3rd Draft

"Fairy boy is back!" Malon announced after seeing Link through the gate. Link smiled at the nickname.

"My whole life I was 'the boy without a fairy' and now you're part of my description," Link said to Navi. Even Zelda's vision had described Link as a simple green light from the forest but it was sure to include the fairy in detail.

Navi weaved through the air happily. It was good to see her in such a pleasant mood. Their quest was coming to an end. She had fulfilled The Great Deku Tree's wish.

The gate swung open and a bouncing Malon and bleary eyed Talon greeted Link.

"How are you, lad?" Talon asked after yawning. No doubt he had just woken up even though it was well into the afternoon.

"I'm well, sir. I hope I'm not disturbing you," Link said.

"Oh, don't mind Father," Malon said, grabbing Link's hand and pulling him in. "You couldn't well stay out at night and it's much too late to head for the city. Come in come in come in!" The petite girl almost yanked Link off his feet. "Epona has grown so much since you left!" Malon practically dragged Link passed the stables and houses towards the chorale.

For the slightest moment Link considered telling Malon exactly how tired he was but he stopped himself. Compared to the things he had so recently seen and experienced, watching Epona with Malon would be great.

"I plan to start breaking her in with a saddle tomorrow! We'll do it together." Link knew it wasn't a request, or even a question, but he would have to decline all the same. He was anxious to deliver his cargo to Zelda and be done with all this responsibility.

The two spent the rest of the dwindling sunlight grooming, feeding, and running around with Epona. Before they put the fiery filly in her stable Malon made sure to sing her the lullaby she loved. At Malon's insisting, Link played it on his ocarina while Malon sang.

"Tell me Link, where have you been these past months?" Malon asked with a sweet smile. "You look . . . different." She and Talon had been kind enough to invite Link in for dinner and offer him a room for the night. Ingo had grumbled unintelligibly when he saw the guest and barked that he was going to finish cleaning the stables.

"Well. . ." Link trailed off. He wasn't sure what to say. The past months had been intense. After defeating Ghoma and leaving Kokiri Village, Link's adventure had only gotten more challenging. After meeting Malon in Castle Town, Link had met the Princess and her mysterious bodyguard, Impa. The princess had asked Link to retrieve the other two precious Hylian Jewels and after being convinced it was what the Great Deku wanted, had accepted the quest. His first stop had been Death Mountain. Too well he remembered King Dodongo and the weeks he spent with the Gorons. He could still feel the heat on his face from the flames and lava. And then the smell of Lord Jabu Jabu's stomach and his time spent with the Zoras. Link knew he had done more growing and learning in the past few months than he had done in his entire life in his small home village.

As for his appearance he knew he had grown taller but that was not even the most discernible change. The gift of strength from King Darunia had altered his muscular system, and the scale from Princess Ruto had done something to his blood and lungs. Scars were already forming from clashes with lizardfo, skultelas, and stulfo. Luckily his tunic hid the worst of them. Even as sheltered as he had been, Link knew he had experienced much more than a Hylian child should have.

"I went to see the Gorons," he finally said. "Then after a while went swimming with the Zora's."

"Ha!" Talon cried "To think such a young'un' is running around Hyrule all by himself! The King ought to hire you as an ambassador! You might do a better job than that Sheikah."

Link smiled embarrassed.

"Oh, ignore Daddy." Malon gave her father a scolding look. "I think it's all very exciting! When I'm older you must take Epona and I with you to meet the rock and water people."

Link loved Malon's enthusiasm. Her constant excitement reminded him of Saria.

After dinner was cleaned up Link said goodnight and retreated to the spare bedroom. Even though he was exhausted he allowed himself a couple of minutes of staring at the ceiling and pondering on things. His quest was almost over. Very soon he'd be free to choose how he spends his days. No more being swallowed by whales or fighting fire breathing lizards.

Link wondered what normal Hylian children his age did. He'd seen more than a few running about the Market Square in Castle Town. From what Link could tell, the Hylian children of the Citadel were no different from the Kokiri. With the only obvious difference being at the end of the day the Hylians return to their parents. But, when Link thought about it, if you considered the fairy companions to be parents, Kokiri children did the same thing.

Link wondered if Talon would have a place for him here at Lon Lon Ranch. He could certainly use an extra set of hands, and he wouldn't need to pay Link much. That's what I'll do, Link thought. After I deliver these stones I'll come back and ask for a job. With these pleasant thoughts filling his head, and three months of adventuring draining his body, Link finally drifted away.

He slept so soundly and comfortably that night that he couldn't be roused until well after noon. Warm, bright light splashed against his closed eyelids, pulling him from his slumber. Slowly he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Navi," he said after a yawn. "Why'd you let me sleep in so much?"

"I didn't LET you do anything," Navi replied with a 'humph'. "I tried to wake you four different times."

Link stretched his aching muscles then shrugged without concern. "No worries," he said excusing himself. "We're almost finished with this whole thing."

Pushing off the bed, Link did the first thing he did every morning, and checked the Spiriual Stones. They were all there. All there and shining.

"Almost done with you," he said to his precious cargo.

"We should hurry, Link," Navi said. "We've wasted enough time as it is."

Link sighed. Apparently it was in her nature rush him in all things. "You're right," he said scooping up the leather purse and stuffing it into an inner pocket of his tunic. "A quick goodbye to Malon and we'll head straight away for the castle."

Navi hummed her approval then tucked herself under Link's hat, her preferred spot.

Unfortunately Malon was already out in the field working with Epona. Since Link would be back in a few hours, a day at the most, he figured he could forgo the goodbye, and not have Malon too angry at him. After dropping a blue ruppee on Talon's table and offering Ingo a polite nod, Link left the gates of Lon Lon Ranch and headed north for the Citadel.

At a jog Link knew he could make it to the castle a couple hours before nightfall, and so he took off across the grass. His tight muscles shortly relaxed and adjusted to the gait. Link was amazed by how much easier it was to maintain such an intense speed now that he had both Darunia's bracelet and the Zora's silver scale.

Link let his thoughts wander as he crossed the country side. The sunshine was pleasant and the field smelled of wild flowers and honey. Hyrule truly was beautiful. It made him sad when he learned on his first visit to the Citadel that most Hylians live the entirety of their lives inside the city walls. Kakorika village was the first real expansion Hyrule had seen in a long time. Sure a couple workers camped near the Gerudos in the desert, and there were a couple fishing villages near Lake Hylia but for whatever reason Hylians had locked themselves behind their huge walls in the center of their kingdom.

A sudden awareness pulled Link away from his thoughts. The sun had disappeared behind dark storm clouds.

"Better hunker down there Navi," Link called between strides. "I don't know if we can beat this storm to the gates." He felt Navi shift and peer out from under his hat.

"I. . . I think something is wrong Link," she said in an unnaturally concerned voice. Then, "Link! We need to hurry! That's not a natural storm!"

Needing no further warning from his wise fairy companion Link increased his pace. In no time the walls to Hyrule Citadel were visible. Between Navi's warning and the overall ominousness of the billowing black clouds, a sense of dread began to fill him. The sky grew darker and darker the closer Link got. The sky was so dark that, day, could have been mistaken for night.

"This . . . is. . . strange," Link said between breaths. His run was beginning to ware on him. He was close now. Close enough to see the open gate and some anomalies. There were no guards, either at the gate or in the streets just inside. Nobody was in the streets passed the entrance. Almost the entirety of Hyrule's Hylian population resided within the Citadel, for any street to be so vacant was eerie.

Link slowed to a walk as he came to the lowered drawbridge. He could hear hooves on cobblestone. He squinted through the darkness to see an approaching horse. A white horse was flying down the street at a harrowing speed. Link couldn't make out the rider.

"Princess!?"

Princess Zelda sat in the saddle with Impa behind her holding the reins. Impa had blood pouring from one side of her face, a look of determination and fear enveloping the rest. Link moved to the side, to avoid being trampled as the two rushed by, not slowing. Zelda yelled something but her words were swallowed by the hooves pounding on the iron and wood bridge. Link followed her with his gaze, stunned and confused. Turning awkwardly in her saddle Zelda tried shouting one more time, then threw something with all her might. Link followed the object, spying a flash of blue, as it splashed into the moat. When he looked back the two were gone, not even a speck in the darkness.

What in the world is happening? Link thought.

"Damn," came a booming deep voice. Link almost jumped. He turned around and was taken aback. Somehow a giant black stallion and rider had snuck up behind him unnoticed. Link craned his neck back to make out the rider.

"I lost her," the man said gazing out into the darkness.

Ganondorf!

Link's breath caught in his chest. The dark man Zelda had warned him about, the evil general from the west, loomed over him now. Up close Link could see the evil in his eyes that Zelda spoke of. The air suddenly smelled of sulfur. Link coudln't tell whether it was coming from the man, his armor, or the monstrous black horse.

The man turned and laid his eyes on Link. "You, Kid!" he barked. "You must have seen the white horse gallop passed just now. Which way did it go?"

Link open and closed his moth like a fish, too surprised and confused to offer an intelligible response.

"Answer me!" Ganondorf demanded.

Giving up on any attempt to speak, Link shook his head defiantly and took a step back.

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes and looked at Link dangerously. "So, you think you can protect them from me?"

Link clenched his jaw in defiance and drew his sword and shield. He's not half as big as Gohma, he reassured himself.

The giant man looked down and raised an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth was tugged upwards. A short, deep laugh escaped his lips.

"You want a piece of me?" he asked mockingly. "I like you, but courage does not suit the weakly, boy." Instead of reaching for a weapon the man simply lifted his massive hand.

Confusion caused Link to hesitate for a second. Before he could react a blinding light shot from the man's hand.

"Link! Lookout!"

Searing pain shot through Link's body. His limbs and muscles convulsed involuntarily. He tried to cry out but his jaw was clenched tight. Link's world turned on its side as his legs failed him. His back arched viciously and Link was staring up at the sky. White flashes of pain refused to leave his vision.

Suddenly, as if the goddesses felt pity for him, the pain ceased. Air rushed to fill his lungs as Link gasped. Cold sweat drenched his body.

"N. . Navi," he moaned as he tried to pick himself up. He felt dizzy and weak, his stomach threatening to make him sick. "Are you alright?"

"I am," she said, "I managed to steer clear of the blast. I tried to warn you." She fluttered over his shoulder, as if offering to help him up. "Zelda wasn't lying when she warned us earlier. That man is powerful."

Zelda! Link turned to the moat. He stumbled over to the edge and peered down into it. Even in his recovering state he could smell the filth that churned in those dark waters.

Can't be worse than Jabu Jabu, Link thought. He dropped his pack, then before Navi could say anything, dove in. The moment he was submerged in the brown liquid, he could feel, smell, and taste the disgusting slush around him. Unwilling to subject his eyes to that sort of punishment he swam straight down, feeling about blindly with his hands. Thankfully Link found the object quickly. Wrapping his fingers around it he kicked off the bottom and swam to the surface.

"Shit!" Link dropped what he thought had been Zelda's object and fought back a gag.

With a sigh Navi plunged into the water to indicate where it had fallen. Anxious to be out of the filth Link dove again. Not seeing any other choice Link opened his eyes just enough to catch Navi's light. The greywater stung his eyes mercilessly though and he had to clamp them shut. Confident that this time he had the correct object wrapped in his fingers he kicked to the surface, then crawled out of the moat. He used the least filthy part of his tunic to wipe off what turned out to be Zelda's own ocarina.

"Link," a voice spoke into Link's head. "Can you hear me?"

Link glanced at Navi to make sure it wasn't her voice he was hearing.

"It's me, Zelda."

"I hear you," Link said aloud.

"Hear who?" Navi asked. Link waved her off.

"I wanted to wait for you," Zelda continued. "But I couldn't delay any further."

Link looked across the field to where she, Impa, then Ganondorf had disappeared to. Yea, he thought. I guess she couldn't.

"That ocarina is the key to the Door of Time. Take it and play this song in front of the altar."

Just as Link was about to ask, what song, notes began to slide into his head. At first the notes sounded complex, and foreign. Link wasn't sure how he was supposed to memorize it, let alone play it on the ocarina. But then, the notes became simpler and simpler. In his head he could see himself fingering the ocarina, striking all the right notes.

"I. . . I know how to play it," he said incredulously when the song had ended.

"Link, you must protect the Sacred Realm." The urgency in Zelda's voice was palpable. "You must protect the Triforce."

"I will, Princess," Link promised aloud.

Navi swooped down in front of Link. "You were speaking to the Princess?" she asked.

Link nodded then scooped up his pack. "I was," he said as they crossed the drawbridge. "She wants us to open the Sacred Realm." He was sure of it.

"Let's hurry then Link, before that wicked man returns."

Even as they entered the city, the dark clouds began to disperse but the crowds did not return to the streets. The only person Link spotted just inside the walls was a man, ringing a bell and shouting at the op of his lungs.

"Hear ye, hear ye, the king is dead! Struck down by his daughter's bodyguard Impa! General Ganondorf implores you to bring any information or evidence of the traitor's whereabouts to the castle guard. . . "

The town crier went on but Link was making a beeline for the temple.

"She was framed! That's why they were running!" Link said, louder than he meant to.

"A problem we'll face later," Navi was flying ahead, even more anxious than Link to get to the Temple.

The town center had less than a dozen people, whispering in groups about what was going on. Link ignored them and continued towards the temple. Much like the first time he had visited the temple grounds, it was empty. Link ran through the courtyard and into the temple.

A wave of what Link would consider holy reverence crashed into him as he smashed through the front door. The silence of the room forced him to adopt a very slow walk. He suddenly wished he'd stopped and taken the time to clean himself up, to be more reverent. The walk to the altar felt as if it took forever. Link could hear the sound his soggy boots made against the perfect marble floor. He didn't dare look behind him to see the trail of muddy footprints he had left behind in this holy place. When he finally reached the altar, he pulled off his hat and used it to clean his hands.

As he had months ago Link read what was written on the altar:

"Ye who holds three spiritual stones, play the melody in the right key."

"The stones," Navi whispered.

Fumbling with his pack Link brought out the three stones he had spent the better part of three months gathering. Unsure of how else to place them, he set them in the order he'd retrieved them. The emerald, the ruby, and lastly the sapphire. Nothing happened. Link wasn't sure what he expected.

"Now the ocarina," suggested Navi.

Link took a step back and held Zelda's ocarina up for closer inspection. He did his best to ignore the residue on it from the moat. Other than the material it was made of, which felt like a sort of heavy glass, it looked unremarkable. Almost identical to the one Saria had given him.

He brought it to his mouth and played the first note of the melody Zelda had just taught him. The note rang loud in the temple, the unique design of the ceiling carrying the note for more than several seconds.

Is it just me, or is there an other worldly hum? Link wondered. He started again, this time playing the whole melody.

Each note rang out crisp and clear yet was carried and held as if by the temple itself.

"Look!"

The three stones began to glow and spin on the altar. The notes of the Zelda's song repeated and reverberated against the walls of the temple. The hairs on the back of Link's neck stood on end and goosebumps riddled his body.

With a great crash the wall behind the altar, the Door of Time, fell away. As the dust settled Link could see there was an entire separate chamber. There was no question that he had to go investigate. He had to squint as he stepped in, a source from the ceiling was filling the room with a bright white light. Something in the middle of the room was reflecting its rays. A sword, half of the blade buried into a marble slab. Link wasn't sure what he'd expected, but this all seemed very plain. Maybe if he touched the sword. . .

"Link."

Link jumped back, reaching for his own sword. An old man, comfortably stout with impressive white mutton chops, stood to his left. The man was wearing an orange and red robe that hid his hands and covered his whole body. Despite the white hair the man had no wrinkles on his face, giving him a surreal ageless look. Link scanned the walls of this new chamber, looking for any sort of entrance that let the man get back here. Surely he hadn't be locked back here all this time.

"Welcome, Hero of Time." the man said.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Link asked suspiciously. He had yet to be referred to as the Hero of Time.

"After you draw the Master Sword we will go to the Sacred Realm and discuss all."

Unconvinced Link looked back at the sword. It appeared innocent enough. A rich blue hilt that gave way to a perfectly polished blade. Assuming only half of the sword was showing Link could see the weapon would be much too big for him.

"Why should I trust you?" Link demanded. "Princess Zelda said nothing about this room, or the sword, or you." He had been tricked into facing powerful foes already. King Dodongo, and the virus in Jabu Jabu had been dangerous surprises. He was not in the mood to battle some great fiend. He would have grabbed the sword on his own, but was reluctant to humor this stranger.

"Take courage and draw the blade," was all the man replied.

"It's not courage I lack," Link growled back becoming annoyed, "It's trust."

The man took a step towards Link, urgency rising in his voice. "There is no time for discussion!" he glanced to the entrance of the Temple nervously. "Draw the blade and fulfill your destiny."

Link glared back at the man. He was not about to rush into anything anymore. After that blast he'd taken from Ganondorf, he was determined to exercise caution. "TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DRAW THE SWORD!" he shouted back with greater intensity than the old man.

"HA HA HA," a deep laugh filled the chamber, the sound of which stole the air from Link's chest. Link and the old man spun around. Ganondorf's frame filled the entrance to the chamber.

"As I thought. You held the keys to the Door of Time." He looked at Link, a smug victorious grin on his face.

Link swallowed nervously.

"You've led me to the Sacred Realm. I owe it all to you, kid. Thanks."

No, Link thought desperately. Ganondorf had ridden off after Zelda. The princess had wanted him to open the door!

Ganondorf looked from the boy to the old man, not offering Link another second of his attention.

"The secrecy of the sages is for naught. The Triforce is mine." He raised his hand toward the robed man, palm out. "Die knowing you failed, old man."

Link had heard enough. He drew his sword and sprinted forward. He swung his blade wildly, desperate to hack even a piece of the evil man. Ganondorf glanced down at the boy as he would an insect. He sidestepped quickly then smacked the back of Link's head with the back of his hand. Link flew past Ganondorf, propelled by the awesome blow, into the altar. The blow left him stunned for a second, unsure of what exactly had just happened. For a moment he thought he'd just been kicked by a horse. As his vision cleared, the gravity of the situation rushed back to him.

"Link! Find the other sages!" the old man called frantically. "Stop Ganon -"

The Door of Time suddenly slammed shut. A cry of pain and a deep laugh were the only sounds Link could hear.

"Dammit!"

Link tried to jump up and get to the wall but his head was spinning and he fell to his knees. The sound of blasts resounded through the wall.

"Link!" Navi cried. "We can't help him. You can't face Ganondorf like this."

Link growled in frustration, using the altar to help bring him to his feet. He retrieved his sword and looked at the sealed entrance once more. There was only silence.

"Damn the goddesses," he spat.

He thought to grab the Spiritual Stones on his way out but the altar clung to them with invisible hands. Anxious to begone before the doors opened and Ganondorf returned, Link decided he must leave them. He turned, and he fled. His heart was heavy and his head was full of doubt and shame.

Author's Note: This chapter was also basically a prologue. From here on out the story strays far from the Ocarina of Time story we are all familiar with, but you will still see many familiar faces, locations, and enemies.

The first couple chapters in this story are being rewritten. Rewritten to fix grammar mistakes and fill in some plot holes that developed as I wrote. If you see anything wrong, even after the 3rd draft, please don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks.