Greetings, everyone. This is going to be my second on-going LoZ story and it's pretty unexpected. As with my last Link/Impa story, this one is being done on request and will be my first attempt at writing an ecchi love story, and with Impa, perhaps the straightest arrow in the entire Legend of Zelda cast. Then again, even straight arrows can bend and there's certainly going to be a lot of that in this story. So, expect lots of attempts at ecchi-laced humor and romantic tension as this story's set up is going to be teacher-student, younger man and older woman. Personally, I blame Persona 5 for getting me into the fetish, but I'm on it and I'm not looking back!

For setting, I'll put this out there, this story follows a timeline similar to Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, specifically the events of both will be references so you can say this story's set in the Child Timeline or one close enough to it. Now, without further adeu, onto the story!

Chapter 1-Where Home is

"Ah, Link! Welcome back! Ya' got some mail!"

The young Hylian blinked in surprise causing the inn-keeper to laugh in amusement. While a very skilled and capable warrior, the pointy-eared adventurer was still a child. In fact, he was practically no older than twelve years old. Yet, he seemed to possess a near worldly wisdom that quite a few people would have killed for. There were times that Remy wished he could have such foresight and wisdom, it certainly would have came in handy at the right times. He could have spent the whole evening going over the number of times he'd gotten himself into a number of scraps and such that could have used a wise mind and wise mouth to get him out of.

"Did it come from Hyrule?" Was the first thing the young swordsman blurted out.

With a laugh, the one-eyed inn-keeper reached below his desk and held out a set of envelops. "Probably, it's got that, whatta ya' in Hyrule call it? The Triforce? It's got that seal on it, ain't it the seal of your homeland?"

"It is, which probably means that something's happened." He absent mindedly responded.

"Or, ya' know, someone just wants ya' back. It's been a while, so why not give going back home a shot? Ya' know, see some of yer old friends and such?" Pressed the redhead giving the young warrior a thoughtful stare.

He wanted to say that he didn't have any friends in Hyrule, the only friends he did have…no longer had any memory of him. That was one excuse he told himself, just one of many that he fell back on time after time in order to keep from returning to the land of his birth. The land that he'd journeyed through time to save. At the end of the day though, he knew deep down he was simply running away. He was running because he didn't want to go back home and face the future, which had become a massive, blank slate he still had little to no idea how to paint. Seeing how others were making due would have terrified him. How would he measure up, what would be the worth of his so-called accomplishments in the last two years since he'd left Hyrule? The potential answer always seemed to terrify him in spite of having already confronted most of his own inner demons.

It wasn't like he wouldn't have stories to tell. One could argue that his "home" told quite an expressive tell itself. In reality, his home was more an apartment, a rather decently-sized and stocked one. Such a thing would have likely come as a complete surprise, after all, what use did an eleven-year-old boy have in such an expansive and decked out home? More so, what need did he have for all the weapons, armor and so forth? Doubtlessly, that's one thing that would have caught the attention of visitors, the massive number of weapons collected and on display in several "storage rooms" that Link himself had planned out himself. While he didn't consider himself a master decorating, he was admittedly proud of what he'd accomplished since his time in coming to the quiet inn.

Entering his study, he became acutely aware of his heart drumming inside of his chest. Nowadays, battle was the only thing that got his heart really racing. Again, another unusual trait that set Link apart from other kids of his age. That said, he knew not every child was different him. In far off lands where wars raged with great intensity children as young as himself and younger had been sent to the battlefield and forced to kill. As he sat atop the small bed he always came home to, he briefly wondered if such a conflict had found its way to Hyrule while he was away. If so, then he was wasting time with all the worrying.

Dearest Link,

If you're getting this message, then I truly hope it is in good health. It is I, Sara, hopefully you still remember me from your time in Kokiri Forest. Sometimes it feels like another lifetime since you left. I do not known how you have changed since you left Hyrule, but I truly hope it's enough you're willing to spare some time with an old friend. Or rather…you're…willing to learn of your own origins.

For as long as you can remember Kokiri Forest and we, the Kokiri have been your family. I write to tell you…your birth family has revealed itself. You have an uncle here in Hyrule, his name is Cedar, Cedar Axely. I've spoken with him and…he seems a kind man, or that's what I believe. He wants to meet you, the son of his older brother, the child he lost track of twelve years before. Recently, he moved to Castle Town to set up his bar and…well…one thing led to another and he learned of your existence, no, your survival. Link, I cannot order you to return, but I can ask you as your friend. Please, come home, come back home to the place that needs you.

Sincerely, Saria

He'd recognized the handwriting right off the bat. Everything he'd been preparing himself for, everything he'd been bracing himself for. All of it dissolved leaving the young blond floating in a white sea without direction. To say the letter's contents had been a shock would have been an understatement. Though his mouth hung open, no air was flowing into his lungs nor was the blood in his veins pumping as it should have been. He was completely and utterly frozen stiff like a statue. Battle was the only time he'd ever felt like this, and even then, those times were few and far between. He'd faced so much in his…somewhat extended life that Link doubted hell opening open would scare him. After all, he had fought the so-called King of Evil, defeated him, then gone on to defeat an absolutely deranged demonic mask that could control people like puppets and had attempted to bring down the moon.

All that, and yet he could feel himself slowly but surely beginning to shake in fear.

Now, more than ever he wished that Navi was with him. Or Tatl, anyone really. A tightness clawed at his chest, near squeezing his lung. In spite of all that, his hand held fast to the letter in his hands. Such a thin and easily torn sheet of paper had rocked his entire world. In a way, it fit into a trend in Link's life, one he'd yet to break.

Never was it a blade, claw, or magic spell, it was always something else that knocked him off his feet. Things that he couldn't defend against with a shield or parry with a sword.

As he'd so painfully learned, it was called life. Life was the ultimate surprise attacker, it struck without warning and carried on as its victim was left gasping for breath by the wayside. Sometimes the victim recovered, other times they didn't. Link believed himself to be in the former category. He'd been hit a number of times by life's "sucker punches", and this was the latest one.

Yet, this one seemed more powerful, more impactful than the others. Arguably on the same level as his passage through time and Navi's sudden and still lingering departure.

The answer as for why manifested in an instant. It was because this was personal.

He rose and departed for the hallway, his breath sucking in air at breakneck paces. The way his heart drummed in his chest could have had one believe that an assassin had snuck their way into his home. Link wouldn't have minded for something like that to happen. Alas, he knew that something like that wasn't in the cards.

Far and wide, the usage of the sword was seen as a man's right of passage. Link and the sword were old friends; matter of fact, he would go as far as to say the sword was the only friend he had left. It was a sobering thought, one that only struck him almost a year after his adventure in Termina. Somehow, he'd made peace with the thought remarkably well, accepting such a thing was likely his fate as the bearer of the Triforce of Courage and the Hero of Time.

But then, this came along. His right hand ran along the smooth surface of the blade while his left continued to clench at the letter. "If you either of you were here…would you tell me to go back to Hyrule and start over? Meet my uncle and get to know likely the only real family that I have left?"

Time was precious, he knew that better than a vast majority of people. It had been a painful lesson, but one that he deeply cherished. He also knew that when it came to loved ones…well, he'd seen the cherishment others held for their loved ones, some of them had needed his help to realize such things. Link had secretly envied them, wondering if he could ever find something similar. Somehow, the goddesses had heard his unspoken wish and had apparently answered him. The only question was if he'd take the leap.

Hundreds of times he'd stood in the exact same place. Link had made his choice in Kokiri Forest, when he ventured into the darkness of the forest and confronted the one-eyed monstrosity that had infested the Great Deku Tree. Looking back on it, that's likely when it became clear that "backing down" or "giving up" was no longer an option for him. That door was perhaps forever closed off for him. Sometimes it was frightening how at pace he was with such thoughts. Other times he liked to think they meant that he'd gotten to understand himself a bit better.

He was Link, apparently Link Axely, and running away from a potential challenge was not in his makeup. At all.

Come what may, he'd face this mysterious familial connection, and with it, perhaps the lingering hole in his heart.

But first, he had some packing to do. Quite a bit of packing.

"Really hope Uncle Cedar doesn't have anything against lots of weaponry." Muttered the fourteen-year-old. At the very least this also met he'd have a chance to use all the money he'd saved up during his adventures.

Six Days Late, Castle Town, Hyrule…

"You…you look just like your father, Goddesses bless him. The look in your eyes…it's the same."

His nerves turned to wrinkled leaves hearing that statement, perhaps because it was his first time directly hearing anything about his parents, his father specifically. Speaking of his father, he was trying to use the man that stood before him as a model. They were siblings after all so they must have had some facial comparisons.

In a lot of ways, Cedar looked like Link, albeit their hair colors were as different as night and day. The youth's hair was bright gold like fine hay while his supposed uncle's was deep chocolate brown. It lined up quite well with his eyes, caramel-colored and twinkling with awe, and tears. Sideburns stretched from the sides of his face down to his chin into a nice little goatee. Based on what I'd learned of people and their preferences, his uncle might have been called handsome save for one thing-the long, jagged scar that ran across his face. Stretching from the mid of his right cheek across the bridge of his nose almost all the way to his ear was a stripe of faded flesh.

He stared at the scar too long. His uncle laughed as he moved his fingers to the old injury, "Caught your attention, hasn't it? Funny, you father was the one who decided to enter into military service yet he never once got a scar on his face. I, on the other hand, went down a more safer path in wine-brewing and so forth."

"Dealing with wine, I'd say that can be a pretty dangerous occupation too." Spoke the young Hylian. A small smile blossomed along his face seeing the kinder side of his uncle emerge. It made him feel a bit more comfortable. Comfortable enough to begin opening up. "I take it there was a drunk involved?"

"Several." Cedar laughed. His eyes cackled as the memory of the old injury returned to the forefront of his mind. "Let me tell ya, hat was one night that I seriously wish I'd closed up early. Then again, it might not have helped much since those bastards would have just followed me home and razed it to the ground instead of my original bar. If you want, I'll tell you the story one day. Maybe we can exchange stories, something tells me you've got quite a few to tell."

A spirited laugh slipped from the blonde's lips. "You're right about that, though I highly doubt you'd believe some of them. They're…well, they're pretty incredible. I would, um…Uncle Cedar, could I…"

Time repeated itself. When he leaped through time to become an adult, he'd retained the mindset of his younger self-a shy and somewhat sheltered youth who'd never been outside of the forest. It made interacting with others as an adult extremely difficult and even embarrassing. In time, he'd gotten better so that by the time he got to Termina he could somewhat casually interact with people. The problem was, at certain times, that skill in interacting flew out the window, often when he needed it the most. From time to time, those he spoke with realized that and took up the slack for him. His uncle was no different.

"You…you're really thinking about sticking around this ole' place?" He asked with genuine surprise in his voice.

"You just bought it little over two weeks ago." Link immediately responded. "That said…it could use some fixing up. I think I can give it a try, see how good I am at something that doesn't involve a sword."

Cedar laughed, his voice resounding through the empty bar. On one hand, it was in better condition than one would have expected, on the other hand, cobwebs laced every corner of the soon-to-be bar. It had after all been empty for going on two years with no one, not even bandits taking up in it. That said, the place hadn't come at a cheap price. Cedar had been looking for a place to set up and shop and this little beauty nestled near the heart of Castle Town had been the perfect place. Naturally, it'd cost him a pretty rupee, near bankrupting him in the process to be honest. Still, he was happy with his decision, especially since it brought him close to the last living family member he had left. Succeed or fail, this meeting alone was worth it all.

By week's end he'd have his first shipment of drinks and food so he could open up for business starting next week. Provided he could get the place fixed up in that amount of time. It seemed he was staring down his first potential worker. "I can't promise you much pay until we get the ball rolling." He warned crossing his arms.

The younger Hylian chuckled. "That's fine. I've worked for free quite a lot, besides, it could count as my way of paying rent for my stay."

The older man threw back his head in hearty laughter. "Lucky for you, I've got a bit of a rule-never charge when it comes to family. At least until they exceed five drinks. Er, speaking of which, Link, I have to ask, have you ever had alcohol before?"

Now, Link had an idea of what it felt like to be interrogated by a parent regarding "adult activities". Something in the blond told him that his uncle really wouldn't be upset if he whole-heartedly answered yes, but then that wouldn't have exactly been a whole truth. While he'd certainly drunken things close to alcohol, he'd never had himself a real drink like what his uncle was asking. Honesty was the best route to go. "No, not really. I have seen its effects though. Not really pretty sometimes."

A heavy sigh left Cedar's lips. Link read the sudden downcast expression on his uncle's face and realized there was a story he was debating telling hm. In his travels, he'd heard tell of how the bottle could drive a wedge between people, turn decent or good-hearted people cruel to the point they might as well transform into a completely different person. Briefly, Link wondered if such a fate had befallen his uncle, or worse, his father. The fear and unease manifested on his face as cold fear suddenly swept through him. This wasn't the type of dread that one associated with combat for that was external. What the Hylian was feeling now as the internal unease that could stay one's hand and cause them to reevaluate everything they'd thought they'd known.

A part of him wanted to ask the question that was building on his lips, but Link didn't want to ruin the moment. Evidently, neither did Cedar as he quickly looked away after a single glance at Link's crumbling face. Clearly the tale wasn't one that he wanted to share with his nephew, not yet at least. Perhaps one day when they were older, when Link himself had settled back into life in Hyrule.

For now, they had more lighter subjects to tend to.

Standing up, he walked over to the bar counter, his right hand running along the dusty-layered wood. "Actually, fixing this up is probably going to take a week and a half if I'm being honest."

Link hopped out of his seat and joined his uncle. "I think I can cut it down to a week. I may be kind of small, but I can do some good work on my own."

The scar-faced man looked to the younger boy for a moment. He was facing him, his blue eyes ablaze as if they were torches. For Cedar, it was almost like staring into a window into the past, a pleasant past that he so eagerly wished he could return to. Slowly but certainly, a chuckle rose in his throat. It fell out of his mouth as a hearty laugh while he reached out and softly patted the head of the confused Hylian. At the very least he wasn't swatting his hand away like he feared he would. "You…look and sound so much like your father." Finally admitted the older man. His smile was one of longing. "Link, you…he'd be proud of you, even if you haven't quite come of age yet."

Hearing that, Link cracked a smile. "I've swung around swords over twice my size before. Can't that be seen as a right of passage from childhood to adulthood?"

"In warrior societies, yes; however, Link, I believe it's time you stopped living like a warrior. Perhaps it's time you started living like a normal boy, you've certainly earned that right." Said the brown-haired man with a gentle smile while removing his hand.

The blond Hylian looked down. "Um, yeah, about that, I…um…I'm not sure I know how to do that."

"Then you can learn." Cedar explained. He could see the uncertainty in his nephew's eyes. Unlike his father, the man Cedar had called his brother, he made little effort to hide it. In that way, he was very much like his mother. "Life's all about learning, Link. The more you live, the more you learn. Now's the time for you to start learning how to just live your life."

Again, it felt like some sort of weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Al…alright, Uncle Cedar. Can we start by fixing this place up?"

"Sure thing." Laughed the brown-haired man. "You told me you're pretty skilled with matters other than a sword, let me see some of 'em."

Five Years Later…

"Gentlemen, if you don't quite down, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

While the laughter and festivities around them continued, the six men at the table came to a complete and total stop as they looked at the person who'd dare to interrupt their fun. He stood at a modest five-foot nine, fairly reasonable for his age. Tied around his waist was an apron with the green logo of the bar with his tunic sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Wrapped around his hand was a dark-green bandanna with wind designs. It stood out in sharp contrast to his golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes, which peered at the lot of them in the same way a wolf sized up its prey before pouncing.

Needless to say, they didn't really like it.

"Hey! Who the hell do ya' think you are, you little shit?!" Barked the redhead with a beard and ponytail. Speaking of red, a thin red strip ran across his face showing that the ale he'd been scuffing down was beginning to work its effects. "We're here havin' a damn good time and ya' can't say shit about it!"

"I don't have a problem with that." Link replied in a cool tone while crossing his arms. The six men continued to glare at him as he merely turned his nose at the lot of them, his voice never rising though perfectly audible amidst the cacophony of the booming bar. "What I do have a problem with is you harassing the barmaids and bartenders."

The bald-headed one grunted in annoyance. "You lot should be happy we stopped by this place and decided to give you all some business. Besides, we're just palling around. No problem with that, is there?"

An eyebrow rose. "There is when it involves groping and attempts at kissing and discussing how you'll pull some of them into a back alley and have your way with them. That type of palling around, sorry, but not in here. You want some ladies to spend the night with, I can point you all to some brothels in town. Some of them real cheap just for you."

Veins appeared on two of them, a brown-haired man and another with dirty blond hair a shade darker than Link's own. Clearly, their minds were muddled by the alcohol they'd ingested as they broke from their seats and made a run at Link. Their movements were so incredibly clumsy that Link couldn't believe they were mercenaries. Then again, he'd seen some really sorry excuses come through the doors of the bar claiming to be top-notched fighters. He caught their fists with minimal effort, their faces displaying shock as they realized their foolhardy assault had been stopped cold. Link easily slid his hands from their knuckles to their wrists.

His actions unfortunately drew attention from onlookers. Practically everyone now had something to point and laugh at. That included his fellow bartenders and the bar maids. He could hear all of their snickering, and cheering.

"You little bastard! Who the hell do you think ya' are, ya runt!" Screeched the third member of the group bolting across the table and coming at Link with a wild haymaker.

THUMP!

"Aaaarggghhh!"

Two of the six were nursing twisted wrists, and the third now had a sore arm. Link wondered if he was right handed, if he was, it was going to be a while before he could do any kind of fighting.

The pony-tailed redhead was looking at him, though not in anger at having taken down two of his men. No, he was now interested. "Not bad, that blow right now, you've seen combat, haven't you, kid?"

He gave his customary shrug. "I've had some experience." Seeing what came next, he stepped back and bowed. "Sorry, but for the moment I'm rather content with my place here. I…don't really have any plans on changing that up."

Rather than get angry or annoyed, the man seemed amused. Link could take that reaction; it was better than some of the others he'd gotten over the years. "I see, well, here, consider looking us up if you ever change your mind." Whoever he was, he possessed some skill as all Link saw was a flick of his wrist. The Hylian held up his hand and caught the flying paper card. Had he been a bit slower, Link knew it would have impaled itself in his throat. Sage green eyes cackled in amusement in seeing his near emotionless response. "Thank you for the service, if it's alright with you. We'll be on our way, but we'd like to come back."

Tucking the card away, the blond put a hand to his hip and gave the mercenary a self-assured smile. "So long as you make sure your boys are on their best behavior, feel free to come again."

Pony-tail collected his companies, including the three injured men. Each and every one of them shot Link a venomous glare as they descended down the stairs and left the bar. In turn, Link gave them a false smile and waved at them.

"Three cheers for Link the Defender!" Went up a voice to his right. The demand was quickly heeded as cheers and applauses broke out causing the Hylian to blush and scratch his head in amusement.

To his left came a clearer sound of clapping, and giggling. "My hero." Declared the black-haired maiden, her almond-colored eyes sparkling with joy. Upon reaching Link, she leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on his neck. It made for the sixth one this week. "You know, you could have taken him up on his offer. He'll be back and probably make it again."

"And I'll probably refuse him. Sayla, you know that I'm pretty happy here where I am. All the noise and rotten smells included." Declared the Hylian leaning against the second-floor railing. "Besides, if I left, who'd be there to help out and keep you all out of trouble."

A fit of laughter seized the woman as she joined him on the railing. She could afford a minute-long break before getting back to work. "Come on, you know we can handle ourselves, besides, you've taught us girls and even the guys a bit about how to handle ourselves. At some point, you're going to have to leave this nest and let us fend for ourselves." A hand rose and fell on his shoulder. With it, Sayla's eyes grew heavy with sadness as she spoke, "Link, you're too good to spend the rest of your life hanging around here. Even your uncle knows that which is why he keeps on pushing you. Speaking of which, it's your turn for break."

"Afraid I'm going to suck up all the attention again?" Replied the blond with a half-smile.

"Sorta, now hurry up and get out of here. Here's hoping those guys don't come back for a while but if they do, we can handle ourselves."

He wanted to stay, but he knew better than to argue with the human woman who'd become the closest thing he had to a sister. Besides, a breath of fresh air didn't sound so bad, not to mention he could use the chance to slip away and clear his head.

As usual, he headed to the town square, a place that was bustling with activity every second of the day. Link enjoyed it, it was a nice contrast to the horrid future that he'd once had to traverse. Seeing the near hundreds of people going about their business was proof that he'd made the right decision, that his actions had had results. It was especially evident when he saw the dozen or so kids racing through the streets.

And it wasn't like the people were blind to him, quite the opposite.

Uncle Cedar had gone above and beyond in fixing him a "rupee bucket" as his friends liked to call it. At first, Link only took it out of kindness for his guardian, but after a while, it became habit. Whenever he went out to play his flute or his ocarina, the bucket went with him. And very rarely did he return either home or to the bar with it empty. In fact, Link truly could scarcely remember a time when his music hadn't netted him at least a single rupee. Then there were days when he needed more than one bucket for all the money he'd gathered.

Naturally, he tried to play it off, but some days his greed got the better of him. His uncle encouraged it, as did hi fellow bar workers. They were the ones he directed most of his earnings toward, only keeping a small amount for himself and his goals.

The sun was out shining high in the sky with only a handful of clouds trudging across the sky in an attempt to block out its radiance. Even then, the blazing hot orb continued to beat down upon Hyrule. Such a beautiful day; Sayla had been right, he had to get at least an hour or so outdoors.

Link was pretty sure he'd been sitting in the sun for more than the fifteen-minutes that was his work break. Uncle Cedar was rather lax though. Again, he could hardly remember a time when his uncle got genuinely upset with him for spending too long away from work. He always looked into his eyes and merely let it go. That was a sign for Link that he'd lucked out in having his last living relative be one that full of understanding. So understand that he was even willing to believe some of the more outlandish adventures he'd had, including the tale of how he traveled through time to save Hyrule from dystopian rule under a power-mad Gerudo warlord. Albeit, that one had taken several days for Cedar to fully accept, and even then he stilled seemed to be trying to wrap his mind around it. That said, it made his accepting of his adventures in Termina easier to swallow.

The far-off land was the subject of his current song. Half a decade, yet the memories of his journey across the supposedly cursed realm remained. They were memories of sorrow, but also memories of joy. Eventually, the joy beat out over the sorrow. He saved the land and lived to see the sunrise on a brand new day. That sunrise had given him hope, it had saved him almost. If not for it, he wouldn't be sitting here, enjoying his life of peace and leisure.

Tatl, Tael, Skull Kid, and lastly…Navi. Mentally mused the young man as he hit the last notes of his song. I'm doing my best; I'm living life like you all told me too. I've got friends, a family, and I've got…well, I've kind of got a goal. Here's hoping I'm a step closer to it.

His song ended, but with its ending came the beginning of something new.

"That was a wonderful piece." Came a sudden voice snapping him out of his thoughts.

Following a quick blink, he looked up and realized he'd gained an audience of one. A tall figure clad in a dark cloak that obscured all of their features. Link felt no hostility from them so he decided to take a chance and let his guard down. "Well, thank you. It's one my favorites as well."

"Might I ask the name?" Based on the voice, Link was leaning towards the stranger being female.

He paused, as if contemplating how much he should give away. "It's called 'The Fourth Day'. It's…it's based on a very special and cherished memory of mine."

"I see," she said moving her hand over to the rupee bucket. "Then I thank you for allowing me to hear it."

Link's mouth opened for a different reason then to respond. It dropped in seeing the literal rain of rupees that fell from her hand into bucket. His heart practically skipped a beat as he saw the dozens of red and blue gemstones slid into the container. From a single glance Link knew that he had enough that if he wanted to he could go down to the armory and buy a silver-grade weapon or the jewelry store and pick even the higher-middle priced items. He'd had good pay before, but this was something entirely new. As he regained himself, he stopped and looked up at the stranger. Something in his gut was tingling.

His eyes caught a brief sight below the hood.

Crimson red.

N-No way, it can't be.

"Help!"

His attention was caught by the voice, his head snapping to the side to find the source. From the clothing he recognized her to be a noblewoman, which meant that the person doing his best to shuffle through the now startled crowd was a thief. At least he wasn't wearing a hoodie like the woman before him. He looked ordinary, average hand, a shaved face and dark brown hair. As he looked around, his green eyes caught Link's. In that instant, he knew he'd been caught and did the only thing a person in his position could do-he ran.

Without a second thought, Link gave chase.

Of course, no tried to stop the thief, they just parted ways for him and Link. He looked back at the downed woman, who was at least being helped up from her knees. "I'll get it back!" Shouted the Hylian picking up the pace and quickly catching up to the thief as he entered a nearby alleyway. "Give it up, you're not getting away!"

"Shut your trap!" Shouted the older man, his right arm flashing.

Dodging the dagger was near child's play. As it flew past him he kept on going, his eyes narrowed and focused. Evidently, it was a shock to the thief as he hadn't been expecting his pursuer to be so agile. It cost him as the air was knocked out of his lungs thanks to the straight jab Link drove into his gut. While his arm was pulled back, Link sunk low and swung his right leg out, hitting the man's own thus knocking him down. The stolen wallet clattered out of his hand and rolled off to the side. Like a predator, Link brought his foot down atop the man's chest, further knocking the air out of him and making it harder for him to breath.

The game was over as soon as it had began. "You know, you could have found a better use of your time. Don't worry though, you'll have all quite a bit of it where you're going."

Enraged green eyes looked up into Link's own blue. The teen felt a chill rush up his spine, a familiar feeling that caused him to hastily move his foot back. Just briefly, his eyes caught a dark-violet streak moving across his leg. He fell back, getting his arms up in a fighting stance while the thief rose. Blood was trickling down his left lip.

"You should have just stuck to playing music, kid." He spat.

He was ready to act, but his body decided to drop a surprise on him. His right leg lit up with searing pain that caused him to visibly grimace. Briefly tearing his eyes away from his opponent, he looked down at his leg. The cut had been shallow, but it'd been enough. And the blade he'd been cut with was poisoned. Dammit it all! I let my guard down! It'd been weeks, no, months, no, close to a year since he'd been in an actual fight, and he'd been slacking off during his training. This was the cost of that.

The thief flashed him a cruel smile. "Shame you didn't bring your little money bucket. Then again, I'll just loot what I can off of your corpse!" He rushed in, murder gleaming in his eyes.

Link wasn't helpless, not yet at least. In spite of the paralyzing venom running through him, he still had some motion in his body. Seeing the openly frontal charge, he could think of several ways to take the thief down. After making his decision, he decided on one and braced himself.

A shadow rushed past him, fast as lightning but hitting with the force of thunder.

The shadow's punch was stronger than his, and its movements were faster. A hurricane of blows that knocked loose teeth and broke bones. As with the wallet, the Vein Dagger tumbled from his hands onto the ground. One look and it was clear that the pickpocket wasn't going to be getting up without any help.

Speaking help, he owed a thank you to the unknown figure. The words beat on his lips, but died before they can be spoken as the hood came off the figure. Link could feel his heartbeat come to a complete stop, his eyes widening and the paralyzing pain in his legs out and out vanishing. Everything around him, every thought he'd had prior, all of it was dismissed as he stared at the snow-white hair clipped back in a short ponytail. It sharply contrasted, no, highlighted, the beautiful tanned skin. Turning around to face him, air rushed through his parted lips as he stared back at the eyes, as ruby-red as he remembered them to be. As ruby red as he'd always dreamed of them.

"Im…Im…Impa," Whispered the Hylian.

That's where I'll stop for a first chapter. Bit of shorter than I would have liked, but I feel like Link's reaction will make for a good cliffhanger. This story is going to be a sorta sequel to OoT and MM with some fill-in-the blank regarding Link's family and other details, something I rather like doing. By this point I think it's pretty clear who and what the main couple is going to be, and the story is going to be how the two halves come together to join into one.