Hi! Sorry this took so long to get out, but after the prologue, I had some trouble finding the foundation to the actual story itself, it took a bit of planning, and I had to go over the game in my head to try and piece the events into the game's story sequence. I know it's just an excuse for tardiness, but I hope what I wrote is worth the wait.

Thanks to all of you who read my prologue, and an extra BIG one to those who reviewed after reading my story-may you be blessed with oodles of inspiration! Anyway, here's where my story actually begins...

PS. I had this chapter slightly editted, because I was told it was a little confusing. Sorry about that. The editted version will still be a little hard to follow, but it will explain itselfas the story progresses, so please be patient. Another thanks to "blondie91" for pointing this little flaw out in my story. I don't know what I was thinking when I published this. I hope this will be a little better.

He took one last look at the lush green of the beautiful tree, and turned around. He took a deep breath in, and exhaled slowly. His jaw was now set firm, and his eyes blazed with an immovable determination. And with another breath, he took off. He sprinted as fast as he could across the shallow water, and ran until he felt the familiar tugging at his legs. He stumbled for a few steps, and turned around. He could see the tree in the distance, quite a while away. He plopped down on the spot with a splash, letting the cool water reach his aching legs. He stayed lying there for a few hours, with a sigh, and a content smile. Aaaaah This was the life.

When he woke up later, he stretched himself out and loosened his limbs. Standing up wih a yawn, he turned around and saw the tree exactly where it was when he dozed off. Now, turning his back to the tree once more, he continued his trek away from those bright green leaves and those beckoning branches. He wasn't in such a hurry now, so he took it at a comfortable walking pace. After what seemed like a few hours of walking, he turned around for another look at the tree. He gave a quiet chuckle and lay down to sleep again.

After another dreamless sleep, he awoke once again. He stood up and viewed his surroundings. The shallow water stretched out for as far as his eyes could see in every direction, a vast expanse of rippling surfaces and murky reflections. A thin mist hung from the air, and cloaked the tree-his tree-in a shroud of lace. He smiled, and jogged the lengthy istance back over to his tree, where his sword lay propped up against its wide and sturdy trunk. He picked it up, and swung it a few times, getting used to its weight again. He ran its pitch-black blade across the surface of the water, tracing some patterns here and there. The ripples blended into each other, and colours flowed in to mix and swirl into a little current, that faded away after a while. "Beautiful" he thought. This was the best life he could imagine; he wouldn't have a life any other way. It was heaven.

And so this young boy lived his life in a happy, never-ending world of water, with his one and only friend, his tree, the grand and majestic tree that marked the center of this world, as well as its boundaries. He had lived this life for as long as he could remember, ever since he was left here, which was not something he could recall. He wasn't upset about it, though. He was content with this life. Nothing was going to change that...

One day, countless days afterwards, he woke up to a surprise. There was a visitor, standing by the tree. He couldn't make out who it was-the stranger was too far away, but there was something familiar about that posture, as the figure turned and stopped, as if noticing him for the first time since arriving here. How the visitor got here was still a mystery to him, because all he had seen in this place for his entire life was water, his tree, and more water. Cautiously, he began to step towards the arrival, being especially on his guard because his sword still lay against the tree's trunk, where he always left it. It was easily in the arm's reach of the intruder, and he didn't want to be caught unawares.

The stranger continued to watch him, and as if sensing his tenseness, raised his arms in mock surrender and chuckled merrily. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" That voice-he finally recognized that figure! As the visitor stepped out the shade of his tree and came face to face with him, he finally got a look at that vaguely familiar face, and felt a relief. It was that fish-man the thought just popped into his head.

Now that he thought about it, he had a vague recollection of that same figure, stooped over him, his blue gilled face stitched up in worry, calling out to him. The sky at that time was a cloudness night, with the moon's beam glimmering off of the fish-man's moist scales. How long ago was that? He shook his head and faced back toward the fish-man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, almost as if from his memory. The giant, bulky, old fish-man began to speak again.

"Well, now that you've remembered who I am, it's time I tell you who I am". He paused to chuckle at his own little joke, a deep throaty chuckle that seemed to echo inside the young boy's head. "I was once known as the Sage of Water. Of course, that title has been passed down to the young Princess. But she is not yet prepared to take on that role; too young to keep and protect the Water Temple. So I had you brought here to look after it in her absence. Yes, I know that you are also but a child now, but I sensed a great fighting spirit in you, and I'm sure that you can do this. So, I hope I have answered all of your questions, and farewell, until the next time we meet."

As the fish-man turned to leave, he called back, "Oh, and sorry I took so long in finding you, it's this memory of mine. I hope you'll forgive me. Ho ho ho... And if you ever need to get out of here for some fresh air, or if you want leave, I won't stop you. Just head North, the direction of the lowest branch, and reach around. You'll find a door, okay? Just give it a little nudge, and it should open." And with that, he turned around, and walked a few metres until the invisible boundary wouldn't let him get any further away from the tree. And then, he was gone.

The young boy gaped, open-mouthed, at the empty space where just moments ago stood a pudgy, old, friendly fish-man who seemed to be trying to say something to him. He really tried to understand what the fish-man was trying to tell him, but the whole thing was just foreign gibberish to the poor guy. After, thinking about it, he looked around, and finding no proof of what just happened actually happened, he pinched himself. Looking around, he still saw nothing that was hinting that what he just experienced was real. So, with a shrug, and a silent reminder to himself to be more careful with which fruits from the tree he should eat, the child lay down against the trunk of his tree, and blissfully drifted off into one of his favourite pasttimes.

Sorry that this part was so boring after all of that waiting, please be patient. So much hesitation, so many decisions...

PS I do not own the Legend of Zelda, but I can write fics about it. Still, I wish I did. Own it, I mean. The fish-man (the previous Sage of Water) is my original creation, though. Hands off, please. hee hee