Everyone knows the legend of the Hero of Time. A young man pulled the legendary Master Sword from its pedestal and, after traveling through time, slew a great evil and saved the land of Hyrule. This young hero was called Link, a hylian boy taken in and cared for by the Great Deku Tree in Kokiri Forest. At the end of his heroic adventure, Link watched as his trusted partner Navi the Fairy ascended toward the sky while saying her good-byes to Link. Now, the young Hero of Time began a new quest to leave the land of Hyrule and search for Navi.
Link stirred in his sleep, shivering in the cold air. His eyes slowly peeled open to reveal a large grey wall of stone. Sitting upright, Link thought, "Where am I?" Looking around, he saw that many candles were mounted high up on the walls and a large red carpet lined the middle of the room. Following the carpet with his eyes, he came upon a large stone table with what looked like a tablet sticking up from the back. Walking over, he placed his hands on the small table, feeling three indentations in the stone. Looking at the stone tablet, he read aloud, "Here stood the Hero of Time. Together with the Ocarina of Time and the three Spiritual Stones he opened the Door of Time." Link placed a hand on his forehead as he thought back, trying to remember why he was in this place.
Thinking back, Link pictured in his head what he remembered. He remembered meeting Navi in Kokiri Forest and shattering the Deku Tree's curse by defeating Gohma. He then remembered climbing up the side of Death Mountain and battling King Dodongo to help save the Gorons. After becoming the sworn brother of Darunia, Link went on to save Princess Ruto, princess of the Zoras, from inside of the Zora god, Lord Jabu-Jabu. Ruto bestowed upon him the Zora's Sapphire, and he quickly made his way back toward Hyrule Castle. Outside the drawbridge, he watched as Princess Zelda rode away toward the horizon followed closely by Gannondorf. Retrieving the Ocarina of Time that Zelda had left for him, Link then made his way to the Temple of Time, where he was right now. Placing the three spiritual stones he had collected on his journey onto the table, he then played the Song of Time he had learned from Zelda telepathically. The symbol of the Triforce above the Door of Time shone a bright golden color, and the door slowly slid open. He remembered walking through the doorway and beheld the legendary Master Sword resting inside its pedestal. Knowing what he had to do, Link stood on the pedestal and grabbed both sides of the sword's guard with his hands and lifted up, feeling the sword slide easily out of its resting place. A large tunnel of blue light stretched toward the ceiling of the temple and there was a bright flash of white light. And then….nothing.
Opening his eyes again, Link peered around the corner of the tablet, seeing only a closed door of stone with a non-glowing symbol of the Triforce above it. Link began muttering to himself, "I remember opening the door, but it's closed again…and the three stones are all missing from the table…well at least I still have the Ocarina of Time…" He reached down to his waist to retrieve the instrument, but felt only his own skin. Looking down to see why his pack wasn't where it should be, it was then that Link realized he was completely naked. Quickly covering his crotch with his hands, Link practically ran out of the temple muttering, "Where's my tunic? Where's all my equipment?"
Link quietly crept through the empty streets of Hyrule Town, the moon illuminating his way. Climbing up the side of a building, he finally located a set of clothes he liked in his size. Grabbing them and sliding back down to the ground, he quickly dressed himself. Looking into a nearby puddle, eh surveyed his new look. Instead of his normal Kokiri Tunic, he instead wore a black tunic with a striking resemblance to his old tunic. He also wore a partially-ripped pair of black slacks, accompanied by a brown leather belt and a pair of buckled boots. Running his hand through his blonde hair, he felt a cool breeze blow from behind him, flowing across the back of his neck and playing with his hair. He decided that he looked better without his old hat. Before turning away from the puddle, Link was distracted by the reflection of his eyes. Crimson red-colored eyes stared back up at him from the water. Link thought, Were my eyes always that color? Why don't I remember?
Walking through the streets more openly now that he was once again clothed, Link made his way toward the castle. He thought to himself, The last thing I remember is opening the Door of Time. Then I woke up inside the Temple of Time…but I feel like something's missing. The only thing I can do now is visit Princess Zelda and hope she knows what's going on… Approaching the gateway that led out of Hyrule Town into the castle courtyard, he was stopped by the guards. One gasped slightly and asked, "Didn't you leave a little while ago?" Link replied, "I'm not sure…did I?" The guards looked at each other, confused. Link asked, "May I please enter the castle? I was in the process of serving Princess Zelda…and I must speak with her soon." The guards replied, "You can pass us, but there's no guarantee you'll get into the castle…" Stepping slightly apart to let Link pass, the guards watched him walk up the path towards the castle. One guard asked the other, "What's with those clothes?" Wasn't he always dressed in green with a cap on?" The other guard replied, "Yeah…maybe he's trying something new…I still don't understand why he came back so fast from his journey…" Both guards shrugged their shoulders and went back to guarding their posts.
It wasn't long before Link had made his way to the front gate a little ways up the path. Another guard was standing at his post, half asleep from staying up all night. Link stood in front of him and tapped on his armor, causing the guard to jump slightly in surprise. Looking down at the young man in front of him, the guard muttered sleepily, "Is there something I can help you with?" Link replied, "I'm in the service of Princess Zelda, and I desperately need to speak with her…could you let me through?" The guard laughed slightly and said, "I've told you before kid…no one gets past this gate without written permission or upon the request of royalty…and again, it doesn't look like you have either…" Link frowned slightly and muttered, "You take your job too seriously…" The guard replied, "If you don't like it I can always have you escorted back to town…" Link's head dropped and he replied, "No…that's okay…" Turning and walking away from the gate, Link muttered under his breath, "Looks like I'll be sneaking in again…"
As soon as he was around the corner, out of sight of the front gate, Link grabbed the vines that grew up the side of the ledge and started making his way toward the top. The vines were still as strong as when he had first used them to sneak into the castle, and he was quickly pulling himself up and over the edge of the ledge. Running along the top of the ledge, Link quickly made his way to the top of the gate. Peering down over the edge, Link saw the sleepy guard standing in front of the iron bars that blocked the passage. Smiling to himself, he continued running along the edge until it ended. Glancing around to make sure there were no guards, he leapt from the edge of the ledge, falling toward the path that led up to the castle. Landing on his feet, Link rolled forward to help lessen the impact, all the while making sure to make as little noise as possible. On his feet again and moving, Link ran by a large missing section of the wall, noticing a small hole just big enough for him to crawl through. He thought, That's where one of the Great Fairies live…I got Din's Fire in there… Not long after walking past the entrance to the Great Fairy's shrine, Link stopped dead in his tracks. Quickly moving to the side of the path where he could hide a little better, Link watched the pair of guards as they walked closer and closer to him. He thought, This isn't good…if I try running up the side of this hill, they'll see me for sure in the moonlight…and if they catch me, they'll increase security so it'll be almost impossible for me to get in…gotta do something… As if on cue, a large cloud drifted in front of the moon, darkening the area. Link didn't hesitate as he quickly ran up the side of the hill. Just as he reached the top, the cloud began to drift away from the moon, lighting up the area again. Thinking quickly, Link threw himself over the top and rolled onto his back on the soft dirt, staying firmly against the ground. He could hear the guards stop walking as one of them asked, "Did you hear something? Came from up there…" Link could feel himself start sweating as one of the guards came walking up the side of the hill, his armor clanking noisily. The other guard quickly replied, "I wouldn't worry about it…you know that gophers like nesting in the courtyard right? We probably scared one and it ran back into its hole…" The other guard muttered, "Yeah…I guess you're right…" As both guards continued their walk down to the front gate, Link stayed lying on his back staring up at the moon, mouthing the words "Thank you" to the sky.
When he could no longer hear the footsteps of the guards, Link rolled to his feet and continued running across the courtyard, crouching as he ran to keep himself at least partially hidden. It didn't take him long to cross the courtyard, and he stood with his back against a stone wall leading up another ledge, which in turn provided him a way over the gate just outside the moat surrounding the castle. Glancing around for any sign of guards headed his way and not finding any, Link turned and proceeded to climb up the stone ledge. Climbing bit by bit and almost falling a couple of times, he managed to haul himself up to the top of the ledge and pull himself over the edge. Lying on his back for a moment while he caught his breath, he noticed that the moon had almost set, signaling that the night was almost over. Link sighed and pulled himself to his feet, running along the edge of the ledge in a crouching position while keeping his eyes on the guards by the gate. He quickly reached the other side of the ledge and, without hesitation, leapt off as hard as he could. Falling through the air, Link braced himself for the hard landing waiting for him on the ground beside the moat. Hitting the ground hard, he rolled forward to help lessen the impact. Rolling to his feet again, he quickly glanced down the path towards the gate, making sure that neither of the guards had heard him. Assuring himself that he was safe, he crept to the edge of the moat and slung his legs over the edge. Slowly lowering himself into the water, he cringed slightly as the cold water sent chills throughout his entire body. As he floated along with the current, he could hear the gossip of the guards getting louder and louder. As a precaution, he took a breath and pulled his head underneath the surface of the water, continuing to drift by the guards as the sun began creeping over the horizon. The current led around the corner, and as soon as he was out of sight of the guards, Link's head broke the surface and he exhaled, drawing in fresh air and quickly climbing out of the water. Quietly running down along the side of the castle, Link sighed with relief when he saw that the boxes he had placed on top of each other to get in the first time were still in place. He thought, Good…that will save me a lot of time getting in… Not wasting any time, he quickly climbed on top of the boxes and leapt for the small opening in the castle wall that was still expelling water into the moat. Landing just inside the indent around the opening, he crouched down and began crawling through the small tunnel, thinking to himself, Hopefully this will be as easy as it was the first time…because this time I don't have anything to defend myself with…
Link paused at the end of the tunnel, glancing around for any sign of more guards. Seeing that the coast was clear, he quickly crawled out of the tunnel and began drying himself. A sound drifted from down the garden path, causing Link to jump slightly. He could hear armor clanging in the distance, as well as leaves crunching underneath footsteps. Satisfied with his now-dry clothes, he proceeded down the path toward a large hedge. Parting the branches and peering through the leaves, he could see the familiar statue with the Triforce emblem on the stone column at the bottom, and two guards patrolling around the statue as if it was of the utmost importance. Laughing quietly to himself, Link thought, These two haven't changed since I was here last…shouldn't be hard at all… Waiting for the right moment, when both guards were on the other side of the stone column, Link bolted across the opening to the other side of another hedge, just in time as the quicker of the two guards came walking out from behind the stone. Link paused for a moment to catch his breath and then walked quietly toward the hedge in the next clearing. Glancing around the corner, he saw the familiar lone guard patrolling around the pole in the middle of the clearing which led up to a wooden platform that spanned the distance between the two hedges in the clearing. Link glanced to his right and saw the stone steps that led up to the wooden platform. Grinning to himself, he quickly climbed up the steps and began his walk out across the platform, moving as quietly as he could. The guard underneath him seemed oblivious, but Link's smile disappeared as he looked down at the ground. The sun was in the perfect position in the sky, leaking its sunlight directly down at him so as to project a shadow of both him and the platform onto the ground near the guard below. The guard rounded the pole again and stopped as he saw the shadow cast on the ground. Looking up to see who was casting the shadow, Link was one step ahead of him. He leapt down on top of the guard, knocking them both to the ground. The guard immediately tried sitting up so he could sound an alert, but Link lifted his faceplate up and punched forward, nailing the guard square in the nose. The guard fell back to the ground with a loud clang, and Link lowered his faceplate to its normal position while muttering, "Sorry…" Glancing around, Link heard more guards approaching, probably to investigate the loud sounds. Thinking quickly, Link grabbed the guard under his arms and drug him to the hedge on the far side of the clearing. The other guards were fast approaching, so Link quickly pushed the guard into the hedge, positioning him in a way that kept his entire body hidden in the leaves, then quickly jumped inside next to the guard, making sure he was completely hidden. As expected, several guards came running from both directions, checking around the clearing. One of the guards asked, "Where's Dagan? Isn't he supposed to be patrolling this clearing?" Another of the guards replied, "Yeah…but I don't see him anywhere…" Another guard quickly yelled, "You guys think Impa's testing us again?!" Link watched silently from the hedge as all the guards quickly began glancing around nervously. A guard quickly replied, "Then that would mean that she got Dagan already. Everyone return to your posts and be on alert for any kind of movement…remember who we're dealing with here…" All of the guards saluted in response, and quickly ran off to continue patrolling their assigned areas. Link sighed once they were all gone, thinking to himself, Great…now they're going to be looking for anything that moves and listening for anything that makes a sound…and I can't just wait around for them to give up…looks like I'm gonna have to be even more careful from here on in…
After all the guards had gone, Link quietly emerged from the hedge he had hidden in. Taking another glance around to make sure he wasn't being watched, he proceeded towards the next clearing. This one was larger than the others, stretching all the way down to the entrance to Princess Zelda's personal garden. And because of its size, there were four guards now posted along the circular path stretching all the way down the clearing. Crouching down so he could move along the hedge at the beginning of the clearing, Link made his way to the stone wall that spanned the entire length of the clearing, keeping down so he wasn't spotted. Peering over the edge slightly, he observed the pattern of the guard's patrol. They were walking along the path an equal distance from each other, all of them watching the back of the one in front of him. Link thought, How do I break up this formation? As it is, there's no way I can safely get by them…unless… Link grinned as an idea popped into his head. Picking up a stone off the ground, he waited for the right moment. As a guard turned the corner, he hurled the rock as hard as he could while staying mostly hidden. The guard took the blow right in the side of the head, catching him by surprise and knocking him over the bush spanning the middle of the clearing. All the other guards came rushing to his side, helping him stand up again. Link quickly threw another rock, this time at the stone wall, making it sound like someone had just brushed against the rock. All four guards turned their spears toward the sound, approaching the corner from which it had come step by step. Link was trying his hardest to keep from laughing, and crept by when their backs were turned. As soon as he had cleared the entire span and hidden behind the hedge on the other side, he peered back over to see the guards running back to continue their patrol. Keeping low as he slunk around the corner, he sighed in relief as he stood and brushed himself off. He thought, Well, it may have been a little harder this time, but I still managed it…
Link walked through the archway into Princess Zelda's garden. Smiling, he observed the arrangement and colors of the flowers. Looking at the flowers made him remember a clearing in the Lost Woods where flowers grew, almost all of the same colors with a few different ones. Shaking his head to keep his mind focused on his original purpose for sneaking into the castle, Link's grin faded as he crossed the garden and approached a robed figure peering through a window into the throne room. Link began walking up the stairs, causing the robed figure to turn away from the window at the sound of his footsteps. Princess Zelda stood with a look of shock on her face as she beheld Link's figure standing before her on the stone platform. Link bowed slightly in respect of her and said, "Hello Princess…" Zelda muttered, "Link…you've returned a lot sooner than expected…" Link stood again and asked, "How long ago did I leave?" Zelda seemed somewhat confused by the question and replied, "You left only a few days ago…I entrusted you with the Ocarina of Time and you left with your horse Epona to pursue your missing friend Navi…" Link's face contorted with shock as he practically yelled, "Navi! I can't believe I forgot about her…when did she leave? Why?"
Zelda looked more and more confused as time went on, when she muttered, "You…don't remember? But you told me yourself…" Link looked her in the eye and asked, "What did I tell you?" Zelda replied, "Well…you told me that you defeated Gannondorf seven years in the future and sealed him inside the Sacred Realm with the help of the Seven Sages. And when you sealed him in the future, the Gannondorf in this time had already entered the Sacred Realm. So when you came back from the future and closed the Door of Time by returning the Master Sword to its rightful place, Gannondorf was forever sealed within the Sacred Realm. And it was just after you returned the sword that Navi ascended toward the sky…and that was the last you saw of her. So, you came to me and told me that you were leaving Hyrule to go and search for her. And when you did, I entrusted the Ocarina of Time with your safe keeping. Then you left Hyrule…" Link frowned as he listened, trying his best to remember any of this but failing. Zelda asked, "It was only four days ago that you told me all this…are you sure you don't remember any of it?" Link nodded as he replied, "I honestly don't…"
Link looked up at Zelda again, and noticed that she was staring him in the eye. As he turned his head, Zelda quickly looked away. Link asked, "What is it? What's wrong?" Zelda replied, "Something about you is….different…" Link asked, "What's different about me? I know I'm not wearing my normal green clothes but….these just kinda jumped out at me. I like these over my old tunic…" Zelda shook her head and replied, "No, not your clothes…it's your eyes…" Link peered over the side of the stone platform they stood on into the water that surrounded the entire garden. Staring back up at him was his reflection, crystal clear in the calm water. He asked, "What's different about them? I kinda sensed something was different about them while I was in town earlier last night, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was…" Zelda replied, "You look exactly like you always have, with the change of clothes being the exception. The other difference is the color of your eyes…they were blue the last time we talked…" Link turned and looked back at Zelda with a raised eyebrow. He replied, "My eyes were blue? How can that be? I've never heard of someone having more than one eye color unless they had one color in each eye…but you say mine were both blue, and now they're both red…" Zelda continued his phrase, "…like the color of blood…what did you do after you left Hyrule? Surely you must remember that much…" Link shook his head and replied, "I don't remember anything…the last thing I clearly remember doing was pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal. After that I was surrounded in this bright blue light and I could feel myself lifting into the air while I held the sword. I passed through this...barrier...and then I woke up on the cold, stone floor of the Temple of Time…" Zelda placed her hand on Link's shoulder as he went back to staring into the water. She said, "I've heard tales of warriors who committed sins against the goddesses so great that they lost their memories as punishment…but the deed you did was in service of the goddesses, not against them. And even then, they were only rumors and legends…there's no proof that any of those warriors ever really existed…"
Link lowered his head and muttered, "But what if I did do something after I left Hyrule, as you said I did…Maybe I did leave, and while I was away I did something so bad my memories were erased and I was brought back here to Hyrule Castle…" Zelda muttered, "Well, there is one way to find out what's wrong with your memories…" Link was confused, and looked back at Zelda only to see her raise her right hand up toward the sky. Bending her elbow to put her hand on an even level with her head, she closed her eyes and rotated her hand around so the back of her hand was facing Link. Opening her eyes again, Link gasped when he saw them glowing, even in the bright sunlight, and a symbol appeared on the back of her hand. Link asked, "Isn't that the…" Zelda cut him off, "…Triforce of Wisdom? Yes, it is. When the Gannondorf from our time entered the Sacred Realm, the legend surrounding the Triforce came true. As Gannondorf touched the Triforce, his heart was imbalanced, and so only the Triforce of Power remained in his hand. The other two pieces vanished from the Sacred Realm and appeared within the right hands of the two chosen by destiny to hold them if the balance was ever broken. I, Princess Zelda, am the one chosen by destiny to be the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom….and the one chosen to bear the Triforce of Courage…was you." Link gasped and nearly toppled over backwards as he listened. He muttered, "That can't be true…I don't have the Triforce within my body and I never have…" Zelda looked at Link's right hand and pointed with her left. Link raised his right hand with the palm facing the ground, and his eyes widened along with his gaping mouth as he saw the same symbol on his hand, the only difference being that the glowing triangle on his hand was in the lower right corner, while Zelda's was on the lower left. Link looked into Zelda's eyes for an answer, but she simply placed a finger over his mouth and whispered, "Shh…" She moved closer to Link and placed her right hand on Link's forehead, her symbol and eyes still glowing brightly. Link instantly felt like something warm and watery was flowing into his head. Zelda muttered, "Having the Triforce of Wisdom grants me the amazing ability to read another person's mind by placing my hand on their head, as well as improving my magical skills. I'm sure the Triforce of Courage can do the same for you, although I'm also sure the abilities will be different. Now relax, and perhaps I can uncover the reason you can't remember anything…"
Zelda and Link stood in place for a few minutes before Zelda muttered, "You really don't remember any of it…the future, defeating Gannondorf…none of it…" Zelda withdrew her hand, the glow in her eyes fading along with the symbol. Link opened his eyes again, and noticed that his symbol had stopped glowing as well. As if sensing his question, Zelda answered, "When the pieces of the Triforce come together, whether it's all three pieces or just two of them, they resonate with each other. Using the power of the Triforce of Wisdom caused your Triforce of Courage to resonate along with my Triforce." Link covered his right hand with his left and asked, "Well, if the three pieces of the Triforce grant their bearers magical power, how come I don't feel any from my piece?" Zelda replied, "Because you aren't using it. In order for you to feel the power of the Triforce, you need to learn how to draw upon its power. I was already accustomed to using my own magical power, so I was able to draw upon my Triforce just as easily." Link remembered the magic that the Great Fairy had granted him, and focused on it. It was as easy as breathing to Link as he called upon the power that now rested within him. Holding out his left hand with his palm facing the sky, a small blaze of fire appeared, growing until it covered his entire palm. Link smiled as the warmth from the fire hit his face. Zelda was in shock as she asked, "How did you do that?" Link continued to stare into the fire as he replied, "A gift from the Great Fairy that resides just within the castle's front gate…she called it Din's Fire…" Zelda glanced at Link's right hand and asked, "What happens when you channel the magic into your right hand?" Link dissipated the fire in his left hand and began focusing it into his right hand. The same fire sprouted and burned, but Zelda was disappointed when she saw that the Triforce of Courage symbol did not reappear on Link's hand. The fire died out and Link sighed as a single sweat drop rolled down his face. Zelda watched it fall and asked, "You're not used to using magic, are you?" Link shook his head and replied, "I received another power from the Great Fairy living at the top of Death Mountain, but I need to sit down and rest after using that one. The Great Fairy called the power Farore's Wind…the power to transport yourself anywhere you've ever been by transforming your body into light and moving through the air. But, like I said, that power usually causes me to lose all my strength after using it until I rest up…unlike Din's Fire, where it simply feels like I've been running for a while and need to catch my breath…" Zelda nodded as she listened, understanding the strain of using magic. She muttered, "Well, it all depends on the person…some people are gifted with magic, and others can only do so much before their bodies give out…" Link breathed in deeply and wiped the sweat from his cheek.
Link sat down on the edge of the stone platform, lowering his head as he asked, "What do I do now? Gannondorf is gone, the land is safe, and I'm not really needed anywhere…" Zelda sat down beside him and replied, "Maybe you should go back to Kokiri Forest...live out your life like you were meant to…" Link looked up at the sky and said, "I can't go back to the forest…I need to find someone who can help me get my memories back…how can I live out my life as it was meant when I can't remember what's been happening for the last few days? Not knowing what happened is going to bother me…you told me what happened, but I don't actually know it for myself. I need to know…" Zelda sighed and replied, "Even with the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, I can't help you remember….in your mind it's like you never did what you told me about when you returned from the future…like you never became the Hero of Time…if your memories had simply been sealed away, then it would be simple to unlock them for you…but they're simply not there…" Link stood and walked back out into the garden as he asked, "So there's nothing you can do….can you at least point me in the direction of someone who might be able to help me?" Zelda walked out next to him and said, "I know of no one in the land of Hyrule who can return lost memories…if the Triforce of Wisdom cannot return them, who else possibly could?" Link sighed in regret, but then a voice sounded from just behind him, "I might know of a way to get your memories back…" Link whirled around and instinctively reached for his weapons, but his hands felt only air and he quickly lowered his hands again. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he looked up at the figure of Impa, Princess Zelda's personal attendant and guardian. Link pointed up at her and half-yelled, "Don't do that! You know I hate being surprised like that…" Impa smiled and replied, "But then when would I get to have any fun?" Link frowned slightly and Zelda giggled as she walked closer to Impa and Link. Link breathed slowly to calm his heartbeat, then asked, "How would I go about getting my memories back?" Impa smiled again and replied, "Revisit all the places you remember, and you might just find a way to get your memories back." Link grinned slightly and replied, "Thank you Impa…" Impa replied, "Any friend of the Princess is a friend of mine…I know you would never intentionally bring harm to Princess Zelda, so there's no harm in helping you." Link bowed in respect, and Impa returned the bow.
Suddenly there was a loud noise and an alarm sounding from the direction of the guards Link had snuck past earlier. Impa muttered, "Looks like they found Dagan…and following procedure, they're supposed to come running into this garden to ensure the Princess's safety…I think it's time for you to leave Link…" Link nodded and bowed to Zelda one last time as he said, "Thank you for everything Princess…you've helped me in more ways than you know…" Zelda nodded with a smile on her face and muttered, "Impa, kindly show Link the way out…" Link waved his hand at Impa and replied, "Thank you, but I have my own way out this time…" Impa and Zelda took a few steps back, and Link focused on his inner magic. Holding both hands toward the sky, a column of green light surrounded his entire body. A large green orb materialized above Link's head, and Zelda watched as Link's body was drawn into it. The column of light disappeared, and the green ball of light flew off into the sky. Zelda noticed that it was heading in the direction of Death Mountain and Kakariko Village. As if almost on cue, several guards came running from the direction of the path leading into Zelda's garden. One of the guards yelled, "Princess Zelda! We are here to protect you from the….Lady Impa? Should you not be hidden somewhere during tests like this?" Impa and Zelda looked at each other and started laughing very loudly as all the guards stood at the entrance to Zelda's garden, confused by the situation.
The green ball of light that Link had become flew over the castle wall with great speed, causing many of the guards posted on the wall to grab their helmets so as not to let them blow away in the strong wind that followed the ball. The ball dropped and flew along the ground, creating a large streak to appear in the ground as the ball traveled. Crossing a river and flying up a large set of steps, the ball stopped suddenly and hovered in the air. The ball seemed to grow smaller for a moment, then exploded in a bright flash of light. The light quickly dissipated, and Link fell to the ground in a heap. Standing up with his hand against the wall to brace himself, he thought, I should really practice more often so this doesn't happen…now I just have to get to the village… Link walked slowly along the wall, sweat covering his entire body. As he walked along, he heard someone walking up behind him. Turning to see who it was, his hand slipped on the wall and he toppled over. The man who was following him quickly dropped his backpack and ran over, kneeling beside him. Looking him over, the man asked, "You ok kid? You look exhausted…" Link replied, "I recognize you…you're the carpenter boss hired to fix up Kakariko Village, right?" The man nodded and replied, "Yep, that's me…and between you and me, those guys I have working under me are still lazing around the village trying to ditch out on work…" Link tried standing up, but failed and fell back onto the dirt. The man hoisted Link up onto his shoulders and retrieved his backpack. He muttered, "C'mon kid…you can rest at my house until you can stand on your own feet again…" Link replied, "Thank you sir…" Link's eyes closed, and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.
It wasn't long before Link awoke from his sleep, glancing around at his surroundings. He was inside a small building, lying in a bed near the fireplace. A woman came walking over to him with a cup in one hand. Sitting beside him on the bed, she muttered, "Sit up now…" Link sat up easily, and accepted the cup from the woman. Drinking the warm liquid, Link felt his strength quickly returning as the liquid washed down his throat. Looking at the woman, she said, "Freshly-brewed Red Potion from the local potion shop…how do you feel now?" Link smiled and replied, "Much better, thanks to you and the potion…is this Kakariko Village?" The woman nodded and replied, "My husband brought you in saying you'd collapsed near the entrance to our town…what happened?" Link replied, "I just felt like running…so I ran all the way from Kokiri Forest to the entrance to this village…then I just collapsed…" The woman raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Well, running is healthy and all, but don't overdo it like that in the future, ok?" Link nodded his head and swung his feet out over the edge of the bed. The woman went back to cooking in the kitchen and asked, "You were out for almost eleven hours, so it's night outside…why don't you stay here for the night and you can go in the morning?" Link pushed off the floor, flipping in midair and landing on his feet again, flexing his muscles. The woman gasped, "My goodness…I've never seen a boy your age as fit as you are…" Link turned to the woman and explained, "I grew up in Kokiri Forest miss…we do a lot of running and exploring in the forest, so all of us stay in pretty good condition…" The woman replied, "I heard a rumor about that forest…apparently the Kokiri children live without any adults to watch them, and they remain kids their entire lives…is that true?" Link nodded and said, "It's true that Kokiri never age, but we do have someone to watch over us. The Great Deku Tree watched over us and told us lots of stories about the world outside the forest. But he's dead now…killed by a curse placed on him by a man hailing from the desert." The woman said, "I'm sorry to hear that…but enough about the past…let's focus on the present…won't you stay tonight and have dinner with me and my husband?" Link replied, "I'm sorry, but I'm here to climb Death Mountain…I need to visit the Gorons and see my friend, Darunia…" The woman sighed slightly and replied, "Well, if you're sure…I just don't think it's such a good idea for you to climb that mountain during the night is all…" Link said, "It's ok miss…I've done it before…" The woman replied, "But there are monsters all over the place up the path…you don't even have a weapon to defend yourself with…" Link's smile faded as he remembered, and his shoulders sank.
As Link thought about ways to make money so he could purchase a new sword, the carpenter walked in behind him and said, "Ah, the kid's awake now…good." Link turned around and saw the carpenter, a smile returning to his face. The carpenter asked, "Do you know that you talk in your sleep? The whole way here from where I found you, you kept mumbling something about getting your sword and shield back…so I took the liberty of going around town and letting people know that you had come back to the village. Everyone remembers you from when you helped out around the village, and about how you helped our neighbors in Goron City avoid starving to death…so everyone in the village pooled together some of their extra rupees and I made a trip to the Bazaar in Hyrule Town. We all figured that you'd want these…" The carpenter set his humongous backpack down on the bed, and pulled out a Hylian Shield. Link's jaw dropped as he watched the carpenter also pull out a sword from his bag, placing it on the bed next to the shield. Turning to face Link, the carpenter said, "These now belong to you…gifts from Kakariko village for all you've done for us and our neighbors…" Link walked toward the bed and picked up the sword, drawing it from its sheath. He inspected the blade and thought, It looks almost exactly like the Kokiri Sword, but this one's longer and heavier…but despite the weight I can hold it and swing it easily…not bad… Strapping the sword around his back and clipping the buckle in front of his chest, Link drew the sword fully from its sheath and swung it around a couple of times, smiling at the ease of using it. Placing the sword back in the sheath on his back, he picked up the Hylian Shield and muttered, "I remember when this was too big and heavy for me to use properly…I placed it on my back and just carried it around. The only way I could use it then was to drop to my hands and knees and hide underneath it…" Holding it in his right hand, he moved it around and was satisfied that he could use it like a proper shield. He quickly moved it to his back and hung it on his sheath. Standing there with his new sword and shield, the carpenter and his wife both nodded in approval as the carpenter muttered, "Now there's the Kokiri kid that we remember…with the exception that you're wearing black now instead of green…" Link laughed a little to himself and replied, "Well, I just feel like wearing these clothes more than my green tunic…" The carpenter replied, "I wasn't criticizing your choices, just saying that it fits you somehow…makes you look more grown up or something…" Link placed his hand on the back of his head and laughed along with the carpenter and his wife.
Link finally agreed to stay for dinner, and the three of them feasted on roast beef and potatoes. After dinner, as the carpenter and his wife were trying to convince him to stay the night and climb the mountain in the morning, Link said, "Sorry, but this is important…I need to climb the mountain and speak with the Gorons as soon as possible…" The woman opened her mouth to protest again, but the carpenter replied, "He's made up his mind dear…once a man makes up his mind, there's no changing it…you just be careful up there you hear?" Link nodded and bowed as he closed the door behind him. Staring up at the moon, Link thought, These people have always been nice…I'll make sure to stop by sometime and help them out for buying the sword and shield for me…but for now, it's time to climb… Link walked up the path and spoke with the guard protecting the entrance to the Death Mountain path. The guard recognized him, and opened the gate for him. Link breathed in and walked through the gate, hearing it close behind him as he continued up the path. Link muttered to himself, "Well, there's no turning back now…it's time to get my memories back…"