Chapter II: Memories

Link walked by the guard at the gate and gave a small nod. He ignored the buildings and walked into the center of Hyrule Castle Market.

It was just like he remembered. The same bustle of activity, same happy Hylians. There were also a couple travelers, Zoras, Gorons, and Gerudos, all here to help write the story of the Hero of Time. Link vaguely wondered how correct they would be. But for now, he walked for the castle, since that seemed to be where everyone was going.

Two Gerudos saw Link and their faces paled in awe. Link just nodded back. The Gerudos ran forward to the other Gerudos, and Link heard hushed, excited tones. By the time they reached the castle gate, all the Gerudos had their eyes locked on Link. It was making him uneasy.

Three guards stood at the gate. A long list was with them. Silently, they all filed into a line, and checked in with the guards, who apparently had everyone's name on the list. Most of the Gerudos were in front of or behind Link. He wished they would stop staring at him.

As it became Link's turn, he started to point towards his name, when the guard said, "You're Link, right?"

Slightly surprised, Link nodded.

"The messenger remembers you. You're the only one who didn't talk. Continue on."

Link walked through the gate and up the path. He remembered how as a kid he had snuck past the guards. It had been too easy. Nevertheless, it felt good to be welcomed as a guest then a sneak.

Link walked into the great hall. He had never been here. It was long, with about seventeen doors. A guard stood directing them to a certain door. Inside that door was another hallway, which led to several to rooms, one for each of them. Link took one off the left side.

It was a decent sized room, with a table, bed, shelves, and fireplace. Link set all his equipment except his sword and shield on the shelves, then left his room to find where they were going to write his story.

It was in a hallway on the other side of the great hall. Many of the guests had already gathered here, around eight scribes. The Gerudos spotted Link and moved away to give him room. Link moved closer in, and he felt their stares through the back of their head. So he looked over what was written.

They had started from the beginning of their tale, where he had met Zelda. However, he had come to Zelda to acquire the Ocarina of Time, and was already an adult. Link wanted to thrust his sword through the book. That wasn't even where his journey began!

Link tapped on the table. The Gorons who had been talking fell silent. Everyone was watching him, since they all knew that this traveler wouldn't speak. Link took a quill and scratched out the word adult and white robe. Then he wrote over them child and white tunic. He also added that there was a fairy accompanying the boy.

The scribes looked at Link in awe. "Strange," the scribe muttered. "That's almost how Princess Zelda described it, except it was a different color tunic."

"What color did she say it was?" a Zora asked. Everyone seemed to be staring at either Link or the scribes.

"I don't rightly remember," the scribe answered.

The newly revised paragraph said:

The Princess stood in the courtyard, when there was a flash of light, and an adult child stood before her in a white robe tunic. The great warrior silently held out a white ocarina. There was a fairy accompanying the boy.

The scribe then announced, "Now, this is only a test. Each person will need to produce an account of their own. It can be turned in here until the end of the week. The following week, the story will be written. So off you go."

The guests wandered off to their rooms. The Gerudos watched Link every step until he closed his door. Link sat down at his table, a quill and a lot of parchment deposited there. He picked up the quill, and tried to write. He couldn't get started.

After about nine times, Link moved away from the table. He couldn't write.

How am I supposed to write about this? Link wondered to himself. If only I could just make it appear…wait, I could do that…yes, there's no reason not to, my name's not in it…yes, why not?

Link moved over to his equipment. He picked up a small, old, green book. Link flipped it open gently, and read. It was Link diary, one he had started when he had left the forest. He had bought it in the market, and had written his story from when he had met Navi. Then he had met Princess Zelda the next day. It contained his full account of travels, battles, and sightings of his journey.

Link smiled to himself. He had his account.

Link left Hyrule Castle and went down to the market. He had been running low on bombs, since he was always making rocks go flying into the air (set a bomb next to one of the Shiekah rocks in OoT and watch). He went into the bazaar and replenished his stock. Then Link went back outside. He felt an urge to return to the Temple of Time and take the Master Sword, but Link squashed that thought. Instead he wandered into the shooting gallery.

Inside there were several of the travelers. Each was taking turns trying to hit a bull's-eye 100 paces away. Some of them spotted Link.

One of the Gorons said, "Hey, it's that guy who went against all our word! How about you try?"

Apparently, the others didn't think that Link had any thing to prove his side. But Link was here to shoot his bow, which he had brought along. He didn't want trouble.

"How 'bout it?" the attendant asked. Link nodded and paid him twenty rupees. "How many paces do you want it?"

"Make it 120!" some of the other castle guests shouted.

"120 then?" the attendant asked. Link made a gesture to scoot it farther back.

"130?"

Farther.

"140?"

Farther.

"150?"

Farther.

"200?"

Link nodded. The attendant, slightly thinking Link was nuts, did as he was asked. The other guests watched silently, thinking Link was about to disprove himself.

Link set an arrow to his bow, but didn't raise it. Instead he stared down his target. Everyone silently watched Link, just standing there with his bow pointed downward.

Then Link flicked his bow up and released. It caught everyone by surprise.

Thud. The arrowhead hit straight in the center of the target. It was silent. Then some of the townspeople cheered. The Gorons and Zoras that were there joined them, but the Hylian guests that were there didn't.

Instead, of them challenged, "Can you do it again?"

Without even looking, Link nocked an arrow and shot. It pierced his other arrow right down the middle.

By now even the Hylian guests joined in the clapping a little, but were still grumpy. Link was awarded a hundred rupee prize, and he left the shooting gallery. The other castle guests joined him on the way to the castle.

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" one of the Zoras asked. Link pointed to himself. The Zora grinned.

"By the way," one of the Hylians started, "Where did you come up with the idea that the Hero of Time used to be child in a white tunic?"

Link gave him a wink, stating that he would know soon enough. The rest of the guests pestered him to know, but Link simply refused. As they approached their rooms, they all tried to get some sleep, as the sun began to set. Link tossed and turned in his bed for an hour, before deciding that there would be no sleep. He contented himself by playing the fairy ocarina for a while, next he decided to explore the castle. He got his bow, hookshot, and ocarina, and left his room.

As Link approached the great hall, he counted eight guards in it. Link quietly nocked his bow, and shot a Light Arrow towards one of the corners. It produced a light aura which gently radiated. The guards gathered round it. Link snuck behind them. He smirked when he saw one of the guards knocked down by the aura. He hadn't been good lately.

Link found himself in the scribe's writing room. He climbed out the window here, and used his hookshot to safely reach the ground. He hovered above a bush a while before dropping down. Link loved to wear his hover boots. He walked across the grass, staying low to avoid guards. He shot another Light Arrow away; it caught the guards' attention. They laughed as the aura knocked two guards off their feet. Link ran silently past them.

He approached a stone corridor. It was then Link realized where he was; the courtyard. Link looked cautiously around the corner.

Princess Zelda stood in the middle of the flowers, looking skyward. She was praying.

Link's mouth hung slightly open. She was a vision to him. Link closed his mouth abruptly. She looked so beautiful he could've stayed there forever. Quietly, he listened to her.

"Please," Zelda prayed to the Goddesses, "Give me some sign that the Hero of Time lives."

Link felt his heart melt. She hadn't forgotten him! She wanted to know if he was alive! Link pulled his head back and lay against the wall. Then he had an idea. He used his hookshot to reach the roof over the corridor. He crawled over the roof and looked down. Zelda had looked downward and was thinking to herself. Silently, Link shot a Light Arrow, after that he hid.

Zelda's face showed surprise at the arrow that landed at her feet. It produced a light aura. Zelda knew what type of arrow it was. She looked up at the roof. She didn't see anything. As Zelda was looking around, Link softly played the Song of Time. When he finished, he looked down at her. She was looking upward, but away from him. She looked much happier, and Link caught her mouth, "Thank you Goddesses."

Link slid down off the roof. He sneaked back to his room, and lay down on his bed. He drifted softly off to sleep, and dreamed of happier times.