Chapter 33: The Day the World Stood Still

“Princess, how much longer…?”

Impa’s question was halted by the raising of Zelda’s hand, which was then promptly returned to its former position – holding the other hand in a prayer-like clasp – after silencing the princess’s guardian.

They had been riding for only fifteen minutes when Zelda had asked Impa to stop Puresnow so she could dismount. Impa had at first been weary of stopping; Ganondorf had been chasing them, after all, and still might be. But Zelda’s constant begging and demands had finally forced the protector of Hyrule’s Royal Family daughter to concede. When Puresnow had been drawn to a halt, Zelda had jumped onto the soggy ground, knelt down in the mud in her regal dress, closed her eyes, and started to chant some kind of prayer.

She had been performing that prayer for over ten minutes now, and Impa was getting a little impatient as well as worried. She wanted to get Zelda to the safety of her village, Kakariko Village, as quickly as possible. With Ganondorf loose, there was no telling how the Gerudo king might find a way to get to Zelda…

But because the princess was so insistent on this unusual ritual, all Impa could do was watch Zelda from Puresnow’s back and wait for her to complete it. Impa could hear Zelda mutter several words, but exactly what she was saying was beyond her knowledge. The Shiekah were people of prophecy, not magic….

“There, finished.”

Zelda’s words were so unexpected that Impa blinked in surprise to hear understandable words from the princess’ mouth. But she quickly regained her composure, even though she felt very uneasy. “Then let’s make haste,” Impa pleaded. “Ganondorf might be looking for us this very moment, and I’d like to get to Kakariko Village as soon as possible.”

“I understand,” was all that Zelda replied as she strode over to Puresnow and allowed Impa to lift her back onto the horse’s back. “Let’s go.”

Nodding, Impa used the reigns to gently strike Puresnow’s neck, which encouraged the beast to move forward, starting out slowly but then picking up the pace until it was in a sprint worthy of the Hylian Horse Races. The rais had stopped some time before Zelda’s prayer, leaving a muggy yet cold feeling in the air. A gentle mist was also beginning to rise, but it presented no threat to the travelers; Impa could tell which direction they were heading through mere instinct, so they were on the right heading for Kakariko Village.

As they galloped across the wide plains of Hyrule, Impa managed to look down at Zelda and ask, “By the way, what exactly did you do back there?”

“I left a little something for Link,” Zelda replied, as if anticipating the question. “I’m sure he’s confused as to what’s going on, so I channeled some of my magic as a message into the Ocarina of Time. As soon as he touches it, he’ll find it.”

Instead of admiring Zelda’s idea, Impa shook her head with concern. “I sure hope you knew what you were doing when you gave Link the ocarina. Ganondorf was right behind us, and he could’ve easily taken it from Link, as well as whatever else he had. I hope the young lad is okay.”

“Me too,” Zelda agreed, although she was agreeing more with the idea that she also hoped she knew what she was doing…

“By the way, Impa,” Zelda suddenly asked. “Did you know that Owl? You know, the one that told us to run?”

Impa hesitated before answering, “I knew him, Princess, but a long time ago, back when he looked very different from what he is today…”

 

********************

It was very rare for him to know when he was dreaming, but this was one of those times. Before, he would live the dream without realizing it was actually a dream; this time, he knew without a doubt it was a dream. How did he know it was a dream? Because he could still feel the pain of reality all too well, and he didn’t want to return there right now. The only thing he knew nothing about was his name; it had no meaning here.

He dreamed of the Lost Woods, picturing he was back where he had lived all his life. The dream was a perfect picture of the forbidden woodland; he could see every blade of glass glide in the wind, hear every leaf grate against the tree’s rough bark, and smell every drop of morning dew as it evaporated into the cool air. He could feel the sun’s gentle rays poke through the forest canopy to tickle his skin, and he could taste the overwhelming aromas of natural foods the woods provided.

He was in the very place where he belonged, and he was happy.

He then dreamed of the Kokiri Forest, the section of the Lost Woods that was his home. He could see the hollowed-tree residences that belonged to his friends – Saria – and the abodes that didn’t belong to his friends – Mido. He could make out the arrangement of Kakariko Village; he was able to place every house, road, planted trees, and other familiar objects in their proper place with frightening accuracy. He could even imagine the crag-bounded road that led to the Great Deku Tree’s meadow, and even thought his heart knew the truth he could see the Great Deku Tree himself, alive and well, watching over his creations.

He was home again, and he was happy.

He then dreamed of his life, watched as he relived his most cherished memories. His saw his first encounter with Saria, an even that occurred because he had been hypnotized by her ocarina-playing abilities. He witnessed his first berry picking with her, during which she kindly shared her harvest with him because his own yield had been pitiful. He observed the day he finished his tree house, which had been built to stop the height-fearing Mido from teasing him in his own home. He even glimpsed the first time he slept outside under the stars, something that he somehow always seemed to remember.

He dreamed these and many more memories, and he was happy. But he also cried, cried for the days he longed to relive.

Then he dreamed of more recent events, the events that took place a day before he left it all behind. Navi came to him, telling him that she was now his fairy and informing him of the peril of the Great Deku Tree. Mido tried to stop them, but he bested him with the help of Saria. He stood before the Great Deku Tree, traveled within the Great Deku Tree, and faced the creature Navi had named Gohma. He killed her with guilt in his heart, but it had to be done. He faced the Great Deku Tree again, only to watch him die before giving him the Kokiri’s Emerald and a quest. He left the corpse of the Great Deku Tree, only to be greeted by Mido’s accusations and Saria’s kindness. He then left her and everything behind him, taking only her ocarina and these memories.

He wished he never had to relive this again, and he cried. This time he cried because of the pain in his heart, the pain he wished he had never experienced.

Then he dreamed of something he didn’t recognize. It was a time and place he knew nothing about; he suspected it was the future. Everything around him was emptiness, a void that swallowed everything except him. All possessions he owned – his clothes, his weapons, the Spiritual Stones, the ocarina, everything – were gone. He could feel no emotions; they seemed to have been stripped from his being as well. He was alone, and yet he didn’t feel alone…

He then saw why he didn’t feel alone: he wasn’t alone. Perched upon his left shoulder was a fairy, as pink as the sky during a cloud-clothed sunset. He knew this fairy well; he could even put a name on her. So, for the first time during his dream, he spoke.

“Navi.”

But she didn’t answer back. She simply stared into the nothingness, as if expecting something to happen.  And it did.

Without warning, he saw something step out of the darkness. It was a girl, a girl wearing the brightest green he had ever seen. Even before she stopped a short distance away from him, he knew exactly who she was, and he managed to call out her name.

“Saria.”

But she didn’t answer him, as if sound had no meaning in this unfamiliar world. Instead she stared directly at him as if staring directly through him. She then held out her right hand, which was clenched tightly into a fist, and remained motionless for an endless moment before finally opening her hand, palm up.

There, sitting in her palm, was everything he had ever known before that fateful day: the Lost Woods, Kokiri Village, everyone he knew, his accomplishments and failures, his cherished and despites memories…everything. It was all there. Everything…

Then something else emerged from the nothingness. It was a hand, a giant hand large enough to hold a Kokiri in its giant palm. The hand had no owner; it was attached to no master. But it had an agenda, because he saw it heading straight for Saria. But he did nothing but watch. He could feel nothing except familiarity, so he expressed no urgency. Saria just stood there as well, showing him everything he had ever known, not caring about the new manifestation. She didn’t even do anything when the giant hand encircled her with its powerful fingers.

The hand remained motionless for an eternity, and Saria didn’t move. Then she smiled, and finally lowered her hand. She then said four words that rang in his mind like a shrill echo.

“Come…back…to…me…”

CRASH…

The giant hand snapped into a fist, destroying everything inside. Saria disappeared with her smile and took everything she had shown him. The crash made no sound, and yet it thundered in his mind like an angry storm. Suddenly, his emotions returned to him, and they pounded against his psyche with full force, trying to overpower the others for supremacy. He felt the pressure inside his heart, and the force was just too brutal for him to stand. He fell to his knees, holding his head in pain, trying to control his feelings as best he could.

On his shoulder, Navi remained silent. She did nothing to help him or comfort him; she simply sat there, as emotionless and disinterested as before. She looked at him once, but then looked away, back towards the hand that had destroyed everything he had cherished.

The pain grew and grew, refusing to give him any moment of peace and sapping all of his strength. The experience was tearing his soul apart, trying to destroy him from the inside. He had to transfer his hands from his head to his chest in order to hold back the agony, but nothing could stop it completely. It was as if he were experiencing all of his life’s pain in a single, defined moment…

No, that wasn’t it. He was experiencing all of the pain he will be facing! He was experiencing all the suffering of his future! That had to be it! But why…?

Then, from the void, he saw a new presence emerge. It was a face. But it was no ordinary face. He recognized that face immediately, and realized that the giant hand belonged to that face. He also understood where all of this pain was coming from…

“I understand. You are the cause of all of this. You are the one who will destroy everything I cherish, the one who will give me this pain…but I also understand something else. This is the future. This can change. I will see to that. You will not take anything away from me. You will not succeed. You will not…succeed.”

The pain was gone. He had conquered his emotions. He could feel his soul being healed, and his strength returning. He stood up, opposing the face in his naked state. Navi remained on his shoulder, but she had changed. She looked like the Navi he had always known, the Navi he cared about. She said nothing to him, but she didn’t need to say anything. She just needed to be there…with him…

His courage gathered inside his heart. He could feel it.

“I…”

His clothes returned to him.

“…am…”

His sword returned to him.

“…Link.”

His name returned to him.

“And I will not allow you to win!”

Link charged at the face, holding his sword up high. He cried out into the void, crying out all his pain, his suffering, and his anger. He will put an end to this. He will not let the face win. He will not let the evil behind that face win. As he flew through the emptiness, his cries shielding his heart from agony, his eyes shed tears that drifted behind him like a visible wind. Inside of those tears were his fears and doubts. He will not back down. Never.

“I will not let you win…Gaaaaaaaannnnnoooooonnnnnndoooooorrrrrf!”

********************

It was that scream of his that finally woke him up. Because he rarely dreamed and knew about it, waking up from such a dream was quite an experience. To watch everything fade away and then weave into something else was both nerve-racking and intoxicating, disturbing and intriguing, but Link didn’t think he wanted to experience it again anytime soon.

Daylight. It was either that or someone shining a bright candle in his face. But it didn’t take him long to figure out it was the former; the blue sky winking at him from above was the first hint. At first he thought nothing of it, but then he remembered the black thunderclouds and fierce rains from last night. Despite his misty vision, he could tell there weren’t any dark clouds in the sky, only their white cousins. And since all he could hear were distant bird songs and insect calls, the storms were either too far away for the thunder to be audible.

As his eyesight sharpened, he could make out a dark object to his right and just out of his line of vision. He turned his head, quickly finding his neck muscles to be stiff but movable, and discovered the object was the familiar outer wall of Hyrule Castle New Town, looming like the tree line Link had seen during his unprecedented departure from the Lost Woods. He could also see something else that made his heart beat a little faster: the drawbridge, located a little ahead of him and to the right, was lowered, granting access into the city.

Slipping a sigh of relief through a weak smile on his lips, Link relaxed his head against the soft grass. By the tickling sensation of the long grass against his cheeks, the ground was already dry; he couldn’t even feel any soggy mud underneath him. That either meant the mud was a special kind, or the sun had been out for a while. He looked up to the sky, and discovered the latter option was true; judging by the position of Din’s Eye, it was midmorning and closing in on noon.

As he lay there, allowing his muscles to relax before the upcoming task of moving them, Link thought about the dream he had just witnessed. That other dream, the one with Princess Zelda and Ganondorf, had been reenacted almost exactly, so there was a chance this one held some kind of significance as well. But exactly what kind of importance did this dream have?

There was one noticeable factor in this new dream: it dealt almost exclusively with the Lost Woods, the only odd thing out being Ganondorf. Link tried to figure out the dream’s meaning, but there were so many possibilities. It could’ve been a dream of remembrance, a dream of longing, or a dream of the possible future… it could’ve been all of those, by the Three Goddesses!

Still, the dream did show Link one undeniable thing: what he cherished more than anything else. Despite where he had been – Hyrule Castle New City, Zora’s Domain, Death Mountain, Lon Lon Ranch – and despite who he had met – Kaepora Gaebora, Princess Zelda, Malon, Impa – it meant little to him when compared to what he had always possessed. He didn’t want to admit it – after all, he had been given some wonderful memories during his quest and had made some irreplaceable friends – but nothing he had experienced during his journey outside of the Lost Woods could ever take the place of what was inside of the Lost Woods.

Kokiri Village, his tree home, his friends, Saria…they all had a place in his heart. Even the bully Mido had a spot somewhere! While everything and everyone meant something to him, Link knew his life back in the Kokiri Forest meant much more than anything else.

Lying there, staring at the sky with wide eyes, Link made a vow. After giving Princess Zelda the three Spiritual Stones, he will leave Hyule forever and return to where he belonged. It was a painful decision – there were a few people he wouldn’t mind seeing again, especially a certain red-haired girl to whom he had promised to return one day – but it was the right one to make. He was a Kokiri; he shouldn’t even be outside the forest. It would be better if everyone outside the Lost Woods forgot he ever existed.

“It’s the right decision,” he repeated in his mind, as if trying to convince himself. “At least I sure hope it is…”

“You’re finally awake.”

Link wasn’t surprised by Navi’s interruption. In fact, he was almost expecting it. He turned his stiff neck to his left, and saw the pink fairy hovering a short distance away from his face. She didn’t appear angry or worried in the least; she simply drifted there, watching him with her tiny eyes.

Link widened his smile. “Have I been asleep long?”

“Long enough,” the fairy answered. “At first I was a little worried you were unconscious, but when I saw you breathing normally I relaxed. I decided you’d be fine if you were left the way you were, and I took the time to check out exactly what Princess Zelda threw at you last night…”

“Threw at…? Oh, yeah. I remember. She did throw something, didn’t she? So what is it?”

“It’s an ocarina. That’s it, nothing more than an ocarina. I found it lying at the bottom of the moat, so it took me a good many tries to actually bring that thing to the surface. It’s a lot bigger than any ocarina I’ve ever seen, but I can’t see anything special about it. Any ideas?”

Link sighed. “Ocarina, huh? Well, I can’t think of anything…wait, maybe there was one thing…ugh, I can’t think straight right now. It feels like that Barinade’s shock attack pierced every muscle in my body.”

“Well, I’m not surprised. That attack Ganondorf made against you was pretty intense. Your shield – whatever you call it…Nayru’s Love, isn’t it? – it slowed the attack down some, but it wouldn’t have mattered if you had or hadn’t used that shield. The attack was only enough to stun you, which brings up an interesting question: why didn’t Ganondorf kill you?”

Hey, that was an interesting question. Why didn’t Ganondorf kill him? He obviously had the power to do so, and yet all he did was stun him. Could Ganondorf not bring himself to kill children…?

“Yeah, right!”

Straining to flex his arm muscles, Link tried to get up, which was a little more difficult than he wanted it to be. As he lifted himself up as best he could, he muttered through his teeth, “I don’t suppose you have any idea as to what’s going on. With Ganondorf and Zelda, I mean.”

“Not really,” the fairy answered. “I’ve spent most of my time trying to get that ocarina out of the moat. I haven’t had time to do anything else.”

“I see,” Link stated as he finally managed to get himself into a sitting position. He didn’t say it, but he couldn’t believe he and Navi were having a calm, normal conversation, as if nothing from last night had happened. Maybe she was getting used to all of this. Maybe he just couldn’t surprise her anymore…

“So where is this ocarina?” he asked before he took a deep breath and started to strain his legs to work.

“Still in the moat. I only managed to move it closer to the shore; that thing weighs more than I could bear, even in the water. You’ll have to get it yourself, because I sure can’t get it.”

Link shook his head. “Fine, whatever. Just lead me to it.”

As he spoke the last word, he finally managed to stand up, although he had to lock his knees together to prevent his legs from giving in to his weight. He took a moment to steady himself so he could stand without the worry of falling on his face, and then he took a baby step to test his muscular movements. His legs wobbled slightly, but they held him up.

Satisfied, Link turned to Navi, who was already flying towards the moat and the spot where the ocarina lay. Deciding not to push himself, he headed in that direction using small steps; his strength hadn’t completely returned to him yet and he didn’t want to feel like an idiot by falling on his face. He did stop for a moment to pick up his sword, which had fallen just a short distance from where he had lain, but other than that he kept shuffling.

He reached the edge of the moat in a little over a minute, and when he reached the shore he strained his neck to look down. The water a little murky but he could still see the bottom and everything that lay upon it. The water-filled trench was quite deep, and Link was about to wonder how Navi expected him to reach down and pick anything up from the floor when he noticed something sitting against the shore, a short distance beneath the water’s surface.

It was the ocarina, resting on a sand bank. Even then Link could tell just how right Navi was: the instrument really was big, at least bigger than his fairy ocarina. It was also colored a brilliant purple that distinguished it from the moat’s floor, and that brilliance seemed to soak the sun’s rays like a sponge fungus in a summer rain. As he watched the ocarina through the ripples of the water, Link couldn’t help but get the feeling that the ocarina was somehow…asking him to pick it up…

“That’s silly,” he said to himself as he bent down on his knees and dipped his right hand into the water to retrieve the instrument.

“What’s silly?” Navi asked.

“Oh, nothing…”

ZING…

Navi didn’t have the opportunity to hear the rest of Link’s sentence when he suddenly froze, his face petrified in an expression of shock and disbelief. Suddenly growing worried, Navi fluttered in front of Link’s face and tried to get his attention.

“Link! Link! What’s going on? What happened? Are you all right? Link…Link, no! Stop! Link! Link!”

The fay didn’t have a chance to say anything else before Link, unstable because of his unexpected freeze, tumbled into the moat with a loud splash…

 

********************

“Do you think it’s safe now, sir?”

The Hylian captain turned to the soldier who has asked that question and squinted his eyes in curiosity. “And why would you be asking such a question, soldier?”

“Well,” the soldier began, straining to keep his posture erect before the captain, “after what happened last night, don’t you think Ganondorf might try to attack us again? I mean, we’re standing at the city’s front gate, which right now has the drawbridge lowered and the gate raised, allowing anyone and everyone to enter. I know the front gate is supposed to be open to allow travelers in, but the curfew hasn’t been lifted yet and I doubt anyone will come here for a while after the invasion. Who’s to say Ganondorf won’t try a direct attack after his sneak attack failed?”

The captain shook his head in disbelief, causing his chain mail to rattle like dry leaves being tread upon. Was this one of the Hylian soldiers that was supposed to protect Hyrule Castle New City with his life and honor?

“Listen, soldier,” the captain stated, keeping eye contact with the soldier. “It’s because of that incident last night that the situation is at its safest. The Hylian army was getting lazy lately, because we felt security was handed out on a silver platter. But Ganondorf proved otherwise; he showed us safety was earned. And I’m sure the king learned that lesson as well. He’ll make sure we don’t allow such a thing to happen again. Already that hole that desert scum used to get past the city wall is being repaired, and soldiers are being given stricter instructions and consequences for not following those instructions.”

The captain took a step back and shook his head again. “Safe, you ask. My good man, Hyrule Castle New City is once again the safest city in the entire world.”

“I sure hope so,” the soldier uttered, “because I lost a dear friend to him last night. I had to tell his wife this morning that her husband had died at the hands of that…that…by the Three Goddesses, I don’t even know what to call him; he isn’t human. He can’t be, not after what he did to Reginald! I couldn’t even recognize his face anymore! I had to keep that detail away from Marshael, but she still cried enough to break my heart twice over…”

“Please, calm down, soldier,” the captain pleaded. His request actually sounded genuine and caring, but his tone still had a hint of seriousness in it. “It’s been hard on all of us to lose those three great men. But be thankful no more lives were lost last night, which is a blessing considering what happened before that time. Even so, we will make sure Ganondorf is brought to justice. No one attacks Hyrule and expects to get away with it like he did. Mark my words, he will one day get what he deserves.”

The soldier tightened his fist to control his sadness and anger. “I know, sir. It’s just that…” His eyes then suddenly blinked open widely and his neck snapped sharply. “Hey, look. Someone’s coming across the drawbridge.”

The captain turned to the drawbridge and, sure enough, he saw someone running across the wooden bridge at a blistering pace. And when he saw how big that someone was, he shook his head in disbelief.

“Well, I’ll be,” he uttered loudly. “It’s just a kid. Wonder what he’s doing alone…and out of the city during this time of crisis?”

“Maybe he went out camping with his friends or something?” the soldier suggested. “Or maybe…”

“It doesn’t matter,” the captain interrupted. “What matters is that we must get him inside the city immediately, and any of his friends if they’re still out there.”

The two Hylian guards waited for the boy to reach them before they finally stepped in front of him in order to stop his frantic sprint. The boy did stop, but only after a brief attempt of trying to push past the two guards. When he couldn’t get past them, he looked up to meet their gazes.

“He’s dripping wet, sir,” the soldier commented.

“Either he’s incapable of drying rainwater from his skin,” the captain smirked, “or he just had a little dip in the moat. But that’s beside the point. You, boy, what are you doing out of the city? Don’t you know there’s a curfew until further notice…?”

“Can you help me?” the boy suddenly asked in a frantic tone. “Do you know where the Temple of Time is?”

The captain jerked his head back. “Temple of Time? Why do you ask? Are you not from around here or something? If you’re not, then you should get your family and…”

“There’s just me!” the boy declared quite forcefully. “Now tell me, where’s the Temple of Time? It’s very important!”

“Now just hold on a minute here…” the captain tried to say, but the boy refused to allow him.

“Tell me! Now!”

The captain sighed. “Very well, if you insist.” He then pointed down the street leading to Market Square. “Just go down this road until you get to Market Square, and look for a road to your right that has a sign over it in the shape of an arch with crosses nailed to it. That road will take you to the Temple of Time. But I think you really need to go find your parents and…”

“Thanks!”

Without another word, the boy suddenly shoved himself in between the two soldiers and managed to squeeze his way past them. Surprised by the boy’s agility, the two guards watched as the nameless kid ran down the street as fast as he had run across the drawbridge. He disappeared within a matter of moments, as if he had never existed. They were so amazed by the lad’s speed that they didn’t notice a small, bright, pink light follow him seconds later.

The soldier stepped forward, a couple of steps in front of his captain, as if the act would give him better sight of the long-gone child. “Well, that was strange, sir,” the soldier commented.

“Yes, it was,” the captain agreed softly.

“He sure is a fast one. I don’t think I’ve seen any kid run that fast or desperately in all my years. It was almost as if his life depended upon getting to the Temple of Time. I’ve seen some folks in desperate need of religion, but this really beats all. And did you see his clothing? That had to be the ugliest shade of green I’ve ever seen, and that hat was so…captain? Captain, are you listening? Captain, are you there?”

Puzzled at the sudden silence, the soldier turned around to see whether or not the captain was still listening to him. Instead, he saw a huge, dark blade’s sharp tip an instant before it was shoved directly into his eye…

 

********************

Here he was at last. The Temple of Time.

While not the largest building Link had seen, it had to be one of the most hallowed buildings Link had ever come across because the moment he stepped inside he felt a powerful and yet peaceful presence within. He had never seen temples before, so he didn’t know what to expect; this lack of experience might explain why the building had such a profound effect on him.

The room beyond the marvelous yet relatively simple entrance hall was enormous, about three times the size of Zelda’s private garden. Rows upon rows of long, wooden chairs were lined all the way down the chamber along the sides, creating a path down the middle of the room to the other end. Windows of brightly colored glass decorated the stone walls at every turn, creating a beautiful display of hues upon the temple’s floor. There was no one inside the chamber at all except for him, which is exactly what he wanted.

At the opposite end of the room were the items he had been told about: the altar with the inscription and the Door of Time. Satisfied and smiling, Link started to head for that altar.

“Link!” Navi’s voice echoed shrilly moments before she fluttered onto his shoulder, her tiny breath heaving heavily. “What do you think you’re doing, just running off like that? One minute, you freeze and fall into the moat, and the next you climb out with a stupefied look on your face and just run into the city! What are…?”

“Zelda,” Link answered without stopped his march towards the altar.

Navi jumped off Link’s shoulder and into the air above his head. “Zelda? Princess Zelda? What does she have to do with this…?”

“Everything.”

Navi tried to say something else, but Link shut her out of his mind. Instead he started to concentrate of the vision he had just a few minutes ago received. The vision he had witnessed the moment he had touched the ocarina. The Ocarina of Time…

Link, this is Princess Zelda. By the time you get this message, Impa and I are well on our way to Kakariko Village. Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle, and we were forced to flee because we would’ve died otherwise. We’re heading for safety until we’re sure Ganondorf won’t try anything, but unfortunately that means I won’t be able to see you again for some time. When I saw you last night, I wanted to stop for you, but with Ganondorf trailing us it wasn’t possible. I only pray he didn’t do anything to you.

But Link, because you are here in Hyrule again I’m sure you have all three Spiritual Stones. I decided to give you the Ocarina of Time, the ocarina you are holding right now, so that you could get the Triforce. Ganondorf might still try something, and I want to get the holy relic out of his reach as quickly as possible. And since I am unable to be in Hyrule with you, I’m asking you to get the Triforce alone. Once you get it, you can take it to my father, who will understand and keep it out of harm’s reach until I get back. But you must hurry, because I do not know how much time we have.

The Triforce is hidden in the Sacred Realm, and the only door that place is in the Temple of Time…

Those words, along with the rest of the message, had entered his mind in an instant, the very instant Link had touched the Ocarina of Time, and he understood them as fluently as he knew every plant in the Lost Woods. He didn’t know how Princess Zelda had done it, but right now he didn’t care. Something was driving him to do exactly what she said; whether that something was the desire to get home quickly or the desire to get the Triforce out of Ganondorf’s hands, he didn’t know.

He made it to the altar within a few seconds of entering the Temple of Time. It was a simple altar, made out of thick stone and big enough to allow only a few people to kneel before it. But this altar did have two remarkable characteristics. The first was that within the stone face of the altar were three oddly shaped cavities, evenly spaced out from each other. It didn’t take a lot of pondering for Link to figure out what those indentions were for. He patted the bag with the Spiritual Stones lightly just to make sure he knew that he knew.

The second remarkable feature was the inscription written just above the cavities. He read them aloud in his mind, taking in every word slowly. He read them for the first time, but he felt as if he had read them many times before:

“Place upon this grave Spiritual Stones three. Three become one and one becomes the key. Past these doors lies a portal unseen. Release the lock with a soul found clean. Have in possession the sound of the light. Beware the temptation of the hearts of the night.”

Nodding his head, Link reached for the pouch with the Spiritual Stones.

“Link, might I ask exactly what you are doing?” Navi abruptly asked.

At that moment, Link didn’t care about answering his friend’s questions, so he simply answered, “Exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Find the Temple of Time, and head to the altar at the far end of the main chamber. There, put the Spiritual Stones in their respective places upon the altar…

Zelda’s words fluttered through his mind like a refreshing breeze as he carefully pulled the three stones out of his pouch and placed them on the altar. They were all shining as brightly as ever, even though none of the windows were shining directly upon the altar; in fact they were so bright that Link had to avert his gaze from them somewhat.

When all three were out of his bag, he reached for the nearest one, the Kokiri Emerald, picked it up, and looked for the cavity in the altar that matched the stone’s shape. Discovering the stone belonged in the left-most hollow, Link lowered the Spiritual Stone gently into the cavity, making sure that the gold casings fit into the mold exactly. He pressed the gem softly yet firmly until he thought he heard a soft hiss, as if the stone were signaling it was securely in place.

Pleased, Link began work on the other two. He thought he heard Navi trying to ask him more questions, but he refused to listen to her. His desire to finish this task had taken him over completely, and anything questioning his actions just weren’t what he wanted to think about. He pressed on until the other two Spiritual Stones were in their right places, the Goron’s Ruby positioned next to the emerald and the Zora’s Sapphire placed in the right mold. Those two stones had made soft yet noticeable hisses as well, so Link figured they were in their proper sites.

Smiling weakly, Link took several steps back to survey his handiwork. The jewels were still sparkling as bright as ever, only this time they made the once-plain altar look like a marvelous shrine dedicated to some unknown influence. Although nothing had special had happened because of what he had done, Link could tell something was about to happen. The hallowed air in the temple had changed, changed to a feeling of sacred power that was about to be unleashed somewhere and somehow.

And Link knew how he was going to unleash that power…

“Link!” Navi was now so angry she screamed almost directly into his ear. “Are you listening to me? What in the name of the Three Goddesses are you doing…?”

Once you have done this, you must play the Song of Time on the Ocarina of Time. Once you do this, the Door of Time will open, and you’ll be able to enter the Sacred Realm. Here’s the song that’ll open the door…

Zelda’s words and the song that followed it interrupted Navi’s complaints. Link’s eyelids trembled in profound rapture as he heard that song echo in his mind again. The Song of Time was such a beautiful song in its own unique way, but it differed from all the other songs Link had learned during his lifetime. Instead of using soft, gentle melodies like Zelda’s Lullaby, calm, flowing harmonies like Epona’s Song, or rapid, cheerful rhythms like Saria’s Song, the Song of Time utilized a slower, more deeper feeling in its notes. Using the lower notes of the ocarina, the song sounded rich and sad, as if they were someone’s tears pleading for the life of a loved one.

Link had no idea what made this song so special, but he guessed it was because it would be used to open the gateway to the Sacred Realm, the very place where the power of the gods lay…

Without a second thought, Link reached for the Ocarina of Time, which he had earlier placed in his pouch right besides Saria’s fairy ocarina. As he raised it to his lips, he hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment. He then bit the mouthpiece, took a deep breath through his nose, and started to play. Despite the fact that ocarinas were different from each other and required their unique preparation, Link played the Ocarina of Time as if he had played it all his life. And since Zelda’s message had burned the Song of Time into his memory, he played that song just as fluently.

Whether the Ocarina of Time was alive or not, just as Saria had said, he didn’t know…or care, for that matter. He just played the Song of Time as profoundly as he could, making sure it could be heard throughout the entire temple. If Navi was still talking to him, he didn’t know; his mind had blocked out everything but the task at hand.

He played for what seemed like forever, but when he stopped he knew he had only played for a few minutes. He had closed his eyes for his little performance to feel the full effect; when he opened them again he turned to the place he knew would be affected by the song…

“Link!” Navi’s scream was so earsplitting that Link couldn’t help but turn to face her. “If you don’t explain what’s going on, I’m going to…”

Suddenly, a soft yet audible rumble caused Navi to fall silent. The ground didn’t shake, but the air sure did. It wasn’t a powerful rumble, but it was strong enough to get the attention of the fairy and Kokiri. Navi didn’t know what was going on, but Link sure did. The feeling in the air had changed again…or rather, it was changing, changing by growing more and more sanctified, as if some holy power was being released.

Before Navi could ask what was happening, the three Spiritual Stones erupted into a blinding flash of light, brighter than they had ever shone before. Link and Navi were forced to use their hands to shield their eyes from the powerful light, but Link’s curiosity made him peek over his hands to try and see what was going on. Unfortunately, the light was so bright he couldn’t stare into it for even a second…

GRRRRRRRRRRRR…

The thunder-like sound that abruptly shuddered throughout the Temple of Time was different from the first one in that something nearby was creating it. Although he couldn’t see anything, he knew something incredibly large and incredibly heavy was moving by some unknown force, and he knew it was located somewhere at the end of the church, right before the altar…

“Link!” Navi yelled. “What in the name of the Three Goddesses did you do?”

“Just watch!” Link answered.

“Oh, yeah, sure!” Navi hissed dryly, taking Link’s comment for sarcasm.

Link was about to make his statement clearer when, without warning, the grumbling ceased with a deafening thud, signaling that whatever had been moving has stopped. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the blinding light emitted by the Spiritual Stones disappeared. However, Link couldn’t see anything because the light had burned into his eyes, leaving dark spots before his eyes that hindered his vision. He had experienced such things a few times after accidentally staring at the sun, but never this severely.

It took about a minute for his eyes to readjust to the glow of the temple chamber, but it took less than a second for him to realize what had moved. When he had entered the temple, he had seen two wooden door-like objects fastened to the granite wall found beyond the altar; then, he thought they were nothing more than decorations. But now he thought different, because the two doors had…parted! He couldn’t believe it, but they had parted in opposite directions, as if they hadn’t been part of the granite wall at all. He couldn’t even see the hinges they were swinging upon. And the granite wall…it was gone! By some unknown magic, the granite wall had moved out of the way, revealing an opening in the wall. The granite wall was probably what had made that loud rumbling, but right now Link didn’t care.

He had opened the Door of Time, the doorway to the Sacred Realm, the doorway to the Triforce…

His heart unable to contain the excitement, Link broke into a run. He stumbled upon takeoff, but he quickly steadied himself and briskly sped past the altar and the Three Spiritual Stones it held. He maintained that speed until he reached the actual door, taking a moment to take in the indescribable aura the doorway was emitting. There was no doubt about it in his mind; the end to his quest lay at the other end of this doorway…

“Mind explaining what’s going on?”

Navi was sitting on his right shoulder, more interested than impatient, but nevertheless a little peeved. But Link didn’t have any desire to feel bad about not telling the fairy of his actions, nor did he have any desire to enlighten her about them. He simply smiled and said, “Nothing much. I just opened the doorway to the Sacred Realm.”

A moment of silence passed before Navi uttered sarcastically, “Oh, is that all? Well, it would’ve been nice to know what was going on, but I guess you were just too busy to let me know. I suppose you didn’t have the necessary energy to just stop what you were doing and tell me in just a few words exactly what you were doing…”

“Good, I’m glad you understand,” Link interrupted before starting to walk through the doorway.

It took Navi a relatively short while to figure out a response. “Hey, wait a minute…!”

 

********************

What lay on the other side of the Door of Time was completely what Link was not expecting. He had imagined that with the Door of Time open, he would walk into a different world or something to that extent, something that would hold the richness that its reputation built for it. But instead, he got something as ordinary as it could get. Instead of the Sacred Realm, he found himself in…another room, circular in shape and smaller in size than the Temple of Time’s worship chamber but still slightly larger than Zelda’s private garden. Unlike the room with the altar, this room had nothing inside it except for stones, walls, and a window.

It was completely empty!

“What’s going on here?” he thought in disbelief.  “Is this the Sacred Realm? If it is, it’s not what I thought it would be…but this can’t be it! There’s nothing in here…”

No, wait a minute. He was wrong; the room did have something inside…

“Hey, what’s that?” he asked out loud, more to himself than to Navi.

The item in question stood in the very middle of the room, upon a small raised section of the ground. It was tall, about his own height, to be exact, and its shape was very familiar. In fact, although he was standing a reasonable distance away from the object, he could tell exactly what it was. It was a sword, a sword with a blade much longer and deadlier-looking than his sword’s steel and a hilt with seemingly remarkable craftsmanship. How it was standing straight up in the middle of the room, he didn’t know, but he had a feeling the sword had something to do with his task…

“I think it’s a sword, Link,” Navi’s voice suddenly interjected.

Link made a face. “Thanks, Navi, I know.”

Navi made a face of her own. “Well, you could say something instead of stand there like a tree and say nothing…”

“Never mind, let’s just see what it’s doing there. Maybe it’ll lead us to the Sacred Realm.”

Navi decided not to argue with that idea – all the better for Link – and the two companions made their way across the floor to the middle of the room. As they climbed the low and very short flight of stairs to the partially raised portion of the floor, Link saw why the sword was standing. Its blade was sunken into the ground, held up by a specially crafted stone that stood about as high as Link’s knees. The stone had a peculiar symbol carved upon its surface: three engraved triangles positioned in such a way to create a larger triangle with an upside-down triangle-shaped opening in the middle.

Link didn’t know why, but he guessed it had something to do with the Triforce. Zelda had never told him what the Triforce looked like. Maybe this was what it looked like…or at least how it was represented…

“Link,” Navi suddenly uttered, “I don’t know why, but this sword is very powerful. I can feel its energy radiating from its blade; it feels stronger than anything I’ve ever seen, even the Great Deku Tree. Why it’s sitting here like this, I don’t know. Maybe that door back there was put here to guard it…”

“Or,” Link interrupted as a flash of inspiration struck him, “it was put here to guard something! I have a feeling that’s it. This sword could be a key to the Sacred Realm. Maybe Princess Zelda forgot to tell me about it. Let me think…”

Once you play the Song of Time, you should be able to enter the Sacred Realm, where you’ll find the Triforce. Once you have it, you must get it to safety until I return. When I do, I’ll deal with it. There is so much more I want to tell you, Link, but I don’t have time right now. Please, wait for me to return. There’s something very important I need to tell you. Thank you, Link. You have no idea how much this means to Hyrule, not to mention the world. I will see you again. Farewell.

The remainder of Zelda’s message offered no mention of a sword being the final key. Princess Zelda probably didn’t know about it. That must be how well guarded the entrance to the Sacred Realm was.

“Got anything?” Navi asked.

“Nothing,” Link answered.

“Well, now what are we going to do? The only thing of interest in this place is the sword, and the only thing we can do with it is to try to pull it out. And there’s no telling what will happen if we do that…”

“But we can’t just stay here and do nothing. I have a strong feeling that this sword is a key to the Sacred Realm, possibly the last key. If it is, then I have to do it. I have to. Who knows? Someone might come along and pull this sword out anyway, getting past the Door of Time and…”

“But that’s just it!” Navi sounded very concerned at the moment. “If this is a key to the Sacred Realm, how does the sword guard the entrance? If anyone can just pull the sword out, then how can it possibly be a key? To be a key, there has to be some kind of circumstance for it to be drawn or consequence that follows it being drawn. What if pulling it out of that stone kills you? Did you ever think about that?”

Link hadn’t thought about that. Navi was right: what kind of person could pull this sword out, or what would happen if he did pull it out? Since Zelda wasn’t here, he couldn’t answer that question, and he suspected he didn’t have time to wait and find out. He had to decide: should he risk it? Should he risk it…?

“I thought so,” Navi continued. “So I guess what we should do now is…”

“I’m going for it.”

Navi blinked in amazement. She fluttered in the air for a few moments before flying directly into his face, her light flashing rapidly with worry and irritation. “You’re what? Did you not hear a word I just said? If you pull that sword, you could…”

“…die, I know,” Link finished with an acknowledging nod. “But dying may be better than doing nothing. I can’t just sit and wait for someone to come and take this opportunity away. I have to take it now while I still have the chance. If I’m lucky, I’ll still be alive.”

“But you can’t take that chance…!”

Link raised a hand, and the words he then spoke seemed to drown the chamber with a tone so powerful it tore into the fairy’s heart, as well as his own. “Yes, Navi, I can.”

Navi, unable to say anything in response to that statement, floated in silence for what seemed like an eternity before she finally muttered, “Okay, Link. I understand.” The fairy then landed on his left shoulder and sat there; it was her way to give Link permission to do what he had to do, no matter how insane she thought it was.

Mouthing Navi a silent “thank you,” Link stepped up to the sword.

The blade was so tall that Link had to climb onto the stone to actually reach the hilt. He planted his feet firmly on either side of the blade, wrapped his hands tightly around the hilt, and made a silent prayer to the person he trusted the most. “Saria, protect me…” He then took a deep, closed his eyes, and gave the sword a solid, upward yank…

“I’m going to die…no I’m not…yes I am…no I am not…Saria will protect me…she’s not here…I trust her…she can’t do anything here…why am I here…you already know the answer…am I doing the right thing…you know the answer to that as well…what’s going to happen…what’s going to happen…”

ZING…

The blade popped out of the stone with a soft clang, as easily as if it had been inserted in a scabbard. With his eyes closed, Link thought his mind was playing tricks on him, but when he opened his eyes he saw it was no trick. The tip of the blade was visible; he had managed to pull the sword out of its stone sheath without any kind of effect. What this meant, he didn’t know, but he was just glad he was still alive.

“Navi, look!” he exclaimed cheerily with a wide smile on his lips. “I managed to…”

Suddenly, before he could finish his sentence, a loud screech sound struck his ears. It started at a very high pitch and grew shriller and shriller until it was so sharp he nearly dropped the sword to cover his ears. But the shriek was nothing compared to what he saw; all around the raised platform, from an unseen source in the ground, a kind of blue light was rising from the ground and into the air, surrounding the Kokiri and fairy and sword in a kind of bizarre cage.

Horrified, Link tried to move so he could escape the entrapment of blue light around him, but for some reason he couldn’t move. To his complete and utter terror, Link’s muscles refused to budge, as if something were forcing Link to stay where he was! Link tried to scream out, but that was denied as well. All he could move was his eyes, and they were staring directly at the walls of light that were encasing him at the moment.

Unable to do anything else, Link watched as the blue light started to grow brighter. It changed from light blue to a dazzling white, and even then it refused to quit. It just grew more and more intense until it spread across the room in a blinding collapse of light. But Link couldn’t close his eyelids to shield his eyes, so all he could do was watch as the brightness strengthened with each second, placing him deeper and deeper into its clutches…

“This is it,” he thought. “This is the trap Navi warned me about. I’m going to die. I’m going to…hey, what’s that?”

Something was moving in the light. Despite the intensity of the light, he could still make out something. It looked like a person, but he couldn’t be sure. Maybe someone was coming to rescue him. Maybe it was Princess Zelda…

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!”

That laugh…

“No! It can’t be!”

But it was. Just as Link recognized the owner of that cackle, the owner stepped closer to him and showed himself. Although he was still bathed in some of the concentrated light, Ganondorf was easy to recognize; his tall yet well-build stature, his twisted, ugly mug, and his sinister, evil-filled eyes made sure he wouldn’t be mistaken for anyone else.

The Gerudo king stared at Link for a moment before he snickered again. “Just as I suspected,” he stated loudly so Link could hear. “When I saw you outside the city, I realized the princess had sent someone to be her lapdog and get the three Spiritual Stones. At first I thought you were too much of a brat to be a match for my traps, but I’ve been proven wrong. And my hunch to follow you has paid off. I never thought it would be this easy, but it was. You’ve opened the door to the Sacred Realm for me, and you’ve given me the Triforce as a gift. How thoughtful of you. Yes, kid, I owe it all to you.”

His disturbing smirk widened. “And when I find Princess Zelda, I’ll be sure to let her know as well. But now I must bid you farewell. I have ultimate power to obtain.”

The King of Thieves then raised his head in cruel laughter, making sure Link heard every bit of it. Link wanted to do something – anything! – but he couldn’t move anything aside from his eyes, and they were beginning to grow useless as well. As he watched in bitter defeat the Gerudo king laugh, he also watched as the white light grew brighter and brighter until Ganondorf disappeared from sight, leaving only the Gerudo’s mocking laugh’s echo.

His eyes started to shed tears, but his heart had done so already. Every part of his body hurt, but nothing hurt more than his faith in himself. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but one question stood above all others.

“Why…?”

At that moment, he found his voice. It wouldn’t do any good now, but he cried out in pain and desperation anyway. “Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…!”

Then, without knowing how or why, he blacked out, his scream resonating in his mind like an unforgiving spirit…

 

********************

“Link…”

Impa looked down at Princess Zelda while keeping her eyes partially on the path before them. “Excuse me, princess? What did you say…?”

“It’s Link. Something’s happened to Link.”

Confused, Impa turned her head and looked behind her, back in the direction of Hyrule Castle New City, now long gone beyond the horizon. “Something’s happened to Link? How do you know that? We’re far from the city, and…”

“Impa, turn back!” Zelda suddenly screamed. “We must turn back! We have to go help Link!”

Impa’s confusion quickly turned to concern. “Princess, I know how much you care about that young man, but to turn back just because of a feeling isn’t reasonable…”

“It’s not a feeling!” Zelda stated forcefully. “It’s a certainty! Link’s in trouble! I have to go help him! Turn around now!”

“I’m sorry, princess, but I can’t. I have a duty to perform, and that duty’s to get you to safety. And even if Link were in trouble, we can’t do anything. It would take many hours to get back to the city…”

“Then we haven’t a moment to lose!” Zelda was so jerky that Impa had to slow Puresnow down. “We have to go back! As Princess of Hyrule, I order you to turn back!”

At first, Impa didn’t know what to do. Did she dare refuse a direct order from a member of the Royal Family? But her intuition as the princess’ protector told her to do so. “I’m sorry, but we…”

“Then I’m going alone!”

Zelda then tried to leap off of Puresnow’s back, but Impa was ready. She used her arm to catch the escaping princess and press her close to her chest. Zelda tried to struggle out of her guardian’s clutches, but Impa was too strong. “I’m doing this for your own good, princess. Trust me when I say there’s nothing you can do.”

“No!” Zelda shrieked as she continued to fight back. “There has to be something I can do! I can’ t just leave Link like this! I have to help him! I have to! Link, I’m coming! I’m coming to help you! Link! Don’t leave me! Link! Link! Liiiiiiiiiiiink…!”

********************

“So…that’s what your destiny was.”

Kaepora Gaebora smiled as only an Owl could smile while he scratched his lower body with his left claw. He had finally gotten his magic to work, and to his amazement he saw everything. He saw Link, he saw Link’s actions, and he saw Link’s future self. Why he hadn’t been allowed to see these visions before, he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. He saw everything…well, everything except what he really wanted to see.

Link’s future…

When he finished scratching, Kaepora stretched his wings out, which caused more blood to trickle down his feathers. The wound he had received from that hunter’s arrow had grown worse with each passing day of his journey, and his last stretch of the voyage had really taken its toll. He had refused to allow the wound to heal because he had to reach Princess Zelda in time. Thankfully, he had fulfilled his mission, but at a terrible cost.

He could still fly, but with great pain all across his wing. He had no doubt the wound was infected because of his neglect, and he was in no condition to find food. He was growing weaker with each passing minute, and in time he just might close his eyes and never open them again. He didn’t know; his magic refused to show him his future. But at least it showed him Link’s…

Link, the Mage-Bound who had the power of the gods at his fingertips. Link, the Magi-Con who now grows from the Child of Destiny to something even greater. Link, the greatest mystery he had ever seen in his lifetime. There was no telling how Link was going to handle the future; all Keapora could see was what he would become, not what he was going to do. His magic wasn’t as powerful as it used to be…

Speaking of which, he wondered what he would become when he died. Would he become an Owl again, or would he become what he had been before? Or would be something different…? Ah, it didn’t matter. Death was of no importance right now. If he died this day, then so be it. He had done what needed to be done, and that was it. He just hoped Link would see Hyrule through the dark ages it was about to undergo, because what little of the future Kaepora could see he didn’t like…

As he gazed into the sky and his uncertain future, Kaepora Gaebora reflected upon one feeling he knew now to be true: he would never see Link the Kokiri again.

Link the Kokiri…

********************

“He has done it, dear sister. He has found what he has been searching for. He has found the sacred relic.”

“Indeed he has, dear sister. And he shall use it to rule this world, just as he had desired.”

“We have done well in raising him, haven’t we, dear sister? He has become far more than we have ever hoped.”

“Indeed, dear sister. When I first saw him, I knew he would grow to be the greatest of all kings to rule the Gerudo. And with the sacred relic in his possession, that rule shall be extended to every kingdom on this world.”

 “Such a task is very daunting, dear sister. Even with his newfound power, he will need help. Shall we go to his aid?”

“It is not necessary, dear sister. He is far more powerful than we, and he is capable of doing what needs to be done. He will devise ways to overcome any handicap he should come across. What we need to concentrate on right now is that young one lurking outside the temple.”

“I agree, dear sister. She is one of the Gerudo, but she is different from the others. I can feel her heart, and it is not what I see in the other Gerudo. I sense kindness and sympathy, things the Gerudo should’ve abandoned when they took the oath.”

“Shall we destroy her, dear sister?”

“No, let us wait, dear sister. Let us see what she wants, and then we’ll decide her fate. We might find ways to use her if the opportunity presents itself.”

“That seems very sound, dear sister. But we should be careful not to let her get too close to the truth. She probably doesn’t suspect anything, but the moment she does, she must be dealt with, by whatever means are deemed necessary.”

“You are right, dear sister. We shall do whatever is necessary when the time comes. But for now, let us watch her and learn what she plans to do.”

“Agreed, dear sister. She will be dealt with in due time. What shall we do before then?”

“I do not know, dear sister. There is not much to do here except watch the world and dream. What we can do is take pleasure in that our son has taken a step towards the ultimate dream of the Gerudo. I am very proud of our son. Aren’t you?”

“Indeed I am, dear sister.”

 

********************

Three months.

It’s been three months since that fateful day. The day that Link was sealed by the final key of the Sacred Realm, the Master Sword. Ever time I think of that name, Master Sword, I cannot help but feel it was my fault Link was sealed by its magic. I knew nothing about the sword, so Link removed it without knowing the consequences. But then, none of us would’ve guessed he was the…the…I can’t even write that title, because I feel so ashamed to have been the one to give him that title. If I had only known about the Master Sword, Link would’ve never been trapped. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him. Even now, I still have these feelings for him, and they grow stronger every day. A part of me wants them to go away, but another part of me doesn’t. If only I could see him again to make sure…

Ganondorf’s armies of darkness have been on the march for what seems like forever. It’s impossible to live a moment without fearing his evil. I still can’t believe he has the Triforce…well, at least in a sense. With that power, there’s no one to challenge him. Impa has sent word out to neighboring lands for help, but so far there have been no response. I sometimes feel guilty that on that fateful day, when the Sacred Realm was opened, I cried out for Link and not for Hyrule. But I could hear his scream, hear him cry out in pain. It was so real…but that’s no excuse. Hyrule is dying, and will be destroyed if Ganondorf continues his advances.

With all the Hylian guards destroyed, all that remains are the Sheikah. They have the power to slow Ganondorf’s onslaughts, but they won’t be able to keep him back forever. If help doesn’t arrive soon, I fear Hyrule will forever be lost. I’d hate to think of what would happen to this world under his cruel hand, but right now that’s what’s on everyone’s mind. I can only pray the Sheikah don’t risk their lives too greatly, because if they’re gone, there’s nobody left to help us.

Even as I write these words, I can’t help but think back to that day, the day the world stood still…

“Princess Zelda?”

The voice surprised Zelda so much she nearly scribbled in her diary. She jerked her head and looked behind her, her face in a worried flush, but when she saw who was standing in the doorway she sighed in relief. “Oh, it’s you. Please, don’t scare me like that.”

“I’m terribly sorry,” the newcomer apologized. “I’m just here to tell you that it’s time for practice.”

“Already?”

“Afraid so.”

“Can you wait just a few more minutes…?”

“I can wait, but I doubt Impa would. She left me in charge of your training while she’s away, and I don’t want to disappoint her. She is my aunt, after all.”

Sighing, Zelda nodded and turned back around to close her diary. She then stood up and headed to the doorway, where the newcomer was leaning against the frame. She stopped within arm’s length of the person, threw back her hair, and locked gazes with the newcomer.

“So, what are we doing today?”

The person thought for a moment before answering, “Oh, I just thought we’d do some archery today. Once you master that, we’ll start with close-range combat. Maybe the dagger, or, if you feel up to it, we could start with the sword. How does that sound, Zelda?”

Zelda smiled a weak yet noticeable smile and combed her fingers through her hair. “It sounds wonderful, Sheik.”