The land of Hyrule. A land filled with curses, yet blessed with victories. A land filled to overflowing with beauty, terror, wonder, grace, strength, tears, laughter, hope, and possibilities. A land guided by power, wisdom, and courage.

A land ever-changing, yet never broken.

At the beginning of time, the three Goddesses left behind the Triforce - the symbol of the Golden Power which they used to create this world, the symbol of harmony. Yet ever afterward evil forces have sought to destroy that harmony and corrupt this world. Because of this the three Goddesses placed a spell over the entire world - in order to confound the forces of darkness, the land transforms constantly, as do its people. Yet even with every transformation, there remain constants which guide the land's champion, the Hero of Time, toward victory in slaying that chaotic evil which grips this world. In most incarnations of the land of Hyrule there have always been certain landmarks, still well-supplied with their original magics; certain people, still well-endowed with ancient wisdom; and certain artifacts, still well-crafted with clever powers.

These special artifacts are hand forged and enchanted by the Fairy Crafters of Hyrule. I am one such Fairy Crafter.

MY NAME IS AEOLIS.

PART I

Old Titania tossed several rupees through the air. They sailed over the fence posts and landed in the grassy field beyond. "Now!" she shouted.

I leaped, wings open wide to catch a small updraft, and landed on top of one of the posts. As soon as my bare toes touched wood, I stretched out my hand to catch a little bit of the wind, feeling it coil warmly into my fingertips. Many colorful gem-like coins hid between blades of grass, and only the glimmer of late evening sunlight made them visible to my eyes.

Don't think on it too hard, I warned myself. You can still do this.

My restless eyes quickly scanned the ground, and I estimated around ten or so rupees lay in the field. I squinted and singled out the rupee toward the far right end, then zeroed in on the one to the far left, and finally I released the gale which I had been allowing to build within my hand. With a whistle it swirled and danced to the right, then quickly swept leftward across the field. As it did, many rupees lifted into the air, swirling and tumbling around one another until the gust flew back toward me, dropping the rupees into my fingers. I counted them all and held them out for Old Titania to inspect.

She nodded, but I could sense some hesitation in her eyes. I looked down at the handful of gems, then out toward the field. Finding nothing, I returned my gaze to my elder, who smiled solemnly.

"There were twelve," she said in a soft voice, almost a whisper. "You have eleven." She stretched out a slender finger and pointed at a spot very close to the fence.

I squinted, suddenly seeing the glint of the sun reflected off it. Right there under my nose. Dismayed, I lowered my gaze to the bare patch of dirt at my feet.

Titania gathered the rupees from my hands. I lifted my eyes to study her face. Pale as the dust of the moon, her skin showed few creases, save for some around her always-smiling eyes and the thin lines downward along her cheeks. Her soft orange hair was radiant in the dimming light. No fairy was as old as Titania, and I was hard-pressed to believe any being across the wide world was older than she. Yet in the entire time I had known her, she had never changed- never had a new wrinkle appeared in her skin, never had a strand of hair turned silver. Anyone who didn't know better would have assumed I was the elder.

"Aeolis." That ever-soft voice returned me to reality. She gave a thin, tight-lipped smile. "It is time."

I was stunned into silence momentarily. "But... but what about...?" I began to lift a hand to my face, but she caught it gently by the fingertips and pulled it away.

"All the more reason for you to begin." Her smile was smaller now. "You are more than capable, Aeolis. I believe you are right for this job."

She squeezed my fingers, and the breath caught in my chest. My heart felt as though it were suspended in thin air.

A Fairy Crafter. I was finally going to become a Fairy Crafter!

The honor was great, the weight terrible. For the first time since I had begun to dream of becoming a Fairy Crafter I felt two sides of myself at war with each other.

I opened my mouth to object. I was not ready. I was not strong enough. I wanted to stay here in my little village, stay in my little tree by my little pond. Here, where everything was green and smelled fresh and familiar. Tears threatened to spill over, and I shuddered. "I- I can't-"

"You know you don't have to." Titania turned away from me to watch the final remnant of the sun as it settled low behind the distant trees. "It is your decision."

I kept my gaze on her skirt as I struggled to speak. Long ago it was a pure, gentle sky blue. Now, it was almost the washed out shade of melting snow.

I didn't want to disappoint her. And as sure as I could feel the cooling breeze that drifted past me, I could feel that she didn't want me to disappoint myself. All excuses died on my lips, and I finally gave a faint nod. "I'm ready, Mistress."

Old Titania briefly placed her hand on my shoulder, signalling me to follow as she walked with long, slow strides. I walked closely behind, and as we reached the great weeping willow tree which grew by the lake, I felt the warm trickle of tears flowing freely down my cheeks.

After my dedication ceremony was complete, my youngest granddaughter Constance flung her arms around me in the biggest hug I had ever had in my life, and I did not want her to let go.

"Grandma, I'm going to miss you." I could hear the restrained tears in her voice.

"I'll miss you too, Constance," I replied, and I knew she heard mine.

We released each other and watched the sky for several long, silent moments. Stars glittered above, but there was no moon. Oh, how I wished I could see the moon that night!

Constance let her hand roam down the swell of her belly. I placed my hand next to hers and smiled at a faint nudge from within. "Have you decided on a name yet?"

She nodded, smiling at me with twinkling eyes. The hair that fell over her left eye was a shade of blue-grey that was nearly impossible for me to distinguish from the shadows beneath the willow, or even the sky. "We're going to name her Aeolis." I bit my lip and swallowed. "I wish you could have at least waited long enough to meet her first," she continued in a low voice. "This was just so... sudden."

"I know." I looked up at the stars again and sighed. "But it's now or never."

"I know you don't like company when you travel, but I would go with you if I could." Her hand continued to glide over her belly.

I laughed. "I could never resent your company, you know." I patted her belly and withdrew my hand.

Constance turned her head, and a second later a figure materialized just behind the torch light from that direction so suddenly that I gasped, recoiling slightly.

"It's just me," the figure said, holding out a pair of open hands. "It's Sten."

I let my breath out again and relaxed as he walked farther into my view, his tunic flickering pale orange in the torch light.

"I hear you've been accepted as a Fairy Crafter," he said, smiling at me. "I just got here, so I missed the ceremony. Who did you choose to go with you?"

I shook my head. "I'm going alone."

Sten raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure about that?" I nodded. "Well, alright then. I wish you safe passage." He took my hand and shook it briefly. "Where will you be going?"

"The Forest Temple in Faron Province."

"And your artifact?"

"Um..." I licked my lips.

"Not decided, huh?" Sten clapped a hand against my shoulder. "It'll come to you." He glanced over at Constance, then me again. "So... you've said your goodbyes to everyone already?"

"I have." I fidgeted with my skirt. "I'll be leaving shortly. Didn't want to wait for sunrise."

"I'll miss you." Suddenly, Sten's face broke into a mischievous grin. "Especially during banquets. You always made the best blackberry pies." He laughed. "And I'll think of you every time I hear those wind chimes."

"I'm going to miss you too, Sten." We shook hands again. As I turned to Constance to try to give her another hug, he took my shoulder and pulled me away, turning me to face him again.

"Just a moment," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a knife and held it out for me. "It's dangerous to go alone. Take this."

I took the knife and snickered. "My new companion? Is it a good conversationalist?"

"You know what I mean."

I held the knife up to the light. It was set with a jade cabochon jewel, and the Hylian crest was imprinted on its leather sheath. "But isn't this your favorite-"

He waved the rest of my words off. "Ah, don't worry about it. You're worth it. I can make another one."

I smiled and clasped it close against my chest. "Thank you."

Constance held a hand over her mouth. "Oh- I didn't even think of a parting gift."

"It's alright," I replied, setting my hand gently over her belly. "You already gave me the best one." I smiled at her warmly, then tucked the knife into my pocket. "I'm going now, before anyone notices." I tilted my head toward the pond on the far side of the willow where all the other fairies were gathered. "And just so you know-" I directed my gaze at Sten- "there might be one or two blackberry pies left, waiting for you that way. They might even still be warm, if you're fast enough."

"Oo!" Sten clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Don't mind if I do." He waved and walked around to the other side of the tree.

Constance and I looked at each other silently for what felt like hours before I embraced her one final time, then stepped away. "Think of me."

"I will, Grandma." Her tears were choking her voice again.

I jumped into the air and flew off. A small gust of wind trailed after me, and I could faintly hear the tinkle of wind chimes in one of the branches. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see Old Titania step around the willow tree, and she waved at me. I waved back, turned my head, and blinked my tears away.

It wasn't long before I arrived at a large pool surrounded by smooth pale rocks. In the center stood an ancient marble statue of a fairy- our first queen- on a pedestal, flawlessly preserved, with not a single scratch or smudge to reveal its age, but for the date of her reign etched along the bottom beneath the symbol of the Triforce. The Fountain of Alarica connected the Fairy Forest to the land of Hyrule, its water providing a portal for any fairy to pass through. As I landed on one of the rocks, a light danced into my vision, disappeared momentarily, then was joined by another, and another. I watched the lights of the fireflies reflected on the still water, my body trembling as I steadied my breathing. One of them ventured toward me, and I heard its wings beating as it passed by.

"Oh, don't fly so close to me," I begged in a whisper.

I took a breath, closed my eyes, held my arms out at my sides, and fell forward into the fountain. I resurfaced in a fountain in a cave near Hyrule Castle, and I never saw the Fairy Forest again.