I do not own Legend of Zelda.

Intro: Waking Up Alone

Through the blur of grey and the thick of a headache, the world focused itself into a bedroom. Link's skull throbbed painfully. He heard voices talking outside of his room and as he looked and saw a glass of water beside the bed he was lying on. Gingerly, he picked up the glass and drank slowly until all of the cool water was gone. How he missed it. He wondered where he was. Putting the glass back on the table, he laid his head back against the pillow and felt himself breathe. He wished his headache would go away. It was so much harder to remember anything while it panged against his skull.

A shy nine-year-old girl peeked around the doorway at Link's strange form warping the grey linen sheets. A child, just like her, lying flat and half dead looking: staring at the ceiling. Alone. How very strange he looked.

After a moment she saw him slide his head and spot her at the bottom of his gaze. She went over to him, bold now that she'd been caught watching, and abruptly asked, "What's your name?"

"Link."

"What happened to you?" she asked curiously.

Link gave her a confused look. As he tried to remember, his head hurt again. He winced and raised a shaking hand. What had happened to him? Where was he and why was he there?

The girl rushed out of the room and fetched a cool cloth. As she rushed back into the room with it Bo noticed her, calling out, "Ilia, what are you doing?" but she didn't answer and went back to Link's side and laid the cool cloth on his head.

"Thank you," Link said, and Ilia smiled a little, still watching him with wonder, her gaze wandering to the lines of purply black fading to green lacing his neck.

"What happened to your neck?" she asked innocently as Bo and the others outside entered the room.

"I don't know," Link said as his eyes followed the many people, his confusion mounting.

"How are you feeling?" A shorthaired blonde with a full moon belly asked. Link stared at her, confused, and then whispered, "I'm good, thank you."

"His head hurts," Ilia piped up, and as Link's eyes widened in fright. He didn't want these people worrying about him, in fact the idea scared him. Uli chuckled.

"You know son," said a gruff looking man as he wrapped his arm around the heavily pregnant Uli. "You don't need to worry about burdening us, we're happy to help you. My name is Rusl, and this is my wife Uli. That over there is Mayor Bo and his daughter Ilia."

"Thank you for taking care of me. I am most honored," Link said hesitantly, glancing around at everyone present. He wished he could be standing to greet these people.

"You went through some pretty tough stuff, didn't you, son?" Bo chuckled, placing his arm around Ilia. "Your manners certainly don't show it. You're the most proper nine year old I've ever met. Are you related to royalty? You do have the Hylian pointed ears."

"I don't know…" said Link quietly as he scanned the bedsheets for answers. Some sort of sad, deep feeling was nesting inside him. "I…I don't remember." He gulped and felt the bruises on his neck as they moved.

Bo's face fell as he realized what the boy meant. Rusl stepped in. "Okay everybody, I think it'd be a good idea to let the boy rest. We mustn't crowd him. He's been through a lot today." And with that he herded everybody but Ilia and Uli out of the room.

"Do you need anything?" Uli said softly as Link watched the people leaving with wide eyes.

"Uh, no," he said, his brain jerking back into focus. "Thank you so much for taking care of me. How is your baby?" he asked politely.

"Oh," Uli chuckled again, "he's fat as ever! But don't worry about me. You must have been through an awful lot."

"What happened to your neck?" Ilia repeated. Link raised his hand to his neck with a wondrous expression, worry knotting his already befuddled brain.

"Now Ilia, don't be rude. He doesn't remember." And with that she crossed the room to the door and Ilia followed her. "I'll bring you some soup later, if your hungry. What's your name?"

"Link," he said, worrying his hands around the sheets.

"Link. Such a nice name." Uli smiled again, her teeth showing a hint of tiredness. "If you weren't here, I'd maybe name my baby that if he's a boy. But anyway, in the mean time, sleep well Link."

And Uli closed the door. Link looked around the room and wondered where he was. He felt like he was missing somebody, somebody who'd always been with him before. He rolled over in the bed and closed his eyes. Sleep didn't come, and neither did the memories. But he felt his body wracked with cuts and bruises and all kinds of soft spots, and gingerly struggled to find a place were they were all at ease.

Outside in the kitchen, Uli's face fell to worry as Ilia watched her carefully. "Poor little boy. He doesn't remember anything."

"Maybe its better that way," Ilia said, sitting on a stool by the table. "His neck looked pretty bad. Who'd want to strangle a kid our age?"

"Or tie him to a Bulbo," Uli said to herself, stirring the pot of soup.

"Yeah," Ilia finished, helping herself to some bread with meat and cheese.

"It's a good thing I found him," Rusl remarked from the other side of the room. "He was in pretty bad shape. Bruised and cut up by the cords that tied him to that Bulbo. He must have been tied to that thing for a long while."

"Are we going to try and find his parents?" Ilia asked, swinging her legs on the stool.

"Maybe," Rusl said. "But maybe it'd be better if he decided for himself."

Ilia pondered at this as she sunk her teeth into her sandwich. She thought of the boy in the other room, the boy named Link. She lifted a little prayer to the Goddesses that he'd feel better soon.

Hey guys! This is my first story, so please review. I'd love any critiques on my writing style, they are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!