To Forgive And Forget

[Rinku]

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Zelda...or anything else for that matter..

Prologue: Banished

A small child ran for his life as his fellow Kokiri, armed with rocks and blazing Deku sticks, chased him out of Kokiri Forest; the only home the boy had ever known.

"How could you kill him?" some screeched. "How could you?"

"I didn't, I didn't, I swear!" The boy sobbed as he ran. He was covered with scratches and burns.

"Don't hurt him!"A small girl with green hair chased them all, screaming at them to stop. "Stop! Mido, how could you?"

They reached the edge of the forest, but the Kokiri could go no further. They threw their stones, anything they could get their hands on.

"Mido, please!" The boy pleaded in vain. "I didn't kill the Deku tree! I tried to save him. Why won't you believe me?"

"Believe you?" said Mido disgustedly. "You never belonged here, and you never will!"

The green-haired girl named Saria caught up. "Mido, why are you doing this? Link hasn't done anything to harm anyone!"

"You can't trust these outsiders!" Mido spat. "He was out to destroy the Deku Tree, to destroy us all!"

The boy limped away for as long as he could. Exhausted, he collapsed.

The boy opened his eyes. "Where am I?" He lay on a clump of leaves and branches.

"Hyrule field." Said a stern voice. It was woman. "I am Impa, last of the Sheikahs." Her gray eyes were like steel when she stared. "You dress like those of the forest. But you can't be if you've made it this far.

"My name is Link." The boy croaked. He ached all over.

"I won't ask how you were injured," said Impa. "I'm sur eyou have endured enough suffering already." Impa stepped back. "I suggest you go that way," she pointed. "To Hyrule Castle. There interesting times ahead of you, child. Interesting times." With a flash, she disappeared.

[Rinku]

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Zelda...or anything else for that matter...

Chapter 1- Awakening

"Wake, Link! 7 years is long enough already. Hyrule needs you, Hero of Time!"

"What?" I groaned and finally opened my eyes. Standing above me was an elderly-looking man in yellow robes. In my hand, I clutched the sword I had just grabbed a few minutes- wait. Did he say 7 years? A feeling of coldness rushed through my body. My cheek was pressed against something hard and cold. Why was I laying on the ground?

"Get up Link! Now is not the time to dawdle. You're the Hero of Time. Who else is supposed to get rid of Ganondorf, the King of Evil?"

"Hold on- Ganondorf Dragmire? The princess Zelda knew something was wrong with him.

"And she was right," said Rauru firmly. "And you, Link, the Hero of Time, anre going to put a stop to his plans of taking over Hyrule.

I was still confused, but had gathered enough to realize the Rauru was using me as an excuse, a scapegoat.

"Why don't you do it?" I said angrily.

Rauru was taken aback, and looked as if no one had ever talked back or stood up to him before.

Link... I hope you'll understand. Please! I'm not as strong as you are."

"What are you talking about? Aren't you Rauru, one of the Sages?" I recalled a story from my...childhood.

"Yes, I am. But I'm just one of the Sages. My powers are limited, unlike yours, the Hero of Time."

"Well if I'm the Hero of Time," I said, my curiosity getting ahead of me, "and have the power to 'rid the land of evil' as you say, why couldn't you have told me 7 years ago to get rid of Ganondorf?"

"You were too young- "

"Then why did I have to sleep for 7 years! If I'm the Hero of Time- "

"Link! We are wasting time. Ganon could have already put his plans into action!" he snapped, and it seemed as if his patience had too.

"Link, I need to be sure that you want to do this...Do you accept your duties as the Hero of Time?"

I'd have to anyway, since I pulled out that sword!

"I..." My mind filled with images of bloody corpses strewn everywhere on the ground, of images of things that Ganon would do, might have done already.

"Yes," I said, making up my mind. "I do."

Suddenly Rauru began to fade away, and light filled my eyes.

"Remember, Link," he said, his voice echoing as he disappeared. "You are Hyrule's last hope."

[Rinku]

Chapter 2

I woke, and once again I realized I was on the ground. But this time I wasn't with Rauru in the Sacred Realm. I was lying right next to the pedestal in the Temple of Time, just as I had 7 years ago.

"It was just an illusion," I told myself firmly. "I probably just fell down and banged my head on the steps..." I couldn't help but make up such a lame excuse.

I stood up and exited the Temple of Time, back out into Hyrule Town. It wasn't the same peaceful little market. The whole place was dark and desolate, and not a single person was to be seen. Buildings were torn apart and all that remained of some were piles of rubble. I looked up at the once beautiful castle, and saw that it was as grim and evil-looking as the town. Everything gave off the aura of death, which was twice as bad since it was nighttime.

"So it wasn't a dream," I murmured. "Has seven years really passed?"

I turned towards the now destroyed drawbridge and departed to Hyrule Field. The first thing I came upon was the same old sign from my childhood that pointed out the roads to places like Death Mountain, Lon Lon Ranch, and the Kokiri Forest. My heart skipped a beat when I read the words "Kokiri Forest" and "Lon Lon Ranch."

Saria! Malon! Will they even remember me?

I gazed down the road to Kokiri Forest. If Saria won't, Mido surely will... I never had many friends for as long as I could remember.

Lon Lon Ranch is closer, I reasoned, so I should go there first.

I started walking and it soon turned into a breathless run. Just seeing the place reminded me of my former life as a 10-year old. I was so naive and innocent back then.

"Hey, Link!" Malon galloped around the corral on a beautiful horse. "Have you met Epona yet? I can tell she already likes you!"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is Cojiro!" Malon handed me a blue cucco. "He never crows, though. Dad says it's a pity on account of his handsome color. A beauty, ain't he?"

"He sure is!" I was awed by the fact that cuccos could be a color other than brown or white.

"You can keep him if you want," said Malon shyly.

I remember blushing.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We'll always be together, won't we, Link? Won't we?" Malon smiled.

"We will," I said. "Always and forever. I promise."

"Together, always and forever," I murmured to myself. Lon Lon Ranch hadn't changed a bit. I ran up the familiar curving pathway and into the corral. Where was Malon? She was always here, everyday. She like to sing. She was the one who taugh me Epona's Song. I looked around again. There no one here, except Ingo.

"Excuse me," I said. I never liked Ingo very much. "Can you tell me where-"

"Away from the horses!" Ingo screeched. "This ain't no petting zoo!"

I stumbled away, mumbling apologies and excuses, but most curses under my breath. When Ingo had finally stopped watching me, I snuck off into one of the stables, the one where the cows were kept. And there in the corner of the barn was Malon. Her lovely, long red curls fell past her shoulders. I fell into a state of shock. She was an elegant young woman now, but when I looked in her eyes she was still the same little girl I would play with whenever I found the time. I could hear her singing to herself softly.

"Malon..." I whispered. "Malon, is it really you?" I came closer. "It's been seven years, I know. Please say you remember me."

"Sir, I'm not sure I-" she stopped in midsentence. "It can't be," she said.

"So you do remember!" I ran to her, but she stepped back. "What's wrong?" I asked, confused. "You remember who I am, don't you?" My hope and sudden ecstasy faded.

Malon seemed to be in as much disbelief as I had been a few minutes earlier. She didn't say anything else.

"Don't you recall the boy from the forest?" I asked, almost pleadingly.

"The boy," she said. "The boy from the forest. It's been years since I saw him last."

"I know Malon, I couldn't do anything about it."

"Seven years," she said. "Seven long years. I waited for him. I waited for him to come back. I thought he died, never to return to me again..." Her eyes looked past me, staring into nothingness. "I was still a child then, but already I knew... I knew we belonged together. I never thought fate would be so cruel." Her voice trailed away to nothing more than a hoarse whisper. She finally looked at me. "You're that boy, aren't you? You were, at least." Her eyes lit with joy and tears were welling in her eyes. She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a deep embrace.

"Link, is it really you?"

I hugged her back, threw off my hat, and bowed. "Link, at your service, miss!"

[Rinku]

Chapter 2, continued

Suddenly the barn door flew open. Malon quickly whipped out a bottle of Lon Lon Milk and took a few steps back, making a respectable distance between us. She put on a false cheery smile as who I first thought was Ingo came in. It wasn't; they looked related, at the very least. He had the same dusty overalls and pudgy, hulking figure. He seemed to be slightly drunk.

"Malon!" he hollered. "Malon, where are ye?"

"Right here, Gorman!" Malon replied with the same cheerful tone, her eyes urging me to play along. I put my hat back on.

"What're ye doin'?" Gorman asked.

"Just showing a customer some Lon Lon Milk."

"Who's he?" He glared at me suspiciously.

"I just told you," said Malon a bit nervously. "He's just visiting and was interested in buying some milk."

Gorman grinned, shook my hand vigourously, and gave Malon a whiskery kiss on the cheek. I could see in her stony expression that she was doing all she could not to vomit.

"Make sure you don't give him too much of a discount, eh?" He grabbed her around the waist and looked at me proudly. "We're gettin' married, ye know. Ain't that nice?" He hiccupped and let go of her.

I was speechless but somehow managed to croak the word "Congrantulations."

Gorman winked and finally stumbled away. When he reached the door, he paused. "The boys are gonna be here in a little while. Go get us somethin' ter eat, got it?"

I sighed with relief when he left, but was cut short when I realized what I had just heard. "Malon," I said, my heart breaking, "are you really going to marry him?"

At that point she burst out sobbing and didn't hold back. Overcome with emotion, I wrapped my arms around her and drew her close. I rocked back and forth, still holding her, until she ceased crying. She looked up at me, her pretty face stained with tears.

"Oh, Link... ever since you disappeared, everything began to change! Ganondorf Dragmire came and took over Hyrule Castle. On that same day, the Princess Zelda fled with her Sheikah caretaker, Impa, and no one has seen them since!"

Impa... haven't I heard that name before?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'd just carefully crept past all of the guards in the castle gardens. I finally got to the main courtyard and snuck in. To my relief, there were no guards there; just a little girl in a fancy dress. I dared myself to go closer. As I stepped forward I cracked a twig with my boots, alerting her of my prescence. The girl froze and turned around suddenly. She relaxed when she saw me.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. Her eyes traveled up my shoulder where she spotted Navi, who was fluttering around my head as usual. "Are you one of the Kokiri?"

"I'm Link!" I said enthusiastically. "I'm from the Kokiri Forest!"

"You must be the boy from my dream," the girl said. "The boy who will save us all."

I was immediately confused. "Who, me? You had a dream about me?"

She beckoned me to her and I saw the symbol of the Triforce embroidered on her dress. I realized who she was.

"You're Princess Zelda!" I was shocked at first, and if I were a bit older I would have had the common sense to bow to her.

"Yes," she said. "I am."

At that point I noticed that she looked worried.

"Well," I demanded childishly, "what's wrong?" The princess turned away from me and looked through a window behind her. I looked too and saw a strange man kneeling before someone. "His skin. Why is it green?"

"He's a Gerudo, another one of the many races in Hyrule."

"Then what's he doing here?"

"He's one of my father's advisors."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"I think he's planning something. Something evil."

I then became afraid but peered through the window anyway to get a better look. The man noticed me and I flinched under his gaze. He looked at me curiously, but after a few seconds redirected his attention the King of Hyrule again.

"Did he see you?" said Zelda sharply. "That's okay, though. He doesn't know that I've figured everything out already. Anyway," she continued, going back to a more businesslike manner, "Did you bring the Kokiri Emerald?"

I fumbled with the pockets of my tunic and brought it out. "How did you know?"

Zelda immediately plunged into a detailed story about the Goddesses and the Spiritual Stones, while I, being my usual immature self, stared at her with my mouth slightly open.

I'll never forget that day. Those few minutes with Zelda opened up huge possibilities for my destiny. At that time I was mostly astounded that I even had a destiny.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Link?" Malon asked. "What's wrong?"

"I just- nothing," I said, coming to the conclusion that I had spaced out during all of the flashbacks. "So... the princess and her Sheikah disappeared. What else were you going to say?" I zoomed back to reality.

Malon was slightly annoyed but said nothing about it. "After the princess left, Ganondorf appeared. Everyone left town, and he gave the ranch to Ingo. His nephew Gorman came along too, and they kicked Dad out."

"Well," I said, confused again, "what are you still doing here?"

"I... can't leave." All the old spunk that I had loved her for had disappeared. "The horses, Link. And all the other animals. Ingo'll mistreat them if I leave."

I had known forever that one of Malon's top priorities were animals. I just never thought that this passion would be her undoing.

"Let me get this straight. Talon's gone, Ingo and Gorman have taken over, and you'll be married to someone you don't even love?"

"That's about it, yes." Having put it so bluntly, her predicament almost seemed not to be so devastating at all.

"Well then! What can I do to help?"

Malon looked at me like I was joking.

"What? Don't give me that look, Malon. I wasn't kidding."

We heard a loud outburst of laughter outside.

"It's Gorman's friends!" she hissed. "Link, you better go before they find you!"

"But- what about you?"

"I'll be fine."

She didn't sound like it, which made me even more determined to help her. I had an idea. "Talon. Where is he?"

"I don't know, Link, I don't know! Please, just go!" Malon shoved me towards a window in the wall of the barn. "Go out that way. Hurry!"

As the laughter (or should I say snorting) grew louder, I had no choice but to go. I pried open the window and jumped down into Hyrule Field. I looked up at Malon before turning to leave. "I'll come back, Malon. I promise!"

"Promise? You promise?? Link..." and for once, she was angry. "Link, all you did was say your promises-"

"Malon! Where in the hell are you? Get over here right now!" Ingo screamed from the corral. Malon shut the window and left without looking at me. I was taken back, but decided not to stand around waiting. Who knows what sort of monsters walked around Hyrule Field at night now that Ganondorf was back. At the moment, thought, Ganondorf was the least of my worries.

[Rinku]

I wrote this story about a year ago, so forgive me if it seems a bit immature. None of the words have been changed, and you can also see this *and review it, plz!* at fanfiction.net under the name hero of time132. I haven't updated since, which is a bit sad.