."


Link sat waiting on the bed. The room he would be staying that night was bigger than any house he'd ever lived in. The room was ordained with jewels and gold all over the room. It was probably the nicest thing he'd ever seen. But it didn't compare to being out there still. Nothing would.

He got up and walked over to the window. He was only seven years old so he was still fairly short. He struggled to look out through the window but once he stood on his tippy-toes, his eyes were met with a splendid view of the town below. The castle sat on a hill, and even though the sun now rested below the horizon, some light was still lingering over this city, painting striking lines of orange, purple, blue and black overhead.

The town below, despite the hour, was still bustling and busy as ever. But he didn't care to look any further at it. Instead, his gaze continued outwards for just after the town's walls lay the vast, expansive fields he had come to know quite well since leaving the forest.

His thoughts were interrupted however by the sound of the door swiveling open. He spun around and immediately felt a pool of guilt for not having changed out of his tunic, for standing next to Impa was the elegantly dressed princess. She was dressed in a rather simple white dress with a little ribbon tied around her waist; to Link however, who had never seen anything outside of the Kokiri fashion, she was dressed like an angel. Atop her head sat a gold tiara with red and blue jewel encrusted within its frame.

And then there was Link who just stood there, dumbfounded, wearing his green, dirt smudged tunic. There were holes here and there on his top and hat but it was all he had. His boots were worn and weathered but he hadn't had a pair of new shoes in years.

Zelda hid behind Impa's leg, peering out around from it with a curious yet still timid look. Impa however only cast a quick sideways glance.

"Come, young Link. We best not keep his and her highness waiting."

Link jumped down from where he was and quickly walked towards them. He turned into the hallway and waited for a quick second for Impa to get in front of him to lead the way. The two young children began walking behind the nursemaid, Link's head looking all around at the decorations that hung upon the walls. His head swiveled up and down, side to side, until he finally noticed the girl next to him casting him quick glances before turning her head back towards the ground. She still feared him; he was, after all, a stranger in her home.

They turned many more corners and walked down the grand staircase. A solid gold chandelier hanging above their heads, the railings made of shear ebony and embezzled with colorful jewels. The marble flooring on the ground floor only added to the beauty of this room. They walked through just a couple more halls before he walked into a large room with a giant, oblong table situated in the center of it. It was here Zelda and him split apart, much to her content, he thought, but quickly realized how false this accusation was once he saw he would be sitting directly opposite of her.

The two quickly took their seat and waited in silence for about five, awkward minutes, until the Queen and King took their seats at the end of the table. Once the two were comfortably seated and situated, the servants began filtering into the dining room, carrying trays of many different foods and delicacies; baked octorak and leg of wolfos being such examples.

"Zelda, you look beautiful as usual." The queen stated, being the first one to finally break the silence they had at in.

The princess responded with a blush and a meek thank you.

"And Link, you look... just like you did earlier! Not that there is anything wrong with that but... Hey!" The king finally stopped but only due to the kick in the shin he had received from his wife. He glanced over immediately and received a glare from her, which made Zelda giggle.

They ate in relative silence, but it wasn't until the first course had finished... and it wasn't until the alcohol had set in that the king began becoming boisterous, telling the table about his old friends from when he was a child, and the time he had been caught trying to dig up a grave in Kakariko Village. By the time dessert had come to the table, the king's words were nothing short of slurs.

"I'ze... tell ye Zeldor, he was scarred out... or scared out of his mind when he'z saw us coming but-"

"Okay Honey, I think they get the point." The Queen finally interjected with a smile. "Zelda, why don't you and our guest go off and play for a little. I think it's time your father went to bed."

Zelda smiled and nodded. She had been relatively quiet throughout the course of the feast but the energy returned to her now. After all, these words had been what she was waiting to hear since Link first arrived in the courtyard.

She jumped out of her chair, a smile etched wide on her face, and ran to the other side of the table where she grabbed Link's chair and tried puling it back.

"Come on Link! We get to go and play! And I want to show you my favorite spot in the castle to play at! Come on!" Link turned around in his chair to look at the girl straining to pull his chair out and chuckled a little. He finally helped her out by jumping out of his chair and bowed slightly at the King and Queen. Hylia smiled back at him but before she was able to say anymore to the boy, Zelda grabbed his hand and whisked him away.

They stepped through the hallway and began running; or rather Zelda began running and dragged Link along behind her. They quickly made their way around the castle until the duo found themselves back in the room they had met each other in.

Zelda had made Link cover his eyes before stepping through the final doorway.

"Okay, you can open them now!" She practically squealed.

Link uncovered his eyes and before he even saw the room they were in, he had already known which one he had been dragged to: The Courtyard.

"Surprise! Now, I know last time you were in here you got in trouble but I promise that this time you won't because I talked to Impa and she said it would be okay to take you here." She said with a beaming smile. "Besides, there is nowhere else that is as much fun to play in as in here. We can play tag, and hide and seek and..." She began listing off the various childhood games they would be playing, counting them all on her fingers. Link all the while just stood in front of her smiling. "So, ready to play?"

Link nodded his head.

"We can start with tag. Usually, when I play with my friend Malon, she always starts off being it but I'm okay with being it too. What do you think?"

Link shrugged his shoulders.

"Say, you don't talk much do you? Actually, now that I think of it, you haven't spoken a single word since I've met you." Zelda's face went from one of pleasure to one of distress quickly. "Oh my Goddesses, I never introduced myself did I? Oh no! Mommy would not be very happy with that. She says that a good princess will always introduce herself to the citizens of the kingdom. Okay, let's play pretend for a second and act like we just met each other. Hi, my name is Princess Zelda of Hyrule." She smiled and curtsied. She then straightened up again and stood there quietly in front of him, waiting for him to respond. But she continued waiting... and waiting... and waiting...

"Can you talk?" The little girl had been wanting to ask him this question for a while but thought it would sound rude and invasive, but she just couldn't stand to not know.

Link, at first only stared at her, his blue eyes looking deep into hers, until he finally nodded his head.

"So then, why haven't you yet?"

She didn't actually expect him to answer since up to this point he had remained completely quiet. So when he opened his mouth and began talking, when she finally heard his voice, she became utterly shocked. But his answer was what made her not only confused, but it made her blush as well.

"Because I wanted you to hear my voice first."

She didn't know how to respond to that, not expecting to hear any sort of response from him.

"But... we've been alone for a long time now... in the courtyard... there hasn't been anyone else here..."

He smiled at her response.

"Zelda... Or I guess I should call you Princess Zelda since after all-"

"No, Link... You're my friend now... Just call me Zelda!"

He smiled at this.

"Okay. Zelda, your nursemaid, Impa, has been sitting in the shadows and watching us until now."

Her head immediately spun around to look for her.

"Like I said, she's gone now."

She brought her head back to face his. He was just a little bit taller than her but not by that much. But his eyes... his ocean blue eyes...

"And, you actually did introduce yourself earlier when I had been caught by Impa. I didn't though. So let's play pretend for a second and act like we just met each other. Hi, my name is Link."

She smiled back at him but her eyes would not waver from his.

"I've wanted to say this for a while now but your name sounds... like I know it already... andyour face too… you look familiar... have we meet before?"

"A long time ago..." Link mumbled, not intending for it to be loud enough for it to be heard but of course, that's exactly what happened.

"Wait, so we have met? How long ago? Where were we?"

Link opened his mouth to respond but shut it and decided not to speak what he was going to say.

"Just forget I said that. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Okaaaaaaaayyyyyyy... so... you still want to play tag?"

Link smiled back at her, "Sure but... tag, you're it!"

He began running away from her as the realization that she was now it slowly came to her.

"Wait! No fair!" She screamed at him as she began scurrying after him.


They had played to their heart's content and after two hours of non-stop games, they finally collapsed on the grassy ground next to the roses. They laid together, Zelda on Link's left, and stared up at the starry sky above.

"Can I tell you a secret Link? You have to promise not to tell anyone."

"I don't know Zelda... It depends on one thing."

"And that would be..."

"How ticklish you are!"

He jumped on her and pinned her to the ground as he quickly began tickling her on her stomach.

"Haha... sto-... stop Link... Pl..." She pleaded between her gasps for air.

"What? I can't hear you!"

"P-P... Please Link... Haha... stop..."

He finally stopped and was quickly pushed by Zelda. She tried not to smile and pretended to be mad at him but try as she might, she couldn't hide her smile.

"What?" Link asked, acting oblivious to what had just happened.

"I was going to tell you something serious!"

"Hey Zelda, why are you smiling?" Link said, finding himself smiling at her.

"I'm not... I'm... I'm serious Link, can you keep a secret?"

He laughed at her slightly as she finally stopped trying to fight herself.

"Sure Zelda."

"Well Link... I... Well, I guess I'll start off here. I live in this castle-"

"What?! I thought you lived in Hyrule Field!" the sarcasm ever present in his voice.

"Come on Link! I'm really trying to tell you something serious."

"Okay fine. I'll stop interrupting you." Link finally said, continuing to stare u at the stars far above him.

"So, as I was saying, I've lived in the castle my whole life and I know every time Malon visits me, she tells me how lucky I am to live here but I wish she knew what it really was like here. Its sooooo boring," she whined.

"Why is that, Zelda?"

"Have you ever had to sit through two hours of people you don't even know coming up to you and begging you for something?"

"No."

"Exactly. I look out the castle windows every day and when I look down at the market, I always see children like me playing and running around having fun. I've asked Impa to let me go down and play with them but she never lets me. She always says that a princess's duty is to serve... and protect her people. But I don't want to do that! I want to go and have fun with other children. I want to play in the streets and... and... I can't. Because a princess doesn't do that. A princess only gets to sit and doing boring adult things all day."

Link didn't know what to say. He tried to formulate something in his head but in the end, all he could do was continue lying there next to her, looking up at the starry sky above him.

"I told you, back when we first started talking that I have a secret to tell you... and, well, here it is. I only have one friend, Link. I keep talking about Malon and-"

"I know who she is, don't worry."

"Oh, you do? Well... Malon is the only friend I have, Link. I'm the Princess of Hyrule and I have one friend... How could a princess like me... ever lead a country?"

She wiped her eyes as a single tear slowly strolled down the surface of her cheek.

"Zelda... You're wrong you know."

She sniffled and wiped her eyes once more. "What do you mean?"

"I know for a fact that you have two friends."

He turned his head to look at hers and saw a small smile form on her face that continued to stare up at the heavens.


"Well, that's awfully cliché."

"But it's all one hundred percent true." I said with the drink now empty. "You're the one who asked me to tell you my life story."

"Yeah but I didn't think it'd be some cliché, boring, slow story."

'This girl is going to drive me crazy,' I thought.

"Well, if boring is what this story is then, I can always stop. Besides, it's getting late and-"

She quickly interjected, scooting herself even closer towards me.

"Oh come on. It's not even that late. In fact, the sun is still out. At least stay till sundown. This is kinda of interesting and I've got nothing else to do tonight. Plus, I'd love some company."

I turned to look at this girl next to me. She was probably the same age as me: late teens. But she was awfully cute. Now, I'm not saying I felt anything towards her but come on, can't a guy call a girl cute once in a while?

"Alright, fine. I'll stay and finish this story. But I'll warn you once again, it is quite a long one."

"And I'll tell you once again, I've got no plans for the night."

I sighed... I really wasn't in the mood to tell this story but oh well.

"Okay but listen closely because I'm not going to repeat any of this. So, back to the story then. We both continued laying in the grass..."


Zelda's eyes were shut, her breathing had become steady, each intake of air raising her chest slightly before quickly falling as she exhaled. Her head rested on his stomach, her arms folded neatly across her own torso, her dress falling just shy of her ankles as her legs had become bent at her knees.

Link had grown weary himself and had shut his eyes to rest, never intending on falling asleep himself, but he soon found himself doing just that.

His eyes bolted open, however, at the sudden sound of the door opening to the courtyard in front of him. He quickly lifted his head, his eyes focusing in on the door, his senses becoming alert and protective for not only him, but Zelda as well. Link reached for the sword on his back only to be met with air as he had momentarily forgotten that he had given it to the princess as a gift.

"Ah! I told you she would be here. This is after all her favorite spot in the castle."

Link was quick to realize to whom this voice belonged to: the queen.

He slowly got up onto his feet, allowing Zelda's head to gently slide off of his stomach and onto the grassy ground below, while the queen, walking next to a darker figure Link assumed to be the nursemaid, made their way towards their position in the middle of the grassy brook.

"I'm sorry, your Highness. We were just talking and the next thing I know is that we both had fallen asleep and-"

She quickly raised her hand in front of her, a small smile, despite the lack of light, could be made out on her face.

"It's quite alright Link but I must say, it is strange to hear your voice. After all, you haven't spoken a word to us until now. You must explain this to me but I think we could both agree that this can wait until the morning." At that, she peered past his shoulder to look at her daughter, sleeping away on the ground behind the boy. "Though I must say, Link, she seems to be quite fond of you. She only takes people she thinks she can trust in to this room, and the fact that she brought you here after only meeting you a couple of hours go in quite a scary way makes me think highly of you." She smiled at him and looked at him in a caring, compassionate sort of way. She then walked past him and bent down to pick her daughter up in her arms and carry her on her shoulder, Zelda not even seeming to have awoken in the slightest way. "But like I said, I think this talk can wait until the morning. Impa here will show you the way back to your room where I hope you'll sleep nicely tonight."

She began walking back towards the same door they had entered through and as she was about head through the door, it was Link who this time stopped her.

"Your Highness?" he asked her across the length of the distance she had covered. "Thank you."

She smiled back at him.

"No Link... It's really I who should be saying thank you." She turned and then proceeded to exit through the doorway once again.


"The boy is gone!" Impa had run into the king's and queen's room the next morning, stating with shock.

Hylia immediately sat straight up out of her bed, her husband doing the same, though not in quite the same speed as she had.

"What do you mean? How can a six or seven year old boy leave the castle without anyone seeing him?"

"That's the same question we have all been asking. The last time anyone saw him was last night, me being the one. I escorted him to his room and nothing seemed too out of place. He was quiet but he had been the entire time he has been here so I didn't think anything of it. The guards at the front gate, as well as at the ones littered among the front yard and the Castle Town Gate have all said that there has been no activity all night. The only thing he left..." she paused as she reached behind her back and pulled out a small piece of paper, "was this."

Impa walked forward to hand Hylia the note. She turned it over and quickly read the note, which appeared as if it had been scribbled down quickly.

I thank the king and queen dearly for allowing me to stay overnight. But I must move on and continue my search, for I did not find what I was looking for here. Please tell Princess Zelda that I thank her for her company last night and that I hope she enjoys my gift to her.

Sincerely,

Link

Hylia put the note down and looked up at Impa curiously.

"This letter sounds as if it were written by an adult, not some little boy."

"That's exactly what I first thought too which makes me even more curious about this boy. I knew that since the minute I first saw him that there was something more to this boy. And young Zelda told me this morning, that he had mentioned in their time spent together last night, that they had met, and I quote, long ago."

The queen looked back down at the note in her hand, reading it over once more.

"This boy is not that old yet he talks like... like.-"

"Like a man trapped in a boy's body." The queen said, finishing Impa's sentence for her.

"Exactly." Impa walked over to the door that lead to the bedroom's balcony and stared out to the crowded market below. "But I don't think there is too much we can do about it now. He's already left and it's gonna be impossible to track down at this point." She turned to face the queen once again. "I don't think there is any use in dawdling around on this issue. There are more important, pressing matters at hand."

Hylia sighed and looked up at Impa.

"I agree with you. It's just... I don't know..." she trailed off.

Impa gave her an understanding smile.

"Zelda?" she asked.

The queen replied with a small nod of her head.

"Exactly. I know firsthand the lifestyle she has had to grow up in and I promised to myself and to my child that I would make sure my they grew up better than I did, that he or she would be able to feel just like a normal kid, with lots of friends to play with and... I just feel that I'm failing at keeping this promise to her."

"Your Highness, this life has never been easy and if I may say so myself, you are doing a wonderful job. She is happy and content and as carefree as a child her age could be. You've done a wonderful job despite her lifestyle of making her feel normal. And speaking of her, I better go and awaken our princess."

Impa quickly turned around and walked out, headed towards one of the castle's towers where the princess's room was.


"So why'd you leave?" the girl asked me.

"For... personal reasons." I stated with a bit of hesitation.

"Personal reasons? What a coward-like response."

"Excuse me?" I asked her a little agitated at her response.

"Okay, I didn't mean to say coward. I just meant that there has to be a better reason you just picked up your bag, or I guess in this case your shield but anyways, there has to be a reason you left so suddenly without a goodbye or anything. I mean yeah, I get if it was like your mother-in-law's house or something that you'd want to leave so suddenly but this is the king and queen and princess of Hyrule we're talking about! People don't just leave because they all of a sudden have some agenda that calls for them to get up and go at the crack of dawn without people seeing them. There has to be a better reason then that!"

Oh Din. Why did I have to start this conversation with her in the first place?

"Well, there's not so I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"Uh, fine! I guess that'll HAVE to do for now then." she said with an attitude of a younger teenage girl. "So what happened next?"

"Glad you asked." I smiled and chuckled as I swirled the contents inside my glass. "So, I left the castle like I said and..."


Link crept out of the castle the same way he'd crept in, through the small stream that ran through the courtyard and exited into the moat. He pulled himself out of the moat and climbed over the small wall next to the closed drawbridge that led into the main castle. He maneuvered his way around the yard, making sure to stay well out of eyesight of any of the guards that stood watch in the field and at the main gate entrance, and before he knew it, he was walking along the cobblestone streets of Castle Town. It was still quite early in the morning, the sun had not even risen to light up the main plaza known as the Bazaar, the main reason he found himself walking in the presence of no one. He had begun walking towards the main gate of the market town but a twinkle in his left eye made him stop and turn to peer out towards the magnificently tall, marble white building to his left: The Temple of Time.

Even in the dim lighting of the early morning, this building seemed just as beautiful and pristine as ever. The windows glistened in the night sky, only adding to the overall phenomenal appearance of this building.

But Link only smiled and shook his head in disbelief. This building appeared to be all of those things, wonderful, magnificent, phenomenal, glorious, but Link knew the true evil it hid within it, and the true evil it had brought upon this land.

And the best part about it was that he seemed to be the only one that remembered it all.

He at first began walking towards the building, changing his course from the entrance of the town towards the structure, but he stopped. His legs seemed to grow numb and stiff, his whole body becoming incredibly sore as he looked forward towards this building.

And then, he had all together left Castle Town. Instead, he stood on a circular plot of land, surrounded by a deep pit of lava. He looked in all direction and only saw the debris from his castle lying all around him...

His castle

It was his... the man that currently laid under layers of brick and rubble, the man with green skin, the man with the wicked yellow eyes, the man that brought about nightmares to all of Hyrule.

Ganondorf

He stared at this being with nothing but hatred, feeling no sorrow for his current condition, feeling no pity for this man who appeared dead.

But of course, the man's life was far from over.

The rubble began to stir and just as it began flying upwards into the dark, thunderous sky above, he heard a scream, a shriek, from behind him. He turned around and his heart all but stopped.

It was her.

He stared at her, the golden hair of which she possessed flowing down, just past her shoulders. Her pink, silky dress, with the crest of Hyrule printed neatly at her mid-stomach region, her beautiful and pristine looking face; it was all just like he remembered.

Her mouth was wide open, shouting something at him, but her words were lost in the wind. She pointed behind him, her fingers trembling in front of her, and he turned to look but as his body swiveled in a clockwise direction, brick and rubble began flying up into the air, landing only feet away from him. He stumbled backwards and turned to make sure Zelda was okay but his eyes met hers and he could only see fear as a wall of fire sprang up from the ground. She screamed out his name, but he couldn't hear it, forced to read her lips instead. He turned back around and quickly brought his sword up to block the oncoming threat he had quickly taken notice of. The Master Sword was struck by a golden blade coming from the abomination in front of him, and Link quickly realized who the monster in front of him was.

It was Ganondorf... but it wasn't... it was the Triforce of Power acting upon Ganondorf instead, transforming this green skinned, yellow eyed man into giant, pig-like creature.

He was easily ten times the size Link was, his two hind legs he stood upon were extremely muscular as was his both of his arms which currently held two large, thin golden blades, each easily as long as Link was tall. He tried glimpsing up at his face but the extreme lightning that had suddenly begun disabled him from doing so. All he could see were two white, glowing eyes staring at him angrily.

He put all of his might into blocking Ganon's blades from reaching his body but even still, he was unable to hold his ground, his feet sliding backwards until Ganon eventually retracted his arm and sliced his other arm out towards him, attacking him once again. Link brought his blade up to defend himself but as soon as the golden blade slid across and hit his, Ganon brought his other blade down to attack. Link managed to jump backwards but the second blade dove downwards and cut back up, immediately dislodging the Master Sword from his hand. He watched as it sailed through the air and landed with a swift thud behind the wall of fire Ganon had created. His attention immediately drew back to the monster and stared wide eyed as he watched the beast raise his sword in the air above him and threw his arm down at him, blade aiming right at his head. He closed his eyes when the blade was inches from hitting his face but when he opened his eyes, he was no longer standing in a scene of total carnage, but he was back in the dark, early morning of a quiet Castle Town.

He could only continue staring at the Temple of Time in front of him. He slowly walked forward, the memories of the final fight with Ganon flooding his mind. He walked to the end of the street and began climbing the small set of stairs that led towards the building. He walked through the small, flower covered yard and finally pushed the doors to the temple open.

The door briskly closed behind him and he walked forward to the small, raised part of the temple. He walked to the center of it and looked down at the raised hexagon. On it sat black marble that formed the shape of one triangle, split into four smaller, equal size triangle, with the exception of the middle triangle being white marble. It was the Triforce. The rest of the pedestal was marked with various lines and shapes that made up what Link had come to know as the Light Medallion.

At the front of the temple sat a black altar. There was writing on it and three empty slots that sat untouched on it. But Link knew what was supposed to fit into those slots. And he also knew what would happen if he were to place the three stones he had known were supposed to fit into the slots.

But he didn't want to do that... ever again.

He walked over to the side of the room, his footsteps echoing in the empty room, in which the ceiling continued on until it disappeared in darkness above. He turned his body around, allowing his back to hit the wall, took off his shield from his bag, and slid down onto the ground. He bent his legs up... and began crying.

He cried quietly in the empty room until the sun finally raised high enough to allow light to filter in. He wiped his eyes of the last few tears and willed himself to get up to his feet. They would probably be looking for him soon and he didn't want to be anywhere near the castle when they did.

He got up to his feet and turned to his side to grab his shield. When he got back up, a rather chunky man, wearing yellow robes, a red scarf that extended down to his waist, and had a large, white mustache stood in front of him.

"Goddesses!" he yelled, jumping in the air as he had been surprised to see him suddenly appear in front of him. "Sorry, you just scared me was... Rauru?" His brows suddenly burrowed in confusion.

The man nodded his head slightly.

"Do you... do you remember?"

Again, the man nodded his head slightly up and down.

"We all remember, Link," he stated, in his low, dry voice.

The boy in green turned his head away and stared at the door that would lead him out towards the Bazaar, which at this time had begun to buzz with life.

"That's not true."

"But it is, Link."

He turned his head back to face the man, slight anger showing on his face.

"Then would you care to explain why they don't seem to when they talk to me? She sent me back to become a boy again," the boy said, referencing Zelda, "I grew up in Kokiri Forest again but Saria never talked once about what had happened before. I brought it up to her many times but she always just told me that none of it ever happened, that it was all just my mind imagining it. I left the forest eventually and went to talk to Darunia and Ruto but they all just told me I was crazy. And Ruto kept trying to make me her fiancé again! Do you know how crazy that fish is? But I still carried some hope with me after that and made my way to the castle. I had to know if she remembered or not. I snuck in and met Zelda... but she didn't remember either. I thought maybe she was just playing some sort of... cruel joke on me... but then Impa came and tackled me to the ground and that's when I realized that no one remembered. I realized I was the only one who was lucky enough to carry the burden of having known that Hyrule had all but diminished once. I was the only one who had to remember all the people that had practically died in my hands, all the children that were slaughtered in front of me..." He paused as a tear had formed in his eye and had begun to fall along his cheek. "How do I know that you even remember what happened?"

Rauru looked down at the boy, feeling pity for him.

"I remember it all, Link. And I could not bear the risk others did of forgetting... because I have to make sure it never happens again. I have to make sure that Ganondorf never escapes from the Sacred Realm so that you never have to venture all of Hyrule to awaken sages, to make sure you don't have to constantly risk death with every step you make trying to do so. I want to make sure Hyrule will be able to prosper forever and I want to make sure no person will ever have to step in your shoes to try and save Hyrule again. And Link... they do remember..."

Link was about to open his mouth when he suddenly saw Darunia, Ruto, Nabooru, Saria, and even Impa, all suddenly appear next to Rauru.

"Link, they all remember but... I guess it's time I tell you why they acted as if they didn't."

Link walked up to Saria and just stared at her curiously. She smiled gently at him, like she always had. Her green hair and brown eyes met his blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Hi Link." she finally said, breaking the silence between them.

"Link, we all do remember but..." Rauru stated, grasping his attention once again. "Link, only you were sent back in time to relive your childhood. So, in this timeline you currently live in, it's as if everything that happened in your past, Ganondorf taking the crown, destroying Castle Town, and taking over all of Hyrule, never happened. So, all of the inhabitants of this timeline don't remember it ever happening."

"But, you're saying all of you in front of me remember what happened yet I talked with you Darunia, just last week and you seemed to think I was crazy when I brought up the story of Dodongo's Cavern being shut off from the gorons. And Saria, I had to grow up all over again and you always told me that it was my imagination telling me that Ganondorf was real. You told me none of that ever happened!"

Saria looked at him with the same motherly look she always looked at him with, but there was a stray tear in her eye.

"Link, like Rauru said, you were the only one sent back, which means you met a different version of me."

Link looked at her with a confused look, not understanding what she had just said.

"Link, as sages, we are sworn to protect Hyrule forever... but when Zelda sent you back, she inadvertently created two, parallel universes. The one you exist in, where Ganondorf never took over Hyrule, and one where you defeated him in a grand fight in the rubble of his castle, one where you are praised as the Hero of Time. But like I said, you were the only one sent back... well... I guess that's not entirely true either. Somehow, the ocarina's magic also sent Ganondorf back in time with you but do not fear... he is still locked away in the Sacred Realm. Do you understand everything I have said here so far?" Rauru asked the boy in front of him.

"So, I'm the only one here that remembers everything that happened because even though your physical appearances are here with me, they are all just replicas of you all, created by the creation of this second timeline Zelda created. So they can't remember anything that happened because to them, nothing ever did. But... if you all exist in another time, then how are you able to be here right now? How is it you all are able to break that barrier dividing the two universes and be able to talk to me right now?"

"Well, as sages, we are sworn to protect Hyrule from danger and chaos. But when Ganondorf was sent here with you, that created a big problem. Because only one universe can exist, it will only allow one to survive. It will only allow the one in which the stronger presence of light exists."

"So that means one of the worlds will eventually just... fade away? Cease to exist?"

This time, it was the grown up version of Ruto that answered his question.

"Exactly Link. But there is something more to it than just that. It was unknown to us at the time, but when Zelda decided to end you back, she knew all of this would occur. So, even though you persisted that you didn't want to go back in time, she knew that by doing so, it would create two worlds and she knew that only the one with more light in it would survive. So, she thought that by sending you back, since only you would be present in this world, that this world would go on to survive, and that her, along with all the others from that timeline would cease to exist. Which meant that Ganondorf sealed away in the Sacred Realm she lived in would also disappear."

"But none of us know why he was sent back along with you." Nabooru added.

"But I don't get why that's a bad thing? He's here which means that regardless, he will disappear here along with me, won't he?"

When no one answered him immediately, he became increasingly worried. Impa was the first to finally speak up.

"That's what we all thought but..."

"But what?"

"But Ganondorf has created too much darkness in the other realm to be overturned."

Link immediately perked up when he heard this voice. It was soft and sweet and something he had grown incredibly fond of hearing before he was sent back. He spun around to look behind him and there stood the closest thing to an angel Link had ever seen.

"Zelda?"

She smiled politely at the boy. Though he had been sent back and still presently lived in the body of a boy, Zelda had retained her eighteen year old self.

"Yes Link... it's me. Link, I'm sorry for sending you back but... I thought my plan was going to work... but it didn't because too much darkness was born because of Ganondorf here. So, even though he was taken to your realm, the light in which you hold cancels out with the darkness in Ganondorf's heart. But the reason your realm will survive is because this Hyrule has more light spirit than the Hyrule you saved. However... Link, there is a way to still vanquish Ganondorf in the realm of darkness. Us sages realized this and quickly did the only thing we could do before... before... Link... once I sent you back, two parallel universes were born... but since yours would be eighteen years behind, since that is how far I sent you back, our realm was forced to freeze and wait for your realm to catch up... Us sages, in order to one day relay all of this to you, took on our spirit form before our universe would freeze, which is how we are able to be here; we are talking to you here but exist in the other realm. But Link... once you reach the age of seventeen, once your world becomes the same age as ours that is when the deciding factor will occur... that is when one of the worlds, the one you saved, will disappear. But there is still a way for Ganondorf to vanquish with our world... but it will be incredibly hard and dangerous... and you have eleven years to accomplish it... that is... if you choose to take on this task."

Link looked at her, trying to soak in everything she had just said. He turned around, for some reason hoping the sages would all have a smile on their face. He wanted this to be a joke... a terrible, practical joke... but they were all serious.

"Zelda... I... I don't know-"

She quickly interrupted and for the first time since she had talked with him, she smiled a warm, caring smile.

"Link, I know you can do it... that's the thing. When the Master Sword chose you to become the Hero of Time, I knew that you had been picked because of the immense amount of courage and bravery that lies in your heart. I remember the many times during your adventure when you found yourself outnumbered, up against incredible odds... but you never once showed the slightest bit of hesitation or fear... you only showed valor and were ready to take on any challenge without hesitation. And now, I'm asking you to do it one more time... for all of us and for all of Hyrule."

Link stared up at her and slightly smiled.

"I will take up this challenge, whatever it is... but you first have to answer one question for me..." There was a slight pause, a slight hesitation as he carefully thought of the right words to use here. He finally turned his back to her, causing her to drop her smile and look at him with a worried face. "If I had to be sent back in time to create this dual timeline thing... then why couldn't you come back with me? Why did you make me have to face all of this alone?"

Zelda walked around Link, which caused the boy to raise his head and watch her. She walked over to Rauru and the rest of the sages and spun on her heel to face the boy, the hem of her dress swirling after her.

"Link, I just... couldn't... it just couldn't be that way..."

This answer did not satisfy the boy.

"That's not good enough Zelda!" he almost yelled at her, "Answer my question! Why did you have to leave Zelda? Did the time we spent together mean nothing to you? I risked my life in those temples for you! I fought and defeated Ganondorf all so I could see you smile once more! Did that mean nothing to you? I... I loved you..."

The sages had all disappeared during this speech, leaving the eighteen year old princess alone with the seven year old hero.

"Link... it just couldn't be like that..."

"But why?! Why can't you just tell me?!"

She then looked at him sternly, her eyes not wavering off of his.

"Because Link... because I didn't feel the same way towards you."

His eyes became wide in disbelief, his heart almost stopping right then and there.

"Zelda... that... that can't be true."

She lifted her head and her entire posture.

"It is Link..."

He looked down at his feet, the weight of the world seeming to suddenly fall upon his shoulders. They stood there in silence for a couple of minutes; Zelda looking down at him, Link keeping his eyes anywhere but on the spirit princess.

"Link, for now, us sages must go... but if you ever wish to speak with us again, then merely step onto one of these pedestals, either here in the Temple of Time or one of the other ones that lie in front of the other temples you came across during your adventure in Hyrule." Rauru said, the other spirits of the sages coming back into his view.

"And Link... you remember my song, correct?" Saria asked him. He could only nod with teary eyes. "That song is still connected to me so if you ever wish to talk to me, no matter where you are in this land of Hyrule, then please plays that song, Link."

Link nodded, and the sages walked around him, eventually stopping to where they had positioned themselves around the boy in a circle.

"We believe in you Link... You can do this." Rauru said.

"Wait!" Link quickly yelled. "You never told me what I need to do!"

Impa chuckled, making Link spin ninety degrees to his right to face her.

"I guess we didn't yet, did we? Well Link, are you familiar with the legends of the Hero of the Sky, the first hero of Hyrule?"

Link had heard of this story before. The hero and the Sky Maiden lived up on a floating isle named Skyloft. The Sky Maiden had fallen below the clouds and the hero went to go and search for. In the end, he had to go back in time and defeat an evil villain named Demise to rescue the maiden and free the land of evil.

"Well then, you are familiar with the fact that the hero, in order to reach the evil Demise, had to go back in time using what was called the Gate of Time?"

Link nodded, faintly remembering this small detail from the story.

"Well, we have belief that this device can allow you to travel between the two dimensions. Now, we are not certain on this but it is the only reliable resource we have left." Impa finished.

"The only thing is that we do know of its whereabouts. The Gate of Time from the Hero of the Sky era has been lost for thousands of years. The only people who know anything about its possible whereabouts are the Royal Family." Darunia stated.

"So then, why can't we just ask Zelda?" Link pondered out loud.

Zelda stood outside of the circle of the six sages, and walked forward to where she found herself standing between Ruto and Impa.

"Because I was never passed down any information about this... there was no time for that since my parents were killed in the Castle Town raid Ganondorf led when he attacked the castle. I had been the only one to escape so the secrets of the land that only members of the Royal Family knows about were never able to be passed down to me. But, this is where you come in. In accordance with old tradition, the secrets of Hyrule are passed down to the king's and queen's child at the age of sixteen, when he or she is two years away from reaching adulthood. This is done to prepare the child for the sudden event of the passing of the parents. The child must take over the crown and with it, its secrets." Zelda proceeded to say.

"So, how do I play a role in all of this?"

"I understand this may be difficult for you to do, given the conversation that just took place but... we... we need you to become close with the Zelda of your realm and try and get this information out of the king and queen and if that fails, then we need you to wait until she turns sixteen and squeeze the information out of her." Impa said.

He looked around at the all of the sages' spirits that encircled him and then turned back to Impa.

"What do I do once I find it? I mean, you said that I have until my eighteenth birthday to do so which means if I have to wait until Zelda is sixteen, and assuming that she is told right around her birthdate, that only gives me a year and half to accomplish all of this, since she is six months younger than me."

"We'll... cross that bridge when we get there. Until then... get as close as you can and try and get this information out. Call us whenever you need us or when you find out the location of the Gate of Time. Do you have any final questions before we go?"

"No... I guess I don't"

"Link, remember, whenever you want to talk to us, just step on one of these pedestals and if you ever just need someone to talk to... just remember my song Link." Saria smiled.

"Well then Link, I guess all we can say is good luck." Rauru said.

Link looked around at all the sages and just as soon as he opened his eyes from blinking once, they all disappeared, leaving him all alone once again, in the Temple of Time.


For the first time all afternoon, she was silent. I looked up from my glass to make sure she was still there and listening to my story (I honestly would've been just fine if she had zoned off or walked away entirely) and to my surprise, she was still sitting on her bar stool like she had been since I had first walked into the tavern.

She had been staring in downwards at one spot and her lips were sealed with a neutral look taking shape on her face, obviously taking in everything I had said. Her eyes only changed when she finally noticed I had stopped talking and was looking in her direction.

"What?" she finally asked.

I chuckled a little as the words slipped carelessly out of my mouth.

"Well, your quiet. You've been quite the chatty person this entire time but for the first time since we began talking, you're quiet."

"Well, it's just, that's a lot to take in is all."

"I thought this entire story was a lot to take in personally."

"Yeah but... the part before was all happy and what not but now..."

"Now it's sad? I hardly call this a sad story."

We both sat in silence for the first time all afternoon. I glanced outside and the sun was finally beginning to start its descent towards the horizon but it was still fairly high in the sky.

"You left the castle because... you... you loved her. You loved Zelda and the fact that she didn't remember you was why you left. You couldn't stand the fact that she didn't remember you, and therefore... therefore, she didn't love you back. That's the reason you left, isn't it?"

My eyes glanced at her then back towards my half full glass of Lon Lon Milk. I couldn't answer that question. A simple reply was all that was needed, yet I couldn't get myself to speak up.

She smiled compassionately at me and scooted her stool a little closer, suddenly much more interested in my story.

"So... the sages came and talked to you and whatnot..." I could tell she was trying to change the subject, yet did not say anything about it. "But I don't get something. You first pulled the Master Sword when you were ten, and it sealed you away for seven years meaning you were seventeen by the end of it, so why did you have until you were eighteen until it all went down?"

I cleared my throat, trying my best to appear as if the previous statement had not shaken me.

"That had me confused at first but the answer is rather simple. Yes, I was asleep for seven years and awoke when I was seventeen but by the time I traversed Hyrule to awaken all the sages and had my final fight with Ganon, my eighteenth birthday had rolled around. In fact, the very next day after the fight would've been my birthday but Zelda sent me back in time as the clock ticked midnight on my birthday. So... I had until then to do what the sages asked of me."

"So..." I was really getting irked by her constant use of that word. "After that, what'd you do? I'm guessing you rushed back to the castle at that very moment?"

"Actually... that's not at all right."

This made her curiously cock her head slightly, which made her look, I must say, rather cute.

"I actually headed straight for the exit."


Link took one last look at the building behind him and finally turned his head away from it... and ran. It was still early in the morning; the sunlight barely reaching the town, yet the bazaar was as bustling as ever. He pushed his way through the many people that inhabited the market already, eliciting, on more than one occasion, a yell of surprise and anger. "You stupid kid!" and "Numbskull!" being only some of the more appropriate phrases shouted out at him. Nevertheless, he continued running through the crowd until he reached the drawbridge.

There was already a small group of people gathered here, awaiting the six o'clock bells to ring out from atop the Temple of Time so that the guards would lower the drawbridge and allow commerce to enter and exit Castle Town.

The wait was not too long, only about fifteen minutes, yet it felt like forever to Link. By the time the bells did ring out through the skies, many wagons had also pulled up to the bridge carrying a variety of things ranging from pumpkins, to shields, to bombs, to masks.

With a large thud, the bridge fell swiftly to the ground and the many people and wagons began making their way across along with a hero who's deeds none remember.


Thanks for reading and checking this story out! Let me know what you all think of it as I appreciate all the feedback I can get!

~PenguinForce