Chapter 1

He slowly faded into consciousness, although he had no idea why he’d been asleep in the first place. He had that strange disconnected feeling–-not like sleep–-more like suddenly skipping some chunk of time. It was the oddest feeling. His mind was hazy and he couldn’t quite remember what he was doing when he went unconscious. As his senses slowly came back, he was able to make some sense of his surroundings. It was definitely nighttime, and it was cold–far too cold for late spring. His vision cleared and he realized that he was outside in the middle of the night, leaning against the wall of a building in some alley. It looked like every other alley he’d ever seen, so he had no idea which town he was actually in.

Link finally stood up to find some sign of where he was. It was far colder than he’d originally thought, and there was even a light dusting of snow on the ground–-definitely not spring weather. When he instinctively folded his arms over his chest to conserve warmth, he realized that his clothes were in rather shabby condition. His tunic and pants were torn and full of holes, and his favorite hat was missing. He took stock of his situation: he’d woken up and he didn’t remember going to sleep or passing out; it was snowing, which didn’t usually happen in late spring; and his clothes were torn up as if he had gotten into a fight. Something was definitely amiss.

Link walked out of the alley and down one of the town’s side streets, looking for something familiar. He was relieved when he saw the familiar square of Hyrule Castle Town. It was virtually deserted; even the usual stray dogs were missing, probably huddled in a warm corner somewhere. It didn’t take much thinking to decide that going to the castle was the wisest choice. Perhaps someone there could explain what was going on.

He walked down the path to the castle, thankful that the snow was less than an inch deep. Unconsciously he rubbed his hands over his arms to keep warm; he wasn’t shivering yet, but he knew he would be soon. At least it’s not windy, he thought. He saw the two guards at the gate, who were chatting leisurely, suddenly stand at attention when they saw him approach. One of the guards pointed to Link and they both laughed; he knew it was his expense, but he couldn’t hear them.

They stopped laughing when he arrived, and gave him stern looks. “Sorry, we don’t take in vagrants,” said one guard.

“Yeah, you should find a nice box to sleep in,” said the other guard. They both laughed at Link, but he definitely didn’t find it amusing.

“I’m not a bum,” he said through clenched teeth. “I have free access to the castle any time. Let me in.”

The first guard fought back a chuckle; this bum’s delusions were far greater than most he encountered. “Get lost kid. I don’t know what world you’re from, but we don’t let crazy teenagers wearing tattered rags into the castle.”

“I’m not some crazy teenager,” Link insisted, his patience growing thin. “My title is Sir Link of the Kokiri, and I’m personal friends with Zelda. I’m her boyfriend.”

Both guards laughed raucously. “Sure, you’re a knight,” said the second guard sarcastically. “A Kokiri, huh? You look a little big to be one of them. Where’s your stupid fairy friend? Did she flutter too close to the fireplace?”

“You know what? Go find Zelda and ask her yourself.”

“I don’t think so,” said the first guard. “And it’s ‘Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda ’ to you. Show some respect.”

“Try showing me some respect,” Link shot back angrily. “I’m sure I’ve done more in the last six years than both of you combined. I got the Star of Nayru at twelve. Did you two just get hired or something? That would explain your ignorance.”

“You’re walking on thin ice, kid,” warned the first guard.

“For your information, I’ve had this post for seven years,” said the second guard. “And I’ve been in the royal guard for fifteen. He’s been at this post for five years, in the guard for ten.”

Link sighed in frustration. “I really don’t care how long you’ve been here. The point is that it’s freezing cold out here, and I have no idea what is going on. I woke up in the alley just a few minutes ago. Some kind of foul play is involved. And Zelda would be extremely upset if she found out you two boneheads were out here harassing me.”

“We’re supposed to believe that some random kid, who we’ve never seen before, is some kind of knight?” said the second guard incredulously. “Think of it from our perspective. We don’t know you; you have no means of identifying yourself, and you show up out of nowhere demanding entrance. What would you do?”

“Listen, I see your point,” Link admitted. “All you have to do is ask Zelda, her father, Impa, or any of the other guards that know me.” Link couldn’t understand why these men had never heard of him. He knew most of the castle guards by name, and the ones he didn’t know personally still knew who he was. He’d earned quite a reputation in the castle–-a good reputation–-and he assumed that the guards all knew who he was. The king had given him a pass to show to anyone who didn’t know him. He really wished he had that pass right now.

“I’m not going to bother anyone important to indulge your little fantasy,” said the second guard. “So shoo.”

“It’s not a damn fantasy, and I’m not a bum!” Link growled.

“Sure, you look really well off to me,” said the first guard. “If you want someone to take you seriously, come back in the morning and sign the register to request an audience with the princess. Your request will be approved or denied within a week, and you can schedule an audience in a couple months.”

“It’s freezing cold out here!” Link said angrily, fed up with the guards’ apathetic attitudes. “All my money is gone, my home is miles away, and I don’t even have a coat. Do you want me to freeze in a gutter somewhere? If one of you could actually do something sensible and go inside and ask somebody, you would see that this is nothing but a misunderstanding. Let me in, or I’ll break in.”

Two more guards came to see what the commotion was and were standing ready to repel any kind of attack Link could muster. The first guard stood firm and scowled. “Turn around and leave right now, or you’ll be arrested. Just walk away, I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

Link considered his options. He could walk away and try to find shelter, but he doubted that anyone would take him in, considering how he looked. Pretending to walk away then sneaking into the castle wouldn’t work; the full moon and fresh coat of snow would make escaping detection nearly impossible. Fighting them would be out of the question. He couldn’t bring himself to harm them for doing what they thought was right. His only choice was to agitate them into arresting him. They would handle him roughly, but wouldn’t really injure him unless he posed a threat. And he knew that the guards only considered him a minor nuisance, not a threat.

“Fine, go ahead and arrest me you incompetent boars,” he shouted loud enough for half the town to hear. “You’ll be sorry when Zelda finds out what you did.” The two guards at the gate had had enough and moved forward to grab him. Link moved to the side to dodge them. One of the guards grabbed his left arm, but he twisted his body and caused the man to trip and fall. This angered the guards enough to make them shove him roughly to the ground. Link fell face first, just barely avoiding smashing his nose. One guard put his foot on Link’s back, while the other sat on his legs and secured his wrists tightly with some rope. Link purposely squirmed and struggled as they hauled him to his feet and shoved him through the now open gate.

“Quiet down or we’ll make you quiet,” the guard threatened vaguely.

Link only took this as encouragement to agitate them further. He struggled more forcefully and let his legs go limp so they had to hold him upright and drag him. As they got closer to the castle, Link shouted even louder. “Go ahead, throw me in the dungeon you pigs. I feel sorry for you because that’s where you’ll end up when the king finds out what you did to me. You’ll end up shoveling the crap from the princess’s horse!”

“Will you shut up!” one guard yelled, smacking Link on the side of the head with the back of his hand. The blow nearly sent him tumbling to the ground, but he regained his balance. Link felt a sharp pain and a warm liquid flowing down his cheek. The decorative engravings on the guard’s gauntlet had cut Link just above the temple, and it was now bleeding freely.

Link definitely didn’t expect the guards to be this rough, and that angered him for real. “You prick!” Link shouted. “What the hell was that for? You’re really going to get in trouble now. Zelda will be furious; she’ll skin you alive.”

“Shut your mouth, or I’ll hit you again,” the guard warned. “And next time you won’t wake up for a while.”

Link gave him a poisonous glare. Even though he was now bleeding and even angrier, he still had to stick to his plan. The guards were dragging him to on of the castle’s side entrances, the one that led to the holding cells. When they entered, Link took his last chance to get someone’s attention before they threw him in a cold cell for the night. “Hey! Leave me alone! The princess is going to go crazy when she sees this, and Impa will strip you of your rank.”

A couple servants and government officials noticed the commotion, but didn’t pay it any mind. It wasn’t uncommon for a guard to drag in a raucous troublemaker. Link was quite sure that Impa was awake at this hour and inside her office, which was at the opposite end of the hallway from the jail entrance. He only hoped she had her door open and could hear him. “Hey Impa! Come see what these poor excuses for guards did! I want my lawyer!”

One guard put his hand over Link’s mouth to shut him up. Link contemplated biting the man’s hand in retaliation for his head, but decided not to. To Link’s relief, he saw Impa storm down the hallway to see what all the noise was about. “What in the name of the goddesses is going on here?” she demanded to know.

“This ragamuffin was causing trouble outside the gate,” explained the guard that struck him. “We warned that we would arrest him, but he kept on making a fool of himself. So were taking him in to sleep off whatever liquor he’s on.”

Impa was about to let them drag him off into the jail cell, until she took a closer look at the troublemaker. “Wait just a minute,” she ordered, and the men did their best to stand at attention while restraining Link. Impa stared at him for a minute, not sure if he was real or she was just seeing things. She couldn’t believe her eyes; this couldn’t possibly be the real Link. “Link?” she asked quietly, afraid that he just looked like the young man she remembered.

“Thank the goddesses,” Link said, sighing in relief and relaxing a little. “These boneheads wouldn’t even let me talk to you. I had to make a huge fuss just to get your attention.”

“What happened to your head?”

“This guy got a little carried away,” Link replied, motioning to the guard that struck him. “It’s just a scratch, really.”

“Release him immediately,” she ordered.

The guards looked dumbfounded. “But ma’am, he was...”

“Don’t question me! Release him!” The guards let go of Link and cut the rope that was binding his wrists. He rubbed his wrists, trying to get the feeling back. He wiped at the cut on his head, but only succeeded in smearing the blood further. “Why did you injure him?” she demanded.

“He was resisting arrest,” replied the guard that hit Link.

Impa glowered. “You do not strike a prisoner unless he injures you first, or he puts your life in mortal danger. Both of you return to your posts. Tomorrow morning you will report to the stables. Your job for the next two months will be cleaning up after the horses. Furthermore, you will treat this man with respect due to a knight and a personal friend of the royal family.” The guards nodded that they understood. “Dismissed.”

After the guards left, Impa returned to a more relaxed pose and looked back to Link. He stood there, wondering if she was going to say something, or if he should talk first. As he was about to open his mouth, Impa smiled and embraced him tightly. Link felt extremely awkward that she was hugging him, something she never done before, but he decided to go along with it. “Um, Impa...are you drunk?”

She released him and gave him a weird look. “I’m not drunk. I just can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

“What’s going on?” Link asked, confused. “I thought I knew all the guards here, but I’ve never seen those guys before.”

“We’ll talk in a minute. Come with me to the doctor’s office so she can patch you up.” Link shrugged his shoulders and followed, figuring that she’d explain her odd behavior eventually. They entered the doctor’s office and Link sat on the examination table, sighing at Impa’s overreaction to his minor wound.

The doctor heard them enter and called from the other room, “I’ll be right there.” The doctor, a middle-aged woman with short, gray-streaked hair, walked into the main office and gasped at what she saw. There was a gash on the side of Link’s head above the temple, and it was still oozing blood. The blood had slid down the side of his head all the way to his shoulder, soaking into his hair and smearing everything. “Oh, you poor thing,” the doctor cooed, grabbing a couple towels and some soap, water, and a blanket. “You’re shivering, you must be freezing.” She put the blanket around his shoulders and he sighed with relief. “Don’t tell me you were outside wearing those clothes.” He nodded. “You young men always think you’re invincible. Just wait until you catch your death of colds. Now, I’ll get your little cut fixed right up.” She quickly and efficiently wiped the blood from his head, and dipped a towel in warm soapy water to clean the actual wound. “How did this happen?”

“A guard got a little too rough trying to arrest me.”

The doctor gave a strange look, wondering if this young man was a dangerous criminal. “Don’t worry, he’s not a criminal. They just mistook him for someone else,” Impa assured her.

“Oh, I see,” the doctor said, nodding. “Some of those men are animals.” Link winced when she scrubbed the wound. “Sorry baby, this’ll only be a second.” Link felt silly that this woman was babying him, but he dealt with it. “This shouldn’t need a bandage; it’s not that bad of a cut. Just be careful and don’t irritate it, or it’ll come open again.”

“Thank you,” Link said.

“Is there anything else you need?” the doctor asked. Link shook his head. “Okay, take care.”

Impa escorted Link out of the doctor’s office and into her own private office. She motioned for him to sit at the chair in front of her desk, and she took her own seat behind the desk. Her position of authority was obvious, and Link probably would’ve felt intimidated if he didn’t know her personally. She leaned forward and stared him straight in the eyes. “So tell me, is it really you?”

Link looked bewildered. “Yeah, last time I checked,” he joked. He chuckled, and then went silent when he saw that she wasn’t amused. “Of course it’s me, who else would I be?” This was beginning to feel like an interrogation, and he had no idea why she would do that.

“What is your name?”

Link decided to play along with whatever game she was up to. “My name is Link.”

“Is that your real name, or are you just pretending to be him?”

“Of course that’s me real name. You know me, Zelda knows me, her father knows me. I don’t understand what’s wrong. Has someone been impersonating me or something?”

“Link, how old are you?”

“I’m sixteen. You know that.”

“Tell me what happened to you just now,” she asked, curious as to how and why Link ended up here.

“I was trying to get into the castle and those guards started hassling me. I told them who I was and they claimed they never heard of me. I thought I knew most of the guards here, or at least they knew who I was. They said they’d been working that post for years, but I’ve never seen them before.”

“No, what happened before you came to the guards?” Impa clarified. “Where have you been?”

“That’s the weird part. I just woke up. I was in an alley in the town. I have no idea how I got there. And I don’t know why it’s snowing outside, it’s almost summer.”

“What’s the last thing you remember before you woke up in the town?”

Link thought hard, trying to remember the last moment before he lost consciousness. His memory was hazy and indistinct, like there was a huge blank in his head. The feeling was very disorienting and it made him nervous. “I don’t know....” His brow furrowed in concentration. “Let me think.... It was late morning, and I was coming to the castle to visit Zelda. She wanted to have lunch together. When I was walking through the town, I saw a vendor selling fresh flowers. I thought they looked really nice, so I bought some. I know it’s a little unoriginal to get a girl flowers, but Zelda always liked them.” He scanned his memory for something else, but came up blank. “That’s it. I paid the lady, and she told me to have a nice day.”

“That’s it?” Impa asked.

“Yeah,” he replied. “The next thing I knew, I’m freezing in an alley in the middle of the night.”

“You don’t remember anyone attacking you? Or anything at all unusual, no matter how small?”

“No I don’t remember!” Link shouted, growing sick of this bizarre treatment. “What did I do wrong? If you’re going to charge me with a crime, then do it. I think I would’ve been better off in the dungeon.”

Impa got up and went to Link’s side, putting her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. “Relax, Link. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you’re not being charged with a crime.”

“So why are you interrogating me?” he demanded irritably. “And why won’t you explain what’s going on? Don’t you think I’m a little confused too? I seem to have passed out for no explainable reason, I woke up in an alley and it’s snowing outside, and nobody seems to know who I am!”

“I’ll explain exactly what the problem is: you’d gone missing, and we had no idea what happened to you. You never showed up that day to have lunch with Zelda.”

“So is that why it’s snowing outside? Was I out cold through the whole summer and fall?”

Impa shook her head solemnly. “No. Actually, it’s been considerably longer than that. You’ve been missing for about ten and a half years.”

Link’s eyes grew wide, and he gave a look of disbelief. “This is a joke, right? Everybody’s playing some huge joke on me.”

“I wish it was a joke, but it’s not. I wouldn’t joke about something like this.” Link sat there silently, contemplating this strange new development. How could he possibly have vanished for ten years? He certainly didn’t feel ten years older.

“This can’t be real,” said Link. “I must be dreaming.”

“No dream,” Impa stated flatly. “How do you think I feel? You were missing, and we launched an all-out manhunt to find you. No one ever found any sign of you, except for your hat. We had no leads, no witnesses who saw anything happen to you. You were just gone.”

Her explanation was interrupted when the king wandered into her office. “Impa, what’s this I heard about some kid...” He saw Link from behind, but didn’t see his face so he didn’t realize who he was. “Is this the kid?”

“Yeah, that would be me,” Link sighed. “The world has gone crazy on me.”

The king stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Link’s familiar voice. “Link? Is that you?”

“Yes.”

He walked forward and stood next to the chair to get a better look at Link. “Dear goddesses, it is you.” In another surprise move, the king leaned over and gave him a quick hug. “I can’t believe it, you’re really alive. Do you have any idea how much we’ve missed you?”

“Notice anything weird about him?” Impa asked. The king looked Link over and shrugged his shoulders. “He’s been gone for ten years, yet he hasn’t seemed to age at all. Tell me, does he look twenty-six to you?”

“I certainly don’t feel twenty-six,” Link commented. “I honestly don’t remember anything. I didn’t know I was missing.”

Impa told the king everything she’d learned so far, how Link seemed to appear out of nowhere with no memory of how he’d gotten there or where he’d been. “So basically, one mystery has been solved, and another has taken its place,” the king said.

“Are you going to interrogate me some more, or can I try to put my life back together?” Link asked with obvious annoyance in his voice.

“We don’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” Impa said in a soothing voice. “But you have to understand it from our perspective. You’ve been missing without a trace, and suddenly you show up without aging. That’s a little suspicious.”

“How do you think I feel?” Link countered. “I’m missing a huge chunk of my life. The entire world has changed around me. I know you think I could be some impostor, and I don’t blame you. What do you want me to do to convince you? Obviously I can tell you things that only the real me would know.”

“Give us an example,” said the king.

“Where should I start?” Link racked his brain trying to think of something private that not only he would know, but Impa or the king would know as well. “Okay, Impa. On your fifteenth birthday you got drunk in some Sheikah tradition and woke up on the roof of your house.”

The king gave her an odd look and started laughing. Impa’s cheeks reddened slightly, and that only made him laugh louder. “You actually did that? No way, I don’t believe it.”

Impa put her head on her desk and sighed. She had no idea telling that little story would come back to bite her. She always had the aura of a wise, no-nonsense soldier, especially to those who respected her. “Yes, it’s true,” Impa admitted. “I did do that.”

“Well, that’s one example,” the king said, fighting back a chuckle. “That’s almost enough to convince me.”

Link thought hard again, but couldn’t come up with anything off the top of his head. “I don’t know. I never expected a situation like this.” He went silent for a minute, the impact of his whole situation finally hitting him. “What about Zelda? If anyone would know, it would be her.”

“I still feel uncomfortable about that,” said the king. “I don’t know if you should see her until we know more about you.”

“But Zelda would know!” Link insisted. “How could you not trust me with her! I’ve saved her life several times, I’ve always protected her and I love her more than anything. She has to be heartbroken over this, right? I don’t know what I’d do if she disappeared. She should at least know that I’m here for her now.” Then a very disturbing thought ran through his head, and he looked extremely worried. “Wait...are you holding me back because she doesn’t want to see me? Please don’t tell me that she’s found some other man, and is married with kids. My whole world has gone to shit, and I don’t want the one woman I love to have forgotten about me.”

Link was on the verge of tears, and the king put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, son. She hasn’t forgotten about you. It’s quite the opposite. She’s missed you terribly. I’ve never seen her so depressed, ever. I know she would never leave you for anyone or anything. She’s been stricken with you since they day you met. That kind of love never goes away. She still talks about you all time; she always wonders what you would do in a certain situation, or how you would feel about something. She misses you so much that she sleeps with your hat.”

“How has she been?” Link asked sadly.

“She has her ups and downs,” the king replied. “But they’re mostly down. She’s coped in different ways. For at least a year, she personally led expeditions to find you. After we stopped the official searches, she still occasionally would go out on her own investigations. Then she stopped looking, but never gave up hope that you would come back.

“She tried at lot of things to take her mind off you. She liked to go on benders when she was younger, she’d stay drunk for days at a time. When I cut off her access to liquor, she would sneak out of the castle and buy it from people. It took some time, but we finally helped her break that habit. Now she cycles between endless work and studying, and total apathy. She doesn’t have that same spark she used to have. She doesn’t seem to really care about anything, especially herself. She skips meals all the time, would never get a good night’s sleep... It’s horrible. She either loses her temper at the drop of a hat, or lets people walk all over her. Right now she’s depressed and doesn’t care.”

Link listened to the story with a heavy heart, imagining all the pain she’d gone through because of him. Then Link had a horrible thought. “She didn’t try to...to hurt herself did she? Because...she promised me she wouldn’t. She promised me.”

“Oh, Link, no. She never tried to kill herself,” the king assured him. “She mentioned that promise she made to you every time she felt like she couldn’t take it anymore.”

“How is she now?” Link asked.

“She’s in one of her depressed cycles,” replied Impa. “She hasn’t gotten out of bed all day.”

“I want to see her,” Link demanded. “I want her to know that I’m here.” Impa and the king both looked at each other, silently debating if they should let Link see Zelda. Their gut feelings said to trust him, but they didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. “Please,” Link begged. “Just let me see her. You can watch me.”

The king finally decided to grant Link’s wish. “All right Link, I’ll let you see her. I’ll go get Zelda, and Impa will get you some clean clothes.” Link thanked him, and he left to fetch Zelda.

“I think you are who you say you are,” Impa said. “I don’t think an impostor could ever accurately pretend to be you. And Zelda will be the final proof. She would know.”

“Thanks for your confidence,” Link said sincerely.

“I’ll go get you some clothes.”

 

 

 

 

The king walked slowly to Zelda’s room, all the while thinking of how he should break the news to her. He didn’t want to overexcite her, but he didn’t want to make it seem unimportant either. When he reached Zelda’s door he opened it and stepped inside, looking around to see if she was up and about. As he suspected, Zelda was in bed, evident by the lump underneath the blankets. The lump moved and Zelda stuck her head out. “It’s customary to knock before entering someone’s private room,” Zelda muttered. “Have you come to force food down my throat again? I promise I’ll eat something in the morning.”

“No, this isn’t about food,” her father replied, used to her attitude. “Actually, this isn’t even about you.”

Zelda groaned. “What, is it a funeral for some older-than-dirt politician that I never even heard of, but have to pretend I knew? Or is some stupid prince asking for my hand in marriage again?”

He groaned at her typical response, but wasn’t angry at her. “Zelda, this is good news for a change.” She moaned unenthusiastically. “Sit up and look at me, this is no time for games.”

“Fine,” she shot back, throwing the covers away from her and sitting up to face him with an annoyed expression. “What is it?”

“Link is here. We found him.”

Zelda’s eyes went wide and a tiny glimmer of hope flashed across her face, but quickly disappeared. “This is a joke, isn’t it? That’s not funny at all.”

“Do you think I would joke about something like that?” her father said irritably. “I’m serious, he’s downstairs right now. He just showed up. I don’t know where’s he’s been and how he got here, but neither does he. But I have little doubt that it’s really him.”

Zelda shook her head. “No, this can’t be real. I’ve had this dream before. I’m going to see Link, and when I try to touch him, he’ll disappear. It happens every time.” He leaned over and pinched Zelda’s arm. She yelped. “What was that for?”

“You’re not dreaming.” Zelda shot out of bed and ran for the door, but her balance was off and she nearly fell over. Luckily, her father caught her before she could fall. “Goddesses, I’m so pathetic!”

He helped her up and took her arm to support her. “It’s all right, Sweetie. I’ll help you.” Zelda leaned on him heavily for support. Her head was swimming and she felt weak and tired. She hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks, and it took a heavy toll on her strength. “Everything is going to get better.”

Link waited patiently for Impa to return with some decent clothing, and in the meantime he sat next to the small wood stove for warmth. He didn’t realize until now how much the cold had cut through him. The heat felt great, and he lost himself in the moment. The clearing of Impa’s throat snapped him out of his reverie. “Here’s some clean clothes for you. They belong to Zelda’s father, so they should fit you okay. But you might need to tighten the belt a bit, he’s gotten a little wider since his younger days.” Link chuckled and she handed the clothing to him. It was a simple white sweater and a pair of black pants. “I’ll give you some privacy to change. Just yell when you’re done.” Impa left the office and closed the door behind her. Link removed his torn and dirty clothes and was happy to put on something warm and soft. He was surprised at how comfortable these simple garments were; he supposed it was one of the perks of being the King of Hyrule.

“You can come back now,” Link yelled at the door.

Impa returned and looked him over with a critical eye. She seemed to be satisfied and nodded. “Not bad on you,” she said. “Although the extra room around the stomach area gives it away that they aren’t yours.”

“Thanks, I appreciate everything.”

“You’re welcome, Link.”

Both of them waited in silence for Zelda and her father to return. Link felt a little apprehensive about seeing Zelda because he had no idea how she would react. He tried to imagine how he would feel if Zelda had disappeared for a decade, then suddenly returned. He did know that she would be extremely emotional, whatever those emotions would be. He seriously hoped that she didn’t cry; he hated it when she cried. Link would never admit it, seeing Zelda upset made him want to cry too. But he had to stay strong for her, to help her feel better.

“Do you think things will get better?” Link asked, searching for some reassurance.

“Yes. It will be hard at first, but it will get better.”

“I still can’t believe what’s going on. I missed ten years of my life, but more importantly, I lost ten years of my friends’ lives.” He remembered the seven years he’d skipped on his first adventure. He’d been lucky though, he’d gotten those years back and was allowed to live them the way nature intended. But he didn’t know what to make of this situation. There was no wise sage to explain things to him. The world passed him by, and there was no one who could tell him why. “I want to know who did this to me. I need to fix this.”

“There might not be a way to fix it,” said Impa.

“There’s a way to fix everything,” Link insisted. “I just have to find out how.”

“What if nobody is responsible for this?”

Link looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “A person doesn’t mysteriously disappear and come back ten years later. Someone did this to me on purpose. Every fiber of my being tells me so.”

“You seem to have a better instinct on supernatural things,” Impa admitted. “The Sheikah people are known for their special connection to magic and the world beyond death, but this is something else. Your powers are something else entirely. I’ve never met anyone quite like you. I suppose if anyone can figure it out, it’d be you. I’ll do anything in my power to help, and I’m sure Harikana would agree when I say that all of Hyrule’s resources are at your disposal.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

The door to the office opened and Zelda wobbled in, almost hanging off her father. The second she laid eyes on him, she froze. She stared into Link’s eyes, silently analyzing him. Impa and her father watched the pair with curiosity. It was as if they were silently communicating with each other on a level no one else could understand. In a way, it was true; but the communication was on a more spiritual and emotional level than actual words or ideas. Link could feel the emotions flow from her; every feeling from total sadness and despair to joy.

Zelda’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she gave a small smile. “It really is you,” she whispered. She let go of her dad’s arm and took a shaky step forward. But Link anticipated her trouble and caught her as she fell. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him full on the mouth. Link was surprised that she would do that in front of her father, but he ignored that thought and kissed her back. They continued their passionate kiss until the finally had to break apart just to take a breath. “Oh yes, it’s definitely him.”

Zelda’s legs were shaky, so Link picked her up, gently set her on a couch, and sat next to her. Zelda didn’t seem to like this arrangement, so she scooted into his lap and put her arms around him again. Link knew exactly what was about to happen; Zelda’s eyes watered, she put her head on his shoulder, and started crying. All he could do was comfort her and rub her back as she sobbed. He felt his eyes water, but he fought back his own tears. “Link, I missed you so much,” she stammered out between sobs.

Link kissed her on the head and stroked her hair. “Ni keto janeka,” Link whispered into her ear. I love you. It was a Kokiri phrase that Link had always said to her. At first, she didn’t know what it meant, until she asked Saria. After that, Link had taught her the language so she wouldn’t feel like any outsider in the Kokiri Forest. It had been the first language Link had spoken, so saying that phrase to Zelda in Kokiri was far more intimate for him.

“Ne kito ya janeka,” Zelda whispered back. I love you too. Zelda cried for several minutes more, but finally calmed down. She lifted her head off his shoulder and sniffled a couple times. Link handed her a handkerchief that Impa had given him, and Zelda used it to wipe the tears off her face. Although she no longer had her arms wrapped around Link, she still kept a tight hold on his hand, fearful that he would vanish if she let go.

“I’ll make everything better, I promise,” Link said.

“Don’t make a promise like that,” Zelda admonished. “You don’t know what will happen in the future. All I want is for you to stay with me.”

“I’ll always be with you.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “I won’t let anything change that. I’ll get to the bottom of this, and I’ll do anything I can to fix it.”

“What if it can’t be fixed?” Zelda asked, the pessimism obvious in her tone. “We didn’t know what happened to you for ten years. Then you show up out of the blue, and you don’t even know what happened. How could you fix it if you don’t even know what happened?”

Link sighed in frustration. Zelda obviously had little or no hope left, and it would take a long time to help her get her confidence back. Link knew that the odds against him were great, but he’d won against odds greater than this. Even if he could never figure out what caused this problem, he would still stay with Zelda and never leave her for anything. “Maybe I won’t be able to fix it. But that won’t change how I feel.”

Zelda seemed satisfied with his response, but felt a little guilty for criticizing him when he was only trying to make her feel better. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have doubted you like that.”

“I can understand how bad it’s been for you. I would’ve searched the whole world until I found you or died trying.”

“I tried that,” said Zelda. “But they stopped me. They wouldn’t let me spend the rest of my life looking for you. I had no choice. It was supposedly for the good of Hyrule.”

“Yes, that’s true,” Link said. “The people need you. You’ll be queen one day, and you have to be there for them.”

“I don’t dread it now that you’re here.”

Link smiled and hugged her tightly, gently rubbing her back. When they moved apart, Link had a small frown on his face. “You’re too skinny,” he said. “I could feel your ribs.” Link now noticed Zelda’s physical condition; he’d been too caught up in comforting her to notice. She definitely looked older, like a woman of twenty-six. But she didn’t look healthy. Her skin looked pale and pallid. She’d always had a very light complexion, but now she was sickly-looking. He could see that her arms were thin and bony, and he was pretty sure that her ribcage was visible as well.

Zelda lowered her head, ashamed that Link had to see her like this. “I know, I look horrible. If you think I’m hideous, go ahead and say so.”

“What? No, I don’t think you’re hideous at all,” Link assured her. “Don’t ever think about yourself like that. You’ll always be beautiful to me. All I meant to say was that you need to eat more. I know you haven’t been taking care of yourself.”

“I told the cook to prepare some food for us,” Impa said. “It should be done by now.”

“I’m not that hungry,” Zelda said.

“Well, I’m starving,” said Link. He looked over at Zelda. “You’re eating too. You have to eat something or you’ll never get your strength back.”

“All right. I’ll have something.”

“Okay, let’s go then,” Link said. He took a secure hold on Zelda’s arm and led her towards a small, private dining room. The king silently thanked the goddesses for this turn of events. Zelda’s constant self-neglect made him more and more worried every day. But all it took was Link’s gentle encouragement to set Zelda on the path back to normal. Link was a strong person, and Zelda’s father had no doubt that he would use that strength to mend Zelda’s body and soul.

A man wearing a long, brown cloak wandered through the castle village, using extra caution not to be seen. It was common to see outsiders in the village, whether they were foreign dignitaries, guests of residents, or people shopping; so the man wasn’t too concerned about ordinary citizens seeing him. The ones he worried about were the few that might recognize him.

The man, in his early forties, looked with amazement at the town around him. The town looked so much different now than he remembered. He hadn’t been here in years, and the last time he saw it, there was nothing but total destruction. He smiled at the simple beauty of the village, something he so sorely missed. But he couldn’t waste his time reminiscing; he had a mission to accomplish.

He had seen the young man, Link, stumble through the cold winter night, disoriented and confused. The man couldn’t help but chuckle quietly when he’d seen Link deal with the castle guards. He wished that he could confront Link directly right now, but that would have proved fruitless. If he’d confronted Link now, there was little chance he’d believe what he had to say. So all he could do was wait until Link discovered what had happened to him. Then he could perform his mission.

The mission was the only thing that mattered to the middle-aged man. It was his last-ditch effort to preserve the life he had once had, along with the lives of his friends and family. Luckily, he knew Link well. He knew his personality, mannerisms, and even his thoughts. The man also knew exactly what Link was going to do in the next couple of days. There was always a chance of some random variation from what he expected, but the overall outcome would be the same. For now, all he could do was wait.

After he was sure that Link had gotten to the castle safely, he quietly wandered back through the side streets of the town. He couldn’t risk renting a room and being recognized, so he had to rough it. Luckily for him, there was an abandoned building at the far edge of town. The previous owners had moved out, and the new owners wouldn’t move in for a couple weeks. As he approached the door, the man scanned his surroundings to make sure no one had seen him. Then he took an old, rusted skeleton key from his pocket and unlocked the door. The house was cold and dark, but he couldn’t risk lighting a lamp; that would attract too much attention. There was a fireplace on the far side of the room, which was far enough away from the door that it wouldn’t attract much attention. He’d already drawn the drapes and fastened blankets over the windows to block out any light that a fire might produce. He opened his tinderbox and made quick work of starting a fire. There were plenty of logs next to the fireplace, and the new owners wouldn’t miss them. Once he’d gotten the fire going nicely, the man wrapped a couple blankets around himself and lay down to sleep. He’d have a lot of work to do tomorrow if he was going to succeed in his mission.

After much prodding and encouragement, Link had finally convinced Zelda to eat something. She only ate a couple slices of bread and a bowl of soup, but at least it was a start. Now it was time to go to bed. Link was tired, and Zelda had almost fallen asleep several times during the meal. “I’m glad you managed to eat something,” Link said.

“I tried my best,” Zelda replied.

“You need to go to bed,” Link told Zelda as he helped her out of the chair.

“That’s a good idea,” said her father. He hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. “Do you want me to help you upstairs?”

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. “Link will do it. But you can if you want to.”

“That’s okay,” her father said. “I’ll let him take care of you.” He looked over at Link. “I trust you. Be good to her.”

“I’ll protect her with my life,” Link said firmly. Link took Zelda’s arm and led her out of the dining room.

Imps stopped him for a moment before he left. “Your usual guestroom is ready.”

“Thanks,” Link said as he led Zelda away. Neither spoke as they went upstairs to Zelda’s room. Link was too busy trying to keep Zelda from falling, and she was too focused on staying awake. She sighed with relief when they reached her room. Link pulled back the covers for her and helped her into bed. She collapsed with an exhausted sigh. Link gave her a bewildered look and scratched his head.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Link looked at the bed then back at her, unsure if he was just seeing things. “Um...Is that my pillow? And my blanket?”

Zelda looked at the blanket and pillow in question, suddenly feeling silly. “Yeah, they’re yours.”

“I don’t know if I should ask why or not.”

“They reminded me of you,” she said sheepishly. “Solo didn’t want to live alone, so she moved in with Malon to live and work at the ranch. So I asked her if it was okay if I borrowed your blankets and stuff. I know it sounds weird...but I wanted something.”

Link’s eyes widened and he looked frantic. “Oh my goddesses! I forgot about Solo! Is she doing okay? I can’t believe I forgot about her. I’m such a horrible brother...”

Zelda interrupted his self-deprecating rant, “Wait, calm down. You’re not a terrible brother. It’s my fault you didn’t think of her. We’ll both go see her tomorrow. It’s too cold, and you’re too tired to go there now.”

Link nodded. “You’re right. And I need to see Saria too. It’s okay that you took my blankets. I can understand that.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Good night. I hope you can sleep tonight. I’ll be in my room if you need me.” Link went to walk away.

“Wait.” Link stopped and turned around. “Don’t leave. Please.” She scooted over and patted the spot next to her. “Sleep with me, I don’t want to be alone.”

Link’s eyes went wide. “Zelda, I don’t think I’m quite ready for...”

“Get your mind out of the gutter.” Link’s face reddened when he realized that wasn’t what Zelda meant. Luckily the room was dark and she couldn’t see his embarrassment. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Sorry,” Link apologized. “I didn’t mean to think that about you.”

“It’s all right. Men can’t help it. But all I wanted was for you to sleep next to me, that’s all. It’s cold out, and I’m sick of being alone.”

“But I don’t want to make your father mad.”

Zelda sighed. “Don’t worry about him. You’ve earned his trust. And I’m a grown woman, if I want to sleep with you, I will. Even if it is what you were thinking.” She sensed his unease and quickly clarified. “But it’s not. Just sleep, that’s it. Please?”

“All right, I’d like that.” Link hesitated for a moment and Zelda wondered what he was worried about now.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He plucked at his sweater. “These clothes aren’t going to be comfortable to sleep in. And I don’t think I should take them off. That might be a little awkward...too tempting.”

“Yeah, I see your point. Go check the guestroom; they might have laid out some sleeping clothes for you. It’s cold out, and it would be common courtesy.”

Link nodded and left for his usual guestroom. As Zelda said, on the bed lay a pair of purple silk pajamas. He quickly removed his borrow clothes, threw them on the bed, and put on the pajamas. He was amazed at the feeling of the silk against his bare skin. It felt so light, but warm as well. He would definitely have to get some of these. His normal clothes felt like burlap compared to what he was wearing now. Link left the guest bedroom and went back to Zelda’s room, where she was patiently waiting. Link slid into bed next to her and pulled up the blankets. Zelda immediately sidled up to him and put her head on his shoulder.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she murmured quietly. “I’m always so cold at night, and you’re so warm. I love you.”

“I love you too Zelda,” Link replied, kissing her gently. “Always.” Link put his arm around her and they both drifted into a contented sleep.

Chapter 2

The man woke up early, just before sunrise. He checked the fireplace to make sure it was out, and looked around to see if there were any glowing embers laying around. Satisfied that the house was safe and secure, he opened the door and left. He locked the door and put the key back into his pocket. He couldn’t leave any evidence behind. Ashes in a fireplace weren’t a problem, those were there to begin with. But anything he brought with him, he had to keep with him.

The man decided to wander around town like a normal visitor, but in reality, he was only killing time until the drawbridge opened. He considered buying a pastry from a vendor, but decided against it. He could eat later. He slowly walked towards the entrance of the town, counting the minutes until dawn. And right on time, the loud ratcheting noise of the drawbridge could be heard. He was the first one to leave the village this morning, nodding politely to the guard as he left.

Now in the open expanse of Hyrule Field, the man walked briskly toward his next destination: the Kokiri Forest. No snow had fallen during the night, and what was already on the ground was thin, especially on the field’s well-worn paths. The almost bare path was in excellent condition for foot travel. There was little or no ice, so he could jog most of the way there. If he could keep up a steady pace, he could make it to the forest and avoid meeting Link on the way there.

Link opened his eyes and yawned widely, wondering for a second where he was. He felt Zelda clutched tightly to him, and the memories came flooding back. Zelda looked calm and peaceful as she slept, much better than the emotional wreck she’d been the night before. He wasn’t sure what time it was, probably late morning. Zelda looked so happy that he didn’t want to risk waking her up. And from the stories he’d heard, she definitely needed the rest. So he lay there, trying not to move, waiting for her to wake on her own. He could lie here forever if he had to. He enjoyed the feeling of Zelda’s warm body against his.

Zelda stirred a little and moaned quietly. Her eyelids fluttered and opened. When she realized she was lying next to Link and not dreaming she smiled. Link gently stroked her hair and waited to see if she would get up or go back to sleep. Zelda decided to wake up. She sat up and yawned, and stretched her arms. “I haven’t slept that well in years,” she said. “Thank you for staying with me.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Link said. They both got out of bed and kissed each other. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Linkie-pooh.”

Link smiled widely on hearing her use his pet name. That was a definite sign that she was feeling better. He looked at the clock and saw that it was almost ten o’clock, not too late or too early as far as he was concerned. “I’m surprised no one tried to wake us up.”

“Daddy and Impa gave up on that a long time ago,” Zelda said with a shrug. She looked down at herself, then at Link. She was in her nightgown and he in his pajamas. “We should probably get dressed, and then go to breakfast.” Link nodded in agreement.

“You can wear the same clothes as yesterday, you weren’t in them for long.”

“Okay. I’ll wait outside your room until you’re done; I know it’ll take an hour or so.”

“I’ll try to only take forty-five minutes,” she said, rolling her eyes and shooing him out. With a happy, light-hearted feeling, he went to his room and put his other loaned clothes back on. He hoped that Zelda’s good attitude would remain. Link was done changing in a minute, but figured Zelda would take a while longer. He patiently waited outside her door for some sign that she was done. After about ten minutes, she called from inside, “Okay, you can come in now.”

Link entered her room, amazed that she’d gotten dressed so quickly. His question was answered when he saw that she hadn’t brushed her hair or put on makeup. She was waiting patiently at her vanity table, brush in hand. Link smiled and went over to her. “I was wondering how you got done so quickly,” he said. “You didn’t do all your primping and preening.”

She smiled sweetly at him. “I thought you could preen me today.” She handed Link the brush and he delicately and diligently went to work. He brushed her hair as gently as possible, hoping he wouldn’t catch too many tangles. He’d done this several times before, and each time he got better. The best part was that they both enjoyed it; Zelda liked the attention from him, and he liked doing it for her.

Link frowned when he hit a bunch of tangles, and tried his best to brush them out without hurting her. “You haven’t been taking care of your hair, have you?” he asked.

“No,” she admitted. “I didn’t really care. But now that you’re here, I can look pretty for you again. I had no reason to before.”

“You’ll always look pretty to me, even now. I know you don’t feel healthy now, but you’ll get better. I’ll love you skinny or fat, or anything in between.”

“Thanks, Link. That really means a lot to me. I know it must be strange for you to wake up in a world that’s left you behind. But I know you’ll adapt to it.”

“It’s strange, but I will get to the bottom of this.” He stopped brushing and stood back to look at his work. He gazed expectantly at Zelda and she nodded in approval. Then she opened her make up box and dug through it. Link stared in wonder at the unending assortment of powders, creams, lotions, colors, and potions. She decided on some kind of flesh-colored powder and what looked to be lipstick. After she was done, she looked to Link for his opinion.

“You look beautiful as always,” he said. “It’s weird that you’re older than me, though. But now I get to see what you look like as a grown woman. You really don’t look that much different, just a little more mature, I guess. It’s hard to describe.” He looked her up and down, trying to notice the difference. “You’re a little bit taller. That must be it.” He nodded, satisfied that he’d figured it out. “Do you want some breakfast now, I could use something to eat. Are you hungry?” Zelda opened her mouth to answer but her interrupted her, “You’re eating even if you’re not hungry.”

“Yes, I’ll eat something. If you want to baby me, that’s fine.”

“I’m not going to insult you like that,” Link said.

“I was just joking. I know you wouldn’t do that.” Link offered his hand and she gladly took it. As they made their way to the dining room downstairs. Link kept a careful eye on her in case she stumbled or fell like the night before. But she walked steadily and didn’t falter. Link was amazed at what a decent meal and a good night’s sleep could do.

When they entered the dining room, Impa and Zelda’s father were already there, chatting. “I hope you weren’t waiting for us to get up,” Zelda said.

“No, actually we got up not too long ago,” her father replied. “We figured we’d wait for you.”

“I had a hunch that Link would get you up and about,” Impa added. “I’ll go tell the servants that we’re ready.”

“You look really great today, sweetie,” said Zelda’s father. He couldn’t have been more grateful that Zelda finally had a zest for life again. The light in her eyes was back, and she actually smiled. It was amazing how one man’s presence could change Zelda so drastically overnight. He sincerely hoped that the happiness wasn’t temporary and that Link and Zelda’s relationship could continue despite the bizarre circumstances.

Before Zelda sat down, she went over to her father and hugged and kissed him. “Good morning, Daddy,” she said sweetly. Link pulled out a chair for Zelda and then sat next to her. Impa returned and told everyone that breakfast would be served soon.

“I’m going to go see my sister today,” Link said to everyone. “I need to start rebuilding my life.”

“We’ll give you all the help you need,” offered the king. “Feel free to use one of our horses.” He looked over at Zelda. “Are you going with him?”

“Yeah, I want to, but... I don’t think I have the strength and coordination to ride a horse today.”

“It’s okay, you can ride with me,” Link said. “Neither of us is heavy, and your horses are strong, two people can fit easily. I don’t want you to get hurt or anything.”

“That’s fine then,” said Zelda. “Let’s eat something and then we can go.”

 

 

 

The man in the cloak finally reached the entrance to the Kokiri Forest. It took him about two and a half hours to get there, which was good time considering the weather. He walked through the hollow to the bridge, climbed over the side, and dropped down. He knew his way around the Kokiri Forest, and he could easily hide out in the Lost Woods until Link arrived. He knew that Link would arrive later in the day, but he wouldn’t be alone. The hard part would be to get Link alone.

 

 

Link borrowed a thick winter coat and boots for his quick journey to the Lon Lon ranch. Zelda changed into a sweater and pair of pants, with a thick coat and cloak over that. “Are you ready to go now?” asked Link. Zelda nodded. Link took her hand and they walked out the rear entrance of the castle to the stables. The workers gave Link weird looks, but quickly stiffened and tried to look more productive when they realized that the princess was with him.

“We can take my horse,” Zelda suggested. They walked over to one of the stables, which housed a majestic-looking white mare. She had gotten the horse five years ago after her previous one became too old to work. The new horse was young, and eager to please. When the horse saw Zelda, it neighed at her. Zelda rubbed the horse’s muzzle affectionately. “Her name is Honeycomb. She’s strong and fast, I think you’ll like riding her.”

Link expertly saddled the horse and prepared it for riding. Honeycomb seemed to like him, and didn’t show any signs of uneasiness, so Link mounted it. He gave Zelda a hand and she sat behind him. It was a tight fit, but wasn’t too uncomfortable. She wrapped her arms around Link’s waist and told him she was ready to go. “Okay, let’s see how good this horse is,” Link said, and he led the horse out of the stable and toward the castle gates.

 

 

 

Malon was busy tending to the horses in the stable, making sure they were fed and watered. She hated wintertime from a working perspective because it took much more effort to keep the animals warm. She checked the fire in the stove in the corner to make sure it had enough wood to last a few hours. Most of the horses had blankets, except a couple that were too stubborn to wear them. When she was satisfied that everything was good, she left the stable to go back into her warm house for some relaxation. She could rest for a while now that her morning chores were done.

The ranch had expanded significantly over the years, and they’d even built another small cottage on the land to house Malon and Solo. Malon entered her house and took off her boots and coat. “Solo, are you up?” she called. There was no answer, so she went to check the bedroom. It was almost one o’clock , but sometimes Solo would sleep all day, depending on what she had been doing the day before. But Solo hadn’t been up late working herself half to death like she did sometimes, so she shouldn’t be in bed. Malon checked the bedroom, and it was empty. Malon knew where Solo was now. At the other side of the house was a small room that they called “the shrine.” Malon opened the door, and sure enough, Solo was in there. The room was dimly lit with candles and the smell of incense wafted through the air. At the head of the room was an altar topped with symbols of the Triforce, copies of holy relics, prayer books, and over a dozen of Solo’s personal sacrifices. Solo was kneeling in front of the altar, her eyes closed and head bowed, reciting prayers in Ancient Hylian.

Solo was in deep concentration, but was aware enough to know that Malon had cracked open the door. Solo finished her final prayer and stood up. She blew out the candles and put out the incense. They both left the shrine and sat in front of the fireplace. “Were you in there all morning?” Malon asked. Solo went in there every day to pray, but normally didn’t spend more than ten or fifteen minutes there. Occasionally Solo would get an urge to spend hours praying, and Malon left her alone.

“Yeah. I’ve had this strange feeling since last night, and I was asking for guidance.”

“What kind of strange feeling?” Solo had many different “strange feelings”, and Malon had no idea which one she meant.

Solo’s brow furrowed. “I don’t really know.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It’s not something bad...at least I don’t think so. But I don’t know if it’s a good thing either.”

“Does it remind you of anything?” Malon asked. Sometimes it helped when Solo compared it to past experiences.

“Now that I think about it...” Solo trailed off and shook her head. “No, it can’t be. You’d laugh at me.”

“I wouldn’t laugh at you, Angel.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what the feeling reminds me of. It’s just like when met Link, when I found out he was my brother. It’s like I’m sensing his feelings. I can feel love and concern, like he’s terribly worried about me. I even dreamed about him last night. But it was weird, because I wasn’t in it, it was like I was watching him from afar. Link was lost in some kind of strange land, and he didn’t know how he got there. He was confused. He tried to find answers, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t find his way. And that was it.”

Solo was on the verge of tears, so Malon pulled her into a tight hug. “I know you miss him,” Malon said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever find out what happened to him. But I’ll always be here to help you through anything.”

Solo choked back a sob. “I think we’re going to find out what happened to him, and I’m worried that it’ll be bad.” She sniffled a little and whimpered. “I don’t want to end up finding his dead body somewhere.”

“What if your dream is right? Maybe he is lost somewhere. If he is, he’ll find a way back. Link would never leave you on purpose.”

Solo’s head shot up and she looked to be in deep concentration. “I think Zelda’s coming,” Solo said. “I can hear her horse.”

Malon was always amazed by Solo’s exceptional hearing. She learned long ago that Solo could hear things that others didn’t. Malon didn’t even bother to ask is Solo was sure; she went to the door and opened it to see if Zelda had arrived. Malon saw Zelda’s horse, but was confused when she saw a man riding it. When the horse turned she saw that Zelda was indeed on the horse, sitting behind the man. As the horse came closer, she could’ve sworn that the man riding it was Link. But that wasn’t even possible. Perhaps it was a guard or something who came as an escort.

The horse stopped in the stable and the man, followed by Zelda, took it inside. Malon stepped back into the house and looked at Solo. “It’s Zelda, but she was riding with some man.”

Solo gave a confused look. “Some man? Do you know who he is?”

“No, I can’t tell from here.” Malon looked outside again to see Zelda jogging towards the house, with the man chasing after her. Malon gasped loudly, not believing her eyes. But she was absolutely certain when he came close enough for her to make out his features; it was Link. “Dear goddesses!” she shrieked. “It’s Link!”

“What? You’re joking!”

“No, I’m serious,” Malon insisted.

Solo jumped up and ran past Malon and out the door. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Link, in the flesh, coming toward her. Zelda stopped at her side, a huge smile plastered on her face. “It’s really him,” Zelda said.

Solo took off and ran the rest of the distance to Link. She tackled him in a hug, and almost knocked him over. “Oh Link!” Solo squealed. “You’re back! I knew you’d come back.”

“Can we go inside?” Link asked, barely able to breathe.

“Oh! Oh yes. I’m sorry.” Solo looked at him excitedly. “Come in and see our house. I’m sure you’ll love it.” Link followed her inside, then hung up his coat and took off his boots. But before he could look around, Solo hugged him again. “The goddesses finally heard my prayers. I missed you so much. I love you.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Where have you been? Were you kidnapped? Did you get lost in some other world? Because I had this dream last night that you were lost in a strange place and couldn’t find your way back. What happened to you?”

Link had trouble understanding her because everything came out in one long, uninterrupted sentence. He didn’t think she even took a breath. “I don’t know what happened,” Link answered simply. “I don’t know where I’ve been for the last ten years.”

Solo looked at him strangely. “You mean...you have no memory of what happened to you?”

“I don’t even know exactly what happened. I woke up in an alley last night, and found out that ten years have gone by.”

Malon poked Solo to get her attention. “Solo, look closely at him.”

Solo looked him up and down, scrutinizing every detail. Then she understood. “You haven’t changed at all,” Solo mumbled. “I can’t believe it.”

“All of you are older than me now. I don’t know how this happened. I skipped over ten years. Everyone’s different, and I missed so much of your lives. I don’t know how to begin to start over.”

Solo hugged Link again and tried to soothe him. “It’s going to be all right now. This is a miracle; the goddesses have answered my prayers. After you were gone, I helped Zelda in the search. But after a while, it became fruitless. I went to the temple to try to find some solace. A priest there helped me. He taught me about the three goddesses and how nothing is impossible with them. You’ve even spoken to them. I figured that if you were special enough for them to talk to you directly, then maybe they’ll hear me.”

“I didn’t know you were so faithful,” Link said.

“I wasn’t at first,” Solo replied. “But the priest told me that if I had faith, then everything would work out in the end. I prayed for you everyday, Link. I prayed for you to come back to us, or if that wasn’t possible, that you were safe. I learned all the Ancient Hylian prayers and incantations. I can read and speak the language now. I’ve done every single thing in the ancient traditions: I fasted, I performed works of charity, and I made personal sacrifices.”

Link noticed that when Solo mentioned personal sacrifices, Malon’s face fell. He looked at her with a questioning gaze. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“The personal sacrifices,” Malon whispered. “The blood sacrifice.”

Link’s eyes widened. “What? Blood sacrifice!”

“Calm down Link,” Solo said. “I only did that once.”

“What is a blood sacrifice?” Link asked, his voice cracking. The mere mention of his sister and some kind of blood sacrifice made his heart race with worry.

“It was a last resort,” Solo continued. “I read some ancient books about prayers and stuff. One of the things I saw was rituals to save a loved one. The book talked about personal sacrifices. I you offer up a possession that is dear to you, then that shows selflessness and the goddesses reward selflessness. The book said that the most potent personal sacrifice was blood. So I tried it.”

Link looked almost frantic with worry. He remembered what Zelda had done to herself when she thought he’d died, and he was afraid that Solo had done the same thing. “I know what you’re thinking,” said Solo. “I didn’t try to kill myself. I made a little cut on the palm of my hand and dripped some blood onto a smaller personal sacrifice.”

“I wasn’t exactly thrilled when she did that,” Malon said.

“I only did it once. All I wanted was for you to be safe. It was a little cut, nothing major.”

“What was this other personal sacrifice?” Link asked.

“It was my hair.” That explained it. He was surprised when he first saw Solo, because her hair was barely shoulder-length. He didn’t want to mention it in case it had been a traumatic experience. Now he knew why. “I had to sacrifice something that was dear to me, so I chose my hair.”

“You cut it off for me?” Link didn’t know what to think. He knew that she had a rather unusual emotional attachment to her hair. Washing and brushing it was an almost religious ritual for her. He felt bad that she believed she had to do something like that.

“Don’t feel guilty. It was my choice, and it wouldn’t have been a sacrifice if I gave up something I didn’t care about. My hair isn’t really gone, it’s in the shrine. I keep it as a reminder to be pious and faithful. And it all paid off. I’m so happy.” She hugged and squeezed him again. “All my prayers have been answered. You’re safe and sound. All that matters is that you’re here, we can worry about everything else later. I love you so much, and I missed you.”

“What’s this shrine?” Link asked.

Solo pointed to a door. “It’s that room over there. It’s where I say my prayers. Come see it.” Link followed her into the little room and gasped at what he saw. Her little altar was one of the most elaborate things he’d ever seen. There were candles everywhere, little statues on the altar, and paintings on the walls. At the center of the altar was Solo’s cut hair, tied with a ribbon. He looked closely and saw the dried blood stain on it. Folded neatly under the altar was some green cloth, which Link realized was his clothes. Solo saw his confusion. “I created this altar to the goddesses as was prescribed in the Book of Mudora. It also said that when praying for someone, placing an object of theirs under the altar will help. I did a lot of things that seemed weird, but I figured that it couldn’t hurt. The most important thing was having faith in the goddesses. Physical objects were there just to help me keep focus.”

“I’m impressed,” Link said.  “It’s really nice.”

Solo bent over and retrieved Link’s clothes from under the altar. She handed him the neatly-folded pile. “Here, I don’t need them anymore. And I’m sure you feel weird wearing those strange clothes. You can change in my bedroom. Don’t worry, they’re clean. I wash them every now and then to get rid of the dust.”

They left the shrine and Zelda smiled when she saw Link holding his old clothes. “Oh goodie. I wanted to see you in your regular clothes. It’s weird seeing you in something else.”

Link agreed. Although his borrowed clothes were comfortable, he still preferred to wear his own.  Link went to the bedroom to change and closed the door behind him. “It’s so great to see him alive and well,” Malon said to break the awkward silence. “I always had hope, but I thought we’d never see him again. But how could he be the same age as when he left? That’s not possible.”

“I don’t know,” Zelda said with a shrug. “He just woke up in an alley last night. He’s determined to find out what caused this. He skipped ten years, how does something like that happen?”

“I can tell you one thing: it wasn’t supposed to happen this way,” said Solo. “It wasn’t an accident, or some freak of nature. Someone deliberately did this, and did it with evil intentions. I can feel it. This isn’t over. Whoever did this to Link is going to find out he’s here, and that will only make things worse.”

The others mulled over what Solo said, and no one could think of anything to say. Then Link came out of the bedroom dressed in his usual clothes, minus his hat. “I seem to be missing my hat,” Link said, running his hand through his hair. “I feel weird without it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Linkie-pooh,” said Zelda, her cheeks tinged slightly pink. “I forgot it at home. It was under my pillow.”

“Well, that’s okay, I have more at home-assuming that my stuff is still there.”

“Everything is intact,” Solo said. “We left everything the way it was for when you came back. Well...it’s not exactly how it was. Zelda borrowed your blanket and pillow, and Saria insisted on putting everything in drawers. But other than that, all your stuff is fine.”

“Solo, tell Link what you said earlier,” Malon suggested.

Link looked at Solo to elaborate. “I’m sure you feel it, Link, deep down inside. This isn’t right. Someone evil is behind what happened to you. I don’t know what it is, but I’m afraid that it will destroy everything we’ve gained.”

“I know what you’re talking about,” Link admitted. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to interrupt our happy reunion. But I have a hunch that somebody with bad intentions did this. I will find out.”

“We need to go see Saria,” said Solo. “Of all people, I think she misses you the most. She’s known you the longest, it’s only natural. She hides her pain well, but I can tell. The other Kokiri miss you too. You’re like a big brother to all of them.”

“Every meal she sets a place for you at her table,” Zelda said, a tear running down her cheek.

Link imagined his best friend hoping every night that he would come back, then crying when he didn’t. Saria must’ve been heartbroken not knowing what happened to him or why. “I have to see her. Can we go now?”

“Yes, let’s go,” Solo said happily. They all put on their coats, boots, and gloves. As Link was about to walk out the door, Malon stopped him and handed him a carrot. He gave her a confused look.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

“It’s for Epona. She’ll be so happy to see you.”

Link’s eyes lit up. “Epona? She’s still alive?”

“Of course she is, horses live for twenty-five or thirty years. She’s only sixteen. She’s got lots of good years left. But, I know this sounds silly,” she gave a nervous chuckle, “but she’s been sad since you left. She rarely lets us ride her. And one time she jumped the fence and we thought she ran away. It turns out that she went to the Kokiri forest looking for you. I’ve never seen a horse that clever.”

Link had the expression of an excited child and he ran out to the stables to see his horse. He saw Epona’s head and distinctive mane sticking out of the stall at the end of the stable. He didn’t have his ocarina to play her song, so he let out a distinctive whistle that he used to call her when she wasn’t far away. Epona’s ears perked up and she looked around frantically. When she saw Link walk up to her, Epona neighed and stood on her hind legs, hopping up and down a couple times. Link went up to his horse and affectionately rubbed her muzzle and neck. She rubbed up against him and even licked him a couple of times. He fed her the carrot, which she devoured quickly. “Oh, Epona, I’m so sorry,” Link said in a high-pitched, baby voice. “You must’ve missed me. I’m back, and I won’t go anywhere.” He opened the door to the stall, and Epona went right past him and stopped right next to the saddles. She was definitely eager for a ride. Link fastened the saddle and reins, and led her outside, where everyone was waiting.

“I knew she’d be happy to see you,” Malon said with a smile. “So what are we going to do? Zelda, are you up to riding?”

She nodded. “I think I can handle it now. I feel a lot better than before.”

“Great, then let’s get going,” Solo said.

 

 

Saria didn’t feel like doing her normal chores for the day. Sometimes she would just lie in bed all day and stare at the ceiling. She wasn’t in bed now, but wasn’t doing anything constructive either. Many of the other Kokiri were outside having fun; they threw snowballs at each other, and attempted to build snowmen, but the snow was too thin and powdery. The snowballs weren’t turning out too well either. Saria would’ve liked to join them, but she didn’t feel up to it. This was one of those days when she didn’t feel like doing anything.

Saria got up and threw another log into the stove to keep the fire going. It was late afternoon, and she would normally make a light dinner about this time. She wasn’t too hungry, but could stand to eat something. She decided to make oatmeal with some dried apples. As usual, she set a place for Link, even though he wouldn’t be there.

Saria sat down to her small meal and ate it slowly. She couldn’t even taste the food; either that, or she didn’t care. Link was all she could think about today. Everyone else was having fun, and that reminded her of the carefree days she and Link had together when he was a child. Those should’ve been happy memories, but her loneliness couldn’t be fixed. She didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t help it. Saria put her head on the table and sobbed. She would’ve given anything to have someone to talk to, someone who would understand. The other Kokiri wouldn’t understand.

Her misery was interrupted when the telltale sound of hooves reached her ears. Somebody was coming, maybe Zelda, or Solo and Malon. At least she had someone to talk to now. She waited expectantly for one of her friends to greet her. Malon and Solo walked inside and greeted her. Saria hugged Solo. “I’m so glad you came,” Saria said, trying to hide the fact that she’d been crying. “I was so lonely.” Zelda walked in a moment later and Saria’s smile grew. “It’s a family reunion!” Saria went over to Zelda and hugged her as well.

Saria froze completely when a familiar voice greeted her. “Hi Saria,” said Link. She stared at him, dumbfounded. She must’ve finally gone crazy. She dreamed and hoped that Link would come back that she finally lost her mind. That had to be it. Link was confused at Saria’s lack of a response, so he kneeled down and embraced her.

Saria stiffened noticeably and looked up at him with total shock. “You’re real!” she exclaimed. Saria jumped towards him and returned the embrace, knocking him flat on his back. “You came back for me.” She kissed him at least a dozen times all over his face. “I missed you so much. I missed our meals together; I missed talking to you especially. No one else here understands things like you do. Where have you been?”

Every time he heard that question, it still threw him for a loop. He didn’t understand what had happened, but he still had to explain what he knew. “I don’t really know. I woke up in an alley in the town last night, and I found out that I skipped ten years. Time passed for everyone else, but not for me. I suspect that evil forces are behind this. But every time I’ve fought a battle, I knew who my enemy was. I don’t know this time.”

“Something bad is going to happen, isn’t it?” Saria said sadly.

“I don’t know that for sure. All I want right now is to continue my life. I want things to be normal again.”

Saria didn’t need an explanation of how Link felt; it was plain as day. He felt so confused and upset about the situation. Saria knew that everyone’s emotions were hitting him hard. He always sensed other people’s feelings on an almost supernatural level, and he took them as a burden to protect others. He was doing it right now, she could tell. He’d woken up in a strange new world, and he was already taking responsibility for things. That was the Link she knew.

“Then let’s be normal for one night,” Saria said happily. “We can have a nice dinner, and do things how we used to.” Saria busily went to work gathering supplies to make a meal for five.

Malon revealed a basket that held some fresh vegetables, fruit, bread dough, and chicken. She made sure to have a nice assortment of food for Saria, especially because she didn’t like meat. “I figured this would happen, so I brought food for everyone,” Malon said. Saria smiled, and she and Malon went to work preparing the meal. Link, Zelda, and Solo watched and helped when they could, but none were very adept at cooking.

“I want this to last forever,” Link said.

“Me too,” said Zelda, leaning her head on his shoulder.

 

 

 

 

Link and his friends and family enjoyed themselves greatly during their reunion. It was late at night, and everyone was ready to go home. Because it was so cold outside, Zelda, Solo, and Malon had to go home to make sure their horses were taken care of. Not long before Link had disappeared, he’d built a small one-horse stable to house Epona when he had her in the forest. He even built a fireplace to keep her warm on cold nights, even though Epona was hardy enough to sleep comfortably with nothing other than a horse blanket. Link fed his horse and pampered her a little before he left for Saria’s house once again. The others had left for another reason as well: they wanted to give Link private time with his closest and oldest friend. Saria had taken his disappearance the hardest, and she needed the time alone with him to heal.

“That was really nice,” Saria said when Link reentered her house to finish cleaning up. “Do you think that our lives will return to normal?”

“I really hope so,” he said, sitting next to her and pulling her close. “I want to find out who is behind this, but that can wait for now.”

“All of us can work on that together. If anyone can figure it out, it’s you. I have faith in you. I love you so much, Link.”

Link hugged her gently and patted her head. “I love you too. We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

Saria smiled and stood up. She went to her dresser and pulled out some blankets and a pillow. “Here. Since Zelda has your stuff, you can use my extra blankets. I can tell you’re exhausted; you need your sleep.”

Link couldn’t argue with her; she was right. Sleeping in his own bed, especially after such a traumatic experience, would help him feel better. He took the bedclothes and kissed Saria on the forehead. “Goodnight, Saria. I love you.” Saria kissed him back, and he left her house for his own.

He climbed the ladder to his house, and went inside. His first duty was to start a fire to keep warm through the night. His house was exactly as he had left it, except without the usual clutter. He started the fire quickly, then went about preparing his bed. He waited for his tiny house to heat up, which didn’t take very long, before he undressed. Link was about to lie on his bed when he heard a creak on the balcony outside. “Saria, is that you?” he asked. There was no response. Link had excellent hearing, and he knew by the sound of the creak that there was someone standing outside, but because of the curtain over the doorway, he couldn’t see. “Who’s there?” he said in a clear, stern voice. Just to be careful, he pulled on of his swords from its place on the wall, and stood ready to do battle.

“Stand down,” said a voice from outside. “I mean you no harm.” The voice sounded oddly familiar, but Link couldn’t place it.

“Show yourself,” Link commanded. “I’m armed and I will attack you if I have to.”

A man, about Link’s size, entered his house slowly. His arms were in front of him, and his hands were empty. “I’m not armed, and I am not here to hurt you.” The man was wearing a thick brown cloak, with a large hood over his head, obscuring his features.

“Who are you, and why are you trespassing?” Link growled, standing in a defensive stance, ready to attack at any hint of aggression.

The man in the cloak slowly walked past Link and sat down on Solo’s bed. “I told you that I’m not here to hurt you. I know you’re skeptical, and I understand. I won’t do anything to provoke you.”

There was something familiar about this man, but Link wasn’t going to take any chances. The man wisely kept his hands visible and didn’t make any sudden moves. Link relaxed his body and sat down on his bed, still ready to fight at a moment’s notice. “You’re in the wrong place, mister,” Link said firmly. “This forest isn’t for outsiders. You can get lost or hurt. You should leave.”

“Don’t worry about me,” said the man. “I’m really here about you.”

“Stop avoiding my questions. Tell me who you are, or you’ll be sorry you every step foot here.”

“I need to explain myself first. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Link narrowed his eyes. “I’ve heard that before. I’ve seen a lot of things that no one would ever dream of. But I am not going to trust some strange man who just broke into my house.”

“Link, all of this useless talk will get us nowhere. I have something important to tell you, and not a lot of time.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Because I know you through and through,” the man replied. “We’re the same flesh and blood.” He slowly moved his hands to pull his cloak off, and Link readied himself for attack. As soon as the cloak was off the man put his hands on the bed, and kept them away from his body. Link stared at the man in shock. The face looked so familiar. If the man had been thirty years younger, he could’ve passed as his double. But other features didn’t match, the most obvious was a black patch over his right eye. It probably hid a horrendous wound, because Link could see a huge vertical scar that ran from the man’s scalp, through his eye, and down to his chin. The man’s hair was a sandy blonde color, streaked with gray.

“You look familiar,” Link said, trying to think of who this could be. “Are you the one responsible for my being here? Did you screw up my life?”

“No, I didn’t. I’m here to do the exact opposite. A couple years from now, things are going to change drastically. I know, because I’ve already lived through it. I suffered greatly, and I’m here to stop that from happening to you.”

“And how do you know what’s going to happen to me?” Link asked sarcastically. “I’ve met fortune tellers before, and all they know about the future is that the sun will rise tomorrow. So forgive me if I don’t quite believe you.”

“I know what’s going to happen to you because I am you. I’m forty-five years old now, but I’m still you. I guess I’m what you will be.”

Link shook his head. “Just because you come into my house and claim to be me doesn’t mean I’ll believe you. I can see a slight resemblance, but nothing major.”

“I’ll prove it to you,” the man said confidently. He took his gloves off and showed Link the back of his left hand. A few seconds later, a dim ethereal glow in the shape of the Triforce appeared. “Remember this?” Link stared at the man’s hand, dumbfounded. No one other than Zelda even knew about the glowing Triforce on his hand. “I don’t have to tell you what this means. It’s easy to control, just like breathing. You’ve never shown this to anyone but Zelda. And I know it doesn’t mean much, since all it represents is a false relic. But there’s still power in it.”

Link shook his head. “It’s got to be some kind of trick. I don’t believe you.”

“What’s so hard to believe? You just woke up ten years in the future, and your friends believed you. Why won’t you believe me? If you can skip over ten years, who’s to say that I can’t go back thirty years?”

Link had to admit that the man’s story was convincing. “I need more proof,” Link demanded.

The man sighed in frustration. “I should’ve know that you’d be this stubborn. I guess I forgot. A lot can change in thirty years.” The man tried to think of something that would convince himself if the situation was reversed. “Let’s see...I--or you--or maybe we--have a birthmark. It’s reddish-brown, and looks kind of like a butterfly. It’s right above the left side of your butt.”

Link laughed nervously. “Birthmark, huh? What, have you been watching me bathe? Pervert.” The man turned around and pushed the waist of his pants just low enough for Link to see the mark.

Link cringed. “Fine, I’ll believe that. But I don’t know if that’s real or not, you could’ve put it there for all I know.”

“All right, then let’s move on to things that only you would know, things that you never told anyone else.” The older man thought for a moment, searching for the most private and embarrassing moment that he would never dream of telling another living soul about. “Okay. How about in your alternate future, when you were sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years and woke up as an adult.”

“I remember that,” Link said. “But my friends know about that too.”

“That’s true. But there are things you didn’t tell anyone about. Remember the first time you went to pee? I thought there was something horribly wrong down there. That’s when I figured out that hair doesn’t only grow on your head.” Link’s face turned bright red. He’d never told anyone about that; it was a moment that he’d rather forget. But it didn’t convince him fully, anyone could have made that logical deduction if they knew him well enough. “I see you remember that, but you’re still not convinced. All right, I’ll tell you about the moment you’re most ashamed of. Remember that boy Akuyo? The one that Solo was friends with for a while? You were angry when you found out that he hurt your sister. But you promised her that you wouldn’t do anything to him, that you would let his parents deal with him. You broke your promise. What he did ate at you and ate at you until you couldn’t take it anymore. You thought about killing him, even planned what to do with the body. But no matter how angry you were, you couldn’t bring yourself to kill a man. So you decided to beat him up. You went to his house one day and waited for him to come out. His parents had forced him to attend monastic classes at the temple. They didn’t intend for him to become a monk; they wanted him to learn to be peaceful and humble. You confronted him on his way to the temple. He knew who you were, and apologized profusely. He swore that he would never raise his hand in anger again. He said that he had changed, that the light of the goddesses had shown him the way. He was geuinely sorry.”

Link hung his head in shame; he knew where this was going. The man continued, “But that wasn’t enough for you. You didn’t want to hear his apology. You wanted him to suffer. So while the boy stood there, ashamed and contrite, you punched him. He didn’t retaliate, so that made you angrier. You punched him harder and knocked him to the ground. You ended up breaking his jaw. But Akuyo got up and thanked you for sparing his life. He said that he’d never tell anyone about it, and that he’d say some delinquent kid tried to rob him. He said all this even though his jaw was in excruciating pain.”

“I don’t want to hear this,” Link choked out, trying not to lose control of himself.

“You need to hear it to believe me. That one time in your life, you were the bad guy. Instead of doing the right thing, you gave into your anger and did something you’ve always regretted. I still have nightmares about it today. Do you believe me now?”

Link nodded his head. “Yes, I believe you. I can never forget that day.” Link relaxed and put his sword down. “If you’re from my future, how did you get here? I used the Master Sword to travel through time, but only my consciousness traveled, not my body.”

“That’s true,” said the older Link. “But the Master Sword is not involved. I’ve learned a few things about time travel since then. For one, a person cannot travel to a time when he would encounter himself. That’s why when you used the Master Sword, you couldn’t travel to any times other than when you replaced or removed the sword. You created a connection between two moments in time. Only your mind moved between times, not your body. The Master Sword was a special example. It wasn’t actually time travel as I learned later. It was merely a mental conduit between two moments in your life. Real time travel doesn’t work that way; it involves physical movement of a person’s body from one time to another.”

“Then how are you here?” Link asked. “You said you couldn’t encounter yourself traveling through time. How can you be here?”

Older Link grinned and held up his index finger. “That’s an excellent point. I shouldn’t be here, but I am. The only reason I can be here is because you’re not supposed to be here either. You should be twenty-six years old, but that version of us doesn’t exist in this time. You were taken from your normal timeline and accidentally dumped here. The principles that work behind time travel are far too complicated for me to understand. The best I can understand is that every person has a kind of energy field around him, a sort of ‘time aura’. It’s part of your consciousness and your soul, but this part only has to do with time. The time aura is why you cannot visit yourself in a different time. The two auras cannot exist simultaneously. But our case is different. When you travel to a different time, your aura stays in step with the time you came from, so your aura is different from everyone else’s. Your aura won’t interfere with people native to the time you traveled from, unless you go to a time when your other self is alive. Since your other self is native to that time, it will push you back to where you came from.”

Link tried to follow what his older self said, and he felt confident that he understood it. “Okay, I can understand that,” said the younger Link.

“The native time aura is why we can both be here at the same time,” older Link explained. “Like I said earlier, the Link from this time, who’s supposed to be twenty-six, is not here. There is no Link native to this time. Neither of our auras match this time, so we can both be here. That is why I chose now to come back.”

“Okay, that explains how you can be here,” younger Link said, “but it doesn’t explain why you’re here. You said that something bad was going to happen in a couple years. Is that why you’re here?”

The older Link looked sad, and nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly why I’m here. But ‘bad’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. You have never encountered anything on the scale of what will happen in the near future. In about two years, a bizarre plague will start in Hyrule, and spread to the entire world.”

“How can I possibly stop a plague?” younger Link asked.

“Because it’s not natural. Someone deliberately created and distributed it. A lot of people died.” He paused and hung his head, trying to compose himself. He looked back at the younger Link with tears in his eyes. “It started in the Kokiri Forest ...it killed all of them. Saria was the first to go. She died in my arms. The Kokiri did nothing to deserve to die like that! Then the plague spread like wildfire. Most of the Zoras died, the Gorons, and many Hylians. About a month after it started, the plague vanished as mysteriously as it had appeared. The country was in shambles. Zelda’s father died in the plague, so she was crowned queen. She did a good job rebuilding Hyrule. It was hard, but we did it.”

“The Kokiri all died?” younger Link asked sadly. He was on the verge of tears, but held it in.

The older Link nodded. “I learned later that this plague was designed to kill mostly non-human species. Most Hylians and Gerudos survived the plague; it killed about one in ten of us. It killed ninety-nine out of a hundred of non-humans. But we later found out the true scope of the plague. What made us suspicious was when Zelda and I got married. We tried to start a family, but couldn’t. One or both of us were barren. Then word gradually came in from all the areas affected by the plague. Although most humans survived it, everyone got sick from it. We discovered that anyone who got sick couldn’t have children afterwards. Even couples that had children before couldn’t have more afterwards. The plague killed non-human races, and made humans sterile. The entire country was going to die out in a generation. That’s when the war started.”

Younger Link couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It seemed that the future was so bleak that it wasn’t worth living. He wondered why the older version of himself came back to tell him this. Perhaps it was so he could move his friends and family out of Hyrule to save them. He wasn’t sure. “Who would start a war under those conditions?” younger Link asked in exasperation. “Why not wait until everyone just dies?”

“The war wasn’t just to invade Hyrule. The invaders wanted to turn Hylians into slaves. Every other race was considered trash.”

“Who were the invaders?” young Link asked.

“Some of the invaders were Gerudo, most of the rest were Hyrulian citizens. At first, we thought it was some kind of civil war or attempted revolution, but it wasn’t that simple. The people who attacked did it under the influence of evil spirits. The masterminds took control of ordinary people using a combination of mind control and some kind of addictive potion. They called the potion the ‘nectar of the gods.’ Whoever took it gained enormous strength and stamina; they needed very little food, water, and sleep. They were machines. The nectar also made them more susceptible to mind control. This drug created the perfect soldier; they were strong, loyal, and couldn’t live without the drug.

“I don’t think I need to tell you that Hyrule had no chance. I led the troops into battle. My people fought hard, but everyone knew it was a lost cause. There were too many enemies, and they were too strong. Even worse was that they used our own soldiers against us. People who had mortal wounds, and some who had actually died could be saved with the nectar. Then they fought against us. Their army grew, and ours shrank. But no one gave up; all of my men fought to the death for a war they couldn’t possibly win. I was literally the last man standing. I was ready to meet my fate with the rest of my soldiers, but I wasn’t so lucky.”

“Who did this?” younger Link whispered, afraid that if he talked any louder he would break down.

The older Link gave a hateful scowl. “Oh, I’ll get to that. As I said, I was the last soldier standing. They took me prisoner. I was turned into a slave like everyone else. I expected to be put to work, but my fate was far worse. Some goons took me into the castle, which had become the new capital for the invading army. They threw me into what used to be the ballroom. They had turned it into some kind of torture arena. It was horrible, blood and body parts were everywhere.

“That’s when I found the leader of the invaders. It was a Gerudo woman named Koros. She was the one behind everything. Then she...” he choked up and tried to keep his composure. “They dragged Solo, Malon, and Zelda in front of me. I thought they were safe. I had hidden them with the Guardians. But they were all killed and my family was taken hostage. It was obvious that they’d been beaten. They screamed at me for help, but I couldn’t do anything. There was a large iron chair in the middle of the room and they’d strapped me to it. Then they nailed my hands and feet down. I tried everything I could, but nothing worked. I couldn’t teleport myself anywhere, I couldn’t use magic or sheer will. I was helpless.”

Tears flowed from the older Link’s remaining eye, and he continued, “There was nothing I could do. One by one, they dragged the people I love in front of me. Then that bitch murdered them. She ran Malon through with a sword and spilled her guts on the floor. The she murdered Solo by cutting her throat. Then Zelda...she stabbed her with a dagger dozens of times. I saw the only people I ever loved murdered in cold blood!”

“I don’t want to hear anymore,” younger Link cried. He felt sick to his stomach; he wanted to vomit and cry at the same time. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you have to know!”  the older Link scolded. “I never thought it could get any worse after that, but it did. I would’ve given anything to just die on the spot, but they wouldn’t let me. Koros, that horrible, filthy slut wouldn’t let me die. She used me as her personal plaything. She liked to whip and beat me for fun. She gouged my eye out because she said I looked at her the wrong way. But the worst was the way she touched me. She raped me more times than I could count. I couldn’t fight her off; she gave me drugs that would...would enable her to have her way with me, even though I wasn’t willing. My body wouldn’t listen to me. The feeling of being used like that.... I can’t describe it; nothing can describe the shame and humiliation. I wanted to die so much, but I had to get revenge.”

“Please tell me it doesn’t get worse,” younger Link begged.

The older Link shook his head. “No, nothing could be worse than that. But I got the upper hand eventually. It took a long time. The war started about ten years from now. I was that woman’s sex slave for fifteen years after that. But I was able to escape. It was pure luck. You see, that mind control nectar was extracted from a rare kind of plant. It’s very hard to find, and producing the drug was very difficult and time-consuming. There was a long drought, and the plants mostly died off. Their stockpiles ran low, and their army started dying. Once someone starts taking the nectar, they will die if they quit.

“Koros’s soldiers were dying out. Even her most loyal followers left her. They were those evil spirits I mentioned. They inhabit healthy people and take over their bodies. But when it was apparent that Koros was losing control, they left back to where they’d come from. I saw my chance and I took it. I organized a rebellion among the slaves, the ones whose minds weren’t taken over. We killed the rest of the super-soldiers, and I captured my prize. I had Koros in my possession. Once she was taken captive, she lost control of her soldiers, and they all committed suicide. It had taken about sixteen years, but we won the war. And I would have my revenge.

“I had it all planned out. The people wanted me to rule them, but I declined. I couldn’t be a ruler. My final revenge was supposed to be my final peace. The next morning I was going to execute her personally. I was going to give her a death that would make what happened to Malon, Solo, and Zelda pale in comparison. Then after that, I would return home to the Kokiri Forest. I was going to sit in front of the dead Great Deku Tree, where I had buried all the Kokiri, and kill myself. Once I’d gotten my revenge, I could die in peace. After all, I had nothing else to live for.”

“I take it that things didn’t go as planned,” younger Link said.

Older Link smiled darkly. “Things changed. I had a dream. In this dream I saw myself. It was like us right now. I was speaking to a younger version of myself. He told me that he could help me, that things could be fixed. I don’t know what changed in me, but I had a new will to live. I needed to find out why Koros did what she did. She wouldn’t give up her information easily, so I did the only thing I could: I tortured her. You wouldn’t believe how good it felt to make her suffer for her sins. I knew that by what I was doing, I was sinking to her level. But I didn’t care. It felt too good. It took a year, but I got the information I needed.

“She wasn’t just some crazy Gerudo bent on world domination. She was working for Ganondorf.”

Young Link’s eyes went wide. “But I took care of him! He’s sealed in the Sacred Realm, never to escape.”

“You’re forgetting that the power of that Sacred Realm is limited, just as the power of the false Triforce is limited. It’s only a matter of time before he escapes and is reincarnated to wreak havoc.”

“So what does this Koros have to do with it?” young Link asked.

“She was Ganondorf’s lover and most loyal follower. From what I could extract from her, she was peparing Hyrule for his return. Those evil spirits that took over people’s bodies were the remains of his loyal followers. They came from your timeline and the alternate one. Together with Koros, they would break the seal on the Door of Time and free Ganondorf from the false Sacred Realm. That was her plan, but she didn’t count on one factor: me.”

“So you stopped her plan from coming to fruition?” young Link asked.

“I did it without even knowing it. My mere presence threw off her plan. I wondered for so long why I skipped ten years of my life. It took a lot of torture, but I found out. She knew that I would fight her and screw up her plans. She tried to remove me from the timeline. My possession of the Triforce of Courage, even if it was the false one, would prevent her from going through with her plans. The other two Triforce pieces had to be free so she could capture them and use them to break the seal to the Sacred Realm. She figured that she could simply kill Zelda to extract her piece. But I was a different story.

“I have knowledge of both timelines, and somehow that connects me to both worlds. If I was killed, then the Triforce would migrate to the future I left behind, and would be taken over by another hero. The only way that I could be taken out of the equation was to remove me from time itself.”

“How did she plan on doing it?” young Link asked. Without the Master Sword and Spiritual Stones, Koros shouldn’t have been able to mess with the fabric of time.

“She discovered a time device. It’s in a very deep cavern, near the Temple of Truth in Kataan. Nobody knows who built it, or how long it’s been there. It was so well hidden that the Guardians didn’t even know of its existence. How Koros and Ganondorf discovered it, I’ll never know. But she wasn’t smart enough, she didn’t know how to use the device. The device has the capability of removing a person from time, but it can also enable people to travel through time. She used the device incorrectly. Instead of removing me, she sent me ten years into the future. And my very presence ensured that her plans would ultimately fail.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t try to remove you again when she found out you were still here,” younger Link said.

“It was because of my time aura. It’s a property of the time device. You can only be removed from the timeline if your aura matches the timeline you’re in. But mine didn’t match, so she couldn’t remove me. And because she was native to the timeline, she couldn’t go back to fix her mistake. And that one mistake is what gave me hope. Unfortunately, she didn’t tell me any more. I was more than happy to kill her though.

“I had to study the time device for quite some time before I could figure out how to use it. Koros never thought that anyone could defeat her, so she became overconfident. She left her notes in the cavern, and I was able to use those combined with my own knowledge to learn how to use the time device. That’s how I managed to get here. And that’s what brings me to you.”

The younger Link felt a headache coming on. He didn’t think he’d ever had so much information dumped on him all at once. All this talk about time travel, combined with the horrible tales of the future, made him want to scream in frustration. “I don’t think I can take much more,” complained the younger Link. “My life has turned completely upside-down by somehow traveling ten years into the future. Then and older version of myself comes back in time and tells me this absolutely horrible and terrifying tale of the future that frankly makes we want to puke. And there’s still more? Can’t it wait another day? I can barely absorb all this right now, I can’t take any more.”

The older Link stared right into young Link’s eyes. “There is no time. I have to tell you everything right now, all at once. If you cram it all into your head, you’ll be more likely to remember all of it when you go back.”

“Wait a minute,” young Link interrupted. “Go back where?”

“Go back to the time you came from. You have to stop this from ever happening. You’re the only one who can do it.”

“What if I can’t...”

“You must!” the older Link shouted. He pointed an angry finger at his younger self. “There is no other choice! You will do this! I saw my country destroyed, I saw my closest friends and family horribly murdered. I was raped for years! Now I’ve found a way to fix it all. It might not work, but any future is better than the living hell I came from. Don’t tell me that you wouldn’t give up your life a thousand times to save them. I would, and I know you would too.”

The younger Link sighed. “You’re right. I would. But why me? Why can’t you do it?”

“Because, I already explained it to you. Two copies of the same person cannot exist at the same time. I can’t go with you. You are free to return, because your time aura will match the timeline. I have to go back where I came from, and so do you. Everything will be up to you.”

“I’m starting to lose count of how many times that’s happened,” the younger Link muttered. “I’ll do whatever I have to do. But I have to say goodbye before I leave…”

“No,” the older Link interrupted. “There is no time. We have to go to the time device and I have to explain it to you before I return to my time. There’s no time for simple pleasantries.”

“We can’t even wait till the morning?” younger Link asked. If he was going to travel through time, then a few extra hours shouldn’t make much of a difference. It would also give him more time to prepare.

The older Link shook his head emphatically. “No, we don’t have that much time. Actually, I don’t have much time. Learning how to use the time device in such a short amount of time took more energy than a normal person could ever have. I cheated...I used the nectar of the gods--or more specifically--a derivative of it. It expanded my ability to learn and understand. But I ran out of it three days ago, and just like the other nectar, quitting it means death. It doesn’t matter now if I got more, I’m past the point of no return. I’m dying.”

Young Link couldn’t believe it. Not only was he burdened with preventing a horrible chain of events from occurring, the only man who could help him was going to die. It really was all up to him. “How much longer do you have?”

“Less than a day. Which is why time is of the essence. We have to go now.”

Link was ready. “All right, fine. Let’s go. But it’ll take several hours to get there by horse…”

“There’s no need for that,” older Link said. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out an oblong object. It was slightly rounded in the back and flat on the front. The front was a shiny black with tiny multi-colored lights. “This will take us there instantly. Think of it like playing your ocarina to warp somewhere.” The younger Link nodded. He was ready. “Let’s do it.” The older Link pressed him thumb to the front of the device and there was a quiet beep. A bright glow enveloped everything around them, until all they could see was white. Link closed his eyes instinctively. He felt a strange tingling sensation, like his whole body was buzzing. A giant whoosh of air followed and the buzzing stopped.

Link opened his eyes, and saw that he was no longer in his house. He was inside a huge hemispherical dome that was at least a thousand feet wide and several hundred feet tall. Everything was bathed in a harsh white light that seemed to come from everywhere at once, illuminating everything perfectly evenly. There were desks and chairs everywhere, arranged in neat rows. Positioned on pedestals everywhere were rectangular objects that were several feet wide, but only about an inch thick. They had the same glossy black appearance as the older Link’s pocket device, but there were no lights on them. What really caught Link’s attention was the giant pedestal in the center of the room. There was a raised metal platform about forty feet in diameter surrounded by what he could only describe as a circular shelf. The shelf was about four feet high and almost completely surrounded the platform, save for a small gap, presumably to let people through.

“That is the time device,” older Link said, pointing to the platform. “The shelf surrounding it is the main control panel. It has two hundred and fifty thousand controls. Luckily for us, only a couple hundred need to be modified. It’s already set for me to return to my time. I will teach you how to program it to return you to your time. I have complete notes, including translations of numbers and words that you’ll need to know.”

He showed Link a small section of the control panel, which was a huge array of tiny rectangular objects in slots. Each slot glowed, some were red, and others were green. The older Link continued his explanation. “From what I understand, these rectangles control what time the device will send you to.” He pulled one of the rectangles out of its slot and showed it to Link. It was mostly clear, with tiny black lines and squiggles covering it. Older Link pointed out a square notch cut out of the rectangle. “See this little notch? If it’s up, then the light will be green. If you turn it upside down, the light will be red. It can be put in the hole in any direction, only the notch being up or down makes a difference. All you have to do is rearrange these rectangles.”

The older Link unrolled a large piece of paper that was sitting on the shelf and showed it to Link. On it was a drawing depicting the array of rectangles, represented by red or green marks. He showed Link another sheet that contained lists of writing in the foreign language along with the translations. The older Link showed his younger counterpart all of the rectangles he would have to change, and how to change them. He drilled Link on the foreign markings, forcing him to memorize them. Link learned it quickly, and he practiced all the changes he would have to make to send himself back in time. It only took a couple of hours for younger Link to learn what he needed to know.

“What do I do after I get back?” younger Link asked. “Do I have to find that woman?”

“That would be a good idea, but it isn’t the first thing you need to do. When you’re sent back, you won’t arrive at the machine, you’ll most likely end up somewhere near your house. It will act as a very strong magnet to you. I don’t know why, that’s just the way it is. The good part is that you will have more time once you get back home. Although your being mistakenly sent to the future is the focal point of the whole series of events, it’s not the key event. She will use the machine again, but not for time travel. She’ll use it to free the evil spirits from a kind of spiritual limbo. They are stuck in a place between this world and the Sacred Realm. After Ganondorf was banished, his followers were cast out of this world, but not sealed in the Sacred Realm. The spirits exist outside of time, in the same place Koros wanted to send you.