Gamer4 in. Hello, people, and welcome to my newest story! This is one that took root in my mind a few days ago, and it has spread so throughly I swear it was incepted. Maybe it has something to do with me going on a Zelda-binge at the same time. Probably. Anyways, the main concept I started with was 'have all the various Zelda characters in one great, big story.' Don't worry, though, this plot will not just be an excuse to have everyone in one big story- I actually do have a story in mind. In addition, I promise right at the outset that I won't bring any OCs in- I know they can be done right, but done wrong, they can mess the whole story up, and the last time I introduced OCs into one of my stories, let's just say that... it was done wrong. Also, all my information about the series is coming from either the games themselves or Hyrule Historia- a book I happen to own. I'll do all I can to keep everything canon, so I apologize if I mess anything up. Anyways, let's dive right in!

Disclaimer: You get this once, and I refuse to say it again after this: I do not own the Zelda series. I own a copy of each of the games (CD-I doesn't count) but not the series itself.

Faron

Prologue

The Sign of Three

Legends. The centerpiece of culture. Ever since the dawn of language, humans have delighted in passing on stories of the ancient past, parent to child. Stories of great heroes, individuals who found themselves plunged into dire circumstances, but found themselves equal to them. Stories of great villains, beings and creatures who sought to extinguish the human race from the face of the planet. And the stories of those that would assist either side, and be either rewarded or punished as the wide universe saw fit.

Today, it's easy to forget the importance of legends, but they still hold importance- words whispered to each other across a fireplace, stories spoken to young children as their eyes begin to droop, even inspiring stories heard over the internet could be construed as legends... of a type.

However, long ago, there was a series of tales that bards delighted in telling above all others- songs of the ancient land of Hyrule, the golden land, where the fields were evergreen. Ruled over by fair and just leaders and protected by the finest knights in the land, Hyrule was beloved and sought after by heroes and villains alike. The legends tell also of the silent, watchful protector of that great land- the sentinel that kept vigil over the great kingdom. Whenever the kingdom was in great need, there appeared a man in green, an avatar of Hyrule's last, greatest defender. After saving Hyrule from whatever had been ailing it, he would fade back into the void he seemed to appear from, only to return the next time he was truly needed.

This... is the last story of the land of Hyrule. This is the story of its protector and the companions who aided him on his quest to save his beloved kingdom one last time. It is a story of imps, demons, men, women, and monsters alike. A story of all the races of Hyrule- from the fire-dwelling gorons to the lake-dwelling zoras, desert-walking gerudo to the creatures that lurk in the twilight. And above all... this is the story of the man named Link Faron.

XXXX

It is difficult to pin down exactly where this story might begin. Some would say it began with Link's first incarnation, a soldier who would lead his people to the sky. Others would say it began with the young knight who took them back down to the earth. Some may even go as far as to say that it all began with the creation of Hyrule, when the three Golden Goddesses descended into chaos and formed the land, the law, and the creatures that would uphold the law.

But as for me, the story truly begins with yet another legend- the legend of the Hero of Time- the legend of three endings.

The Hero of Time began his life under the belief that he was a kokiri, a race of beings living in the forest. Under kokiri tradition, every kokiri would receive a fairy that would help and guide them, but this particular kokiri boy never received his, until one day when the Great Deku Tree, the guardian of the Kokiri, sent a fairy named Navi to him. She bore the message that the Great Deku Tree wished to meet with him.

The Great Deku Tree told him of an evil man lurking in Hyrule who had cursed him, dooming him to die. With his last breaths, the Tree bequeathed to him the Emerald of the Kokiri, telling the young Hero of Time that he must travel to Hyrule Castle to meet with the Princess, Zelda.

So, Link traveled to the castle in the north of Hyrule fields, where Zelda revealed the man himself- the King of the gerudo, Ganondorf Dragmire, who was swearing false allegiance to the King of Hyrule. She had discovered the evil man's plan to obtain the three sacred stones that would grant him access to the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce, the great treasure of the world, was kept. She beseeched Link to get the stones and find the way to the Sacred Realm first.

Through several trials, Link managed to do just this, but due to last-minute action by Ganondorf, he was forced to make the final trip alone. When he did, he discovered a hidden chamber in the sacred Temple of Time, in the center of which was a pedestal. Enshrined in the pedestal was a brilliant sword with a blue hilt. Link approached the sword and drew it.

Instantly, the young hero entered a state as though he were in a dream. He heard the evil man congratulating him for getting to the Sacred Realm, and thanking him for opening the way. And then, he met a strange old man in robes. The old man introduced himself as the Sage of Light, and told him that seven years had passed since Link had drawn the sword. He had been too young to truly wield the sword, and had thus been put to sleep until he was old enough to truly bear the sacred blade of evil's bane. In that time, Ganondorf had seized his chance to enter the Sacred Realm himself and take the Triforce. However, because his heart was imbalanced, he'd only received a third of the great relic- the Triforce of Power. The Triforces of Wisdom and Courage had been taken by Zelda and Link, respectively. Zelda, however, had been forced into hiding. Rauru pleaded for Link to set out and awaken five other sages who would assist Link in countering Ganondorf's newfound power and imprisoning him within the Sacred Realm.

As Link left the Temple, a strange figure appeared before him- a young man named Sheik. Sheik vowed to assist Link on his journeys.

And so Link set out and fought through forest, fire, water, shadow, and spirit to find the other sages, occasionally receiving assistance from the mysterious Sheik. Along the way, he discovered from the Great Deku Sprout, the offspring of the Great Deku Tree, that he had been Hylian all along.

Finally, Link returned triumphantly to the Temple of Time, each of the sages newly awakened. Once in the temple, he was met by Sheik, who revealed himself as nothing more than a disguise for Princess Zelda, the final sage, and the one destined to lead them all. However, no sooner had she revealed herself than Ganondorf's power struck the temple and snatched Zelda away, challenging Link to come and face him in battle.

Link infiltrated Ganondorf's tower and ascended up to the top, where Ganondorf challenged him. After a furious battle, Link stood triumphant, and Zelda was released from her crystalline prison. With his dying breaths, Ganondorf attempted to bring the castle down on top of them, taking them with him. However, they managed to escape using Zelda's power.

As they looked back upon the ruins of the castle, Ganondorf's battered form suddenly rose from the rubble, and before their eyes, he became the monstrous Ganon, a beast born from the hatred within his heart.

After yet another fierce battle, Ganon was struck down and cast into the void of the Sacred Realm, leaving Hyrule free once more.

It is at this point that the story diverges, and even to this day, the true ending depends on who is telling the story.

According to some, Zelda, feeling pity for Link, who was forced to leave his childhood seven years early, sent him back through time so that he could live his own life. The moment he arrived back in the past, however, his first action was to travel back to Hyrule Castle and alert both Zelda and the King of Ganondorf's treachery, and, using his knowledge of the future, expose him for what he truly was. Once Ganondorf was exposed, his execution was attempted in a distant desert. Meanwhile, Link set out to find Navi, who had left him after he had made his return. In his search, he set out into a distant forest, where he met a traveler on the wayside... but that is another story altogether...

Others prefer to follow the story from the time that Link was sent back to the past. Over time, Hyrule was able to recover from the scars left by Ganondorf and his machinations. However, years later, Ganondorf returned, as powerful as ever he was, and began to wreak his terrible revenge across the land. The people desperately prayed for the Hero of Time to return... but he did not. Instead, they turned towards the Goddesses, who responded to their prayers by flooding Hyrule and sealing it away for all time. A chosen few were able to flee to the mountains and begin life again. Legends would later tell of a hero of winds who would arrive to save these islands from a new threat, but that, too, is a story for another time...

And finally, the third story that people tell. According to these last few people, both the other endings are false in their entirety- for Link never did triumph against his opponent, the great Ganon. Instead, he was struck dead in the ruins of that collapsed tower. Ganon went on to wreak havoc across the world, until the sages that had already united finally succeeded in sealing him in the sacred realm, though after many innocents had been harmed. Years later, he would begin making attempts to return, but, for the final time, that is another story.

XXXX

A mysterious thing, legends. Even more mysterious is that all this is merely the prelude to the greater story at hand. However, before that story can begin, each of the endings of the Hero of Time's story must be taken into account- for each ending bears with it its own distinct set of legends. Each one echoes through that strange, unfathomable force we know as time. Each one deserves to be remembered. And each one ultimately plays into the final tale of Hyrule's great protector.

XXXX

A few notes- I don't like to take sides in the whole "Is Sheik male or female?" debate. I'll be trying to appease both sides by portraying Sheik as Zelda's alter ego who is supposed to be seen as male by the rest of the world, but is really just a cosmetic change on Zelda. Hopefully, this will keep everyone happy.

Also, sorry this beginning is so short- I'm just trying to set everything up- it is a prologue, after all. Like I said at the beginning, I intend for this story to be on a much greater scale- indeed, I intend to have every character in the Zelda universe at least get a cameo, though ideally, they'd actually get a role in the story. That does include all the different Links and Zeldas, and possibly even parallel-dimension versions of Ganondorf (i.e., TP Ganondorf and WW Ganondorf.) However, my goal is to, at the end of the day, have it actually be a good story, not just an excuse to have all these characters together. It is my belief that you all deserve the best story possible, and you have my word I'll do everything I can to achieve that goal. Anyways, that's all for now, next time, we'll hopefully actually start getting into the main story, including some actual dialogue! Until then, please R&R, constructive criticism is always welcome (as, of course, it is the building blocks of making a better story,) flames will be met by ice, Gamer4 out.