Six years earlier

Link was only eight years old. He was dirty, dressed in rags that were too big for him and almost swallowed his tiny, underweight figure whole. It was obvious he hadn't been bathed in a long, long time, as his ash blond hair hung on his head with oil and dirt, and his face was pale, save for a few places where dirt and bruises were scattered. He lived in a tiny shack in the slums of Castle Town, where all of the poorest families and homeless people resided. It only consisted of two rooms separated by only a curtain; one room for him to sleep on the floor, with only a pillow and a mat made of worn out bamboo, and the other with a large, dirty and uncomfortable mattress for his mother, whom he lived with. She would often tell him to leave the house and fend for himself so she could "work", whatever that was, and if he didn't, she would go on a furious frenzy, which he did his best to avoid at all costs. He knew how important it was to pay for food and basic necessities, anyways, so he would not argue with her, no matter what questionable choices she was making during her "work" were. On this day in particular, however, facing her wrath was inevitable.

"You were supposed to get apples," She spat, her speech slurred and ragged, but did not conceal her fury, "Where are they?"

"I told you, the man who sells them sold them all." He whimpered, backed into a corner by his mother in the tiny hut. "I can get something else…"

"You don't understand, you foolish whelp!" She screamed, sharply slapping him across the face, "We cannot afford anything but bread and apples!" Her breath reeked with the stench of alcohol. Link knew she had been drinking again, and realized the only thing he could possibly do to calm the storm was to apologize profusely and repeatedly with the faint hope that she would give him a second chance.

Her tired, dull, grey eyes stared long and hard at him, contemplating for a moment until she put a firm hand on his small shoulder and pulled him out the door, almost dragging him in the process. She was a small and skinny woman, but she still bore an immense amount of strength because of her youth. She had given birth to him when she was only sixteen years old as a result of her "work", as she told him. Whenever he asked her who his father was, she would only wave him away, saying things along the lines of "Who cares?" or "Hell if I know". She always told Link that he was her biggest mistake, and he believed it.

She released her tight grip on him and sent him on his way, completely unsupervised in the crowded, filthy slums of Castle Town. He sighed, wiping the tears from his eyes as he had tried so hard to keep them from falling. He didn't want his mother to see him cry; that would have only added to her rage.

After a few short moments of bottling up his emotions, the small blond boy set out for the southern market in hopes of finding something to fulfill his mother's specific requests. The market was a much cleaner, but no less crowded place than the slums in which he lived. Weaving in between the crowds of people, he was almost invisible and barely noticed by all of the wealthier adults who were several heads taller than him. To them, poor and homeless children weren't worth their time or attention as they lived their lives as feral beasts, feeding themselves alongside the dogs and pigs. Though he was only eight years old, Link realized the fact that the people who visited the market didn't have enough empathy to interact with someone like him. He accepted the obvious classism without question, as he only knew it as their way of life, ignoring the obvious problems around them. That's just what the wealthier people of Hyrule did.

Everywhere he looked, he saw overpriced products and outrageously long lines for the things he could afford with the small bag of ruppees he clutched in his hand. He grew frustrated at the lack of options he had, not willing to head home until he had something to bring his already upset mother. He didn't want her to resort to hitting him-again. Corporal punishment wasn't a rare occurrence for her, but Link did his best to avoid it at all costs, even if it meant that he would go a day without eating or having a roof over his head.

His eyes wandered to the large and grand castle in the distance, not too far from the southern market in Castle Town. He knew of a king and a queen and their daughter, the princess, who resided there, yet he had never seen them with his own eyes. He figured that they were most likely similar to the wealthy Hylians and did not want to acknowledge the poorer citizens like himself. He found it kind of sad that even the Royal Family ignored the poor, but he didn't dwell on it as he noticed that the sky began to turn red with the setting sun. He knew he had to find something to please his mother quickly before the fruit merchants closed their shops for the day.

It was in that moment when Link could feel the bag of ruppees being snatched out of his hand.

He wheeled around, attempting to track down the ruppee thief and take back the precious gemstones; his mental and physical well being depended on it. As panic began to set in, he caught a glance of the snatcher-it was a child, who looked around his age, as dirty as he, with unruly hair and crooked teeth. The child turned to look back at Link before he disappeared around the corner of a building made of cobblestone, heading toward a dark alleyway for a quick escape. Link knew from experience the importance of any small amount of money to the poor, especially the children. He would have gladly helped the child find food or lend him a few ruppees, but he could not afford to lose what little money he had. Not now.

Link followed the thief in a hot pursuit, desperate to get his belongings back. He tried his best to avoid conflict at all times, especially because he had enough conflict at home, and only wanted to catch the child to talk him out of stealing his ruppees.

When he turned the corner and reached the narrow alley, he found himself staring up at a much larger and taller boy, presumably older than him, too. Standing behind him was the one who stole Link's ruppees, using the larger boy as a shield by standing behind him. The ruppee thief lifted a finger and pointed at Link, "That's the one. He tried to steal my money!" His high pitched voice cracked.

Link was taken aback by such an outrageous and obviously incorrect accusation; he merely stood there and shook his head in denial, "N-no, no I didn't…" He stammered, "Those are mine. Give them back. I need them!"

He took a step forward in a futile attempt to retrieve his lost currency, but the larger boy took it as an invitation to lift the boy up by the front of his shirt and slam him down on the dirt-filled ground. Air was forcefully pushed out of his lungs by the impact, and the shock of it left him temporarily immobilized and stunned with fear.

"Please…" he whispered, snapping himself out of his moment of weakness and standing up again in a last attempt to negotiate with the boy.

"You mess with my brother, you mess with me," The larger boy said, spitting in Link's face. He flinched, but did not falter in his place, staring daggers up at the boy with his large blue eyes. "Get out of here, worm. Or I'll punch your teeth out." The boy said.

"I need my ruppees."

"They ain't yours!" The boy shouted, pulling his sleeves back in preparation for brutalizing the small blond boy, "Find someone more gullible to steal from." He said as he pinned Link against the cold, damp stone wall of the alleyway, proceeding to punch him in the eye, throwing him to the ground once more.

The impact of his harsh fist left Link's eye bruised and swollen. He cried out in pain, not being able to open his eye as he held his hand up to his face. The larger boy stood towering over him with a haughty smirk plastered across his filthy face, proceeding to kick him several times in the stomach as he lay on the ground.

Link tried to plead with him to stop, but it was futile. With each kick, the air in his lungs would quickly escape, leaving him little time to say even one word.

All he could think of was that he wanted it to stop, but he was helpless.

The ordeal lasted only a few minutes, but to Link, it felt like years. He eventually was able to curl into a defensive ball, which prevented any further damage to his midsection. After the bully was done entertaining himself with causing the boy pain, he spat on the ground next to him and walked away, with his little brother close behind, clutching the stolen ruppees in his hands.

"Weakling," Link could hear the smaller boy mutter from a distance away, walking out of eyeshot, presumably to go home, "That kid will never survive the world like us."

From his place on the ground, he secretly agreed with them, resigning himself to someone of no value to the world whatsoever, not even to his own mother.

A few moments passed before Link could find the will to stir from his defensive position. It had become dark, and the sun had set, with only the distant street lanterns illuminating the streets and dank alleys. The entire market had been closed for the day, with no one manning the shops for him to get the apples he originally set out to buy. He could only imagine his mother's fury that would be unleashed upon his arrival…

'You worthless leech! You wandered off and got yourself beaten up, didn't you? You only do these things to spite me!'

Her hypothetical yet familiar words rang in his ears as he sat up, severely disappointed in himself. How could I be so stupid? Why didn't I fight back?

He already knew the answer. Everyone knew. The boys who stole his money said it in the most perfect words. He was a weakling, someone who could never survive on his own even for a second. He needed someone to depend on, but he had no one.

Pathetic, he told himself. It was another word he had often heard his mother describe him as.

He sat in the alley for a good long while, contemplating whether or not it was really worth it to go home empty-handed, only to receive another harsh punishment for something that wasn't his fault or anything he had control over. He seriously considered just shrivelling away in the alley, not continuing to exist. After all, no one would miss him.

No one would care if he just suddenly died, or never returned.

He was quickly snapped out of his self-destructive thoughts when he could hear a woman's gentle and calming voice behind him, yet still startling as he hadn't expected anyone was nearby, "Excuse me," she said as he turned to make eye contact with his one unhurt eye. The woman had dark auburn hair, pulled back into a short ponytail, and a freckled face. She was slightly taken aback as she caught sight of the child's swollen black eye and bruised face.

"Sorry if I scared you," She continued, "but I couldn't help noticing that you were all alone in this alley. It's not safe to wander the streets after sundown, child."

For a moment, he made no reply. He simply stared at her, unable to trust a stranger, especially an adult.

"Do you live with your parents? At least let me escort you back to them-where you will be safe."

Safe… He almost laughed at the thought he would be anywhere near safe with his mother. He realized now that he had no hope in ever living a remotely happy life with her. Even outside of his own home, he wasn't safe. He was constantly in danger of being robbed, beaten, kidnapped, or killed, all because he was given too much responsibility with little help from his only caretaker, if she even qualified as one.

After not getting a response from him, the woman spoke again, "Child, are you okay?" She asked.

He made eye contact with her again, realizing that he was not, in fact, okay. Actually, he felt awful, both physically and emotionally. His mother always told him that boys don't cry, and that he, as a boy, should never cry, but he couldn't hold back the tears that began continuously flowing from his eyes while sobbing uncontrollably. This time, he disobeyed her.

"Oh, no, no, no…" The woman said as she wrapped his arms around the wailing child, realizing that something about his home life was terribly wrong and needed to be addressed. He made no protest to the stranger, as he had needed this type of affection for a very, very long time, and never received it. "I didn't mean to upset you," she said, hugging him tighter. She reassured him that everything was going to be okay, and tried to calm him to the point to which he was able to speak with her and explain why he was upset at the prospect of going home. For a long while however, she let him cry it all out.

After attempting to compose himself, he finally gained enough control in order to speak, "I… I'm sorry…" He managed to say. The woman shook her said, pulling herself out of the embrace to make eye contact, "There is nothing to be sorry for, honey." She said with a reassuring smile, "Now, tell me why what I said upset you so much. And what happened to you?" She gestured at his bruises, namely his eye that was swollen shut.

He paused, trying as hard as he could to not begin crying again. After a few deep breaths, he said, "I… my mother… sh-she…" Sniff. "She h-hates me. She told me th-that if I didn't… bring back the food she wanted… she would hurt me. She always hurts me… and yells at me… She tells me I'm worthless and stupid, and it's t-true."

He then continued to tell her how he had gotten his ruppees stolen, and the events that followed and led to his beating.

The woman was shocked, not knowing how to respond. After a moment, she asked him, "And your father? Where is he?"

"I d-don't know him…"

After another moment of contemplation, the woman knew what had to be done. This boy severely needed help, and her heart was soft for him. She felt some sort of responsibility toward him that she couldn't explain. She asked him what his name was, and he quietly answered, "Link." She gave him another big smile and told him her name was Karane.

"Well, Link, will you take me to your mother? I'd like to have a few words with her. I know what to do that will help you. Just trust me."

He could feel the fear begin to twist in his stomach again at the thought of going back to her, but as much as he didn't know this woman's intentions, he did trust her. Or, at the very least, he wanted to with all his heart. However, he didn't know what she would do to change his mother's heart, regardless of her good intentions.

He finally nodded in compliance and took her hand, walking some few blocks away from the alley and back to the grimy slums from whence he came. He directed her to the shack that he resided in with his mother, and she gave him a reassuring nod before knocking on the door. It took a few moments before Link's mother answered without any sort of decorum.

"What do you want?" She asked, bluntly, "Are you wanting to be a client? It's not every day that woman come to my door, but," she raised her eyebrows, "I'm not picky."

"Actually, I'm here to talk to you about your son, Link." Karane said, gesturing to the small figure beside her. Link's mother didn't even notice he was there at first, but when she did, she promptly grew irate, ready to chastise him for whatever got him that huge black eye. "What did he do?" She looked at him, the anger in her eyes growing by the second, "Did you get yourself into trouble again? I told you not to piss people off!"

"He did no such thing," Karane intervened, protectively stepping between the boy and his abusive mother. "Someone wrongfully robbed and assaulted him. He did nothing wrong."

"Then why are you here? You want me to pay you for saving him or something?"

"No, but I do want to take the boy off of your hands."

Link's mother stared at her with what seemed to be a harsh desire to do Karane harm because of what she just said, "And why would you want me to give you my only child?"

"When I found this boy, he was completely unsupervised and helpless. You sent an eight-year-old to the market, completely alone, and with no way to defend himself. Clearly, you do not have the time or resources to care for a child. I only want to alleviate the burden of supporting a child for you."

"And you think you could do a better job at being that thing's mother? After all the stress he gives me?"

Her words stabbed at his heart like a dagger, to the point at which he began to let tears run down his cheeks once more. His mother rolled her eyes, "See? He can't do anything himself… I try to teach him things, but he never listens. He doesn't even listen to me when I tell him not to cry!"

"That is a natural response to emotion. He can't bottle his feelings up forever." Karane tried to reason with her, but she paid her no mind.

"Please, let me take him. I have the funds to feed and clothe him, and he clearly puts stress on your budget." She said, "I know it's not only in his best interest, but in yours as well."

His mother hesitated for a while, not wanting to admit that she was failing to raise a single child, but suddenly realized how much it would help her financial situation if she didn't have another mouth to feed other than her own.

"Fine," she said, "just take him."

After she closed the door, Karane bent down to get on eye-level with the teary-eyed boy. He didn't want to believe that his own mother would give him up so easily, but he knew that she truly never cared about him at all.

"Link," Karane said, "I want you to know that you don't ever have to speak with her again. She isn't deserving of someone as kind and as caring as you." She took his hand and looked at his one open blue eye with the most sincerest of smiles, "Will you live in my home in Kakariko with me? I have a spare bedroom in my basement and lots of food you won't ever have to pay for by yourself. I have always wanted a child of my own, but I have never married. I think you would like it in Kakariko Village."

Link nodded enthusiastically. He never knew the comfort of having his own bed or clothes. He had never truly felt the sensation of being bathed and free of dirt. He was almost dumbfounded at the idea of never having to live in the slums ever again. He was finally free of the witch that his mother was… however, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for abandoning her. He quickly threw that thought aside as he realized that she was the one who had abandoned him from the beginning, never stepping up to be the nurturer he needed when circumstances got tough.

They arrived to Karane's wagon, which was drawn by a large bay horse that Link did not hesitate to befriend the minute he laid his eyes upon it.

"His name is Callus," She said, stroking his mane, "My dad gave him to me before he died."

"Callus?" Link repeated, somewhat amused by such an unconventional name for a horse.

Karane laughed, "I was fourteen when I got him, so I didn't put much thought into it. But the name stuck."

She soon helped him climb into the front of the wagon and seated next to him, flicking the reins to motion the horse to move forward. As they exited Castle Town, the moon was high above their heads and the stars shone bright, illuminating the vast Hyrule Field that lay before them.

"You will love it in Kakariko," She said once more, "it's a small country village close to Death Mountain, where people of all races come to trade goods and open their businesses. It really is a lovely community. I inherited a mansion there that my father once owned before he died a few years ago."

As the hours went on, she continued to tell him stories about the town that he would soon call home. He knew he could trust this woman, but was slightly afraid of meeting his new neighbors. However, he would soon come to find out that change wasn't so bad after all, and that his spirit was not broken beyond repair.

Maybe, he thought, he could give his new life a chance.

Author's Notes

Hey, sorry about the wait. It's been a hectic week, as I have been busy moving and school is about to start. Updates might get a little slower from here on out until the end of the semester.

First off, I just want to put it out there that this chapter was especially difficult to write, not only because of its sensitive content, but also because it hits a little close to home. I have three very close friends who come from very similar situations as our protagonist does in this story, and I wanted to have a character to represent the kids who never had a good and loving relationship with their parents. This is a nod to you guys who have had upbringings similar to this. You are strong and I love you without end.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews are always welcome!

P.S., I hope some of you notice the reference to another beloved video game I put in there. Anyone who gets it gets an internet cookie!