A/N: Hi guys! Today I was reading some articles about LoZ and became engrossed with the whole "split timeline" thing, for the upteenth time lol. I switch back and forth between moments of clarity, where it makes sense, and moments of lunacy, where nothing about the theory makes sense. Seriously, I blame this "Split Timeline" for many a headaches. However, in this brief moment of lucidity, I came up with this short, one-shot that has to do with the "Child Timeline" (though to me, the Child Timeline should be switched with the "Adult Timeline" because it's more probable and would explain why Ganondorf... gah! There! See? I'm doing it again!) and how it would then connect the events of Ocarina of Time with those of Twilight Princess. I'll try my best to explain how I think the events unfolded, but keep in mind this is a fanfic, and it's just my take on how things happened. It's not to be taken as canon, though I think it could be, if Miyamoto or Aonuma were to look it over and confirm... maybe. [/end wishful thinking.] Anyway, I hope you all like it!

Part I: Back to Past

Link was careful not to completely freak out the young girl he was looking for. He didn't need the guards kicking him out before he could even talk to her. It was weird enough as it was; everything he had been through, the challenges he had overcome. The monsters he had battled. The past, the present, the future. All because of this young, blond girl. He had met her once before, in this exact same spot. This exact same day, in fact.. It still boggled his mind, but somehow he knew it was all real. Yes, he had been sent back in time seven years by this very girl. To recover your lost time, she had said. And he knew what he had to do. Slowly, he approached the Princess of Hyrule as she spied through a window on whom he knew to be Ganondorf. Of course he knew. If things didn't change, if he didn't tell her now, he would eventually battle this man and defeat him. He had already done it before. He cleared his throat. The Princess gasped and wheeled around, surprise in her big blue eyes, one hand covering her mouth.

**"Wh... who are you? How did you get past the guards?"** she asked, and Link was overcome with a sharp sense of deja'vu.

"Princess Zelda, my name is Link. I have a lot of things to tell you" he said awkwardly. "I know about your prophecy. I know who you are spying on. Everything you fear your dream meant is true."

Zelda stared at him, wide eyed. "How do you know about my dream?" she asked in wonder.

Link sat down on the grass, and the princess sat next to him. "Well... it's kind of a long story. But I have met you before. You made a prophecy that I would come, and that I would help you, because your father, the King, didn't believe you. Princess, you sent me back in time so I could warn you and confirm your doubts. Ganondorf is an evil man. He will do evil things. Hyrule as you know it will no longer exist. In the future we... we make a mistake... and open the Sacred Realm with the Ocarina of Time and he steals part of the triforce. Princess Zelda, you must not let this man walk free. It was a long, hard battle that the sages, yourself and I waged against this King of Darkness. It is in your hands now to stop that future from happening" Link explained to a bewildered Zelda. He knew she believed him. How else would he know about the Sages? About the Sacred Realm? The Ocarina of Time? Slowly, she nodded.

"I believe you, Link. But we must warn father quickly! Come, follow me, the guards won't bother you if you're with me" she said, standing and dusting off her dress. Link followed the pretty princess through the gardens and into the Castle. It was weird that he remembered the castle in a much different light. The castle he remembered had been shrouded in darkness. He remembered how scared he had been. Scared of failing Zelda... failing Hyrule.

They reached the King's office, but before Zelda could open the door, it swung open. Ganondorf stepped out, eyeing the two children. He gave them a sinister smile before bowing to the princess.

"Good afternoon, your highness" he drawled. Zelda pursed her lips.

"Afternoon, Ganondorf" she replied stiffly, and it amazed Link that even at such a young age, her voice could deliver so much contempt. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow as he straightened up, and left without another word.

"Zelda, is that you?" the King asked from within his office. Zelda took hold of Links hand and pulled him along behind her.

"Papa..." she began, but the King cut her off.

"Oho! Who is your young friend, dear?" he asked cheerfully.

"Papa... please. Listen. His name is Link and we have much to discuss" Zelda said almost scornfully. The King scratched his beard.

"Zelda, if this is about that dream again" he said, but this time, Zelda interrupted him. She slammed her little hands on his desk as she stood.

"Yes, papa, that is exactly what this is about! He is here to explain everything!" she said, pointing at the boy in green. Link swallowed hard. Judging by the King's face, Zelda had never spoken to him that way before. Perhaps it was his surprise, or perhaps her seriousness, that made him listen. And so Zelda retold her dream, and Link explained to the King everything he had already explained to Zelda. The King looked horrified with everything he was being told.

"But Zelda... surely—" the King began after a moment, but Link cut him off.

"Your Grace, why would we make up such an elaborate tale? For what reason?" Link asked him.

"Your Highness! You don't believe these kid stories, do you?!" Ganondorf burst as he flung the doors open, startling the trio.

"Ganondorf! What the hell are you doing listening behind closed doors?!" the King bellowed. Ganondorf was taken aback.

"Well... your Grace, I came back to mention something I had forgotten and couldn't help but overhear these brats!" Ganondorf tried to explain.

"This brat is your princess, so show some respect!" Zelda snapped.

"I know who you are, Ganon, King of Thieves" Link said boldly.

"Shut up, you insignificant maggot!" Ganondorf roared.

"Ganondorf, stop!" the King bellowed.

"I have seen what you represent. My dreams are never wrong" Zelda said angrily. "You are evil, but you won't get away with it!"

Ganondorf roared again and lunged at the Princess with his sword. Luckily, Link had not forgotten his own sword skills and countered the attack on the princess using a fire poker. Of course Ganondorf was far stronger than Link, so the poker was sent flying out of his small hands, but he had managed to deflect the attack anyway. In that instant, Impa charged into the office followed by many guards. Impa was able to overpower Ganondorf with powers Link knew she possessed because she was one of the seven sages.

"Ganondorf! I hereby sentence you to death for high treason and attempting to murder Princess Zelda!" the King shouted, standing protectively infront of his daughter. "Take him away!"

Led by Impa, the guards dragged a passed-out Ganondorf away. Link turned to look at the Princess and the King.

"Forgive me, daughter of mine, for not trusting your words" the Kind said. He turned to Link. "Thank you, m'boy, for going through all the trouble to make me see. And I cannot thank you enough for saving my Zelda just now" he said to the boy in green.

That night, the King held council with eight very important people. Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, Impa of the Sheika tribe, Darunia of the Gorons, Naburoo of the Gerudo, Ruto of the Zoras, Sariah of Kokiri,l Forest, Rauru the Wise One, and Link the Hero.

"I have gathered you all here tonight, upon request of Rauru, to determine the fate of Ganondorf, King of Theives" the King said, to which Naburoo clicked her tongue. "He is strong. Young Link has told me just how strong that man is. Now to discuss how he is to be executed"

"We need the power of the seven Sages to seal him away," Rauru began, "but to execute him, we need the power of all the Sages to be fully developed. Right now, young as they are, Princess Zelda, Princess Ruto and young Sariah could not even hope to aid us in the task at hand."

"So what can we do?" Darunia asked. It was somewhat painful for Link to know all of these people, yet they had no memory of him, save Sariah, his best friend whom he had grown up with.

"We must wait until such time when these young ones fully develop their Sage powers" Rauru said.

"How long?" Naburoo asked.

"About fifteen years" the Wise One answered.

"Very well. We must seal him now and wait until the time is right" the King said. Bowing, the six Sages exited the room, followed by Zelda and leaving Link alone with the King.

"We cannot accompany them, m'boy. It is a business best left to the divine beings" the King said to Link. "I saw your skills with the sword. How would you like to become a Knight of Hyrule?"

Link's jaw dropped. "Yes sir, I would like that very much!" he said excitedly. He could not imagine returning to a life of nothing. Not after everything he had been to. Not only that, but he could not stay in the Kokiri Forest. He wasn't a Kokiri, which meant he would grow up, unlike the Kokiri children, like his friend Sariah. So he had nowhere to go... until know. This meant he would be staying at the Knight Academy of Hyrule. He would have a place to live and he could be close to Zelda, should something ever happen. But he had something he wanted to do first. He had to find his fairy friend, Navi. Now that the Deku Tree was dead... Link had no one else left to keep him company.

Part II: Looking for a Lost Friend

Two months after the King of Darkness was sealed away by the seven sages, Link quietly made his way through the castle's gates on his young mare, Epona. The sun was setting and it would be dark soon. He didn't feel the need to say good bye to anyone. He had spent a lot of his time with Princess Zelda, it was true, but he didn't want to make her sad. And besides, the King had agreed that he was still much too young to join the Knight Academy; told him to come back in two or three years. So he was taking off to find Navi, his tiny fairy was sure nobody would miss him. After all, Sariah was a sage now and had no time for playing, and the events where he actually battled monsters and defeated Ganondorf weren't going to happen now. Nobody remembered him. It came as a shock to him then, when a small, slender figure stopped infront him.

**"You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" she asked sadly. Link remained quiet. Zelda gave Epona's neck soft pats before continuing. "Even though it was only a short time," she began, "I feel like I've known you forever. I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule. And I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again. Until that day comes, please... Take this..." Zelda held out the Ocarina of Time to Link. "I am praying... I am praying that your journey be a safe one... If something should happen to you, remember this song..."** she said, wiping her blue eyes. She began to hum a familiar melody: The Song of Time. Link began to follow along on the blue instrument. They looked at each other for a moment, as if there was something more to be said, but neither spoke. Link turned Epona around and began to trot away.

"Link..." Zelda called out. "Please return safely to us... to me" she said as she watched the young boy ride away. She didn't really understand it, but she really did feel like she had known him for far longer than two months, as though they had been through so much more. Using a Deku Nut, she vanished, just like Impa had shown her...

Link had been riding for hours. Kokiri Forest had been left behind long ago, and he was beginning to tire, so he was sure Epona needed rest too. He looked around for an enclosed space to rest, when suddenly he was taken by surprise. Seemingly out of nowhere, two fairies attacked Epona, startling the horse and making hear rear up. Link didn't have time to react in time and fell off, hitting his head. He lay motionless on the ground, and even though he couldn't move, he could hear very faint voices, as though he were dreaming.

**"You two fairies did great!" someone said. "I wonder if he has anything good on him? Huh? This guy... well, that shouldn't be a problem."

Link felt someone flip him over and pat him down, searching his pockets. He wanted to get up and fight, but he was unable to move.

"Ooh! Ooh! What a pretty Ocarina... Hey, Skull Kid, lemme touch it! I wanna see!" Link heard someone else say. Their voice was tiny, so he thought it might be one of the fairies. But something sounded familiar. Had they said Skull Kid? Could it be the same one he had met inside the Lost Woods?

"You can't Tael! What would we do if you dropped it and broke it? No way! You can't touch it!" another said. Link guessed it was the second fairy. The voices were clearer now, but he still couldn't move. He was beginning to fear he had become paralyzed.

"Aw, but Sis... w...why can't I try it out too?" the one named Tael whined. Link gathered all his strength and forced himself to move. Dusting himself off, he finally got a good look at his attackers. A purple fairy, a yellow fairy and yes, the very same Skull Kid he had met before. Or at least he thought it was him; he was wearing some kind of creepy mask... Link lunged at the Skull Kid but he was too fast. The Skull Kid jumped on Epona and Link couldn't think of anything better to do than to cling to the horse's side. He was dragged along until he could no longer hang on. Releasing his grip on his horse, Link rolled painfully across the dirt. Shakily he got on his feet and saw an opening, much like the openings in the Lost Woods, and he wondered if maybe he was still in Hyrule and had gotten himself lost too. Was his fate to become a Skull Kid as well? He ran through the opening and didn't stop to think. So focused was he on getting Epona back he didn't notice he hit a dead end, to which there was no ground, but a black abyss. He fell through, but rather than feeling the gut-wrenching sensation one gets when free falling, he felt like he was floating, slowly. He finally landed in a clearing, and saw the Skull Kid and the two fairies there too, as though they had been waiting for him.

"What's with that stupid horse of yours?! It doesn't listen to a word that's said to it..." the Skull Kid drawled. "There's no point in riding a thing like that so I did you a favor and got rid of it." At his words, Link became furious. "Aw, boo-hoo... why the sad face? I just thought I'd have a little fun with you..." Skull Kid continued.

"Shut up and return my horse!" Link snapped, making to draw his sword.

"Oh come one now. Do you really think you can beat me as I am now? Fool!" Skull Kid said. Suddenly Link saw a dark magic start eminating from the mask Skull Kid was wearing, and Link fell into a dream-like state. He looked around the darkness and saw Deku scrubs surrounding him. What in Din's name was going on?! He ran as fast as he could but wasn't fast enough for the Giant Deku scrub that was now following. Then Link was no longer hallucinating. He shook his head to clear it.

"Heehee! Now that's a good look for you. You'll stay here looking that way forever!"** Skull Kid laughed, floating away. Link wasn't sure what he was talking about, until he looked down at his hands. He panicked. He was no longer a human, but a tiny Deku scrub. What had Skull Kid done?! Link knew that he could not stay in this shape forever. He had to catch that Skull Kid, so he rn after him, before the huge stone door closed behind him and his faries. But then the yellow one attacked him, making him fall and preventing him from catching up to that little devil. It didn't matter. Link wouldn't stay here forever. He couldn't. He had to find Navi. And... he had to go back to Zelda... Goddesses above, why must everything happen to him?

Part III: Arbiter Grounds

Fifteen years later

Link sheathed his sword. He had just finished donning his heavy armour, bestowed only upon those who had reached the highest rank in the Knight Academy of Hyrule. Link had graduated with honors, and had been made Headmaster of the Academy. And though his new job didn't require him to actively teach the new recruits, there was nothing he liked more than to be involved in the training. Fifteen years ago, he had been but a frightened little kid with a message to give to Princess Zelda. Now they were both all grown up. And today, after so many years, was the day they had all been waiting for. Ganondorf's execution. He was required by the old King to testify one final time before the execution, so Link was getting ready. He placed the heavy helmet on his head and looked at himself in the mirror. So much time had passed, so many things had happened since. He wondered briefly what it would have been like if things had turned out differently, but he quickly cast the thoughts aside, for they made him feel nostalgic.

"Rupee for your thoughts" Zelda said behind him, making him smile. He had grown rather fond of the princess, and he knew she was fond of him too. He turned to greet the beautiful young woman she had grown up to be.

"I was remembering Termina, actually" Link said truthfully.

"The alternate dimension you fell into all those years ago?" Zelda inquired. Link nodded.

"I don't know. I guess I just miss the friends I made there. I wonder how Tattl and Tael are... how everyone is. I guess what bugs me the most is that I was never able to find the damned entrance to Termina ever since. Like it disappeared. Sometimes I wonder if it happened at all" Link explained. Zelda placed a gloved hand on his armored arm.

"The world beyond Hyrule is vast and mysterious. Who knows, perhaps one day you might return. In this life or another" she said softly. Link gave her a smile and covered her hand with his.

"Are you ready for today?" he asked her.

"I think so" she replied as they entered the main hall, where the other Sages were gathered.

"I'm actually nervous" she whispered to him.

"Me too" Link replied truthfully. "But don't worry. Everything is going to be fine"

"Everyone follow me please" Impa said, and the Sheikah led them to the court house.

When they finally reached the Hyrule Court House, they took their seats. The atmosphere was tense.

"Link of Hyrule, please stand" the old King said. Link did as he was told. "Tell us once again, on this day, the crimes for which Ganondorf is to be executed"

Link retold once again everything he knew. From the time he first met Zelda, to the time he fought and defeated the beast, Ganon. And finally how Zelda had sent him back in time.

"Thank you, Link, you may sit down. Zelda, please stand and testify" the King said, as a servant jotted down everything Link had said. The Princess stood and recounted her prophetic dream and recounted the day Ganondorf had tried to kill her. Link knew the notes being taken would be cemented in history forever.

"Very well. Then one this day I hereby grant permission to execute Ganondorf, King of Thieves. The meeting is adjourned" his Grace said, sighing heavily. The Sages stood and left the room one bye one. Sariah waved at Link and he waved back. It was still odd to him that Sariah was still a child even after so many years, though he knew it was because she was a Kokiri.

"I'll see you soon, Link" Zelda said with a small smile before she, too, left the room.

"Well. Like I said before, Link. These matters are best left to the Sages" the King said. Link nodded once and helped the King to his chambers. He hoped everything would turn out ok.

The journey to the Arbiter Grounds was long and hot. Deep in the Gerudo Desert, in a place unknown to most people, lied the prison where the foulest of criminals were sent. In fact, only the Sages and members of the Royal Family knew where it was. The Sages were all quiet, giving the atmosphere an almost palpable tension.

"We're here" Naburoo said, looking out the window of the royal carriage. Zelda peeked too and saw it. A very large, temple-like, open building. From her place, Zelda could see there were four large pillars in the center. As they got closer, she saw that in the middle of these pillars was a huge, round mirror.

"What is that?" she asked the Wise One.

"That's the Mirror Chamber. That is the Mirror of Twilight" Rauru responded.

"Mirror of Twilight?" Zelda repeated. Rauru nodded.

"Yes, Princess. This mirror has an interesting tale, best left for another time. Impa... bring forth the prisoner" the Wise One said. "Princess, please step back. As the Seventh Sage, it is your duty to protect this chamber, should something go awry. You will activate the Mirror of Twilight"

"What? How?" Zelda asked. She was beginning to freak out.

"Be at ease Princess" Impa said, "you will know. If something goes wrong, just aim your power at the mirror"

"But... nothing will go wrong... right?" Sariah asked, frightened.

"I don't think so" Impa answered her. The six Sages formed a crescent shape before the mirror, and Impa concentrated her power onto the floor, where a rip appeared from which a weak-looking Ganondorf emerged. The six Sages lifted their hands, aiming them at Ganondorf who was chained up. Zelda watched it all from a little ways away, as she used her power to create a powerful forcefield around the Mirror Chamber.

"Ganondorf... by the power invested in us by the Goddesses, you are hereby sentenced to death!" Rauru spoke, wielding the divine Sword of the Sages. The sword soared through the air, impailing Ganondorf, who slouched forward in pain. Zelda thought that was the end of it, but then Ganondorf began to laugh.

"Fools. You cannot defeat me. Mine is a legacy of hatred and darkness. Even without the Triforce, I am still descendent of... that demon... and his power flows through my veins. A power you cannot hope to match..." Ganondorf said, and with that, he broke free of his chains. In one swift movement, he attacked Ruto, the Triforce of Power glowing on his hand. And then Ruto was no more.

Zelda aimed her will and her power upon the Mirror of Twilight and it activated, opening a portal to a place unbeknownst to her. The other Sages helped cast Ganondorf inside the portal and he was sealed away. The portal closed and there was a deafening silence, a sense of shock. A tremendous loss. Zelda's chest heaved, and her hands shook. Ruto was Princess of the Zoras was dead. Ganondorf had managed to hurt them unil the very end. Sariah wept quietly, as Impa got on her knees in prayer to the three Goddesses. Rauru placed a warm hand on Zelda's shoulder. He knew both princesses had been good friends. Turning away, Zelda began to weep.

"What do you mean he killed her?!" Link roared. The ache in his heart was threatening to overpower him. He couldn't believe that son of a bitch had managed to hurt them. "She can't be dead. She has two children to look after" he said, as he slammed his hand on the table. Zelda wiped her eyes with a glove.

"Oh Din... her children... her husband... I can't bear to tell them" she said, burying her face in her hands.

"Princess, Impa has been the one to deliver the news to Princess Ruto's family" Sariah said sadly. "There is to be a ceremony at Zora's Domain... but the burial will be in the cemetery at Kakariko Village"

Link remained silent. He had so much anger bottled up inside, and he hoped Ganondorf was suffering, wherever he might be...

Part IV: The Twilight Realm

Centuries Later

Ganondorf felt himself floating in space. He had no idea where he was. He did not even know if he was at all. He felt pain, and knew it was where that wretched sword of the pathetic Sages had pierced him. How long had it been? A day? A year? A thousand years? He couldn't tell. He wasn't sure if his eyes were open or closed, but the result was the same: pitch black. He thought he could hear... a voice? Yes... it was a feeble voice, but he heard it nonetheless.

"...who the hell she thinks she is. Just because my dear cousin Midna is the new princess doesn't mean I have to do as she says!" someone was muttering angrily. Princess? Where the hell was he?

"I should have been King. Zant, King of the Twilight Realm. Adored by his subjects... feared by that uppity brat, Midna. I'd show her!" Zant huffed angrily.

Ganondorf licked his dry lips. And if he could do that, then he must be, right? He was alive, if only in suspended existence. If he could call out to this Zant... maybe he could help...

"Zant..." Ganondorf said.

Zant looked around in alarm. Someone had overheard him, he was sure, and now he was in trouble. But to his bewilderment, no one was there. How odd... he had clearly heard a voice call out his name. Deciding he was losing his mind, Zant made to scurry away ut he heard the voice again.

"Zant... can you hear me..." the voice said. Fearing for his safety, he answered.

"W...who are you?! Show yourself!" he squeaked.

"Zant... I am your God. I have seen your heart and its desires" the disembodied voice said. Zant's heart gave a lurch.

"Wha... what do you mean? Who are you?!" he asked again.

"I am he who can help you make your every desire come true. Help me help you. With my power and yours... We can rule the Twilight Realm... no... we can rule even the world beyond this realm" Ganondorf said. There was a moment of silence and then...

"Yes Master... tell me what to do" Zant said. Ganondorf smiled. Yes. The time had finally come for his return, and this time, nobody would stop him.

A/N: Well, there you have it! First and foremost, I want to apologize for any grammatical errors. I have reread this a couple of times, but I'm sure I probably missed a few here and there. Now, I want to point out that the asterisks (**) mean that the dialogue used in the paragraph or sentence is official dialogue from the games (except where Link or other minor characters talk, of course). I didn't want to write everything that happened in Termina (Majora's Mask) as it would have been boring and tedious, so I only used the beginning scenes to that game. Anyone who has not yet played this game should stop reading right now and go play it or at least watch a playthrough on Youtube lol. Anyway, the games are never clear as to how much time passes by from one game to the next, so these timeframes are just a guesstimate, based on what wiki vaguely has to say about it. I do not understand why the Sages didn't execute Ganondorf the very day he as apprehended or why they had to wait years to do it, so I hope my fic kind of fills that gap in a sort of possible way. The reason why I had Ruto buried in Kakariko Cemetery is because in Twilight Princess, Rutela tells Link that for many centuries, it is a custom for the Royal Zoras to be laid to rest there. Why? I couldn't tell you, as I have no idea lol. I based Link becoming a high ranking Knight on the fact that when you meet him in Twilight Princess, he is wearing quite the elaborate armour, and he teaches you plenty of moves he didn't know in OoT. What else? Oh! There was an interesting theory floating around that suggested Midna and Zant to be related, a.d that's why Zant wanted the throne to himself. I'm guessing if it's true, that he was her cousin, and therefore didn't really have the right to the throne, and why he wanted to get rid Midna, so he could be the sole remaining Royal, and thus inheriting the throne. I think that's it. If any of you have any questions or want to share your own theories, you can leave me your comments and opinions, I'll be more than happy to read them. I hope you liked this fic, and I hope it actually made sense and did a good job linking the games together. See you soon! xoxo