It was finally the end of the day. They all poured out of the geography classroom, moaning about how Mr. Gaebora had made the lesson the most boring it could have possibly been, making them all sit there in silence, copying from a text book for the full hour.
Link lived in a small village to the south of Castleton, where the school was, called Kokiri. It was a pretty village, situated in the middle of a small forest. Most of the houses there were cosy, beamed, old cottages, making the tiny community feel welcoming.
Link was the only one out of his friends to live here, whilst the others all lived in estates in Castleton.
The light breeze ruffled Link's hood as he rode back home from school, the weather now brightening up a little from that morning.
Birds chirruped happily as he pedalled into the forest along the narrow road, a satisfied smile on his face as he shouted in greeting to the old man mowing the lawn of the outermost house.
He turned onto the drive of a tall, extremely old and beautiful cottage, shaded by a massive tree. This village seemed like a whole world away from the busy town of Castleton.
Link dropped off his bike in the shed and ran round to the front door, letting himself in.
"Mum!" He called as he closed the door behind him, "I'm home!" He walked past a mantelpiece sporting an array of frames, all holding pictures of the smiling family of three, most of them with the father in his military uniform.
He walked through to the cloakroom and hung up his bag and coat, flicking down his hood and frowning as there was no answer, "Mum? Oh yeah!" He remembered, digging deep into his school bag and withdrawing a crumpled letter, "We got given a letter today about some festival thing in Clockton, I don't know about it though." Link carried on as he walked through to the small living room, skimming over the yellow letter, "Seems like it's more for little... kids..." He had looked up at the place where his Mum normally sat when he came home from school, watching the TV.
She was there, alright. However, she was limp, her hand hanging over the sofa's arm and a deep red trickle dripping off her index finger.
"Mum?" Link grinned, thinking at first that this must be a joke. She didn't stir and his smile faded, "Hey!" He walked briskly around to the other side of the sofa to look at her fully. He wished he hadn't.
A deep stab wound was embedded in her chest, multiple on her stomach and her eyes were closed, as if she could just be asleep. Blood dribbled down her chin and stained her long brown hair which was strewn around her like a brunette halo.
"Mum?" He said weakly. The letter dropped from his hands. He gasped, running to the phone and picking it up with shaking hands. He dialled into it, "Nine... Nine... Nine!" He stood there, his mind numb, not quite sure what he had just seen, still convincing himself that this was all a well staged joke, the phone held up to his ear. Finally, someone picked up the phone,
"Hello there, this is the Castleton police station, how may I help you?"
"Mum!" He said, his voice shaking as much as his grip, "Mum! She- She- She's been stabbed!" And as he said it, it started to sink in and his mouth seemed to dry up, "Mum's been stabbed." He repeated, "She's gone. PLEASE JUST COME!" He bellowed down the phone, "THE TREEHOUSE, DEKU DRIVE, KOKIRI!"
"OK, kid, we're coming. Just take deep breaths and calm down. We'll be there soon." And he hung up.
Link did as he said and took deep, long breaths, steadying himself then looking over his shoulder at his mother. He couldn't help it.
He ran towards her, throwing himself to his knees and wrapping his arms around her limp body. It was still warm. His school clothes were soon stained red by his mother's blood but he didn't care. He wanted to cling on to her. Forever.
Soon, police sirens could be heard coming ever closer and the sound of a door springing open followed.
A hand slipped onto his shoulder and he looked up into a burly officer's face, "Come on, lad. Come outside for a moment. This is no place for you to be right now."
Link let himself be taken whilst forensic detectives filed in.
Once outside, he leant his back against the wall and slid down it, burying his face in his hands. It had all happened so quickly. He had never had a chance to say goodbye and yet the tears would not flow, they would not show themselves when he longed for their company. It was simply too much emotion to ball up into such a petty thing as tears.
"Well," Said a young lady and Link looked up, "We have analysed the wounds and it is an easy conclusion. This is a very common pattern of the murderer who we believe calls himself... Ganondorf. He even goes as far as to call himself a lord. He is frankly completely mad and has been heard to mumble to himself about a thing called a "triforce". I am deeply sorry for your loss."
Link looked down and said in a small voice, "It's not your fault."

The next day, students rushed to their forms as the bell went, just as they had the day before.
Vio had assumed his normal position, bending over a massive book as if it was the be all and end all.
As the second bell went, Vio looked round at the empty seat next to him and sighed, "Late again. Honestly, what is he up to?"
"Probably left the house without his school bag again." Saria joked.
The door creaked open and shut.
Link walked in, his head down, hood covering his face.
"Link, you are late again." Mr. Deku said, "I am sorry, but it has to be a detention."
"Right." Link said quietly, his face still shaded. He sat down next to Vio and continued to look down at the table, not taking his hood off.
"Link, please-"
"Take my hoodie off. I know." Link took it off slowly. When the hood was drawn back, it was to show that his eyes were unfocussed and glossy.
"Link?" Vio said cautiously, "What's the matter?"
His friend remained silent, bowing his head even more than it already was.
Vio could have sworn that a tear had just fallen onto the table, "Mate... Are you sure?" He had never seen Link cry before, so this was a massive shock.
"I-" And NOW the tears came, in the middle of class, in front of everyone. Brilliant, he thought in bitter sarcasm. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he scrunched up his eyes, willing himself to stop.
"What happened?" Vio said softly as the others stared at the crying boy, stunned.
Link suddenly threw his arms around Vio's shoulders, hugging him, a boy seeking a true friend's comfort. A sob fell through his lips and tears splashed onto Vio's shoulders.
"M-Mum. Sh-she..."
Red gasped, "Vio! That story on the news this morning! The stabbing in Kokiri!"
Link felt Vio almost jump out of his seat in complete and utter disbelief, "Link!" He gasped, "Was your mum the one who was..."
Link nodded slowly, clinging onto his best friend and letting another sob rack his body.
The table fell silent, the rest of the form not noticing a thing.