Here we go again. Hyrule Field is going to be a lot bigger and filled with more stuff, because I feel that that was one of Ocarina of Time's biggest failings. For a sense of scale, it now takes two days to walk across Hyrule Field, as opposed to six hours[ish] of in-game time. Why? Because it's an entire country, and an entire country does not take six hours to walk across!

RRRP:

ChangelingRin, who I actually didn't ask to review this time: If you don't know Heavy, just watch the Meet the Heavy video. That's a good baseline. But yeah, Ivan's voice is just this deep baritone that is super juxtaposed with the fact that he's a fairy. And yes, Link can lose he Stalfos Shield, by which I mean he can't use it if he's out of dark magic.

Rl2: Thanks! And shields aren't the only thing that can do… just you wait.

DISCLAIMER: If I owned The Legend Of Zelda, the games would be much darker and edgier, like Majora's Mask if it was on the Nintendo Switch. Because that doesn't exist, I don't own the Legend of Zelda.

Chapter II: A Hero's Regrets

The great owl Kaepora Gaebora has just crossed the horizon as Link trudged along Hyrule Field. The Eye of Din stared down at him, causing sweat to cascade down his body in a futile effort to keep the boy cool. It was two weeks or so until the Summer Solstice, so hot temperatures were to be expected. He was just about to pass through the frontier village of Southington when he suddenly had an epiphany.

Sheik taught me the Prelude of Light for when I needed to get to the Temple of Time with all haste, Link thought. Surely, now qualifies as such a time?

While still walking, Link pulled out his Fairy Ocarina, prompting Ivan to give him a weird look. He pressed the ocarina to his lips instinctually, recalling the many times he had warped to the ancient temple…

Strange. For the life of him, he couldn't remember a single note in the tune. It was almost like the song had been wiped from his brain entirely. Worried, he racked his mind for the other teleportation songs, only to realize that he knew none of them. He frantically struggled to remember any songs of power at all, but to no avail.

"Leetle man seems stressed. What is it?" Ivan pondered.

"It's nothing," Link assured, sounding very unsure. "Right now, my top priority is to get to the Castle."

"It's a good idea," Ivan affirmed. "And in case you were wondering, the Printsessa's name is Zelda. So you will refer to her as Printsessa Zelda, as this is the proper way to address one of her station. To refer to her with her first name alone would be considered impolite. Understand?"

"How do you know that? You haven't left my side!" Link questioned.

"Ivan has lots of sources," the fairy replied cryptically. "Other fairies know many things, and interfairy communications are very fast."

The boy shook his head dismissively, without a hint of malice, as he finally entered the tiny village. If he recalled correctly, the people who lived here were mostly simple farmers, with a few merchants here and there. There was nothing for him here. Spending time here would be a waste, so the ex-Kokiri continued on, gaining strange looks from the townspeople, who only saw a little boy stalking through their quaint town and out the other way.

"Ivan knows we need to be moving with much haste, but Link needs rest. The next town is just over the horizon. Once we get there, you should check into an inn and sleep for the night before continuing on," Ivan persuaded.

"Bringing the Kokiri Emerald to the Princess is more important than my well-being," Link replied. He refused to say anything more for a few minutes before finally adding "Besides, I'm almost out of Rupees. I only have… what? Fifty? Some of which I need for food and drink."

"If leetle man insists, then we will stop in the next town at an inn just for a meal, then continue. Is that prompt enough for you?"

"That works," Link accepted, if a bit grudgingly.

!0*0!

Evening turned to dusk, and Link resisted the powerful urge to lean back against a tree and take a nap for about twelve hours. He had tried that once before, on his very first expedition into Hyrule Field. He had been punished for relaxing when a Stalchild nearly ripped his face off. Navi had never let him live that down.

He had managed to slake his thirst in the last town, only for some adult to notice his Stalfos hand and chase him out of the village with the aid of a terrified mob wielding pitchforks and lit torches. Link had made a mental note to buy a pair of gloves in the next town before anyone else could notice his bony limb.

Speaking of his Stalfos hand, all of the muscle had been separated from the hand, leaving behind a comparatively pristine bone arm. The corruption extended all the way to his forearm, where the bone abruptly transformed into tanned skin at about halfway between his elbow and shoulder. It functioned the same as his hand did in human form, but holding things in it felt… wrong. Link attributed this to the fact that like the rest of existence, his body had been mirrored as well, making him right-handed. This made sense, given that it felt just as right to hold the Kokiri Sword in his right hand as it used to in his left. Not to mention the fact that it could barely lift anything even as light as a Deku Shield.

Din's Eye finally sank below the horizon as Link crested a tall hill. From prior experience, he knew that if it was broad daylight, he would just be able to see Hyrule Castle Town off in the distance. Judging by that, he estimated that he was twelve miles from the gates. Hell, he was making good time; it had taken him more than three days to make it to Hyrule Castle Town on his first run. Maybe he's make it in two.

Suddenly, he heard a groaning noise behind him as well as feel the shifting of dirt below him. He'd been hoping to elude the Stalchildren this time, but apparently, his luck wasn't very good right now. Link increased his pace, thinking that perhaps he could simply outrun the skeletal beings. Unfortunately, the boy only managed to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire, as a pack of Tektites assaulted him the instant he managed to lose the skeletons. Fortunately, the spider-like creatures were easy enough to deal with, and Link even managed to avoid drenching his tunic in the monsters' blood.

At this point, Link was actively fighting the overwhelming desire to keel over and sleep. If only there was some way to prevent himself from slumbering.

"Leetle man needs rest," Ivan deduced. "Feel free to relax, Ivan will keep watch."

"Fine," Link gave in, stumbling drunkenly over to a nearby tree, and sat down heavily against it, eyes going dull as they closed somewhat. "Wake me up in an hou…"

The little boy started snoring, trailing off before he could finish his thought. He slept with his eyes open, so he watched as his partner stared at him for a few minutes, an odd expression of shock and muted horror evident on his features. The fairy approached slowly, waving his ethereal hands in front of Link's face. When he got no reaction, Ivan opted to settle on top of Link's head, keeping watch over the slumbering child.

!0*0!

He was surrounded by an ocean of people. People he recognized from his efforts to save Hyrule from Ganondorf's evil clutches. Zelda stood right at their front, as they all stared at him. Link found it uncomfortable.

Water pooled at his feet. Since when was there water?

The liquid rose and rose, consuming the mass of humanity congregating in front of him. They started screaming, bubbles pouring from their agape mouths, shrill screeches of torment and suffering echoing from underneath the waves as water filled their lungs, asphyxiating them all. They begged for someone, anyone, to free them from their torment.

Link moved to save them, to do anything, only to find that his feet were glued to the floor.. He could only watch in horror and torment as everyone stopped twitching and died.

Except Zelda.

She merely continued to stare at Link, unmoving. Her eyes bored into his accusingly, like all the eyes of the dead. It was almost like she was one with them, and Link realized with a startling amount of clarity that she was the one that had locked him in place, indirectly allowing the water to snuff out so many innocent lives. She had forced him to watch.

Why? She asked, sounding disgusted. Why did you abandon them? Link, you're supposed to save people, not doom them.

I couldn't do anything. You were the one that kept me from them, Link tried to argue.

The Goddesses must have made a mistake, she decided. You're no Hero. You're pathetic. Useless. Now go, you worthless excuse of a savior. Go and burn in hell with Ganondorf.

The only thing worse than being hated was being forgotten.

Darkness consumed his vision, and he remembered no more.

!0*0!

The youth awoke in a cold sweat, groggy from his slumber. The moon was setting in the east, the sun tinting the western horizon with indigo and vermillion despite not being above said horizon just yet.

"Ivan! Why did you let me sleep so late?" Link asked angrily.

"What? What's wrong?" Ivan stammered, evidently confused by Link's outburst.

"It's almost daybreak! We could have been halfway to Castle Town by now!"

"The Great Deku Tree informed Ivan that you need nine to eleven hours of sleep per day. Given the circumstances, Ivan thinks we can narrow that down to eight to ten, but no more. That, coupled with your tendency to sleep in -"

Link scoffed.

"- makes Ivan think you need much more sleep than you get. So Ivan let you sleep as long as possible. No harm done, see?"

"Well, Ivan, I can take care of myself perfectly well," Link drawled. "You're almost as bad as Navi…"

"What was that last bit?"

"Nothing, Ivan. Nothing."

Whacking a nearby Gossip Stone with his sword revealed the time to be 5:22 AM. After ripping a tuber out of the ground and cleaning it as best he could before devouring it, Link continued his trek towards Castle Town. Thankfully, only a few wild Keese interrupted his travels before daybreak hit, revealing the sky to be mostly blue with a few scattered clouds. By three o'clock, the future/former Hero was only a kilometer from Lon Lon Ranch, which was only a few kilometers from Castle Town. He stopped for a bit to gnaw at a stale loaf of bread he had purchased for cheap in the last town, although he was still in desperate need of a pair of gloves. Navi would have known what to do.

The child trudged on, now so close to Castle Town that he could just see the terracotta roofs of the buildings beyond the great stone walls. Night would be coming soon.

Mustering the last of his strength, Link threw himself into an all-out sprint, desperate to make it inside the castle before nightfall. The quicker he got to Zelda, the better.

Link dashed onto the bridge just as it started ascending. Suddenly, he got the inexplicable urge to see the world from a higher perspective. He couldn't fathom why. By this time, the bridge was halfway from being completely closed. Making a decision, Link turned around and scrambled back to the top of the rising bridge, making it to the top as it finally ascended to its highest position.

The view Link was rewarded with was stunning.

For miles and miles, the boy could see the glinting light of candles from Lon Lon Ranch and the other towns. It was beautiful. This was what he'd been sent back to save. These were the people he'd give his life to protect.

And let him be damned if he fails in that mission.

Link turned and noticed three Red Rupees stuck haphazardly onto the wall. Figuring nobody would realize their absence, Link reached out and grabbed all three of them before dropping off the bridge and into the castle.

He was astonished by the sheer amount of noise that filled the castle town. The last time he was here at night, the place was abandoned. But now, there were so many Hylians stuffed into the main square, of all shapes and sizes, some of them lugging around massive wooden beams that looked like they weighed as much as Link had when he was the Hero of Time, if not more.

The city was congested with people, and Link desired space to breathe and clear his head. So he attempted to ford through the masses of people until he approached the fountain, where there were considerably less people around. To think that he was more terrified here than fighting Gohma!

The funniest part was that it was true.

He bumped into someone as he backed away from a perfectly white dog that had suddenly taken an interest in him. As he turned to apologize, he instantly recognized the person's creamy white dress, flowing red hair, and odd face-shaped pin by her neck as none other than Malon. Link instantly relaxed, having known the ranch girl in the other timeline as a sweet, independent young woman.

"Hey, your clothes! They're…" the girl said, putting a finger to her lips in order to find the right word. "... unique. You're not from around here, are you?"

"As a matter of fact, I'm not. You see, I-" Link started.

"Oh! You're a fairy boy from the forest! My name is Malon! My dad owns Lon Lon Ranch! What's your name?"

Oh, right. Link had forgotten that she could talk ten kilometers a minute.

"Well, Malon, my name is Link. It's really nice to meet you," the boy replied. "Can I ask why it's so… busy?"

"They're preparing for Summer's Day, Link!" Malon explained enthusiastically. "It's a day where everyone thanks the Goddesses for a good planting season and prays for a good harvest next fall! It's really cool! My daddy went up to the castle to deliver some milk for the festival, but he hasn't returned yet…"

She suddenly adopted an expression bordering sadness, staring off at the massive silhouette of the castle. Hell, her moods swung quickly.

"Well, I was going to the castle anyway to see the Princess. If you want, I can go wake him- I mean, look for him," Link offered.

"Thank you so much!" the ranch girl exclaimed. "If you'll look for him, I'll give this to you. I've been incubating this egg very carefully… Tee hee!"

Then she proceeded to pull a Cucco egg out of hammerspace and hand it to Link, who took it from Malon and gingerly set it in his pouch, hoping beyond hope that it wouldn't crack open.

"No problem!" Link assured, grinning as he turned and walked towards the castle. He passed off the odd warmth he was feeling as exhaustion.

!0*0!

Link proceeded to tune out the words spewing forth form Kaepora Gaebora's beak. Something about the passage of time? Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't important.

"Do you want to hear what I said again?" The owl suddenly inquired.

"N-no, thank you. I've got it," Link answered, jolted out of his stupor.

"You're a smart kid. You'll get the hang of it," the great bird hooted before turning and flying off into the distance.

Din's Eye dipped under the horizon as Link punched the tree the owl was formerly perched on and killing the Golden Skulltula that fell from its branches. Once that was done, Link turned and clambered up a vine that led to the top part of the valley. Ivan ducked out of sight, to avoid being a beacon for the guards that would give Link away.

His worn boots made no sound as he crawled towards the stone bridge, trying to stay as low to the earth as possible. Interestingly, the guards seemed far more alert than he remembered them being, slowing Link's progress. Perhaps it was simply the fact that they weren't wearing their signature vision-impairing helmets.

Worse, they weren't just standing still and staring in one direction. Some of them were turning in place and others were straight up marching around the courtyard that led to the castle. The twenty four - seven guard would be an issue, certainly, but it probably wouldn't be anything Link couldn't handle.

He was about to climb down a ladder into the bridge when he suddenly spotted a guard sitting inside of the small cubicle. Deeming it the better option, Link instead leapt off the bridge onto the other side, rolling to avoid making too much noise. However, he instantly had to dart into a dead end, which was heavily shaded, to avoid a patrol of knights. As soon as the platoon had passed, Link dashed towards the castle, sure to avoid drawing the attention of the two guards stationed in the pass as he scaled a steep slope.

He nearly gasped in shock as he noticed that he had almost bowled over a guard standing right at the peak of the hill. Link was only a few feet from him, body thankfully obscured by the darkness, and he knew that moving would give away his position.

Needless to say, he was totally screwed.

Link wasn't sure quite how long he spent lying there, silently. It must have been at least three agonizing hours, and he was starting to gain the sudden drive to fall asleep and start snoring. Nevertheless, Link stayed awake as the moon drifted across the vast expanse of the sky.

As the moon moved, the shadows shifted, slowly making Link more and more exposed. Thankfully, the guard somehow hadn't noticed his presence. Perhaps if he slowly maneuvered towards his left, he'd be able to slip past the guard and forwards towards the Princess.

But just as he was about to execute his plan, a cucco crowed deafeningly loudly. The ear splitting noise caused Link to jump, losing his grip and sliding halfway down the side of the hill. Wasn't the cucco supposed to hatch in the morning? Why had it hatched now, at the stroke of midnight?

Whatever the reason, it had happened, and the guard took notice, finally looking down into Link's azure orbs.

"What the hell? It's some kid! How long have you been there?" the man demanded.

Link didn't dare to answer, mortified.

"Whatever. Come on, kid. Your parents must be worried sick! Get out of here!"

He proceeded to snatch the child up by the scruff of his neck and throw him back in front of the gate. Dejected, Link wandered back to the vine, hid by it for a few minutes, and then climbed back up to try again. Moving faster now, he leapt off of the parapet without making a sound before attempting to scale the hill again. The guard from before was still there, unfortunately.

"Ivan?" Link whispered.

"Da?" Ivan replied almost silently.

"Could you Mind Hack that guard?" Link asked.

"But he's just doing his job!" the fairy argued.

"Well, him doing his job is preventing me from seeing the Princess," Link argued as quietly as he could.

"Fine. Ivan will do this," Ivan responded before turning red and quickly floating towards the guard, who stiffened on contact before becoming slack-jawed. Grateful for Ivan's assistance, Link carefully strode past the guard, and as soon as the boy was back under the cover of darkness, Ivan released the man from his mind control and swiftly darted back under Link's hat.

Now the challenge was getting past this courtyard into the castle. Link silently slinked along the cliffside, desperate to get past the rest of the guards. He climbed up another viny outgrowth before leaping off of the outcrop into the moat with an undignified splash. If it drew the attention of the guards, he couldn't tell, because Link had completely submerged himself in the moat.

The current pushed Link around a bend, and the cold Hero tugged himself out of the water as soon as he could hear Talon's snoring. He was about to pull out the Cucco that Malon had given him before rethinking the situation. The Cucco had gotten him caught last time, so surely he shouldn't use the Cucco to wake up Talon, because that would get him caught again in a heartbeat. Putting away his Pouch of Holding, Link puzzled over how to awaken the slumbering adult.

"Ivan, can you Mind Hack this man so that he wakes up?" Link asked.

"Mind Hacking has a very long cooldown," Ivan insisted. "Try again in two hours or so."

Well. That left only one logical choice.

"Zzzzzzz… Welcome… Our ranch is so fun… C'mon and look around… Zzzzzzzzz…" the ranch owner mumbled deliriously.

Link squatted down until he was level with Talon, before raising his Stalfos hand and whacking the adult on the face. Hard.

"What in tarnation?!" the adult squealed, tossing and turning before standing, shaking his head. "Can't a person get a little shut-eye around here?"

"No, they can't," Link replied wryly, standing up.

"Oh, hello, and who might you be?" Talon asked, as if suddenly aware of Link's presence.

"Doesn't matter," Link stated dismissively, flapping his right hand around. "You wouldn't happen to be Talon, would you?"

"Yup, I'm Talon, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch," Talon affirmed.

"Good, because Malon was looking for you. You've been sleeping here since you came up to deliver the milk for Summer's Day," Link informed.

"What?!" the man roared. "Malon was looking for me? I'm going to get it from her now! I messed up bad, leaving Malon behind to wait for me! She's really going to let me have it!"

He instantly got up, sprinting towards Castle Town and flailing his arms like a madman. Link noted to never get on Malon's bad side. Ever.

Finally, Link was alone, and he let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. The boy turned to the two crates of Lon Lon Milk and shoved them in such a way that he could climb into the small hole into the castle, that appeared to feed the moat water. He did, however, grab a few jugs of milk from one of the crates before drinking them, eager to satisfy his thirst. Lamenting the fact that the jugs were too unwieldy to use as bottles, Link clambered on top of the box before leaping into the small, water-filled hole and crawling through. His internal clock told Link that it was about 1:00 AM.

He never got the chance to leave the opening, because the first thing the boy saw was a pair of guards guarding the only exit from the tiny area, excluding going back. And going back was hardly an option.

He wasn't exactly keen on staying put, either. Remaining in this tiny crawl space was an awful idea, simply because the Shadow Temple had made Link claustrophobic. There was only one course of action to take, wasn't there?

Link backed out of the crawlspace, pulled the cucco out of his pouch before attempting to silence its mighty crow, then crawled back into the courtyard.

"What is leetle man doing?" Ivan asked.

"Don't speak," Link ordered. "You'll give us away."

Ivan looked like he wanted to argue, but didn't.

By this time, Link was approaching the exit to the crawlspace. The water gurgled below him, and his wet hands felt like they were turning to icicles, but he pressed on.

"Goddesses, please let this work," Link prayed in a whisper before just barely exiting the tunnel. "Bombs away!"

He chucked the Cucco at the guards, both of whom had their backs turned before retreating back into the crawlspace enough so that he wouldn't be seen. The bird collided with the guard's spearhead, which was being held over his right shoulder at attention.

The two guards spun at the Cucco's agonized squawk, expressions of confusion on their faces. The small bird started ululating an ear splitting screech as its brethren poured over the castle walls directly at the two guards.

Now, an onslaught of chickens was the exact antithesis of whatever the guards were expecting, and they reacted accordingly. The two grown men, knowing that they were unequipped to deal with the poultry's wrath, threw down their weapons and ran away screaming at the top of their lungs.

"We have a Code Feather! Code Feather! All personnel are to follow Protocol 19! We repeat: Code Feather!"

The door to Link's left burst open as a flood of dignitaries and servants surged forth into the courtyard, searching for safety from the cucco crisis. Realizing that he could use the chaos to his advantage, Link pulled himself from the storm drain, tugged Ivan into his hat, and joined the river of people. He dashed past shrubs, statues, and fountains before separating from the crowd and moving deeper into the castle. The Cuccos were still agitated, despite the guards' best efforts to quell them, and they continued to make a ruckus.

Link sprinted through the halls, still swarmed with people he couldn't recognize. He tried his best to look terrified when a wave of Cuccos nearly bowled him over in search of guards to take vengeance on, diving to his right down another corridor. There were more birds at the end of the hallway, so Link darted into another hallway that looked absolutely identical. This procedure repeated itself so many times that Link lost count, simply rounding corners and sprinting up stairs and down hallways with no consciousness of location or direction.

This hallway he had stumbled into was completely devoid of all life. There were no Cuccos nor people present. Link breathed a sigh of relief until he faintly heard the pitter-patter of footsteps down an adjoining hall. Seeing no other alternatives, Link wrenched open the first door he came to and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

He had ended up in a bedroom, with walls painted a peculiar shade of pink. There was a fireplace nestled in the corner, with a crib right nearby it, a vanity along the other wall, a door leading onto a balcony that overlooked the courtyard, and a regal-looking, massive four-poster bed. It looked like it had been recently disturbed, like someone had just gotten out of it in a hurry. A closet door was ajar, and Link, curiosity piqued, pried it open just a bit more. There were some dresses, some kind of kunai, and a headdress that was unmistakably-

Oh, dear Goddesses.

He, a seventeen-year-old boy- sort of- had stumbled into Princess Zelda's personal bedchamber.

Link felt his face heat up, and a bolt of fear shot through him when he heard footsteps approaching the door. Panicking, Link ran to the balcony, wrenched the door open, and hid behind the wall.

He heard the door open with a shuddering creak, accompanied by near-silent footsteps. He realized with a wave of terror that in his mad dash out of the room, he had neglected to fully close the balcony door. If he was kicked out of the castle now… he'd probably never get back in again. This was his only chance. He couldn't risk being caught. He racked his brain for any possibilities, only to come up with nothing.

"Impa?" A lyrical, quiet voice emanated.

"Yes, Princess?" A more mature voice replied.

"Remind me again why the castle was in such a ruckus?"

"The guards were attacked by a swarm of cuccos. You and your father needed to be taken to safety until the threat was nullified."

"I see. Impa?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"I'm glad I was woken up; I had that nightmare again."

"Again? Did you tell your father?"

"Of course I did, Impa, but he's convinced it's not prophetic."

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it is not," Impa placated. "If it is, then there is no reason to fret, because the boy with the fairy will come. If it is not, then there is no reason to fret, because the darkness is only in a dream."

"Are they talking about us?" Ivan whispered from above Link's head.

"Shut up, Ivan," Link whispered back assertively.

"Thank you for reminding me, Impa."

"You are welcome, Princess. Now, let's go back to sleep."

A melodious humming noise filled the room, intended to lull the Princess Zelda to slumber. Link could barely resist the desire to pull out his ocarina and join in the tune. A light snoring filled the room as the princess fell asleep. The adult part of Link knew it was horribly indecent to still be standing there on the balcony, but he felt such a strange sense of peace when standing there, listening to Zelda and the future Sage of Shadow talk, that he couldn't bring himself to move.

Footsteps once again pervaded the silence as Impa moved to leave the room. But inexplicably, the footsteps seemed to grow more loud rather than less.

Link's eyes widened as he realized the sound's significance. He had only seconds to react as he dove over the edge of the balcony, grabbing onto the edge with his fingers as the door to the outlook eased open. A woman with silvery hair, a metal breastplate, and sinister red eyes stepped out, staring pensively out into the interior of the castle. Link dared not speak, move or even breathe as he slowly lost purchase, inexorably sliding off of the balcony.

Then he looked below him and immediately wished he hadn't.

It was a long way down, far enough that he'd probably break his knees if he happened to slip. His hands were slick with sweat as he silently battled to keep from falling off, feet kicking desperately in the air. Why was Impa just standing there?

Ivan flew out from under Link's hat, illuminating the balcony's underbelly and its scaffolding. Grateful, Link swung his legs so that they wrapped around the supports, making just the tiniest bit of noise as his boots scraped over the stone. His job done, the sprite darted back into the cap.

Link heard the door shut. Thank the Goddesses. Impa must have-

Suddenly, he felt himself being raised up by the back of his collar, forcing his legs to dig into the rough stone supports of the balcony. Surprised, Link's limbs instinctually loosened, allowing the upwards force to completely pull apart the boy's hold. Link was raised until he was eye to eye with the Sheikah woman, a kunai digging into his neck to ensure that there was no struggling on Link's part.

"I thought there was someone back here," Impa whispered, dangerously calm. "Now, give me one good reason why I shouldn't slit your throat."

Ivan casually flew out from under Link's hat. "Because Ivan would kill you before you could draw a drop of blood."

There was a palpable silence.

"How much did you hear of our conversation?" Impa inquired.

"Not too much. Something about a-"

The kunai dug deeper into Link's flesh, eliciting a droplet of blood to ooze forth from his skin. "Don't lie to me," Impa warned.

"Okay, I heard a little more than 'not too much'," Link elaborated exasperatedly. "Something about a cucco invasion, a boy from the forest, and Gan- a great darkness."

The Sheikah frowned, pensive. "You wouldn't happen to be from the forest, would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Link revealed. "And I'm here to warn you that -"

Wait. Impa, like Saria and probably the rest of the Sages, had no recollection of the events of the other time. Therefore, it would be unwise for Link to further screw with this timeline, or else it could lead to further devastation. He would much rather discuss this with Zelda, who would surely remember everything. She must. She had to. If she didn't… well, Link didn't know what he'd do.

"- that the Great Deku Tree is dead, cursed by a black man from the desert," the Hylian finished.

Impa muttered Ganondorf's name under her breath.

"He was after the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, which the Deku Tree gave to me with his dying breath," Link continued. "He wants to open the Door of Time and seize the Triforce!"

"I think I have a theory as to who this man is," Impa said, lowering Link down so that he was standing on the balcony. "He is Ganondorf, king of the Gerudo. This status gives him political armor that we can't penetrate without incurring another war."

"But we must protect Hyrule!" Link pleaded.

"That we must. The only solution I could think of would be to take the Triforce before he could. Anything else would cause pandemonium…"

Impa continued talking, but Link temporarily tuned her out. He knew that there was no way in hell that he would draw the Master Sword once again, even if his mission to regain his lost childhood had already failed.

"...Of course. You must collect the Spiritual Stones and open the Door of Time. You will talk to Princess Zelda tomorrow in the morning. Without your sword. Until then, I will lead you to a place where you can rest and pick you up in a few hours."

Link nodded his assent, and with a flash of a Deku Nut, they were gone.

!0*0!

Link awoke a few hours later, grasping for a blade that was no longer attached to his back and breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his blonde locks. His dreams had carried him to the Spirit Temple, and the sudden realization that he was fighting Nabooru in an Iron Knuckle suit.

He needed to calm down badly. The last thing he wanted was to act like a complete lunatic in front of Princess Zelda. He had been forced to rest in a secluded section of the castle intended for servants, but the incredibly soft bed made the child feel like he was going to sink straight into the floor, so he opted to cut the mattress entirely and slumber propped up against the wall, one eye open. Impa had taken his blade, saying that she would return it after he met with Zelda. Evidently, the princess's caretaker trusted him about as far as she could throw him, which Link could understand. Her job was to protect Zelda at all costs. Of course some random half-beast child from the forest could be a threat to the princess.

Speaking of Impa, she was easing the door open with an audible creak, shaking Link out of his doldrums.

"Did you tell Zelda?" he asked instantly.

"I want it to be a surprise," Impa said, a ghost of a grin visible on her face. "She's been waiting for a very long time for you, after all."

Link's hopes skyrocketed at this statement. Zelda was waiting for him. She remembered. She had to have remembered. He wouldn't have to draw the Master Sword, and he could try his damnedest to be a kid again. Right?

Right?

After a much-needed breakfast of Hylian oatmeal and an even more desperately needed bath, Link was permitted to enter the courtyard and see the Princess. He told himself that everything would be all right, over and over and over and over again. It was going to be okay. It had to be okay. He wasn't going to have to go through Ganondorf's reign again.

Then he saw the Princess, exactly the way he remembered, staring through the window. Link knew that she could see Ganondorf and her father, making arrangements to usher peace into the kingdom… except for the fact that they weren't.

Silently, Link approached the Princess, not daring to say anything.

Ivan, perched on his shoulder, cleared his throat in order to get the Princess's attention.

"Impa, I'm trying to hear what they're saying!" Zelda whined, not turning around.

Doubt was beginning to permeate Link's mind as he stood there, staring at the back of the princess's head.

"Z… Zelda?" he croaked.

This got her attention, as she whirled around with a tiny gasp, shock evident on her childish features. Now that he knew her, Link could see the Wisdom buried beneath her infantile innocence. He could see all the things that made Zelda… Zelda.

"What?! Who? Who are you? How did you get past the guards?" she demanded.

Link froze. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Zelda didn't remember. Hope had died. The Zelda he knew was gone forever.

"Z-Zel… You… don't… remember me?" Link asked shakily, tears forming in his eyes as he desperately clung to the dead shreds of hope. Ivan was looking at him like he'd just licked the Princess on the mouth. He prayed that she would smile and say "yes, I remember you, Link!"

Instead, she looked at him like he was crazy. "I'm afraid I have no recollection of ever meeting you, mister…?"

"Link, Princess. It's Link," the boy answered, accepting defeat.

"Link…" Zelda said, his name flowing off of her tongue like a slap to the face. "It seems so… familiar…"

You have no idea how much that hurt, Zel, Link thought to himself.

"Oh, what's that? Is that… a fairy?"

"Ivan would prefer to be called Ivan, Printsessa Zelda," Ivan said respectfully.

"Are you from the forest, then, Link and Ivan? Then… you wouldn't happen to have the Kokiri Emerald, would you? That green and shining stone… please tell me you have it."

If Link had spoken, he would have started bawling, and the adult in Link told him that that was hardly appropriate for the situation. Wordlessly, Link reached into his pouch and pulled out the aforementioned gemstone.

"Just as I thought!" Zelda exclaimed, giggling. Link noted that it was the exact same laugh as the one Saria and Malon had uttered. Odd.

"I had a dream…" Zelda went on, oblivious to Link's inner turmoil. "In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over Hyrule. But suddenly, a ray of light shot down out of the forest, parted the clouds, and lit up the world… The light turned into a boy carrying the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, followed by a fairy. I knew that this was a prophecy that someone would come down from the forest… Yes, I thought you might be the one.

"Okay then, Link. I'm going to tell you the secret of the Sacred Realm that has been passed down through the Hylian royal family."

"Actually, that won't be necessary," Link assured, trying to hear as little of Zelda's voice as he could get away with. "I already know the tale. The Triforce grants wishes that reflect the holder's heart, and you need the Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time to open the Door of Time to go to the Sacred Realm to get the Triforce. Am I right?"

Zelda looked stupefied. "Well… yes, actually! That's exactly what I was going to say! How did you know?

"I have my sources," Link replied cryptically.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Zelda noted, changing the subject. "I was spying through this window just now at the person who I think represents the black clouds in my dream. Will you look?"

"I don't see why not," Link said, approaching the window and peering inside.

He watched Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo, approach from the right and kneel at the foot of a throne he knew was there but couldn't quite see.

"Can you see the man with the evil eyes? That is Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. They hail from the desert to the west. Though he swears allegiance to my father, I'm certain that he is insincere."

The Gerudo King suddenly glanced towards the window. Remembering Ganondorf as the King of Evil, Link was hardly fazed until his eyes started glowing gold, faintly but menacingly.

Turning away from the window with a measure of shock, Link stared at Zelda.

"What happened? Did he see you?" Zelda asked, appearing worried for Link's well-being. "Don't worry. He has no idea what we're planning… yet!"

"He just has… so much terrifying power," Link uttered, sounding like a scared little boy. But he wasn't. He was a scared young man.

"My father doesn't believe that my dream is a prophecy," Zelda said glumly. "But I can sense that man's evil intentions! Link, Ganondorf is after nothing less than the Triforce itself! And he wants to conquer Hyrule… no, the entire world! We are the only ones who can protect Hyrule. Please!"

"O- okay," Link stuttered, still vainly wishing that this was all a bad dream. He knew it wasn't.

If Zelda noticed his internal crisis, she didn't comment on it. "Thank you! I am afraid that that man is going to destroy Hyrule. But it is fortuitous that you have come… We mustn't let Ganondorf get the Triforce! I'll protect the Ocarina, you have to collect the other two Spiritual Stones and open the Door of Time, and take the Triforce before Ganondorf gets it!"

"Over my dead body!" Link exclaimed, shocking the princess. "That's a golden opportunity for Ganondorf to waltz into the Sacred Realm and take the Triforce for himself!"

"But if you take the Triforce…"

"I won't be able to. I'll be sealed in the Sacred Realm because I'm too young to wield the Master Sword!" Link stated exasperatedly.

"How do you know tha-"

"Just trust me, Zelda! Trust me, because we have no other choice!" Link yelled. Goddesses, he must have sounded like a raving madman. "I want to stop Ganondorf as much as you do, if not more, but I'm wouldn't open the Door of Time if there was a blade at my throat!

"I'll get the other two Spiritual Stones, and then I'm going to bring them to a safe haven. Somewhere far away, where Ganondorf will never find them. He'll never be able to get into the Sacred Realm and seize the Triforce, and boom! All his plans are thwarted!"

The Princess and Ivan stared at him like he was insane, which he probably was. Then Ivan opened his mouth to speak.

"Ivan thinks this is a good plan Link has cooked up," Ivan chimed in. "All we have to do is prevent Ganondorf from getting into the Sacred Realm, and we have succeeded."

"Hm… I agree with Ivan," Zelda added. "Take this letter… I'm sure it will be helpful to you."

She scrawled a few words on some stationery and handed it to Link, who took it gratefully.

"My attendant, Impa, will lead you out of the castle," Zelda said. "Please… be safe."

It was the exact last words the Zelda from his childhood had said to him before he left this courtyard. He turned to avoid showing his tears and walked towards the Sheikah.

"I am Impa of the Sheikah. I don't believe we had the chance to properly introduce ourselves last night. I am responsible for protecting the Princess Zelda, and everything is as she has foretold."

"I'm called Link," the boy replied, forcing his voice to remain flat. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Impa."

A small smile crossed her face. "You are a courageous boy, given that you didn't react all too badly when I had a kunai pressed to your throat -"

"Excuse me?" Zelda squealed from across the courtyard, mortification evident in her voice.

"Nothing, Princess," Impa replied quickly. "Anyway, you are heading out on a big, old adventure, aren't you? My role in the princess's dream was to teach a melody to the one from the forest. This is an ancient tune passed down by the Royal Family. I have played this song for Zelda every since she was an infant… there is a mysterious power in these notes."

Realizing that he was going to learn Zelda's Lullaby, finally, Link pulled out his ocarina and pressed it to his lips.

"Now, listen carefully," the Sheikah said before putting two fingers to her mouth and whistling Zelda's Lullaby. Suddenly, memories of Link playing the six-note tune flooded his consciousness, and Link was able to play the song with a practiced ease.

"Very good," Impa said. "If the castle soldiers find you, there will be trouble. Let me lead you out to Hyrule Field."

With a flash of a Deku Nut, they were gone, leaving Zelda to ponder why Link was so familiar.

!0*0!

For all of you who wanted to see Zelda remember, I'm sorry, but that ain't going to happen. The events of the first timeline are remembered by Link and Link alone. Maybe it's because I'm evil. Maybe I just want my characters [and my readers] to suffer. Maybe it makes for a good plot. Not quite sure.

Oh, and for all you ZeLinkers out there: OoT MaLink is canon. Why? Because TP Link knows Epona's Song and Hyrule Historia confirms that there's a blood relation between TP Link and OoT Link. Get on my level.

NOOTTD: 1. Summer's Day just seems like something that would actually exist in this world. It's a fusion between the MM Clock Town Festival and the average summer solstice party.

2. Who would be crazy enough to not fear Stalfos Hand Link? [Don't answer that.]

3. You inexplicably lose the Cucco when you get Zelda's Letter. Now we have an explanation.

4. I have a personal theory that Zelda was being trained to fight by Impa for quite some time. And even if she wasn't, the kunai makes sense because Impa is basically Zelda's bodyguard as well as her mother figure.

Anyway, that was Chapter 3! I don't really have anything else to say here, so… yeah. Love it? Hate it? Want to throw a cucco at me? Then leave a review!