AN : Hello again! The first *official* chapter of Shattered Times is up! I hope to get each chapter around this length; the prologue was a little short, but whatever. FYI, if Hyrule Field seems oddly large from the description in this chapter, I really feel like the in-game field really wouldn't do it justice, so it's... stretched. That's really it for weird things that are a little off from canon. Anyway, thank you for reviews and such! Even the fewest reviews will make me happy :) ! After this chapter, I don't think I will be posting this frequently; but who knows? Now, you can ignore me, and enjoy! (Let me know if there are weird errors in anything - you can only read your own story so many times)

DISCLAIMER : I don't own The Legend of Zelda. :(

Reviews/comments welcome! Flames and things = no thanks.

A horse crested a small hill, emerging out into a vast field, a rolling landscape with trees and bushes dotting the land. A man was on the horse, gently spurring his steed to the top of the hill, then pausing to look out over the vast area.

Hyrule, the 'land of the goddesses'.

Why, he thought, did I come back?

He could see the faint silhouette of Death Mountain and other mountains to the east, and he knew the unseen desert was to the west. He had already passed the regal Lake Hylia; ice and snow was covering the surface. In the far, far distance, he could vaguely see the shape of Hyrule Castle. How long had he been gone? Fourteen years. He thought. He was 24 now.

He spurred his horse on through the snow. She nickered, trotting slowly through the vast, white field, down the hill. She had been his only companion, only true companion through those dark fourteen years. Spending those years looking for one friend, who he now knew was gone. He didn't know where she was - she was gone. He should have given up before he had even thought of leaving, and stayed. Grown up in Hyrule. Attempt to lead a fairly normal life. But how could he have? After everything he'd gone through, everything he fought for, and no one remembered.

Except her.

Her, he bitterly thought, nudging his horse in the ribs to spur her faster. His horse accelerated to a gallop, seeming to cherish the speed. He bent lower, to become more streamlined with his steed. His mind was still on her.

She couldn't forgive him for just leaving, and losing contact with her. Yes, she seemed fine when he left, but he knew. She was hurt that day. He couldn't tell her what he wanted to say. I'll miss you. I'll see you again. Don't worry please. Don't forget me. He only said, 'I'm leaving". He felt so lame afterwards, what kind of hero was he, a person who couldn't hold a simple goodbye to a girl? They had went through hard moments together, and he couldn't show the slightest bit of compassion at the time.

He was an idiot, and he acknowledged his stupidity.

To be frank, he wasn't very smooth with words, or women. Never kissed one, never got into something sexual, and barely talked to any. However, she seemed to be pretty okay with it. Didn't say anything to embarrass him really. He had to thank her for that, at least.

He could see Lon Lon Ranch getting closer and closer, still rather small in the distance, but growing. Maybe he could stop by, see how Talon, Malon, and Ingo (but really, would Ingo still be there?) were doing. It seemed nerve-racking, but it was worth a shot. He urged his horse onward.

Time for a visit to Lon Lon.

He led his horse up the steep path to the main ranch. It was normal enough, the same as it was fourteen years ago. The barn to his right, the house to his left, the fields straight ahead, where the horses would stay - there were none outside, most likely staying warm in the barn. He dismounted his horse, stretching. He could feel his back crack as he twisted one way, then to the other. Letting out a relieved sigh, he grabbed his horse's reins, and began to walk toward the field. He knew his steed would like to run unburdened by a rider.

Right then the barn door opened. He stopped walking, standing stiff as a board. His horse snorted in annoyance, and began to paw at the ground, chewing his hood at the same time.

A little boy, no older than four, stepped out, carrying a large wooden bucket. The boy's eyes landed on him, widening. His mouth opened slightly, and he looked as if he was about to scream. Instead, a loud question escaped his lips, while he kept his eyes fixed on the man he did not recognize.

"Momma?" he called. There was a pause, then barn door opened again with a creak. A woman exited the barn; a young-looking, innocently pretty, fiery redhead who closed the barn door behind her, looking down at the child.

"Abel, what-" she looked up as she said this, and her voice faltered as her eyes landed on the man with his horse. There was utter silence in Lon Lon Ranch, the till the woman spoke. "Oh my goddesses, it can't be."

The man decided it was the right time to lower his hood. After all, he thought, she probably knew who it was. So he did, and a shrill scream escaped the woman's mouth, making the child drop the bucket in surprise and the horse snort indignantly.

"LINK?! IT CAN'T BE!" she ran to him and gave him a crushing hug, making Link stagger under the force of the embrace. "HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN, OH-!" she quickly stepped back, looking up at him with glee. "Link, how are you? Oh, you look so exhausted!" she hugged him again, then looked back at the child. "Abel, this is the man I've always told you stories about!" Abel was still, simply staring at Link with a stunned expression. Link took this chance to speak, slowly prying off Malon's hands from around his neck.

"Malon, I-yes, it's been a very long time…" he stuttered, clearing his throat and smiling. The smile felt so foreign on his face. "Epona is still as energetic as ever." He gestured lamely at the horse, who snorted, shaking her head. Malon beamed, the action lighting up her face vividly.

"I'm so glad she is. Now, Abel," she gestured to the boy, who shyly walked up to her, hiding behind her thick skirt. "How about you lead the pretty horse to the field?" the boy nodded, and Link gently held out the rein, half expecting him not to take it. In a flash, the boy grabbed it and began struggling through the snow toward the field. Epona seemed to recognize this person was much smaller than her master, as she walked much slower than she would have with Link. Malon turned again, looking satisfied, focusing her eyes toward Link. "So! Come in, come in!" she walked toward the house door, and opened it for Link. "We need to talk about these fourteen years!"

XXXX

Malon gave Link a hot cup of tea and a warm roll once they had settled in the cozy (newly added, Link noted) living room. They were sitting at a small dining table, next to the wall, where two paintings and an old rusted horseshoe were hanging. She sat down across from him as he took a bite of the roll. He could feel it melt in his mouth, the taste comforting and homely. He let out a soft sound of pleasure from the taste, and Malon beamed.

"I'm glad you like it. My husband makes bread like that." Link looked up at her, and set his unfinished roll on the small plate.

"Your husband?" Malon smiled slightly, almost sadly.

"I couldn't wait for you, could I?" Link felt his face grow hot, and he coughed slightly to hide the shock. Malon chuckled. "I'm just kidding, Link. You were a very cute boy, though." She rested her hand on his, smiling gently. Link felt his face cool, yet he was still surprised. He'd always felt like Malon liked him in some way, shape, or form, and he assumed he was correct all those years ago. "So… how have your travels been?" Link sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"It… it's been hard. Out of the country, going to… another country…" he said vaguely as he remembered Termina. He'd rather not bring that experience up to Malon. "I didn't find Navi."

"Navi? Oh your... friend... right?"

Link nodded slightly. He had stayed on Lon Lon Ranch briefly before leaving for Termina, yet never gave Malon much information to lead off of. "Yeah. I never found her."

Malon sighed and leaned back in her chair. She looked out the window, almost pensively. "…These years have been long, you know. My father died a few years ago. Ingo had to leave. I met Rowan, we got married, had Abel…" she exhaled. "So much has happened since you've been gone."

Link was silent, then slowly spoke. "…I'm sorry about Talon." Malon smiled.

"It's alright."

There was a long silence, then Abel entered the room, stamping his heavy boots, leaving slightly snowy footprints in his tracks. Malon instantly perked up, and cheerfully asked her son,

"Did you take care of Epona?" Abel nodded slightly, then walked to his mother, crawling up into her lap. Link made an effort to smile at the boy, but he just stared, and hid his face in Malon's chest. Malon grimaced. "I'm sorry, he's quite shy." She ran a hand through the boy's hair.

"It's fine." There was another silence, then Abel, surprisingly, spoke.

"Are you going to the Festival?" he mumbled quietly, so quiet that Link barely heard him. Link felt himself hesitate. Did he really want to revisit Castletown? Or did he just want to leave the country again, and stay a traveler?

"I… don't know." Malon smiled.

"You do know the princess will be there." She smiled more broadly. "She's come around here occasionally." Link's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at Malon.

"Really?" Malon nodded.

"Yes, she'd want some horses every now and then… she hasn't come for a year or so...When she did visit, she was all about interacting more with the citizens of Hyrule. She probably just wanted to get away from the other nobles." Malon laughed, shaking her head. "She's a very nice woman. I like her." Link couldn't help but smile.

"Yes. She is." Malon looked up at Link, eyes soft.

"She'd sometimes ask about you. How you are. If I had been in contact with you." Malon laughed again. "She missed you. I listened to her." Oh, Link thought bitterly, so she did miss me. He nearly missed what Malon said next - "…I'm surprised she knew you as well. How did you two meet?"

Link remembered a pang in his heart at that remark. No one knew what he did. From the curse of time, no one knew. Only he and the princess completely remembered everything. Link assumed that if he did bring it up, Malon would think he was insane and probably throw him out by his ears. Or something like that; Malon was a rather straightforward woman.

"Um… at town. She snuck out one day, from the castle, I mean, and uh… we hung out. We were young." Malon nodded, yet she didn't look convinced, one of her eyebrows raised.

"…Alright. Well, the Winter Festival is only two days from now; you should really go see. Rowan is taking Abel when he comes home from his hunting trip." Malon smiled at Link broadly. "Just to get some Hyrulian festivities flowing in your veins, right? I know the town is setting up today; if you go right now, everyone will be out."

Link couldn't help but smile at her comment. "I guess it's a pleasure to be back." Malon stood with Abel in her arms as she winked at him.

"It certainly is."

Link smiled.

Castletown was much bigger than Link remembered. There were more shops, more roads, even taverns and inns had been built. The Happy Mask Shop was gone (oddly enough), and had instead been replaced with a small toy store, where small groups of children had congregated, pointing through the window or entering with their friends. The potion shop and trader was still there (though the trade shop seemed much bigger) and there was a cozy-looking tavern squeezed in between the two, the sign of the tavern swinging slightly from the light wind. Even though the air was frigid and the snow was rather thick, there were people bustling about everywhere. Some townspeople were setting up vendors and banners, while others seemed to simply be running errands or milling about. Link felt overwhelmed; the last time he had been in a town like this was years ago – you didn't run into places like this in the mountainous regions outside of Hyrule. He began walking slowly toward the main square, people squeezing by him or children running by. He had left Epona at the main gate – the guard at the gate wouldn't let the faithful horse in.

Link didn't particularly feel like staying for the Festival – as much as he liked to stay in Hyrule, staying only caused more of a heartache than anything. He thought it sounded sappy, or selfish, but it was true; he already had scars from those fourteen years ago, ones that wouldn't be pleasant to open. His Triforce on his left hand wasn't even glowing anymore.

It had stopped a few years ago, he remembered - it had always been glowing slightly, as if it was filled with some sort of pent-up energy. Then one day, it had ceased to glow, instead fading to a dull grey, looking like just a tattoo or a brand. He had always wanted to know what happened, yet never struck up the courage to reveal the symbol and tell the story behind it. It would seem impossible to others.

As he was mulling through his thoughts, there was a horse's whinny, and the sounding of a horn. From the direction of the castle, a horse and its rider came into the main square, flanked by two foot soldiers, both moving stiffly and awkwardly by citizens. The rider was wearing a red and black patterned cloak; their face was covered under the heavy-looking hood. The horse was black as night, almost intimidating in nature, with eyes rolling and tail swinging back and forth. The townspeople stopped, and all stared at this figure that came from the castle. When a silence rushed across the town square, the man's voice boomed out over the area.

"People of Castletown! It was at the discretion of the nobles and the court that the Winter Festival is canceled! No festival will occur this winter!" the man's last few words were drowned by outraged shouts and noises of shock. The man raised his hand in the air for silence. "If any citizen attempts to disobey this rule, they will be executed!" more shouts. Link straightened, peering over the heads of an elderly couple. He couldn't see the mans face, but he had never seen anyone like that in his whole life.

"This is ridiculous!"

"What is this?"

"No festival our asses!"

"What is the Princess Zelda's opinion?"

Link ripped off his hood, looking up at the figure. Anger boiled in his veins – this wasn't the princess's decision – he could tell. In an instant, he could see a scuffle occur near the horse, the rider dismount, and then a scream. A child's.

Link's heart leapt into his throat. He began shoving through the crowd, hand at his sword. "Move! Get out of the way! Mo-" his voice caught as the crowd parted, with the cloaked figure standing with the two guards, their faces now covered as well. A man was lying on the ground, a child clutching at the man. Blood was splattered on the ground. Link drew his sword, pointing it at the figure. "How dare you! The princess had nothing to do with, didn't she?" he yelled. He normally wouldn't lash out like he was doing, but he knew why – he had a hero complex – he remembered the princess teasing him about it-

"And who are you? Kill him!" the man yelled, as the guards rushed Link almost mechanically on order. Blood rushing in his ears, Link quickly blocked a sword swing from one, ducking from the other's sword. Dontkillthemdontkillthemohgoddesses- Link's mind was in shambles as he instinctively parried, thrust, and swung at the guards, those past instincts rising up to be used again. Then, one of the guard's leapt into the air, and Link thrust his sword upward –

The blade pierced the man's chest, protruding from his back. A strangled choke escaped the man's lips, and Link heard the screams of the crowd. Link quickly withdrew his blade from the man, the metal stained red as he stumbled back in shock. The guard collapsed, and Link heard the same child scream from before, and saw the second guard advancing on the child. "NO!" Link shoved the guard blindly, scooping the child up into his arms. The child was wailing incomprehensibly into his ear as he parried the second guard's blade. The crowd was in panic around Link, the child was wrapping his arms tighter and tighter around Link's neck, the guard was becoming relentless more and more with his attacks –

There was a rough kick digging into Link's lower back, and he toppled to the ground, landing heavily on his side, slightly tossing the child out of the way. He coughed, and the cough morphed into a ragged scream that tore at his throat as he felt a heavy blade stab into his right shoulder, throwing him to look upwards. His shoulder felt as if someone was ripping it apart with their bare hand; slowly and tauntingly. Link was forced to look up at the cloaked figure, whose face was still masked in shadow, yet Link could see a chilling smirk from beneath the hood.

"Good night." The man whispered.

There was an exploding, earth-shattering pain at Link's navel, and the crying child kneeling at his side was the last thing Link saw before he blacked out into a dizzying agony.

*Laughing* Cliffhangers! I'm also terrible at action scenes :/ BTW, the praying person? You guys will find out who that is... next... chapter.

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