Disclaimer: No own Legend of Zelda. Thats life.

AN:
"..." - Talking
'...' - Thinking
**** - flash back

PROLOGUE

*****
"Please take it..." The boy whispered. His blond forelocks hiding his eyes from the Sheikah woman.

Impa frowned at the boy who appeared only ten years old and the small, blue ocarina he held out to her. "Link, the sages, Zelda and I all agree that the Ocarina of Time is yours." She said as gently as a Sheikah could.

"I never said I wanted it. I am tired of this Ocarina, I am tired of seeing it every day... I am tired of having to always think about it." Link responded coldly. The resolve in his voice hurt Impa, though she hid it better then any of the other sages could have. Darunia would be distraught if he heard his sworn brother say he didn't want to think of Hyrule or the Fire Sage again. It wouldn't have been easy for Saria either. The pain would be felt by all of the sages and she knew it.

"Link, you left without a word before... Don't do that again..."

"I am telling you I am leaving this time, and thats only because I have to make sure the Ocarina is safe... I love Saria, Darunia and all of the others but I can't stay. Impa you know this... Please just take it and let me go."

Impa knelt to look the boy in the eye as she took the treasure from his young hands. "I will do this Link, but you are the Hero of Time and a Knight of Hyrule, no matter what. Should we call you to help you must come to our aid. It is your duty and the only way I will take this burden from you is if you swear that you will aid us when called to duty." She said firmly, her Sheikan red eyes locked on his cerulean eyes.

"You know I would..." He whispered. "The others won't understand..." He added, silently pleading that she give them his apologies.

"Thats why you contacted me out of all of them. Don't worry, I will take care of them." She replied, standing up slowly. She watched him climb onto Epona and start to ride away, quickly disappearing from sight.

****

Link trudged through southern Calatia, leading Epona through the wholly depressing terrain. Southern Calatia had been destroyed almost completely by war a few short years earlier and while it was showing signs of healing after the wars, quite a bit of it was just like this place. Ruins, or rather skeletons, of villages and cities. He had enough food to last him until he found another town, and the LonLon milk he had left could keep him going for awhile but the feel of this place seemed oppressive. Walking through it one could see the scars of the war, could almost feel the pain of the people, and hear their screams...

'I do hear a scream.' Link realized with a start. He started towards the wails, clearly an infants. 'Thats what happens when you don't speak to anyone for weeks, you can't tell the difference between an imagined voice and a real one...'

Jogging through the ruins of an old city that was slowly being over taken by nature, Epona behind him, he stumbled into a small ruined building, a screaming baby placed in the corner, wrapped in a ragged blanket.

Link crept towards the baby, kneeling next to it. It couldn't have been more then a year old by the look of it but it certainly wasn't newborn. Its wails continued as he lifted it, unslinging his pack and pulling out the milk.

The wails stopped as it drank hungrily, more milk spilling then being given to the small baby. Pulling the milk away to give the baby, he smiled as the baby kicked in frusteration at not having the milk anymore, kicking away the blanket, making it obvious the baby was a she. Link quickly wrapped the blanket around her again. He silently wondered where her parents were, knowing she would be dead if she was orphaned in the war. 'Must have been abandoned. He couldn't help but smirk as the baby gurgled a laugh at him, reaching a chubby arm towards the milk.

"All right, all right... I'll feed you don't worry..." He promised softly.




Author's note: Well, I've wanted to do a Legend of Zelda fic for awhile. Now, this fic does have a created character but she is not paired with Link. She never will be paired with Link. As a matter of fact I refuse to pair Link up with anyone. Especially Zelda because the idea just never settled well with me. As a matter of fact, I was especially turned off to that idea when a Zelda/Link fan called me a whore for saying I liked Malon better then Zelda. I've noticed this a lot actually, that Z/L fans are childish, and self righteous. I've never seen a L/M fan damn someone to hell for saying they like L/Z better but the other way around? Seen it many times. I think it seems obvious now that I prefer L/M fics but I've also made it clear that I am revolted by the way romance fics- stories which are about *LOVE* of all things- are being used as an excuse to practically have a holy war.

However, this generalization DOES NOT apply to all authors.

But for the most part this is sadly true.

In short, I refuse to write a romance fic about Link and anyone.