See, normally I open my reviews with the phrase "This is an interesting story", but I don't think that would be adequate for this particular piece. The Ocarina of Time is not only my favorite Zelda game, but my favorite game of all time. You have put a spin on it that I have rarely ever considered. Everyone likes to put the idea on Link that he remembers his past and sometimes longs for the recognition of being a hero, for saving the people of Hyrule from the terror of Ganon. It never really occurred to me that he just wanted to forget, to go back and live the life that was taken from him. This is an excellent way to tell the story of the final encounter with Ganon, even though the final battle itself it omitted. (I've always thought the scene where he stabs Ganon in the face with the Master Sword was pretty epic.) Congrats on a well told story, I salute you on telling it in a different way without ruining all that is the Ocarina of Time. Good job.

-Esper

Wow...amazing.

I love it how it seems so much more realistic. Link is not the happy, brave hero and Zelda is not the sweet, kind princess.

Good job!!

pretty awesome story if you ask me! I liked it. You are an awesome writer.

That was lovely. It made me feel almost sick to see so characters that I love so much so unhappy and disillusioned, but it was realistic. Link's anger was certainly understandable. I was a little taken aback when he hit her; I honestly don't think he would do that, no matter how furious he was, but again, this is a more traumatized, jaded version of the character than the one I'm used to seeing.

Good job!

Fantastic!!

where should I start... weel this is a fanfic that does both Link and Zelda justice in a way, it was just so realistic that it gave me goosebumps!, thuoght more to Link than Zelda. I love the way you write it (so detailed, I like fanfics that way) Im really looking foward for more Zelda fanfics like yours, might as well check your stories.

this was really good. Especially the part where Link was yelling... at the beginning at least. I never thought of it that way.

Oh that was lovely! A bit of angst but still arriving to a happy ending equals perfection :D

I enjoyed that - a different take on a well known premise! As you say, its not often that Link gets portrayed as something other than a mild-mannered, silent hero and to give him such believeable angst is quite a feat! Well done

This was amazing! I just love dark stuff like this!

Everything was beautifully portrayed and Zelda was perfectly in character. I have the feeling she really would have thought those things if she existed and truly went through this.

As for Link, well he did seem a little OOC, but that's only because, as you said, he is normally portrayed as quieter, more gentle, and submissive. However, this spin on Link made a lot more sense for what he went though. I mean, of course he would be angry. Wouldn't we all? And when you spend your life fighting and killing, it's only natural for you to strike out and hurt those you are angry at.

Anyway, this was a beautiful piece of writing and a wonderful read. I'm glad I ignored the length and review count and read this anyway. It was definitely worth the time.
Sincerely,
X-wingPilot52

Incredible. Thank you for making it worth my while to stay up finishing those last calc assignments; it was torture, but I wouldn't have seen this right now if I hadn't stayed up. Reading this, of course, was not the torture part, haha, that was the math. This story is completely different from what I'm used to in the Zelda universe and I loved it. I seriously shed a few tears. I adored every part of it; your descriptions were breathtaking, and I loved all the anaolgies and metaphors concerning time and destiny. A very thought provoking piece, I may add. And I loved the ending, the happiness had me smiling again. Hope to see more work from you!

Disclaimer: I've never played The Legend of Zelda. Any of 'em. So I'm not going to tell you whether or not it was in character.

Even so, I decided to read this story because of the summary - I like fantasy with a dark tinge, especially if it's sort of ambiguous on the good/evil front. And I didn't regret it. I didn't feel lost, in spite of the lack of background knowledge, and it was well-written and pleasantly dark. I've read a few things along these lines before (what do the game characters think, what happens to the game world etc.) but so far it hasn't gotten old. I don't know if you read his stuff already, but you might like Terry Prachett's Only you can save mankind.

There were, however, a few turns of phrase that kind of left me cold:
"her hands, still outstretched in the same position, nearly graced his skin" (graced? what, so she has a mighty high opinion of herself in spite of previous indications?)
"he had just bared her throat" (somehow I don't think this is what she'd be thinking about, but I dunno)
...and that's all I can think of offhand.