Chapter One: Seven Years

He was vaguely aware he was conscious. Or perhaps he was in a very realistic dream. He did not move, nor did he feel the need to. He felt perfectly comfortable here.

…Here? Where was that?

He had been at the Temple of Time, he remembered. The Spiritual Stones, the Ocarina of Time; they had opened the Door of Time. Then he had entered a chamber that towered, that had housed at its center the Master Sword. He had drawn the sword from its pedestal, and then… Something had happened, but he wasn't sure what. After that light had appeared, he had no memories.

Now he was becoming more awake. Awake? Had he been asleep? It certainly felt like it, now that he was thinking a little. Had that been what happened after?

"Link…arise, chosen hero…"

Who was that? That voice had belonged to a man. Old, but strong, and rich. Was anyone else here? Was Navi with him?

A new sound met his ears then, and he recognized it as flowing water, all about him. He began to feel too; he hadn't even realized before he had felt nothing, like the feeling of being weightless. He felt strange, like something about his body was unfamiliar. Why would that be? More curious than ever, he made the effort to open his eyes, hoping more than a little bit Navi would be there with him, wherever here was. He had grown accustomed to her being with him wherever he had gone, exploring the unfamiliar world with her had been almost a comfort, and he didn't want to give that up.

The first thing he noticed was the water he heard. He saw no surface beneath the water, yet it maintained a form as if perfectly solid as ice would be. He saw other what appeared to be platforms of water elsewhere around him, and he quickly concluded he was on one such platform as well. Distantly, he saw that this place did indeed have a wall, made also of cascading water like he had seen at the Great Fairy's fountain, but he saw no ceiling, and he heard no audible sign of there being a surface below. The water itself gave off a faint light; other than that, there was darkness. He also saw on his platform there were other slightly raised platforms in circle shapes, and in them were markings like the ones he had seen surrounding the Master Sword in the Temple of Time, and the ones he saw were all colored differently. He imagined if he turned about, he would be greeted with a similar sight, but as it was, he was busy focusing now on the second thing that had grabbed his attention. In this place, wherever this was, was, in front of him, a man.

"I am sure you are both confused. Allow me to explain, and introduce myself. My name is Rauru."

Both? So Navi was here too! He turned his head to see her, and found her standing on his shoulder, just as she was turning to see him. She gasped.

"Link! You…you're big now!"

"What?" His voice sounded different. It was lower, stronger, but he could still hear a little of his old voice in it. What did she mean by big though? He looked down at himself, and now he too stared in shock. He was an adult?! But how?! His childhood raiment was gone, replaced now with an adult sized heavy tunic, green as his former one had been and belted at the waist, with a white long undershirt and matching white trousers. Thick leather boots in the same style as his childhood ones adorned his feet, and he wore leather bracers that covered his forearms and also covered his hands in a fingerless glove style. Reaching above and behind himself, he felt he also wore a cap of the same style as well, larger now to fit better. In the corner of his vision upon doing so, he recognized the hilt on his back as the Master Sword he had pulled. The weight on his back then…yes, he felt it too, it was his Hylian shield.

"I'm…and adult? But how?" he asked, looking at Navi, and then, both of them, looked to the man who had called himself Rauru.

He was taller than himself, balding, and what hair was left that he sported by a large mustache beneath his large nose and sideburns that ran past his pointed ears were white with age. His eyes, though bright, were small, and the man's puffy cheeks and heavily lidded brow concealed them well. Having no beard revealed a strong jaw and chin, but the man was portly, and he had very little neck to speak of. The rest of him was covered by a heavy hooded robe, dyed orange, with over-sized red embroidered trim at the neck, with more of the same material running down his front to the floor and draped underneath and around his arms. At his belly, behind a white cloth backdrop, the red material from above and below, as well as from either side, were stitched to another piece of the same fashion in the shape of a shield, and at its center the Triforce was stitched, with white stitching surrounding it in a design that may have resembled wings, but he was not sure. More white cloth could be seen draped underneath his arms from the red embroidered material, extending underneath the material that fell down his front. His robe covered his feet completely, and even his hands were hidden from view, for the sleeves were over-sized, and there was a red band that wrapped around the sleeves where one's wrists were likely meant to be when worn properly, bunching the sleeve together at that point.

"I imagine you have many questions. I will do my best to answer them all, but first, let me speak my piece, and perhaps some of them shall be answered." He spoke very well, with the deliberate intonations of an experienced orator.

"I have given you my name already: Rauru, the Sage of Light. In life, I was one of the ancient Sages that built the Temple of Time, long ago, and sealed away the path to the Sacred Realm. Though my body has long since been gone, I remained here, as a spirit, so that I may speak with you, the one chosen by the Master Sword. This place—" he stretched his arms wide, driving home his point, "—is the Chamber of Sages, located within the Temple of Light, found in the center of the Sacred Realm.

"When you pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal, Link, you removed the final barrier to the Sacred Realm, and entered therein. The Master Sword is a blade that those of evil can never touch, and only one worthy to bear the title "Hero of Time" could pull it from its resting place. However, when you pulled that sacred blade from the Pedestal of Time, you were found too young to bear that title yet, worthy as you were and are now. Your spirit was brought here, therefore, and your spirit has slept here for seven years."

"Seven years?!" Link cried, shocked. He had been asleep for seven years?! What had happened in all that time? To everyone he knew? He had promised to return to them, but, seven years?!

Something else clicked in what the man had said. The Master Sword is a blade that those of evil can never touch, and only one worthy to bear the title "Hero of Time" could pull it from its resting place. He felt his gut twist hearing those words echo in his thoughts. He had opened the path into the Sacred Realm and was then sealed, leaving the way free and clear. Had he left it be, Ganondorf could never have hoped to enter! Goddesses, what have I done!

"No…" he managed to whisper, dropping to his knees. Rauru looked down upon the young man, sadness mirrored in his own eyes.

"I see you understand. Ganondorf followed after you a short time later, and invaded the Sacred Realm. He entered into the Temple of Light, and laid his hands upon the Triforce. With the power of the sacred relic of the gods, he became the King of Evil, and his evil power radiated from the other temples scattered through Hyrule, and now the kingdom, already leaderless with the princess absent, is now on the brink of destruction."

"What have we done, Navi?" he choked, tears welling up. Navi was also shocked by the news, and her heart ached. She touched his cheek, trying to impart some sort of comfort.

"We did not know, Link, none of us did. How could we have?"

"But still…" he was unable to finish, unsure what to even say. What could he say? He had failed to stop Ganondorf. He had failed Princess Zelda, Impa, Father, Saria and the rest of the Kokiri, Darunia and King Zora, Ruto, Malon, Talon, Mr. Ingo, and all of Hyrule.

"Stand tall, Hero of Time, and hear me: there is yet hope, and all is not lost."

"Not lost?" Link raised his head, looking up towards the man. He nodded.

"The power of the Sages remains. I am only one, and in this Chamber of Sages, my power is of little influence. It is your duty, as the Hero of Time, to awaken the other five Sages by lifting the curses placed upon the temples corrupted by Ganondorf's dark magic. When this is accomplished, we shall be able to add our powers to your own, and together, we shall seal the evil away."

Link brought himself to stand again, heartened by the Sage's words. There was still a way to win! Once again, he would have to traverse the world and overcome the machinations of the King of the Gerudo, no, the King of Evil now. And this time for sure, seven years later, he would stop Ganondorf. He had to! He would fulfill his promises, as Link, and now as the Hero of Time!

Seven years. He blinked. There was still a question unanswered.

"Master Rauru," he began, "How is it that I've grown up? Am I not Kokirian?"

"I believe you can answer that yourself, can you not?" he answered in reply.

It was as he said, Link did understand, at least in part. He was not a Kokirian; the Kokiri never grew up. The only race he could be was Hylian. But how could that be? He had been raised in the forest, where only the Kokiri could live. Anyone else who entered the forest would be cursed to become Stalfos.

"But...but how? If I'm not Kokirian, if I'm a Hylian…?"

"I understand this may be all overwhelming for you. Calm yourself, and I shall tell you what you wish to know of your past.

"You were born into one of the guardian houses that served the Royal Family, during the height of the Hyrule Civil War. Your father was a soldier, respected among the ranks, and your mother was of noble birth. You were still but a babe when your house was set upon. Your father fell in battle, defending his home and family. Your mother escaped, mortally wounded, with you in her arms, and in a desperate bid, fled into the forest, where she came upon the Deku Tree. She pleaded for the ancient spirit to protect the child—you—before she succumbed to her wounds. The Great Deku Tree, seeing you had a great destiny, honored her wish, and took you in as his own, and raised you as one of the Kokiri. And though he brought you in for sensing your destiny, the Father of the Wood loved you dearly. Make no mistake, though you are Hylian, you are a Kokirian in spirit; be proud of that."

Link remained silent, digesting this new revelation. The fact that he was not one of the Kokiri was astonishing. And yet, the news was not so shocking in his mind. If anything, it actually rather explained some things. The forest, his home…he had never felt that was where he truly belonged. The Kokiri had distanced themselves from him always. Had they known? And for the longest time, he had not had a fairy companion. For the Kokiri, the fairy chose their partner. Father had partnered the two of them. Had the Great Deku Tree done no such thing, would he have had a fairy at all?

He was Hylian, yet the Great Deku Tree had still accepted him completely, and had all but renounced his Hylian lineage. In his memories, Father had only ever treated him with the same affection as the rest of the children, and had rebuked the others more than once for treating him as they had. He had been raised learning the ways of the forest, and had been taught, and practiced, all the traditions of the forest folk. Even if the rest had not accepted him as willingly, he was still one of the Kokiri…even as he was Hylian.

"I'm…I may be Hylian, but, I will always be Kokirian." Link looked at Navi, who was standing on his shoulder, and smiled at her.

Navi smiled back, and felt a tremendous sense of pride for her partner. She still remembered that day the Deku Tree had taken him in, long ago. She and all the others had not understood his reasoning, and more than a few had misgivings about bringing an outsider into the forest. Yet as they had witnessed his growth, he had proved he was every bit as Kokirian as any. After partnering with him and leaving the forest, He had proved to be an exemplar to the ideals of what it meant to be a true Kokirian; respect for nature, humility in pride, and acting in selflessness. Even among the Kokiri themselves, there were few who held such standards. She respected him immensely for that, and hearing him affirm his roots in his forest home even after discovering his origin was laudable. She couldn't have asked for a better partner. If only I had approached him sooner, she thought to herself.

"The Great Deku Tree would be honored to hear you say that," the Sage said, nodding in approval. "I have no doubt you have done him proud, and on your journeys hence you will continue to do so. Be warned now, the challenges you face ahead are not like those you faced previously. You have put your life on the line more than once; you shall be doing so again. Take heart, and do not be discouraged."

"I will not," Link answered. "Ganondorf must be stopped. If the Master Sword has chosen me to be the hero, then I shall accept that burden gladly."

"Spoken like a true hero! Then go now, and restore Hyrule, Hero of Time!" Rauru lifted his hands, and a white light enveloped them. "I shall speak with you again," he heard him say, distantly. Then the light became blue, and beyond the light he witnessed a familiar sight. The light faded, and he found himself standing once more in the Temple of Time, the stone pedestal the sword had been in before his feet. The room was dim, and from the window above he saw the sky was darkened by threatening clouds.

"Seven years…" Link said aloud. "It's hard to believe…we were gone for so long." He looked back down at himself again. An adult. It would take some time to get used to this, probably. He had believed himself Kokirian before, so he had never considered what becoming an adult would mean for himself. Now that he suddenly was one, he would need to learn about his new self and the implications on the fly. It would be a challenge in itself, he knew, and he wasn't sure if he was looking forward to that or not.

Chiefly, he was also worried about his friends and allies he had made. How had they all fared with Ganondorf's rise to power? He prayed to the goddesses they were safe. Now that he was back, he would have to seek them out. Rauru had said that Princess Zelda was only absent. Were she gone, he would surely have said so. If Ganondorf still sought her, she was likely in hiding. And if the King of Evil had failed to find her, there was little to no chance of himself succeeding, so he was content knowing she, at least, had escaped his wrath. He was unsure of everyone else.

On top of it all, he had a new quest to pursue: find the other five temples Rauru had mentioned, lift their curses, and awaken the Sages. He had a lot of groundwork to cover. Seven years' worth, in fact.

Navi floated into his view, looking up towards him.

"You're worried about everyone, aren't you?" She asked. He followed her as she rose up to his own height, facing him directly.

"I am. I need to know what's happened in all this time." Navi nodded.

"Then let's go. We need information before we can do anything, and we won't get any of that standing around here, will we?" She flew in to land on his shoulder, and sat down. "Besides, I get the feeling it's not safe here, we probably shouldn't stick around here for long. Let's find somewhere safer before we take time to gather ourselves and talk."

"Agreed," Link replied, already turning to leave. He had the feeling he was being watched, and after taking only a few steps it grew stronger. He hadn't even stepped off the second platform with the symbols when he stopped. He was definitely being watched.

"Link?" Navi started, looking at him curiously. He said nothing, trying to pinpoint where it was coming from. Not two seconds later, he had it. Behind me? How? He quickly turned around, bringing his sword and shield to bear. Perhaps he was being overly cautious, but with Ganondorf having free reign for seven years, he couldn't afford to be too careful until he knew more.

Someone stood where he had been only moments before, facing him, standing unthreateningly straight and relaxed. Their face was obscured so that he could only see some of their features, namely blond hair that extended beyond their white cloth wrap atop their head, and a single red-colored eye, the other hidden from view from some of their hair that was visible. Everything below that was also hidden, covered by more material that was part of some kind of cloth vest. Featured prominently across their chest was a familiar symbol he had seen before, and indeed the rest of their clothing reminded him of a certain individual from the past. They wore a skin-tight suit, featuring deep blues and even a hint of a deep purple, with cloth wrapped around their forearms and fingers, that indicated the figure in front of him was male. He had seen that symbol and similar style of clothing when he had met with Impa, Zelda's guardian and caretaker. Did that make him an ally?

"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time." The man's voice was only a little higher than his own, and judging from his frame and what little of his face he could see, he was young, like he himself was. He showed no alarm of Link having drawn his weapon.

"When evil rules all, a voice of awakening from the Sacred Realm will call to those destined to be Sages, and they will dwell within the five temples," He spoke. Link lowered his arms, but did not sheath them, still wary. The young man spoke of the Sacred Realm and the Sages, which interested him. He was not aware of how many people were privy to such knowledge, but he suspected that number to be very few. He had only just learned of it himself, and he was central to what he spoke of. The man, with his right hand, motioned toward the seal on the floor to his right behind him, characterized by four crescents turned inwards towards each other in a swirled pattern.

"One in a deep forest…" He motioned behind him with his left then, pivoting with his right foot in place. The seal behind him was easily identifiable as what appeared to be a tongue of flame.

"One on a high mountain…" Returning to his original place, he motioned again with his left towards the next seal on the same side, six teardrop shapes extending outward from a center point.

"One under a vast lake…" He lowered his left and brought up his right again, motioning toward the seal that was on Link's left. From a center point, three small triangles extended out equidistant from each other, with three circles between them.

"One within the house of the dead, and…" He motioned one last time, towards the seal that was on Link's right now, two circles with tails, swirled about each other.

"One inside a goddess of the sand… Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to Hyrule. This is the legend of the temples as it has been passed down over the ages by the Sheikah, a tribe I belong to. My name is Sheik."

So he was a Sheikah like Impa.

"Link," he said, exchanging introductions. The masked man bowed his head slightly toward him in acknowledgement, and did the same towards Navi, and she introduced herself as well.

"The Sages cannot hear the call from the Sacred Realm. You must go and awaken them, as the Master Sword's chosen hero."

"So I've been told," Link said. "These places in the legend are where these temples are?"

"Yes. The Sage of the Forest Temple already waits for you there. As you are now, however, you cannot even gain entrance to the temple. If you go to Kakariko Village, you will find what you need."

"So Kakariko's safe? What about the rest of the Hyrule, do you know anything?" he asked, hoping the Sheikah would be able to grant him some answers. The young man stared at him for a moment, before sighing, shaking his head.

"Much has changed since Ganondorf rose to power. Monsters have become common, making travel difficult for even seasoned individuals. Outside of this temple, the Castle Town is abandoned and in ruins, and Ganondorf resides in a castle of his own where Hyrule Castle once stood. I cannot say what state the forest is in, as its curse on those unwelcome still persists, but Death Mountain has become active again, threatening the village and Hyrule Field, and the Gorons have been silent. The Zora have not been heard from either, and from Zora's River a strange winter wind blows. I have yet to travel there to determine their fate. To the west, Lake Hylia has nearly dried up, and I have heard whispers that even the Gerudo in the desert may be faring worse than before. It would seem the King of Evil has all but abandoned his people in his thirst for power, even as he once swore he would save them."

"Everything really has become worse," Navi said, glancing outside from the high window. "I can sense the dark energies around this place."

"…What about Lon Lon Ranch, do you know?" Link asked. After hearing such news, he was afraid of what might have happened to them. He hoped the small protection he had given Malon lasted all these years. Sheik shook his head.

"I do not know. The ranch still stands, and as far as I am aware it is still in business. I would be wary; Kakariko is safe from Ganondorf's influence at this time, but Hyrule Field is not. If you plan on going there to see for yourself, I would not go unprepared."

"Maybe we can find someone who knows more in Kakariko," Navi suggested, and Link nodded. He was happy to know the ranch was safe, that was some good news. Perhaps, he hoped, the residents were safe as well.

"What about the princess? Do you know anything about her?" he asked next, hoping he would know something, being a Sheikah.

"The princess…is safe. I cannot say where, even to you, Hero of Time. She will reveal herself when the time comes, however, so you must fulfill your role. I am sure you have more you wish to ask, but you should leave quickly; as your partner Navi said, it is not safe here. I will depart shortly as well, but then I will return here to wait for you again. Once you have awakened the first Sage, return here; there is more I would tell you after."

"To Kakariko Village then. Thank you, Sheik," Link said, putting away his sword and shield.

"Goddesses watch over you, Link." The Sheikah replied, stepping back into the shadows, and vanishing into them. He no longer felt his presence, and he wondered if that was part of the Sheikah's mysterious magic he had heard of. He looked at Navi, who was looking at him as well.

"This is all a lot to take in, isn't it?" he asked her, turning around again to leave.

"It is. It's still almost too much to believe," She said, shaking her head. "Only a short time ago, we were living in the forest and nothing was out of the ordinary. After the Great Deku Tree summoned you and we had to help him, it's been one adventure after another, and now this…it's like one of those legends or epics, and we're caught up in the middle of it."

Link stepped down the last short flight of stairs beside the altar he had stood in front of and played the Song of Time. The three Spiritual Stones still hovered there, undefiled. He paused now again in front of it, remembering the effort it had required to gather the stones. He searched through his new garb's array of pouches, and found what he had sought after, holding the Ocarina of Time.

They had gathered the keys to the Sacred Realm, and he had opened the Door of Time, and had removed the Master Sword, all in the name of protecting Hyrule. But instead of saving Hyrule, he had nearly doomed it. Ignorance though it may have been, he felt that reason was a sorry excuse, and he could not in good conscience even pretend he was not at fault. Nothing could change what had been done now, but he could begin to rectify his mistake, now that he had returned. This was now part of his duty, not only to all the races, but to himself, and also now as a hero. A hero stood for something greater than themselves, right?

"We have been caught up in something big, haven't we?" Link said, almost smiling. "I've been called the Hero of Time by two people I just met, but all I've done to get that title is pull the Master Sword and then sleep for seven years."

Navi, who had been silent on his shoulder, struggled to hold in her laughter, and Link couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"When you put it that way, it is rather silly isn't it?" She managed to say after recovering some. "We'll just have to work to give that title a little more meaning."

"Right," Link said. For the first time since waking, he smiled, beginning to feel his confidence return. He turned away from the altar and walked down the hall towards the entrance. Seven years later, he was embarking on a new quest. And now, seven years later, he stood a chance.