Hello readers, I'd like to take the time to explain this Zelda fanfic. It takes place in the Adult Timeline, in the Ocarina of Time. And the main characters are Zelda and Impa, who must take it upon themselves to follow the very path Link failed to follow as the Hero of Time to slay Ganon.

But it's not the same as the video game version. There will be difficulties in a realistic sense. Such as hunger, mood swings between characters, and even a question of their own personal faith in the Goddesses and themselves. Enjoy =3

Lost, the feeling to be unable to find one's way

Far off in the woods between the entrance to Kokiri Forest and Lake Hylia, deep within the twisting trees sat a young woman: Princess Zelda.

Although, she had not gone by that title 'princess' for years. She was dressed in a dark blue full body suit that covered her entire figure up to her neck and wrists. With a ruffled white shirt with torn sleeves and waist-length in size over her suit. The upper shirt had a turtle-neck that covered her lower jaw and nose. On her shirt blazed the red Sheikah symbol: an eye with three triangles to represent eyelashes, and a large running teardrop.

The turban that covered Zelda's upper head was undone. Golden hair spilled on her pale face and shoulders. But she hardly noticed. The young woman was staring hard at the ground, her elbows resting lightly on her knees.

Link...

Dead.

Zelda clenched her fists, the bandges that covered her wrists shifted. She couldn't believe the years she spent savagely believing he could actually destroy the evil that plauged Hyrule for over seven years. It was even more of a shock that he was slain by Ganon's phantom, despite the power of the Master Sword.

But how?

Zelda closed her eyes and lightly bumped her closed fists with her forehead. What did they do wrong? Link had the Triforce of Courage, the Master Sword and Ocarina of Time to mark him as the Hero of Time. He was DESTINED to slay evil. Yet evil was the victor.

Maybe Link was not supposed to do this by himself? Maybe Zelda should have assisted him in combat the entire time? She coudn't be sure anymore. The young woman was just floudering in the dark, searching for the light that may not even be there.

"Zelda."

She looked up. A tall and muscular woman was propped against a tree on the other side of the tiny clearing. She had her arms crossed over a tattered dark brown cloak. The outline of her breast-plate beneath her cloak was almost lost to the wrinkes in her clothing. Her red eyes seemed to gleam as they watched the sun slip over the horizon. The setting sun sent spidery shafts of light struck through leaves and greenery, casting long hues over their surroundings with stark shadows against bright orange and green.

"Are you absolutely sure the Hero of Time has been defeated?"

This again?

How many times was this woman going to bring it up?

As an answer, Zelda pulled down her blue wristband and glanced at the Triforce symbol on her left hand. The upper and lower left glowed softly against her skin, almost as if they were breathing. The lower right triangle, however, was dim. As if it too had died.

Zelda still remembered the searing pain she felt on her hand. And the sudden loss of life in that small symbol.

"I'm sure," Zelda whispered.

Impa fingered a small blue object in her large callous hands: the Ocarina of Time. "What do we do now?"

Zelda glanced at her friend and trainer with ruby eyes. She still didn't remove the magical disguise. It was almost a habit she walked around a male. She had no idea how far Ganon's power limited, especially with the Triforce of Power. If even the slightest chance her apperance was seen by the smallest monster, Ganon would be on her in an instant. "Why are you asking me, Impa?" Zelda asked tiredly. "I have no idea. I expected Link to fix this."

"But he failed."

"I can see that for myself, thank you!" Zelda snapped hoarsely.

The old woman regarded her for a few moments. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I really am. But sitting here moping won't help either of us."

"Then tell me, what do we do?" Zelda asked, gesturing to the sky. Dark gray clouds hung heavy over their heads, reflecting her heavy thoughts. It never shifted. "As you've said, Link failed. Not even the Destined Hero could stop Ganon's evil."

"Then... we'll just have to start off where the Hero left off," Impa said slowly, testing each word.

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we-you and I-will gather the Medallions ourselves and slay Ganon."

"We?" Zelda snorted. It was not genuine. "What can we do that Link hasn't already done?" She felt hope slipping further and further away. "We don't have a Master Sword; Navi, Link's fairy, disappeared without a trace, and Ganon probably has the Light Medallion." She stared at the Ocarina in Impa's hands. "We're just lucky we found that, before Ganon's Minions could."

Impa nodded, her eyes bore into Zelda's. "True, we don't have the same power," she agreed. "But we have each other, while the Hero only had to rely on himself in battle. And we have knowledge where the Hero had to find it along his travels."

She waved a hand. "Those two elements can prove to be vital for us in victory."

Zelda regarded the old woman. She was deadly serious. "Do you really think we can pull this off?" she asked quietly.

Impa shook her head. "I honestly have no idea. But we can try."

Zelda twisted her hands nervously. She had been trained in combat, so she was not the same fragile princess she had been years ago. But she only trained in defense, and concealment. This was approaching danger head-on.

But, if there was even the slightest chance of success...

Zelda looked up.

"Impa, you're right." She stood and dusted off her blue suit. "We can't give up. That would only give Ganon further excuse to gather the Triforce. If there is a chance we can win, or hold him off further, let's do it!"

Impa smiled. "Good." She patted Zelda's shoulder with a heavy arm. She felt her knees buckle. "I suggest we start with Death Mountain."

Zelda straightened her turban(she allowed a few layers of her hair slip out), and pulled up the hood of her turtle neck. "Why there? Link was killed in the Forest Temple."

"Exactly."

Zelda frowned. Impa whistled softly. Far off to their right, two horses raised their heads from grazing. They glanced in Impa's direction. With another whistle they snorted softly and galloped to the duo.

Zelda grabbed the pommel of her gray shaggy mare and climbed the stirrups. "Then why Death Mountain?"

Atop her horse, Impa pulled the reins towards the west, away from the sun. "If the Hero, with the power of the Master sword, could not defeat the monster there. I doubt we would fare any better." She pulled the hood over her head. "For now, we will just gather information before we tackle the temples. And the best place to start are the Gorons; they at least have some knowledge of their own Fire temple."

"And the Shadow Temple," Zelda said, suddenly aware of how close the temples were to one another. In fact, the Shadow Temple was closer to their travels. Minus the Forest temple that steadily gained distance behind them.

Impa grunted. "I'd rather we save that part for later."

Their horses snorted and trotted in a light pace. Somewhere in the distance a poe giggled, keen for the night to take over in their haste for play and trickery. "If only we could use the Ocarina of Time," Zelda sighed. The sacred instrument could teleport them to the temple in an instant. But when she had attempted to play the Minuet of the Forest, shortly after coming across the Ocarina in the Lost woods, nothing happened.

After Impa's close inspection of the instrument, she too failed to find a reason why the Ocarina would not work. Irrefutably this was the true Ocarina, that much she could tell. But the idea that Zelda could not tame the Ocarina like Link only further deteriorated Zelda's spirits. And in her anger threw the useless instrument at a tree, in which Impa decided she should hold onto it for now.