Gold·en age

noun

a period of great happiness, prosperity, and achievement.

Prologue.


The day Calamity Ganon returned started out almost deceptively normal.

The residents of the fallen kingdom Hyrule at first took no notice to the signs portending the end. The sun rose that morning to illuminate the lands, and not a single cloud streaked the soft blue of the sky. Merchants set out early on foot to walk their usual paths of business while the rest of the kingdom slowly woke to go about their daily tasks.

The monsters were first.

The Blood Moon rose the previous night. It was a strange phenomenon, one that the Hylians had been forcibly accustomed to. It became normal to deal with, especially once it was pieced together that the same monsters always reappeared in the same spots. Merchants and travelers simply made sure to carry more weapons the morning after the red night.

The Hylians went about their usual business, clearing out the areas that predominantly needed clearing, but the monsters were acting more aggressive than usual. They were more excited, as though they were ominously awaiting something. It was enough to start setting everyone on edge.

Then, it was the sky.

Dark clouds rapidly furled in out of nowhere, and the sky bled into a sickening magenta tinged with black. The wind picked up and howled, unforgiving, as thunder rumbled deep threats in the distance. Rain started to pour, drenching all the unlucky souls still wandering about.

At last, the dormant Guardians awoke.

For those who had lived past a century, it was as though history was repeating before their very eyes. It was as though that night — the night of Calamity Ganon — was repeating itself.

Screams of terror filled the air as the diminished population of Hyrule fled, seeking shelter. The Guardians, which usually only attacked if you were within sight, began fanatically seeking out victims. The monsters abandoned their posts and began wildly hunting the land for their prey. It was as though they were living in a hideous nightmare.

Suddenly the Divine Beasts, which had been sitting poised and ready, struck without warning. The red beams that had been hovering over the kingdom vanished with a loud crackle of energy as lasers fired into the famous ruins of Hyrule Castle.

An ear-splitting howl of a beast ripped through the air. The citizens of every race watched in horror as it burst through the castle. The beast roared again, and the sound was full of so much raw hatred that fear sank into the hearts of everyone who heard.

It felt as though it were the end.

And then, there was light.

It was a weak beam at first, then it grew almost blindingly. It battled the beast, who snarled and thrashed about as it was consumed by light. And with one final roar, the beast disappeared.

The Guardians died in place, the power dissolving right out of them into thin air. The monsters fled back to their camps. The wind turned and quickly blew away the storm and the magenta of the sky, until it looked as though nothing had ever happened.

Silence fell across the kingdom.

The citizens slowly crept out of their hiding places, and looked towards Hyrule Castle.

The beast, Calamity Ganon, was gone.

Those who resided near Hyrule Field slowly approached as close as they dared go. Although the Guardians seemed to be inactive, no one was willing to risk finding out.

Eventually, they appeared. Two small figures finally emerged from the ruins of Hyrule Castle. One, a familiar boy that had made himself recently well-known with a strange dedication to an even stranger quest. The second was a beautiful, unfamiliar girl in a white dress.

A small crowd of people gathered, watching with fearful awe.

The duo stopped short of them.

"Who are you?" A man asked, voice uneven. "What… what was that thing?"

"Is it gone..?" A woman joined, shielding her child with worry.

Zelda and Link shared a meaningful look, studying each other's eyes. Zelda was the first to break away and face her people. She held herself with the regality and grace of a goddess as she overlooked the crowd.

"I am Princess Zelda Hyrule. I have spent a century fighting and containing Calamity Ganon within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Today marks the day in history in which we have finally prevailed over the darkness which has presided over our kingdom. Today is the day in which we are all finally free."

Most of the crowd had never thought much of the legend of the royal family of Hyrule, yet simply couldn't deny what had happened before their very eyes. Hyrule Castle had nearly been forgotten after a century of undisturbed silence, yet what had happened was unexplainable. They were all rendered speechless.

And so, word spread quickly.

Princess Zelda Hyrule had finally returned.