Chapter 1

 

The Hero of Time stood before the King of Darkness. The Legendary Master Sword in their left hand, the divine Mirror shield in their right, and their fairy companion by their side. Though much of their own past was a mystery to them, The Hero had spent their whole life preparing for this moment. They had gathered the three Spiritual Stones, opened the Door of Time, pulled the Master Sword, traveled seven years into the future, rescued the sages, and made it through the vigorous gauntlet that was Ganondorf’s Castle. 

And how, They came face to face with the Demon Lord himself, the man who had made The Hero’s life a living hell from the moment they opened their eyes and plunged Hyrule into darkness for seven long years, Ganondorf. Behind the vile tyrant waited the Hero’s childhood friend and the one who had helped them throughout their journey, Princess Zelda. The Princess had been captured by Ganondorf and placed in a magic crystal above his throne. 

With the three in the same room, the mark of the Triforce began to glow on each of their left hands. Zelda with the Triforce of Wisdom, Ganondorf with the Triforce of Power, and the hero with the Triforce of Courage. 

“These toys are far too much for you” Ganondorf said, flaunting his Triforce of Power. 

Ganondorf then released a wave of arcane energy that caused The Hero’s fairy to vanish. Their guide, their friend, gone. Now, it was just the two of them. Ganondorf slammed his fist on the ground below, creating a crevasse between him and The Hero. He then proceeded to levitate in the air whilst continuing to mock The Hero. 

Before The Hero could react, Ganondorf hurled a ball of pure arcanum at them. The Hero tried blocking the blast with the Mirror Shield, but it was no use, for the magic had melted the reflective surface, rendering the ancient artifact useless. Ganondorf threw another blast. This time, The Hero swung at it in an attempt to bounce it back at the tyrant, but it was no use. They tried pushing it back with all of the might granted to them by the strength enhancing Golden Gauntlets, however, Ganondorf’s magic was far stronger. The Hero only managed to dispel the beam. Once again, the demon king fired another charge. Still recovering from the Golden Gauntlets giving out, The Hero only had a split second to react. They weakly raised The Master Sword, unable to gather the strength to keep a steady grip. The legendary blade fell to the depths below. As it fell, so too did the fate of Hyrule. Ganondorf floated closer and closer to The Hero, laughing the whole way. He raised his palm just inches from the Hero’s face. The Hero felt the arcane energy charging into Ganondorf’s hand. A sudden realization came to the Hero as they took their final breaths. Everything they’d done up until now...it was all for nothing. They were going to die, and so too would the kingdom of Hyrule. 

 

Link jolted awake in their bed, panting and covered in sweat. It was the same dream they’d been having since their parents had died. They tried to rationalize it several times before, but the answers as to what it meant escaped them. The strangest thing was that it never felt like a dream, it felt like a memory. 

The sounds of the thunderstorm brewing outside distracted Link, making it easier for them to calm down. Upon gathering their thoughts, they looked to their right to see that their uncle was getting ready to go outside. The storm was getting worse by the second, so it seemed strange that Link’s uncle would be going out in such terrible weather. 

“Trouble sleeping again?” asked Link’s uncle. 

The adolescent Hylian replied in their hazy, sleep deprived voice. 

“Mmmhmm…..are you going somewhere”.

“There’s some business that needs to be taken care of at the Castle”.

Lightning cracked from outside the small bungalow.  

“Are you sure you want to go out alone? It’s dangerous”.

Link’s uncle turned over to them, giving them a gentle smile as he lit a lantern and placed it next to Link’s bed. 

“Always the worrier, Link. I’ll be fine, the storm should be letting up soon”.

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do to help?”.

“This is something I have to do on my own. I’ll be back before morning. Sleep tight. I love you”. 

Link’s uncle left through the front door of the house, grabbing his sword as he exited. Link thought this was strange as they had never seen their uncle use the sword and always warned Link not to touch it. Something else peculiar was that the family shield hung over Link’s bed seemed to be gone too. 

‘I hope he’s ok’, Link thought as they lay back in bed.

 

Link shut their eyes. Normally, it would take Link quite a while to fall asleep. But this time was different. They drifted off quickly, but not entirely to sleep. They were in that place between dreams and reality, where the rules of the worlds start to bend and your sense of reasoning begins to slip away. Between asleep and awake. Between light and dark. 

“...Link”.

Groggy and still in the inbetween, Link replied to the female voice that seemed to be calling to them.

“Wh-what? Hello?”

“Link, I need your help. Aganihm has taken control of the castle! Please hurry!”

The voice seemed familiar to Link. Not the sound of it, more of the tone and manner in which she spoke. 

“Huh? Who are you?”

“My name is Zelda”.

 

Chapter 2

 

Link ran through the fields of Hyrule, their boots sloshing in the mud as they rushed to the castle. The tremendous downpour caused Link’s clothes, a green tunic on top of a long sleeved brown shirt, to become heavy and damp. They had put on a bright green cap to try and remain somewhat dry, but this effort was in vain as Link’s light pink hair became soaked and matted across their forehead. Their uncle’s lantern had been the only source of warmth and light as they trudged through the increasing dampness of the land. This act of compassion was now the only thing guiding Link through this terrible storm. 

Link moved with passion, remembering what Princess Zelda had told them in the dream.

“My name is Zelda, princess of Hyrule. I’m being held prisoner in the dungeon underneath the castle. The wizard, Aganihm is planning to sacrifice me in order to free Ganon. Please, for the sake of all the lives in Hyrule, come to Hyrule Castle! Free me and we can make sure that tonight will not be the last night of Hyrule”.

Still, doubt filled Link’s mind. They’d been plagued with nightmares for years, but this one seemed different. It was so clear, and the princess seemed so real. Yet, Link was still uncertain as to whether it was true or not. In any case, Link’s uncle said that he was going to the castle, and if there was even a chance that he was in mortal danger, then Link knew that they had to help in any way possible. 

 

Finally, Link had reached the castle. Standing in front was a man in a fortified suit of armor. It was different than what the royal guards usually wore, so Link could tell already that something was different about tonight. Slowly, Link approached the guard. 

“Excuse me, sir, my uncle left for business in the castle and I just wanted to make sure that he was alright”.

The guard didn’t respond.

“...Um, my name is Link Kokiri. My parents were personal guards to the royal family, if I need any kind of credentials to get in”.

Still nothing. 

“Please, I’m just worried about my uncle. I just need to make sure that he’s ok”.

Slowly, the guard’s head tilted down to meet Link’s eyes. But the guard didn’t seem to have a face behind the helmet, just two swirling lights surrounded by blackness. Link jumped back in fear. This definitely wasn’t a normal royal guard. 

“I’m sorry to bother you sir, I’ll just be on my way”, Link said sheepishly whilst stepping backwards. 

Still reeling in fear, Link began to walk back to their house. They’d only gotten a couple steps when they heard a familiar voice call out to them. 

“On the east side of the castle, behind a bush, there is a secret entrance. Please hurry!” 

Link stopped in their tracks. All of this was so uncertain to them until now. This changed everything. Suddenly the doubt that Link had for the entire situation became doubt that they could do anything about it. If Aganihm was truly about to free Ganon, what good would a pink haired kid with a rusty lantern do?

 

Before they knew it, Link was at the bush that Zelda had described. Behind it, Link could barely make out what looked like a handle to a trap door emerging from the dirt. Sure enough, when Link pulled it, a secret pathway into Hyrule Castle was revealed. Link jumped in, landing on the hard, wet stone of the underground tunnel. They were finally out of the rain, yet the damp tunnel was far from dry. Slowly, holding the lantern in front of them, Link made their way through the passage. It was dead silent, until they heard a loud, familiar scream. It was their uncle. Link began dashing through the corridor, not caring anymore about being quiet. This whole time they’d been worrying about the safety of their uncle, but they kept telling themselves that they were just being paranoid. You’re always the worrier, Link. Now, the fear felt so real that Link could picture their uncle writhing in pain. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of running and worrying, worrying and running. Link’s fears had been confirmed. Their uncle was slumped against a wall, barely holding on to his sword and shield.  He was dying. 

“Uncle!” Link screamed as they rushed to their uncle’s side. In his haste, Link dropped the lantern that had been guiding their way, it’s dull, ever fading glow being the only light in this dark place. Link’s uncle struggled to look at the face of his nibbling as he breathed his last breaths. 

“Link….I’m sorry, I’m so sorry”.

“It’s ok, I’m going to get you out of here, you’re going to be fine!”

Link’s uncle dropped his sword and touched Link’s face. 

“It’s too late for me...but it’s not too late for you. If you’re here then it no doubt means that you’ve been contacted by the princess”.

Link nodded, tears streaming down their face. 

“T...take my sword and shield ...find the princess. The fate of Hyrule depends on you. Don’t let Aganihm win”.

Link knelt at their uncle’s side, still in disbelief. 

“I...I can’t do it by myself”.

Link’s uncle looked back at the pure fear and adrenaline in the young Hylian’s eyes. 

“It’s ok...it’s ok to need help”.

The lantern’s light finally faded away as Link’s uncle passed, leaving Link in the dark, alone and scared. A feeling they hadn’t felt in a long time, but a familiar one nonetheless.  

 

Chapter 3

 

It was a warm summer afternoon in the kingdom of Hyrule. The light from the sun warmed both the hearts and bodies of the Hylians meandering about in the Castle Town. Off in the courtyard, two children were at play, enjoying their day in the peaceful veil of childhood. One child, held aloft a tree branch, swiping at the air, cutting through imaginary monsters. The other child, a girl with golden blonde hair, bronzed skin, and plump cheeks that caught the sunlight, approach the other. 

“What’cha doin’?” she said in a high pitched innocent tone. 

The child stopped what they were doing and nervously dropped their arms to their sides.

“I’m...uh ...saving Hyrule”, they responded

“Saving it from what?” the girl replied excitingly

“I dunno ...evil or somethin’”.

The two stood silent for a few seconds, the one child anxiously awaiting for the girl to say something else while she excitedly waited for the other to do the same. After it became clear that they weren’t going to say anything else unless she did. 

“Do you know about the Hero of Time?”

The child enthusiastically met the girl’s eyes. 

“No, what’s that?” they said as they sat down on the soft grass of the courtyard. 

The girl smiled as she began her story. 

“Well, my daddy told me about it. A really long time ago there was this kid who had to save Hyrule from an evil man. To do this, they had to rescue the princess and use a super special sword to defeat the man” 

The child rested their soft cheek against their palm, eagerly awaiting the rest of the story. 

“They had to fight big monsters like spiders and dragons and even had to go through time!”

“Did they do it?” 

“Well, of course they did! The hero and the princess used both of their powers to defeat the man, saving Hyrule. And they all lived happily ever after”.

“Wow, is this real or made up?”

“I don’t know, I’ll have to ask daddy about it tonight”.

Just as the child was about to ask the girl another question about the Hero of Time, a grown up in a set of red robes stepped in, demanding the attention of the girl. 

“Zelda, playtime is over. We need to get you ready for your fitting”.

Zelda sighed. 

“Ok, Mr. Aganihm”. 

She smiled one last time at the other child. 

“Bye Link”. 

 

The warmth of childhood memories gave way to the chill of the present. Link trudged through the sewers beneath Hyrule Castle, shivering as they made their way through. Link hadn’t yet wiped the tears from their face, letting them dry into a hard surface beneath their eyes, in a sense creating a small barrier. 

Finally, Link saw a lit torch outside of a doorway. There was more light inside. 

‘This must be the dungeon’, they thought. Link stepped forward, quietly across the stone floor making only the subtlest of tapping sounds. Link peered in seeing rows of empty cells. One, however, did not appear empty. At the very end of the room there was an armored guard standing in front of a cell. Thinking that this must be where the princess was being held, Link drew their sword and approached the knight. 

The second Link left the shadows, the knight turned around. Link jumped back as he saw the same, lifeless, glowing eyes as the guard they ran into earlier. The knight quickly grabbed the flail off of its belt and began swinging it at Link with inhuman ferocity. Just before the flail could impact Link, they raised their shield, blocking the steel ball with a loud clunk. The knight attempted to swing at Link again, this time swinging lower in an attempt to immobilize them. Luckily, Link jumped at the right time and, while the knight was distracted, managed to get behind it. Before the knight could realize what had just happened, Link plunged their sword in a weak part of the armor, where the black mass that made up the creature's body was exposed. Upon doing so, the knight’s suit of armor crashed to the hard stone floor. 

Link turned around to the cell that the knight was guarding, where they met eyes with a familiar face. It had been a long time since they’d seen her and both of them had changed in so many ways over the years. But Link didn’t see the changes, they only saw what was the same. Her golden blonde hair, seeming to reflect the sunlight even in such a dimly lit cavern. Her bronze skin, full of color and vibrancy, painting her form with shades of copper and amber. Her soft, pump cheeks, freckled and blushing a brilliant red. And her piercing blue eyes, soaked in moisture. Link rushed to the door and broke the lock with their sword. Zelda ran up and gave Link the biggest, warmest hug Link had received in a long time. It had been so cold up until now, but this was so comforting. Link wished that this moment where the two teens, no, the two children embracing would last forever. Through tears, Zelda began to speak softly into Link’s pointed ear. 

“I knew it had to be you. It always had to be you”.

 

Chapter 4

 

Link and Zelda made their way out of the catacombs and began to walk north towards the sanctuary, where Zelda promised that there would be people who can help them. She held onto Link as she guided them through the ever increasing viciousness of the storm. Finally the two spotted the small abbey located within Hyrule Cemetery. They sprinted to the wooden door before finally falling into the sanctuary. Link leaned against a wall, sliding down it until they were sitting on the floor. Still trying to catch her breath, Zelda walked over to them, her hair still dripping wet from the rain. 

“Are you alright, Link?”

Link’s eyes became heavy as the adrenaline coursing through their body finally gave way, causing a wave of exhaustion to overcome them. 

“Mmmhmm ...just tired”.

“Come on, let’s get you somewhere more comfortable”.

Zelda lifted Link up by the arm and began to lead them to the pews. She helped them sit down on the cushioned seat, eventually sitting down next to them. Link rested their head on Zelda’s shoulder, their eyes still struggling to remain open despite the overwhelming fatigue. 

“Zelda...what’s going on?” Link asked in a tired voice.

“It’s ok, Link, you can rest now”.   

Quickly, Link once again drifted off into the twilight between awake and asleep as the priest of the church ran over to the two. 

 

“Link! Wake up! My name is Navi, the Great Deku Tree has an important mission for you!"

Link yawned and stretched as they met eyes with the glowing fairy floating above their head. They looked down at their body. It was strange, they seemed a lot smaller. Looking around they noticed that they suddenly weren’t in the church, it looked like some sort of tree house. Before Link could say anything else, there was a sudden flash as lightning cracked in the distance. They were no longer in the wooden shack, they were now outside the gate to Hyrule Castle Town. It was pouring rain, almost as hard as it had been earlier. The drawbridge began to lower ominously. Rushing through the gate, Link could see what looked like a woman and a young girl riding a horse. The girl stared at Link as she rode past them, a fearful look on her childish face. The girl then tossed something at them. Before Link could see what it was, another horse approached them. But this time, they recognized the rider. Staring into their soul with those bright yellow eyes was the man they had so many nightmares about, Ganondorf. Ganondorf raised out his palm as it too began to glow increasingly brighter with a yellow energy. He smirked as he prepared to end Link’s life. 

 

Link groaned as they came to consciousness. They were laying down in the church pews, surrounded by the echoing ambiance of the old building. Yet through the peaceful drone of the abbey, Link heard what sounded like someone crying. Link sat up and looked behind them to see Zelda with her head in her hands, weeping as softly as possible, clearly trying her best to not alert anybody. This was a feeling that Link knew all too well. 

As Link gathered their thoughts, the strangeness of this whole situation began to dawn on them. They hadn’t seen Zelda in years, but the two had been the closest of friends when they were young. Since Link’s parents were personal guards to the royal family, the two got to spend a lot of time together in the castle. But after Link’s parents died, there was no longer a reason for them to be there, and Link was far too passive and shy to ask if they could go to Hyrule Castle to play with the Princess. Years went by, and Link had not so much as heard from Zelda, figuring that she must’ve forgotten about her childhood best friend. But suddenly, she came back into their life, and in a big way.

 Just hours earlier, Link could only see what remained the same about Zelda. But now as the gravity of the situation began to fully weigh down on them, Link could now see the truth. Zelda was not the same girl they played with as a kid, and Link was not the same either. In fact, they were both now completely different people than they had been just yesterday. 

Link slowly began to walk over to Zelda, trying to make as little sound as possible as to not startle her. This backfired, however, as when Link tried to comfort Zelda by placing their hand on her shoulder, Zelda jolted up and let out a short shriek. 

“Ack! I’m so sorry!” 

Zelda panted as she wiped the tears from her face. 

“Oh no no no, you’re fine, I’m fine, everything is fine”.

Link sat down next to the Princess. 

“It’s...um...it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?” Link asked. 

“Yes, I guess it has”.

The two sat in an awkward silence for a few seconds. 

“...You were crying” Link said, “but you’re not anymore”.

Zelda nervously nodded. 

“Are you ok?” Link asked.

“That’s not important right now. Are you ok, Link? I noticed that you were carrying your uncle’s sword. Does that mean that he’s…?”

Link’s eyes dropped to the floor. Zelda knew that this could only mean one thing. She placed her hand on Link’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort them. 

“I’m so sorry, Link”.

At this time, another person entered the room. It was the priest, Mother Impa. 

“Excuse me, Link, can I have a word with you privately?” the older Shiekah woman asked. 

Link’s eyes jolted up as soon as they were addressed. They looked back at Zelda as if to ask permission to do as Impa said. She nodded and took her hand off of them. Impa led Link away to the corner of the church, next to the statue of the Three Goddesses. 

“So, Link, I’m assuming that you have a lot of questions as to the circumstances that brought you here”

Link nervously nodded. 

“Well then, allow me to explain. There’s no easy way to say this but Hyrule is in grave danger. Aganihm, the long time trusted advisor to the royal family has betrayed us. Unbeknownst to us, Aganihm’s true intentions were to sacrifice Princess Zelda in order to resurrect Ganon”

Link had heard the name Ganon many times, but the only thing they knew about it was that they were supposed to be afraid of it. 

“What exactly is Ganon?” Link asked. 

“Ganon is a demonic being that threatens all life in Hyrule. Generations ago, a Gerudo man named Ganondorf attempted to gain the full Triforce to rule over Hyrule. He had already obtained the Triforce of Power, The Triforce of Wisdom was appropriated from the princess of the time, and the Triforce of Courage was taken from the corpse of…”

Link interrupted. 

“The Hero of Time”

Impa’s eyes widened as Link said this. 

“How...how do you know about the Hero of Time? Only members of the royal family and myself are to know about this”

Link’s face suddenly became hot as Impa raised her voice. 

“Um...Zelda told be about it when we were kids. I don’t think that she knew to keep in secret. But she told me that the Hero of Time defeated Ganondorf”

“Yes, they fought valiantly, but Ganondorf was much too powerful. He assembled the full Triforce and became the demon we know now as Ganon. However, the princess was able to gather seven wise men who sealed Ganon into the Sacred Realm where the Triforce had originally been found. It was a weak seal, but it was all that could be done at the time. And now, Aganihm seeks to break the seal and release Ganon on Hyrule once again”

“So, what do I have to do with this?”

“There is one artifact that may stand a chance against Aganihm’s magic, the blade used by the Hero of Time, The Master Sword. Link, many were called telepathically to assist the princess, but only you made it. The fate of Hyrule now rests upon your shoulders”.

A huge weight began pressing down on Link’s chest. They had hoped that saving Zelda would’ve been the end of this, but it was only the beginning. 

“Wh-where is the Master Sword now?” Link asked, their voice cracking as they stumbled with their words. 

“The Master Sword rests in the Lost Woods, but first you must gather the three spiritual pendants located in temples across Hyrule”.

Link pondered the whole situation. They thought that there must’ve been some kind of mistake. They weren’t a knight or a Sheikah warrior or a master spell caster, they were just some kid who happened to be friends with the Princess. 

‘The Princess!’ Link realized that she was still here, still crying alone in the pews. She was alone. Link figured that the King and Queen should be here somewhere. But other than themselves, Impa, and Zelda, the church was empty. 

“What happened to the King and Queen?” Link asked while looking back at Zelda. 

Impa sighed as she prepared her response.
“Aganihm set out to eliminate anything standing between him and The Princess, and unfortunately, this included the King and Queen…”

Link stood in silence, contemplating this destiny. Their thoughts soon turned to sympathy for their childhood friend. After their own parents died, Link wanted nothing more than for their friend to be there, if only to listen. Link remembered the cold emptiness that filled their heart becoming impossible to ignore, yet necessary to avoid. It was as if there was something missing from their very being, a nothingness that weighed a ton. 

“I...need to have a word with Zelda” Link said in a dull tone. 

Impa nodded slowly as Link began to walk back over to Zelda. They sat down next to her and put their arm around their shoulder, this time showing to hesitation. Zelda tried in vain to calm herself down, but it was no use. 

“Zelda, it’s ok, I’m here for you” Link whispered softly, “You can cry if you need to”.

“No, I have to be strong, I’m going to be queen, I can’t show weakness, that’s how he wins!” She replied frantically. 

“Zelda, I know it hurts, but it’s going to hurt more if you don’t do anything about it. I’m sorry that you have to go through this but...I’m here for you, and I always will be. I’ll get the pendants and stop Aganihm, you have my word”. 

Zelda looked up at Link, her eyes quivering and face turning red. She began to burst into tears as she buried her face into Link’s chest and started to weep. 

“It’s just sniff it’s so much pressure! I don’t think I can handle it alone!” cried Zelda. 

“That’s why I’m here”

“I...I...I...I don’t know what I’m going to do without them”

Link patted her on the back. 

“I know it’s hard, but you can get through this. We can get through this...Zelda, it’s ok to need help” 

After several moments of Link comforting Zelda through this trying moment, her sounds of distress began to quiet. Eventually, she lifted her head up and met eyes with Link’s. 

“Sniff When Aganihm’s army was storming the castle, my mother told me to think of all of the strongest, bravest people in Hyrule. There were many I could think of, your Uncle included. But as I was sending out the message to all the heroes in Hyrule, I thought of who I wanted to see the most, my hero, the one who had endured so much pain and yet kept going. Link, that was you. And now you’re here. Thank you, Link, thank you so much” 

Link started to chuckle, smiling for the first time in a very long while.

“I’m your hero?” they said in a sarcastic yet playful tone.

Slowly, the edges of Zelda’s lips began to curl upwards. 

“Well of course, you’ve been fighting imaginary monsters since we were kids. What’s a few real ones compared to that”. 

“Oh yeah, well what about ‘Oh Link, your hair is so soft and pink. You’re like a little bunny rabbit. I just wanna take you home and doll you up in all sorts of pretty outfits’” Link replied, lightheartedly mocking Zelda’s posh accent. 

Zelda wiped the tears from her eyes before roughing up Link’s hair. 

“Well, I mean look at this! How could anyone not find this adorable. And it’s not my fault that you’re a huge softie”.
Link laughed. 

“Says the girl who brought a baby wolf home into Hyrule Castle”

“Hey! She was cold and it was raining”. 

 

The two went on like this for the rest of the night, laughing and reminiscing. Catching up on all those lost years, joking about the different people that they knew, playing silly games they hadn’t played in years. Pain and suffering brought them together, yet in this world of darkness, their combined light would become a beacon of hope to all those living in Hyrule. And though most couldn’t see it, their bright smiling faces warmed the land. Through the darkness and through the cold, Link and Zelda’s platonic love for each other would forever be the light in the dark, the warmth in the cold, the link between worlds.