A/N: This one-shot is set after Ocarina of Time with the idea that Majora's Mask didn't happen (at least, not right away) and with the assumption that he was sent back by Zelda to the point before any aspects of his journey happened, meaning no one he met along the way remembered him or anything he had done. I wrote this with the song 'I Was Here' by Beyonce in mind, and I slipped in a few of the lyrics. If you want a sad song to perfectly set the mood while you're reading this, that would be it! (There's also the Glee version of it, it's just a matter of whichever you prefer!)

Disclaimer: The story below contains intellectual properties from Nintendo Co., including, but not limited to, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda franchise, and are in no way owned by myself, nor do I claim ownership of any of the events that directly correlate with previous installments made by Nintendo Co. in the franchise The Legend of Zelda.

I Was Here

By: Selphie Kinneas 175

.:.

Some people just want to be remembered.

Not necessarily for what they've done or accomplished in life, but merely for the fact that their presence was real. The simple idea of touching another life is all a certain individual cared about. He didn't mind if his acts weren't remembered, he just wanted those close to him to recall his name.

For some, knowing that they're not alone is the only thing that keeps them sane.

When all manner of friends and everything he had grown accustomed to abandoned him, that certain person began to realize that he had been forgotten.

That man, or boy, was one of Hyrule's most famous heroes.

In the land of Hyrule, the term 'hero' is reserved for only the few brave souls that are touched by the divine hands of the golden Goddesses. This particular hero had played an incredibly important role in saving the land from evil, but when his journey was finally complete, time was rewound, and his name was all but removed from history.

Is a nameless hero really a hero at all?

When a selfless act is committed, and yet, no one is around that remembers it, did it really happen?

If no one remembered him or the things he had done, what was their purpose in the end?

He knew he shouldn't be thinking like that; he knew of the importance in saving Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf, he just couldn't help but feel as if it was all for nothing.

His story was a strange one, one that most could not even comprehend in their wildest dreams. His childhood had been brought to an unforeseen halt when he discovered his long-time guardian and savior, the Great Deku Tree, was dying. That tragic event flipped his life upside down as he went on to meet the princess of Hyrule and learn of his great destiny.

He had done everything Princess Zelda had asked of him, and yet, he still paid the price as if he hadn't. The younger years of his life were cruelly stolen from him, and he suddenly awoke seven years later not as a young boy, but as a young man.

He was forced to abandon everything he had grown to know and love and take on a life that was completely and utterly foreign to him. He spent each day not sure of who he truly was, feeling out of place within in his own skin. He endured it all, though, in order to save the lives of the denizens of his world, and he went on to succeed.

It hadn't been an easy feat by any means; he relied heavily on the friends and close relationships that he had formed over the course of his travels in order to keep him going. When he had found himself in the body of an adult and returned to the forest to find solace in the children he had grown up with, they didn't even recognize him – it crushed him.

At that moment he thought he would never feel more alone.

He was wrong.

As his journey went on, he became close with a number of people, some more than others. Not only did he have a connection with the Hylian princess, he also befriended the tribe of Gorons that resided in Death Mountain, the Zoras that dwelt within their watery domain at the base of the river, and even the stubborn, all-female race of Gerudos in the far desert. He became very close with the young girl at the ranch, Malon, with whom he visited as often as he could. And, of course, there was his fairy companion, Navi. She was there with him from the beginning, and she continued to be there day in and day out, at every corner of the kingdom, during conflict and during peace – always.

Needless to say, his friends and allies were great in number, and he always found comfort in knowing that if he was ever in need of aid, there was always someone to guide him.

His journey had proved to be both a long and perilous one, the cold hands of death having nearly grasped him into nothingness more times than he would like to remember. It had molded him into someone he finally felt like he was meant to be, though. That long year that he struggled and fought back evil had at long last given him a reason to live and a place in which he felt at home.

Finally, he thought, he knew what he was supposed to be doing with his life.

Once again, that was all yanked from underneath his feet as soon as he had brought an end to Ganon when the princess sent him back to relive his childhood. He knew she was only trying to do right what had been wronged, but he didn't want it. He finally felt right… finally felt like he belonged. He had an infinite number of friends and loved ones; he never wanted that to change. He remembered being so shocked when he awoke in the Temple of Time as a child and was unable to retake the Master Sword that not a word could form in his throat.

In that same instance, his companion had left him. He wasn't bothered at first, though, thinking that if he simply returned to the forest she would be there in his tree house awaiting his arrival. He remembered running as fast as he could back to his home, but when he entered, there was no one – not even the cow that Malon had given him so long ago.

He remembered crumpling to his knees – why would she leave him now, after all that they had been through together? She was his best friend…

He collected himself and headed outside, hoping to find the Kokiri girl that was so dear to him to confide in. The bitter reminder of silence that Saria was gone suddenly stabbed him in the chest when he descended the ladder outside his house and wasn't greeted by the green-haired girl. He overheard a few of the other children whispering as he passed by them that he had done something to their friend, resulting in her disappearance. Those that didn't mumble under their breath mocked him for being without a fairy.

Had Zelda truly sent him so far back in time that none of the Kokiri had even seen him with Navi? A knot began to build inside his stomach as he began to wonder if anyone would even recognize him now.

He had taken off out of the forest in a blur. He reached into his pouch in an attempt to call for Epona. He no longer had the Ocarina of Time but he could never forget the Fairy Ocarina that Saria had given him, and he planned on calling his beloved mare. When he reached into his pocket, however, he came up empty handed. He had nothing save a single rupee clinking around in his pack.

He clenched his fists at his sides, growing visibly angry.

He picked up running again, heading straight for the one place he had found salvation in numerous times over the course of his journey: Lon Lon Ranch.

He stumbled into the farm, the familiar smell of hay and feed entering his nostrils and he just knew that he would be alright here – it was a comforting feeling that he had become so accustomed to. He ran into the center of the field, excited to hear the ranch girl call him by his nickname of 'fairy boy.'

When he approached her and she stopped singing to take a step back and say, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" his heart completely stopped beating within his chest.

His breath caught in his throat and he wasn't even sure if he was still alive until Malon began running out of the field yelling for her father.

He bolted out of the farm in a flash, heading this time for Zora's River. Being without an ocarina, he wasn't even able to enter the watery realm. He headed for Kakariko Village and after that, Death Mountain, to once again find himself unwelcomed and anonymous to everyone.

Suppressing tears, he rushed to Hyrule Castle. Having the guards' posts memorized, he made his way to the back room where the princess dwelt with ease and in record time. She heard him enter noisily and turned to see who was entering her halls so abruptly. What she saw before her was a young boy with his hands resting upon the tops of his knees and panting something awful. She stood still for a moment, waiting for him to speak first.

Once he caught his breath, he walked up to her at a quick pace as he said, "Do you remember me?"

"Wh-What?" she stammered.

"Do you remember me!" he yelled irritably.

She was confused, "Of course I do, Link."

He closed his eyes and let out the breath he had been holding in in relief before taking her in in a tight embrace. She was shocked – he had never been one to initiate such a gesture.

They separated, "What's this about?"

"No one remembers me. No one even knows who I am."

"Oh…" she said sadly, dropping her gaze to the floor.

Noticing her guilty response, he became suspicious, "Did you know this would happen?"

"I did," she answered honestly.

He furrowed his brow, "Why… Why would you do this to me, princess?"

She was visibly hurt by his sadness, "I wanted to make up for the childhood you lost… I thought I was helping you."

"And now I'm completely alone."

"Not alone," she said with a small smile, grasping his hand, "I remember you. I remember everything that you did for Hyrule."

He looked up at her with a glimmer of hope in his cobalt eyes, "You're the only one I have left, then."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Where is Navi?"

He glanced away and she could easily see what was wrong as it was written on his face so clearly to her.

"I'm sorry…"

"Can I stay here?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject.

"I-…" she stuttered, surprised by his sudden question and unsure of what to say, "I can't… My father would never allow it."

"Oh… alright…" he replied dejectedly.

She thought for a moment before grabbing a nearby piece of parchment and a quill and saying, "Stay in Castle Town, that way you can come and see me every day, okay?"

He looked perplexed as she finished writing something down and handed him the letter. He scanned over it, gathering that it granted him free access to the town's inn. He nodded to her with a sad smile and after a few goodbyes, he was off.

The days came and went in a slow and agonizing haze. Link was still lonely, as he only got to see the princess for an hour at most each day. As the days turned into weeks that turned into months that turned into years, he got to see her less and less. By the time he was almost an adult – for the second time – he was unable to see her at all as she was preparing to become the queen of Hyrule.

He was completely and utterly alone.

He knew he could have spent those years getting to re-know the people that had forgotten him, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. How could he spend time with those he had grown so close to without constantly trying to talk about past events or other things that they simply had no idea of? No, he just couldn't do it. It was too painful to even think about.

He had spent those long, weary years doing petty tasks of clearing out mindless monsters from nearing the castle walls, helping children's cats down from trees, retrieving objects others could not find, and other meaningless tasks around the town.

He felt so… useless.

That last year, when Link had turned seventeen, all ties with the princess had been basically cut from existence. He wasn't allowed to speak with her, let alone be in her presence, as all of her time was now devoted to royal-business or her upcoming coronation. The realization that he was without a single soul for a friend in the world was like a knife in his chest.

He remembered sitting in that cold, empty hotel room, thinking back on all the fun times he had had with Ruto, his Goron brothers, Saria, Malon, Zelda, Navi… He longed so bitterly for them to simply remember him.

He never thought he would care so much about merely being known; it's something not often thought of and most times merely shrugged off by those that can't fathom ever being without something so simply acquired.

He just wanted people to remember that he was here, that he existed, that he had friends and relationships and love and by the Goddesses! He just wanted to be remembered!

One day a few months later, the newly appointed queen of Hyrule was drawn from her work by an unexpected knock on her door. She got up and opened it to find one of her handmaidens proffering her a letter. She took it and opened it hastily, surprised and confused as she did not often receive mail. As her eyes scanned the page, wetness began to well up beneath her lids and it became nearly impossible to stop the flow as she took in each word on the parchment.

Dear Princess Zelda,

Or should I say Queen Zelda now?

I wanted to write you this letter as a means to talk with you seeing as I'm no longer able to meet with you in person.

Where should I begin? I feel like I have so much to say, and yet, nothing can form itself in my mind. All I ever wanted was to belong somewhere, to have people accompany me, just to not be alone. I wanted to make a difference in this world, in people's lives, and I would say that I accomplished that. That is, only to have it erased.

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this to you to try and make you feel guilty, this is just the only form of true conversation I've had in quite some time. Pathetic, isn't it?

I'm leaving, Zelda. I can't tell you where because, honestly, I don't actually know myself. I wanted to write you this letter as a goodbye, of sorts.

You were one of the most important people to me, princess – queen. I felt like you understood me, to the best anyone could that is, and when we lost contact… I was crushed. I just have one thing to ask of you as we part ways forever.

Remember that I was here.

I lived, I loved, I fought, I did everything I wanted in this life. I just wanted to be remembered. And not for saving Hyrule or fighting Ganon or any of that nonsense, I don't care about that. I just wanted my friends to remember the good times we shared together, to remember that I existed. Now that they don't, I ask that you remember me.

I just want you to know that I gave my all and did my best. I will leave my mark… leave something for you to remember so at least you'll know that I was here.

Go to the gate just outside the castle.

At those words, she immediately stopped reading and rushed out of her bedchambers. She ran through the cold corridors of the castle, eager to see if her hero would be where the note said. Numerous guards tried to stop her, but she paid them no mind. When she finally made it to the location he specified, her hands clasped over her mouth as it suddenly sunk in that he truly was gone.

Surrounding the single tree that had stood tall just outside the castle walls for many, many years was a large assortment of her favorite flowers – tulips and daffodils. On the trunk of the tree was a carved drawing of her and Link in their younger years standing beside each other, huge grins plastered on their faces. At the base of the tree were the hero's Kokiri blade and Hylian shield, and resting atop them both was his signature green cap. Another tear slid down her cheek as she grasped the hat and held it close – it still smelled like him.

She looked back down at the letter in her hands, having realized she hadn't finished it.

I've been working on it for some time… growing the flowers you like. The drawing I did when I was younger and waiting to see you. The words underneath are a way for you to remember that the strange boy from the forest truly existed.

I'll miss you, princess. You will always be very dear to me. Even though I'm gone, just… please… don't forget me, okay?

Forever yours,

Link

Her tears sprinkled on the clean paper as she folded it and held onto it tightly. She couldn't believe he was truly gone… if only she had taken more time to see him every day, she scolded herself inwardly. She stopped for a moment, a thought suddenly clicking in her mind reminding her of something that Link had written in the letter that hadn't made sense. He mentioned something being written beneath the portrait on the tree that she hadn't noticed the first time. She wiped her eyes, clearing the water from them so as to see more clearly. She stepped closer to the tree and looked more carefully.

Beneath the worn, old drawing of the princess and her hero were clear, vivid letters that her eyes scanned over once, twice, three times… over and over, her mind not wanting to believe everything she had just taken in. She would never forget him, could never forget him.

For many years after that, she would return to that same tree, countless times, well into her old age. She remembered her hero throughout her entire life until her final, dying day. She read those three words near ten thousand times, fulfilling his last wish to her to always be remembered – and he always was.

He had written just three plain and simple words, but they held so much meaning.

'I was here.'

End.