Link pulled himself out of the small moat pipe, rolling onto the grass, panting. It was never easy getting himself through that tiny hole. He laid there, staring up at the light blue sky.

"It's such a nice day..." Link sighed to himself. Sometimes he wished he weren't the hero of time. It was such tiring work. His childhood, his friends, his life, robbed of him for a destiny he didn't choose. Link sighed deeply once more. Now was not the time to dwell on such things.

"A path well chosen for such a brave young man." Link stopped dead in his tracks, turning on his heels. What faced him caused him to tumble back onto the grass, grasping at his heart.

Kaepora Gaebora.

"W-What are you doing here? You're not supposed to meet me here..." Links eyes widened, at he put his hands over his mouth. He knew he had just said something crucial, but hopefully the owl wouldn't notice...

"So that proves my suspicions." The large owl ruffled his feathers, looking very content with himself. Link was beyond frightened, though he clearly knew that Gaebora was someone to trust... Right? Link hadn't been sure of anything recently. His world had been flipped on it's head.

"Link, no need to panic." The owl looked down at Link with mild amusement, obviously finding Link's terrified reaction to be funny. "I don't understand why you would be frightened in the first place. It's not like anyone would even believe such a ludicrous story. Time is never navigated." Link looked up at Gaebora in shock and interest.

"Navigated? Time? Owl, you are not making sense." Link sat up, staring intently at Kaepora, searching for an answer. The owl laughed.

"Listen to me, Link. You have not changed, you have not aged in the slightest. I know what you are thinking, you're thinking that Time was somehow... Reset. That is flat out impossible." Link looked quizzically at Gaebora. It had to have been reset. There was no other explanation.

Or was there?

"Okay, Oh wise bird. Explain your rules of time." Link stood up, brushing dirt off his tunic. His crossed his arms across his chest, and stared up at Kaepora.

"Oh, how should I put this... Ah. Ok, imagine time as a river. One continuously flowing river, in which all of its waters rush into the direction of the future, and everyone is on a boat heading in the same direction. However, this river, through the power of the Master Sword accompanied by the Hero of Time, can be navigated. You can row upstream. That's how, in your previous adventure, you were able to change into a kid once in the future." Kaepora stopped to let the information sink in. Link stood, staring.

"And?"

"You see, Link, when the princess played the Song of Time, she had made a fatal mistake. She cannot properly control the ocarina's immense power, only you can. You were sent too far up the river. However, the princess had knowledge I never thought she would have. She knew many properties of time. Like a sage would... I was so careless..." Gaebora closed his large eyes, apparently reluctant to continue his spiel. Link was transfixed by his story, so the owl continued.

"You were never meant to relive your life, Link. This is what has been happening. You have learned to steer the boat." Link looked at the owl, once more confused.

"Why does it matter if I can steer it? It's just one river." The owl looked at Link in remorse, and Link was unsure why.

"No, Link. It's not." Gaebora looked to the sky. "Time is not absolute. The decisions people make steer the boat down different rivers, infinite rivers, In a never-ending flow of time. You, the Hero of Time, have mastered time itself. You can move between infinite possibilities, and control the, as you wish." Link's eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face.

"You mean I can do anything? At all? I could just reverse it... There would be nothing stopping me! I'm the king of time!" The owl shrieked loudly, and Link covered his ears in fright.

"NO! This is exactly what I was afraid of!" The owl clucked in disapproval. "Link, anything you do effects you, even in the past. You have noticed that everything you've done so far has NOT been exact as before? You can't go running through time all willy-nilly like there's no consequences! There is, Link!" Link's shoulders slumped. "I will leave now. Do not mess with time. Tell nobody of your adventures, and continue this one without changing anything. You will understand later. Godspeed." The owl flapped it's large wings, floating into the sky. Before long, he was gone. Link sighed in desperation and frustration at the owl's sudden departure.

"I have work to do." Link spat on the ground and marched towards the castle gardens.

15 minutes passed, and Link had breached the castle's best defenses. He stepped slowly into the garden of the castle, staring intently and seriously at the young girl peering through a window at the other side. The girl seemed to sense Link, and she turned around with a gasp.

"W-who are you? Have you come to kidnap me? But you're so young..." The young princess eyed Link up and down with interest. "How did you get past our castle's best security?

Link dropped his serious tone. "Those guards?"

"Finest Hyrule has to offer."

"They were pretty terrible, actually." Link said casually. The princess put in a look of pure offense and disgust. "You should think about upgrading, Zelda." Link slapped a hand to his mouth. Zelda looked at him in shock.

"H-How do you know my name?" Zelda retreated from Link, fear plastered on her face. "Have you been watching me? Are you a spy?"

"No, Princess, you've got it all wrong..."

"IMPAAAAAAA!"

Link felt a rush of wind behind him, and he turned around to see Impa, the sheikah body guard for Princess Zelda. Link looked up at her stone cold face, and fear flooded him. He had fought countless monsters, but Impa was something else.

"No... Wait... Listen to me!" Link was dodging the advancing capture attempts by Impa, before an idea struck him. He pulled out his fairy ocarina. (Bringing back fond memories of Saria.) The notes of Zelda's Lullaby rung out. Zelda passed out nearby, and Impa looked at Link in utter shock.

"Well, you know the song of the royal family. Tell us your story."

Link walked away from the castle, smiling to himself. It had gone better than expected. Both Zelda and Impa listened to him, and figured that he knew the princess's name based on the name of the song. The name of the princess was not spoken of out side the castle.

"Where to next..." Link looked down at his map, wondering to himself why he hadn't remembered this by now. "Oh yeah!" Link looked up to the towering volcano.

"Death Mountain..." Link gulped.

"Oh no."