DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Legend of Zelda in any way. It is completely owned by whoever was smart enough to make it up. Some Japanese people...

Prologue

Two years had passed. They'd meandered by slowly, patiently eroding the now quiet land of Hyrule. Hyrule Castle had been rebuilt in all its former glory and more in the first five months. Lon Lon Ranch had prospered and sunk into quiet, understated fame. Zora's Domain had been rehabilitated, the waters running clear and clean as ever. Hyrule Market was ever the noisy, bustling square it was before. Goron City was returned to its peace and quiet. Kakarico Village below it was back to being it's quaint, happy self. Gerudo Valley was once again the mysterious stronghold of the infamous women thieves. The desert beyond it was left untouched. Lake Hylia was once again the deep, sparkling jewel. And Kokiri Forest had sunk back into its silent, happy haven.

He'd lived in his childhood home for as long as he could, and once he couldn't fit in the bed, let alone the house, anymore, he'd left to find more suitable accommodations. He used the old tree house as a storeroom. Talon had rented out the west stable room to him and he'd stayed there for a while and helped as a ranch hand. He and Malon had become nearly inseparable.

After that, something unexpected had happened. The old professor at Lake Hylia had passed away and left his house to "the young man who could dive to the bottom of my tank." He'd be shocked, surprised, saddened and touched. He held a small service for the kind, wise old man who he had never had time to know as well as he wanted to. He lived in the small, comfortable home, slowly, and with much help, making it his.

There were days when he missed Saria unbearably, missed sitting with her as a little boy, carefree. It seems that memory blocked out the bad parts of his childhood, the way he was isolated, cast-out, ignored… no. Memory didn't forget the horribleness of his childhood, it just chose to make the good shine out so much brighter to try and dim those dark, harsh, painful memories of war, battle, hatred and blood.

He tried not to dwell on the bad. Forget the past he couldn't, wouldn't do because if he did this, the future would not be what it was now. Calm, peaceful, happy. He was happy. He lived a simple life, sinking away from fame and glory to live at peace as a part-time ranch hand, part-time delivery boy in a small house by the shores of a vast, lonely lake.

He lived by himself, but not alone. He had his horse who provided both company and transportation, he had an open invitation to the palace, he had his ocarina to sing him to sleep and to give him a way to communicate with Saria, he had the Gerudo's to the east, the Zora's to the west, the Goron's to the north, and the Kokiri's to the south, and he had Malon right in the center.

He was happy.