A long, long time ago, the world was in an age of chaos.
Wars raged across the land. Kingdoms that were once great dwindled into decline, led by the hearts of corrupted kings and lost to the despair of the people.
And yet, in the midst of the chaos, a glimmer of hope still remained.
In the remnants of a kingdom in a distant corner of the world, a legend was being passed down from generation to generation. The legend of a mystical golden power, its origins lost to history, that could reshape the world and return peace to the land. Once wielded by the Kings of Hyrule, this power manifested in the form of three sacred triangles – the Triforce.
Though the Golden Power had the potential for peace and prosperity, if one with evil designs held it the world would be utterly destroyed. The Triforce was split to avoid such a fate, and without the heart of a just king wielding the sacred power, the kingdom fell into ruin.
The people of Hyrule were scattered, but still the legend of the Golden Power persisted, along with the belief that one day the Triforce would return the kingdom to its former glory.
"How long until they reach the citadel?"
"Not long, Your Grace."
Zelda stood at the edge of her balcony, staring down at the burning city. Her curled brown hair fluttered in the heat wafting up from the flames, the smell of smoke and seared flesh staining the air. The gem dangling against her forehead felt starkly cool as the sweltering gusts attacked her skin. The ashes of her kingdom smeared her pink silk gown with soot. In the midst of the fire she met two glowing eyes; the eyes of a beast, staring up at her in rage.
She clenched her fists. The city – if you could call it that – offered little protection. Her tiny castle was surrounded by little more than a village, comprised of people straggling in from the wilderness. Her kingdom had already been scattered and broken, lost to the ages of war and deceit. Minions of darkness had already roamed freely, raiding the hamlets they found and forcing her citizens into hiding. Castle Town had been the only true settlement, and now it burned.
This is my fault, she thought. My forces are too weak. I can't protect my people. She continued to meet the gaze of the beast in the flames for a moment longer before turning to her maid.
"There is nothing we can do for the township now," she said. Fear threatened to choke her voice, but she swallowed it and maintained her composure. "We are going to lose this battle."
"Your Grace?" Her elderly maid, Impa, watched her in perplexed anxiety. The woman's thick, white hair flowed over her shoulders and down to the small of her back, and her red eyes glinted in the firelight.
Zelda took a deep breath. "We are going to lose this battle, but we can still win the war. We must prevent Ganon from getting what he came here for."
"Do you mean…?" Impa gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
"You know exactly what I mean," Zelda replied sternly. "You know as well as I do what it is the Prince of Darkness seeks. We must make certain that he cannot wield the Golden Power."
"But your Grace, surely there must be some other way!" she protested. "If you split the sacred triangles, you may never get them back! What would become of the kingdom?!"
Zelda closed her eyes. The risk of this plan was great. Wielding two of the golden triangles herself had still proven futile in rebuilding the kingdom. If she lost them, the only thing holding Hyrule together would be gone, and the remnants of the people of Hylia might be destroyed entirely. Any who remained would be doomed to start from scratch, with no one to lead and no protection from the evil that ravaged the land.
But the risk of the power – though incomplete – falling into the hands of Ganon was even greater. If he seized the sacred triangles, he would become nigh unstoppable. Everything would fall to his malice, and the world itself would be destroyed. The ancient ways were gone, and without them there was nothing that could stand against his might.
"We must hope," Zelda breathed, "that the Gods will send us the aid that we need. We have to believe in that, or it won't only be our people that are destroyed."
Impa nodded solemnly. "What will you do, princess?"
"The only thing I can," she replied. "I will shatter the Triforce and hide the pieces in the ancient labyrinths." She opened her eyes. "There they will rest, away from the grasp of evil, until one with a courageous heart retrieves them and reassembles the power to wield against Ganon."
"But, your Majesty," Impa faltered, "Who can accomplish such a thing?"
"That I do not know." Zelda met Impa's gaze. "But I am counting on you to seek them out."
Impa gave a start. "Your Grace! I cannot leave you here!"
"You must," Zelda commanded, "or all is lost."
"Princess…"
"Flee, Impa!" she shouted. "Take the ancient maps and flee!"
Tears welled up in Impa's eyes, but she nodded. In another moment, she had disappeared behind the chamber door.
Zelda sighed. I hope we meet again, Impa.
The princess turned back to the flames, and her stomach dropped. The demonic eyes of the Prince of Darkness were nowhere to be found amongst the carnage.
A thunderous crash from deep in the castle shot fear straight into her core, and the building shook. He's already here. I need more time!
Frantically, she summoned the ancient magic. The energy filled her chest with warmth, and she took on a soft, golden glow. For centuries, the Royal Family had been blessed with such powers, as had all Hylians, though to a lesser degree. Her people, the children of the Gods, were said to hear the whispers of the heavens with their long, pointed ears. Zelda called on those gifts with all the strength of her soul, and from her heart she drew forth the Triforce.
Another crash came from below. Zelda held the sacred triangles, one floating above each hand, with dread shining in her eyes. Please, give me more time! She set aside the Triforce of Power and took the Triforce of Wisdom in both hands. She channeled all of her magic into the ancient force. Her hands shook as the Golden Power resisted. Again a crash sounded, only footsteps away. In one last, desperate push, the Triforce shattered.
The Princess of Destiny sent the fragments soaring away over the kingdom and reached for the second Golden Triangle when the walls and ceiling of the room collapsed. The shockwave of rumbling dust knocked her off her feet, rubble smashing against the broken floor and cracking the stone balcony. The dim, red light of the burning sky lit the stage, and towering over her was the dark beast.
"The Triforce…" The monster's voice rumbled like thunder and grated on her ears like sandpaper. Zelda reached for the sacred power floating above the destruction but gasped as a sharp pain shot through her spine. Gnarled debris pinned her down, and blood began to seep through her dress. The giant, boar-like creature, spittle foaming from its snarling mouth, stepped toward the golden light. Gods, just a little more time…
"The Triforce is mine!" the beast cried. The maniacal, booming laughter shook the castle, and the balcony beneath her shifted. Zelda clung to the remains of a rug and prayed she would not fall.
Abruptly the laughter stopped. The monstrosity leaned down over the princess, its hot breath blowing her hair about. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the rancid scent of human flesh as it rushed over her.
"Where are the others?" the pig growled.
Zelda summoned the last of her composure and met the beast's eyes. The scarlet stare scorched through her, but she held her gaze.
"They… are gone." The monster's shock made her smirk. "Hidden where you will never find them, Ganon. Your plan has failed."
Ganon threw his head back in an enraged roar. Lightning crackled through the room and the floor trembled.
"Where are they?!" he bellowed. Zelda winced as phlegm spattered over the room. "Where are they you puny human!"
"Out of your reach," she spat back. The monstrous Prince of Darkness raged, power seething from his grip on the Golden Triangle. The sky turned dark and his crimson eyes changed to pure, searing white as he gnashed his fangs. Terror pricked in the princess' heart as the beast clasped his gigantic paw around her and lifted her from the floor. Pain burned across her torso and for a moment her vision went black. Ganon lifted her to his face, now shrouded in dark magic, and growled.
"You will tell me where they are, princess," he boomed, "and when I find them, you will be made to watch as your world burns."