Howdy everybody. Ice here with part one of my sweeping four part epic that chronicles my fictional wishes for the life and times of the Hero of Time. Now, this is my first story, and will probably be my only one given the scope of this bad boy, so take it for what it is. I hear it's pretty important that I remind everyone I do not own the Legend of Zelda, or Soul Calibur or any of the rights and properties that entails. Ahem, I think my man Link deserves a woman who loves him, and what woman in Ocarina of Time loves him more than Princess Ruto? So let's GET IT ON!

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Link awoke in his treehouse home, this time without a fairy or a forest girl nagging him to get up. The last image of his conscious mind was that of Princess Zelda, sending him back to his own time. She had told him he'd earned a chance to live his life. Not as a warrior or champion, but as a peaceful Hylian. With the wicked Gerudo King Ganondorf sealed away via the power of the sages and Princess Zelda herself, Link's services in protection of Hyrule were no longer required. But where did that leave the forest boy? Sure he was just 11 years old, but he had seen hardship, battle, bloodshed, and sacrifice. No 11 year old could endure what he had endured, seen the things he had seen and then try living a life without incident. Link would not resign himself to attempting a return to an existence that he knew he would no longer be able to live. A simple fairy boy he would not be. He was the Hero of Time. And he still had work to do.

Link climbed out of bed and assessed himself. The lean, muscular body he had become accustomed to as an adult was gone. He inspected the emerald colored tunic that was his by way of the Kokiri and noted that despite his trials and travel through time, all of the equipment he had obtained during his adventures were intact and accounted for. He pushed his long blonde hair out of his crystal blue eyes and contemplated what the first action of his days free from the shackles of destiny as the Hero of Time would be. As he surveyed the almost impossible green of the forest he called home, his thoughts wandered. Saria was still here, but surely she knew that having left the forest and seen the wide world beyond its borders, he would not stay here for long. He recalled the last thing he had done as the Hero of Time. He returned the Master Sword to its pedestal and as he did so, he saw a light fluttering away…..Navi. She had gone without so much as a single word. And Link wanted…no, NEEDED to know why. She was his closest companion throughout his adventures and he cared deeply for her.

So the only logical thing to do was to find her. But where in Hyrule or beyond could he possibly locate a rogue sprite like Navi? As much as he'd learned during his travels, he had no idea where a fairy would go when not accompanying one of the eternal children of the Kokiri race. However, there was someone he knew who WOULD be aware of likely fairy destinations. He hesitated for a moment at the thought. Since Princess Zelda no longer needed a hero, would he be welcome in her courtyard? When she had expected him, he had to play the thief, darting behind cover and from shadow to shadow to make his way to her. Regardless, Link steeled his resolve, secured his gear, and left for Hyrule Castle without a single word to his fellow forest dwellers. They would not understand, and leaving Saria the first time had been…..difficult enough. Yes…this was the way things needed to be.

Princess Zelda was a young girl, just as Link was a young boy. She wore a regal dress of purple and white. It was long, flowing, and was tailored to preserve the modesty of the future ruler of Hyrule. Her ears were long just like Link's, and he knew what a beautiful woman she would one day become. But that was not the reason he was here. After going to Lon Lon Ranch and purchasing his loyal and strong horse, Epona, from the lazy rancher Talon and his pretty daughter Malon (who was much more reluctant to let her go until the boy soothed the pony with naught but a song from his ocarina), he'd come here seeking one thing and one thing alone: information. And despite Link's initial concerns, it seemed that the young Princess had anticipated this. For the information she had, she gladly shared with him after a long embrace. Anyone Link had helped as a boy would remember him. The sages would remember everything that had happened, yet were still bound by their duty to seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. When the time in peaceful Hyrule had passed the seven years Link had slumbered, the sages would be called away from this world and transcend time as the guardians of the land.

And finally, Princess Zelda told Link that while she had no way of knowing for sure, that Navi most likely had headed towards a land called Termina. This was a land where Great fairies held much power, and as such was a paradise for any magical being who swore fealty to them. Link thanked his dear friend for her help and asked leave of the kingdom to find his small companion. The Princess gave Link both her blessing and the dark blue Ocarina of Time. She'd hoped this would help him remember his homeland, to always have a way home, and to create a connection between the two of them that would last as long as he held the Ocarina in his hands. Link hugged his princess tight and tenderly thanked her before riding off into the distance.

Link's journey would be successful. He would find and part with Navi on friendly, heartfelt terms and return to Hyrule with more power, wisdom, and courage than he'd ever known. Unlike the 7 years of slumber he'd passed through in the blink of an eye, he was learning new techniques, building up his inventory of heroic items, and developing battle instincts that would make him three times the warrior he ever was. Upon his return to Hyrule, he discovered a cave that he had never seen before. Located on a plateau overlooking the Zoran River, it had struck him as odd that he had not seen it during his travels. And yet, there was a massive boulder barring entry to the underground cavern. Using the power of his golden gauntlets, the hero cleared the entrance to discover a passage that was a cave for a while, but eventually became an armory. Rings, bows, swords, shields, and all manner of equipment lined the walls and racks of the arena sized room. And in addition to the already present bounty of useful items, there was much more room for him to leave the masks and weapons he'd obtained on his quest through Termina. It appeared as though this was a room where the Links of legend throughout history could leave their equipment for use by future heroes. Link unburdened himself of his weapons and gazed in awe of his new armory. The Hero of Time had just gained a LOT of firepower.

Link's thoughts now turned towards his future. Having accomplished his mission, obtained many new and powerful tools, and saving yet another world, Link now set his sights on a new adventure…love. And this particular thought didn't take long at all to come to him. For there was a beautiful water dweller in the Zora's domain that he remembered his vows to…