Author's Note: This is another one of my favorite chapters so I hope you enjoy it!

Stories faded into tales.

Tales faded into myths

Myths faded into legend.

The kingdom of Hyrule had been prospering for centuries, but never has there been an age in the kingdom's history where danger was not approaching, and, it seemed, that there never would be.

Yet I, now an ancient hero of an era long past, trod along in the search of the one whom I owed so much, the one who I was destined to find.

There I was, a long dead hero in the form of a golden wolf looking for the boy who would save Hyrule from its' next impending threat.

I was walking in the forest in the hour of twilight, the transcendent amber glow in the sky signaling the approach of night. At the sound of the growing tones of two voices, I was prompted to hide in the bushes.

I soon saw two children walking along.

'A girl and a boy, and, from the looks of their clothes, probably from Ordon Village south of here.'

"Thanks for inviting me out here!," said the girl, "You really have gotten so much better with that wooden sword. You should show Rusl what you've learned on your own."

"But then he'd know that I took it to practice with," the boy replied.

"Nonsense, he's like a father to you. He's always supported you no matter what. He'd probably be proud."

"I don't know about that…Besides, I think I need to get it back before he notices that's it gone."

"All right, it is getting darker out. They'll probably be worried soon."

The two started to walk back towards the village when the girl let out a loud scream,

"Eeeek!"

'Oh no! She's seen me!'

I started to slowly back away further into the surrounding brush when something caught my attention, stopping me in my tracks.

'Her fearful gaze isn't aimed at me…'

"Link! Look over there!"

'Link?'

I paced a couple steps forward to where I could get a better view of the two children.

'That little boy…could he be?'

"A skulltula!", exclaimed the little boy as he raised his wooden sword and stepped in front of the girl, taking on a beastly scowl at the massive arachnid that had appeared before them.

"Ilia, go! Find Rusl!"

"But, Link…"

"Ilia, now!"

The little girl scampered from her crouched position, running south.

I watched the boy assume a battle stance as the skulltula approached him.

'His ears…he isn't human, like the girl, he's…Hylian…'

I simply sat there, watching, encapsulated by the possibility that I may have found him. The boy, who seemed to go by the name Link, shook like a leaf in the wind, despite his furrowed eyebrows and concentrated gaze. He took a deep breath, calming himself down and steadying his nerves. The spider leapt forward with outstretched pincers, prompting Link to instinctively roll the side.

The skulltula had just grazed him.

"Aagh!" Link exclaimed as he exhaled heavily and grabbed his left arm, his eyes full of discomfort. He now had a large cut on his arm that stained his hands with blood. He looked back at the skulltula and resumed his previous battle stance, ignoring the obvious seeping blood and agonizing pain.

Suddenly, Link's determined expression turned to one of realization and clarity.

The skulltula lunged to strike again, yet before he got the chance, Link jumped up and plunged the wooden sword downwards into the head of the arachnid.

The sword instantly shattered into pieces, but the young boy had killed the skulltula.

Link stood there in astonishment of what he had just done, transfixed by the red smoke of the monster's remains.

It was then that I noticed a faint golden glow on his hand. The sight of the emblematic triforce, the symbol of courage, the telling shapes, the image that confirmed my suspicions, induced me to step forward out of the bushes.

'It really is him. He is named Link…like me…I really can help him be the hero Hyrule needs.'

Link noticed the rustle of the bushes, pulling his attention towards me, an ethereal golden wolf with one red eye and one final wish.

I expected him to scream.

I expected him to run.

I expected him to hide.

Yet he didn't.

He simply kept staring, just like I was.

We walked towards each other, feeling camaraderie, a kinship between us, a connection among us. He knew not of our shared destiny, our intertwined fate, yet his wide eyes matched mine.

He knelt right in front of me, not a child afraid of a beast, but a youth searching for the basis of his undeniable curiosity.

"Agh!" Link's exclamation interrupted the moment as he clutched his arm in response to the resurgence of his pain.

The young boy looked at me for comfort, with large, pleading blue eyes. His longing gaze was looking for solace, for the alleviation of his indisputable pain.

'What do I do? I can't help him.'

"Link! Where are you?." said a deep, male voice across the way.

I hurried back into the bushes to avoid being spotted, yet remained to make sure this little, fateful boy would get help.

Link turned his head to where the voice came from and we both watched as a man came running towards him with a little girl by his side, both with concerned expressions.

"Link! Oh my gosh! You're hurt!", Ilia said as she kneeled next to Link, "But, where's the monster?"

"I…I…I think I killed it…"

"You what?" The man said with a glimmer of pride in his eye and a light chuckle in his voice.

"I'm really sorry. I took the wooden sword and…I broke it…killing that monster…I didn't mean to break it, honestly…I know how hard those are to make…"

Ilia smiled up at the man, who kneeled down in front of Link and rustled his messy, brown hair.

"Come on little hero, let's get you patched up."

The man picked up Link into his arms, cradling the backs of his bent knees and the back of his head.

I watched as the three of them headed back to their village.

Once I knew they wouldn't spot me behind them, I stealthily followed them back to Ordon Village.

'Perhaps I shouldn't,' I thought to myself, 'Hyrule is still at peace, after all, this boy may still have some time before his destiny is presented to him.'

Yet I couldn't resist, after decades of searching, I was fascinated by this little boy, his coincidentally familiar name, his hopeful blue eyes. He was so much like I used to be at that age, right before everything started. Looking at him was like looking into the past, at a reflection of myself that I had almost forgotten.

I had this protective desire to make sure his wound would be taken care of, that until he was ushered into being the hero, he had a safe place to call home. I knew he could take care of himself, but in that moment, I just had this instinct to be his guardian, his protector.

Now in the village, I watched the little girl run to her own home and the man carry Link to a home near the calm stream.

I snuck my way around the back of the house and dug a hole to listen in.

"Oh, Rusl! Is everything okay!"

"Yes, he's fine, just a wound on his arm."

"Sit here, Link, I'll dress it for you."

"What happened?"

"Ilia and I went out to Faron Woods."

I heard a sigh.

"And there was a huge skulltula."

"Link! Honestly, you know better than to go too far out of the village. It's a dangerous world out there, especially for two children."

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Rusl won't always be around to get you out of these perilous situations. You shouldn't let your childish recklessness hinder your common sense."

"Uli, the skulltula was gone once I got there. Link defeated it himself."

"Really?"

There was a silence.

"Well, I'm glad you're safe now. I guess it's hard for me to believe that you're growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday that we took you into our home as one of our own, and look at you now, a brave, young boy. I have a feeling our little Colin will look up to you someday."

"Well, there you are, all patched up. Are you sure you aren't hurt anywhere else?"

There was another silence.

'He must be checking to make sure he's okay.'

"Link? Is there something wrong with your left hand?"

"Uhh…no…j-just…some extra blood…"

'Did he just see the Triforce? Does he know what it means?'

"Well, go wash up, and then it's time for the little hero to get some rest."

"Hey!", said a voice near me, prompting me to look over and see a villager with a scowl on his face.

'Oh no, I've been spotted.'

I quickly ran into the woods, not wanting to attract any attention.

'That was close, too close.'

'At least I know that he's here and he's safe.'

'For now, I'll stay to the outskirts of the village, waiting for the day when he is truly called upon to be Hyrule's next hero, so I can help him discover his hidden skills and channel his instinctive courage.'

Author's Note: Might be a bit confusing, but "Link" in this chapter is Twilight Princess Link and Ocarina of Time Link is still telling the story through his perspective.

I imagined TP Link to be about 9 years old in this chapter, around the same age as OoT Link when he first started his journey, which means that TP Link still has about 7/8 years until the day that he is thrust into the twilight.

Just one chapter left to go.