Emerging from the hole with an enthusiastic leap, Link smiled at Epona, who had been pacing back and forth.

"Hey girl!" He said.

Epona stopped pacing and her head flew up to gaze upon her partner. She walked swiftly to him and nuzzled her nose against him. Link laughed and hugged her in return.

"I don't know what I would have done without you, girl." He said and looked at her. "You saved my life." He leaned down and kissed her snout and smiled. "Come on, let's go to Death Mountain."

Epona agreed by letting Link climb onto her back and the two were off. They galloped merrily around the castle and across the field, heading to the large cliff face along the eastern side of Hyrule Field. Epona slowed as they approached the small river that fed into the moat around Hyrule Castle Town and carefully crossed the small stone bridge. Galloping over to the large stairway that was cut into the cliff, Link leaned over to look her in the eye.

"Can you make it up the stairs? Or am I on my own?"

Epona didn't respond and Link dismounted.

"It's okay, I understand. You can just have fun out here in the field. I'll be back soon." He smiled and waved goodbye to his faithful friend as he ran up the long stairway heading to Karakiko Village.

Link entered the village and smiled. It had been a long time since he had been in the peaceful and busy place. The young Hylian walked casually through the people, taking in all of the sights. The merchants were advertising their wears, the cuccos were clucking happily in their pen and the carpenters were shouting at one another while carrying tools and wood around the center of town. Link wondered what that building would become now that Hyrule Castle Town would not be evacuated. Staring at the half constructed building and walking at the same time proved to be a bad idea. Not paying attention to where he was going, Link suddenly slammed into something soft and solid. He turned quickly and gazed straight into dark red eyes. Backing up, Link realized those eyes belonged to a young blond boy. In his surprise, Link backed right over a cuccos and landed hard on his rear. The boy chuckled and knelt next to the young hero.

"You okay?" He asked.

Link shook off the shock of the fall and nodded. "Yeah, I think so." He stood up and brushed himself off. "I'm sorry for running into you." Link apologized.

The boy waved it off and stood. "Eh, it's okay."

Link smiled and finally let himself look over the boy. He looked to be about his age and his hair fell in soft spikes around his face. He was thin – though not unhealthily so – and much shorter than Link himself. Link felt that his appearance was strangely familiar, though he couldn't place the face.

"So," The boy said, throwing Link out of his wonderings, "Are you new in town?"

Link smiled personably and shook his head. "No, I'm just passing through."

The boy eyed Link for several minutes and raised an eye brow. "Passing through?" He asked suspiciously and started to look behind Link.

Link, confused, turned around to look behind him. When he saw nothing there, he turned back. "What are you looking for?"

"Your parents." The boy answered. He turned back to Link and smirked. "Because I know you can't be here by yourself."

Link chuckled. "Actually, I don't have any parents."

The boys face fell and he gazed at Link as someone would gaze at a wounded puppy. "Oh…" He muttered. "I…I'm sorry."

Link shook his head. "No, don't be. I'm fine."

The boy looked unsure. "I…I just didn't want to…well, I'm sorry if I insulted you is all."

Link smiled. "No, you didn't. It's okay."

The boy shuffled his feet and looked anywhere but at Link.

"You want to know why I don't have parents, don't you?" Link asked with a smirk.

The boy nodded. Link sighed.

"Well, it's kind of a long story…" Link explained how his father was killed and his mother was wounded. He told the boy how his mother left him with the Great Deku Tree for safe keeping and how he was raised in the forest.

The boy stood with wide eyes the whole time, hardly even blinking, until Link finished.

"…and I've been there ever since." He smiled.

The boy blinked and smiled. "Really? Wow! That's so cool!"

Link chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I like it.

Just then, a very large woman exited from the house that Link remembered being the House of the Skulltula's.

Hmm, the curse must have disappeared along with Ganondorf…Link thought.

The woman looked around and finally locked eyes with the two boys. She opened her mouth and shouted,

"Sheik! Hurry up and get that water!"

Link's jaw hit the floor an he stared at the woman.

Did she just say…

The boy turned to Link with an annoyed look on his face and sighed. "Sorry, I have to go." He waved and turned, running to the well. He stopped midway and turned back. "Hey, maybe we can hang out later today!" He said before turning back to the well.

Link felt faint. He blinked several times and dug his fingers into his ears to make sure they were working properly. When he found no problem with his ears, he reached down and pinched his thigh as hard as he could. When a throbbing pain spread through his leg, he knew he must be awake. He watched the boy struggle with a large bucket, spilling water as he went, as he approached the house where the woman had shouted. Link opened and closed his mouth several times as he watched the small blond disappear behind the door.

"Was that really…Sheik?"