They say legends never die.
In Hyrule, this is a literal fact.
But what of legends that perhaps never should have begun in the first place?
What of those trapped in a cycle of hatred, of violence, of opposition?
Is there no hope for them?
The legends were old. All things were old in this ancient world. It spanned a history so vast that too many things had been lost to the relentless march of time. Long ages prospered, faded, and new ones took up the mantle of prosperity while forgetting what caused their forebears to fade.
Perhaps, thought Princess Zelda of Hyrule, if those things had been remembered, the world would be different today.
But would her life be any different? She sat at the window, watching the knights in the courtyard go through their practice drills. There had always been a Hyrule, and Hyrule always had knights. In the history texts there were vague echoes of eras with technologies far in advance of what they had at present, and some so primitive that Hylians had been little more but hunter-gatherers.
And yet Hyrule and its knights persisted. They were the current running through a world history so deep that Zelda had never gotten to the bottom of it. She read extensively, but even the castle libraries did not contain enough to sate the young woman's knowledge. There were far too many gaps, and past a certain age, records petered out, simply too old to persist to the present day.
What she knew was this: once upon a time, unfathomable eons ago, her ancestor - for whom she was named - and a hero named Link defeated an evil sorcerer named Ganondorf and sealed him away in the Sacred Realm.
But that was not the end—no, it was merely the beginning for all the Zeldas and Links ever since. Time and time again the histories told of Ganondorf's release or resurrection, and how a Zelda and a Link would inevitably band together to stop him once more.
But Ganondorf returned. He always returned.
Zela rested her cheek in her hand. The knights' swords glittered in the morning sun. Her ancestors must, each of them, have hoped their time was the last, she thought.
To have seen and overcome such a great darkness, each Zelda and Link before her surely clung to the faith that this time, Ganondorf was banished or slain or sealed for good. Many of them seemed to have lived out their entire lives in peace after their harrowing ordeals—only to have their dreams dashed generations after their deaths.
It was a cycle, Zelda realized. An inescapable cycle.
And now she was next in line, and all she could do was pray that this time around, things would somehow be different.
Especially because her Link was an insufferable boor.
That was him down there, disarming one of his fellow knights, laughing as he shoved the poor man into the dirt and placed a firm boot on the loser's tunic.
The other knight slapped the dirt with his palm to tell Link to stand down, but Link merely sneered. His grating tone came wafting through the open window pane, souring the spring breeze. "Did you really hope to best me with your childish tactics? Do you know who you are dealing with?"
"An arrogant Cucco who thinks he rules the roost," the other knight grumbled. "Get off, Link!"
"That's Sir Link to you, peon!" Link pressed harder with his heel. "The Hero of Hyrule, son of a thousand heroes of ages past! Last I checked, your father was a lowly duke!"
Zelda groaned. "Link! That's enough!"
Link looked up at her and smiled. It was not a kind smile. It was the smile of someone who feels entitled to everything they decide they want. "Your Highness! I trust you saw my masterful performance just now!"
"I saw you bullying your brothers-in-arms," Zelda shot back. "Don't let it happen again. They have every right to be here."
Link frowned. "But they are not heroes." Stepping away and leaving his opponent to be helped to his feet by another knight, the Hero of Hyrule bowed deeply. "Milady, I am simply honing my prowess as your protector and champion. Our fair kingdom offers so little in the way of true tests of my might. One must do what one is forced to in order to keep fighting fit."
"Which explains why you go off hunting beasts in the woods and performing reckless stunts," Zelda said, "instead of overseeing the peace and safety of our subjects. As I have repeatedly asked you to." And she couldn't do a blasted thing about it, because despite his attitude problems, the entire court would be in an uproar if Zelda discharged the Hero of Hyrule. He had to stay—it was tradition.
Some traditions were incredibly unhelpful.
"Please, Your Highness." Link waved his hand dismissively. "I am simply doing what the people expect their hero to accomplish. Your days cooped up in that castle have left you naïve, and while it is endearing, I assure you that once we ascend the throne together, I shall handle all of the kingdom's administrative business and you can… embroider tapestries or something."
At this Zelda had to shut the window and turn away because she felt rather ill. Which was nothing new—Link sickened her on a regular basis. She tried to stay as far away from him as possible. Fortunately, her paperwork usually provided a good excuse.
But his remark at the end was what really got to her. For a moment she simply sat with her back to the window and buried her face in her hands.
She was lonely.
Her parents passed away when she was a teenager, from an illness that swept through the kingdom and unfortunately also killed Link's parents—probably the only people capable of keeping him in line. He'd worsened ever since. And just a few short years ago, Zelda's beloved nursemaid, Impa, had succumbed to age.
Now Zelda was left to run the kingdom alone, and as she continued through young adulthood, the pressure mounted for her for marry and become queen. Of course, Link was the popular choice for her king consort. Despite his deplorable conduct, tales of his bravado reached even the smallest villages, filling the kingdom with adoration for a man who already adored himself more than enough.
No amount of altered history could change her situation, Zelda thought. No matter how many times Ganondorf came back or Link wielded the Master Sword in defense of Hyrule, there would still, at this moment in time, be a Princess Zelda feeling very disappointed with life.
After a moment of reflecting on her situation, she pushed herself to her feet and thought she might as well get started on the day's bureaucracy. It at least gave her a sense of purpose.
Out of the clear blue sky, an explosion of thunder clapped, and a tremor rocked the castle. Zelda clung to the wall to keep her footing. "What was that?!" she yelled.
"I'm not sure, milady!" someone shouted from down the hall. Moments later a handmaid rushed in. "Your Highness, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Zelda said, straightening her skirt. "Go check on everyone else—I'll be right—" She was cut off by another rumbling, as if the entire world was breaking apart. "Go!"
The room began to dim. Zelda looked out the window to see dark, malevolent clouds twisting over the sky, and the back of her neck pricked. This was no ordinary storm. She pushed the window open. "All knights, prepare to defend the town!" she shouted, trying to keep down the fear in her voice. "Protect the citizens!"
Link raised his sword. "Your Highness! I shall defend you!"
"No—stay with the company, there's already a unit devoted to—!"
"Heroes were born for such times as these!" With a yell, Link broke away from the other knights and charged toward the castle.
Zelda decided that other matters took priority over his idiocy. The sky was growing darker by the second, and eerie flashes of purple lightning flickered across black clouds. She turned and ran from the room.
In the hall, one of the castle knights met her. "Milady!" he panted. "Scouts have reported an army advancing on Hyrule Castle!"
Zelda's stomach clenched. "Collateral damage?"
"Minimal. They seem to be directly targeting the castle and are ignoring other settlements in their path."
The princess nodded. "Shore up defenses, mobilize all troops! Cut them off!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The guard saluted and jogged down the hall, his armor clanking.
Zelda followed him in a daze. She couldn't believe this was really happening. She'd been taught what to do in the event of a siege, but it was one of those things one never actually thinks about until it happens.
She did not feel at all ready. Her physical combat skills were limited. Impa had begun Zelda's magic tutelage, but after the death of the king and queen, Zelda turned her focus to running the kingdom and began to neglect her magical studies. Her nursemaid's passing left the princess feeling barely a beginner in the magical arts, and she did not really have the heart to pick up the subject again after that.
Now she wished she had.
"How much time do we have?" she asked as she burst into the throne room.
"It's hard to tell," said a military tactician clutching an armful of maps. The castle shuddered again and the woman readjusted the maps in her arms. "The army was reported as being twenty miles away, but it's moving… unnaturally quickly. They could be here by nightfall."
Zelda swallowed hard.
"Your Highness!" Link strode toward her, shoulders thrown back. "Fear not, for I shall protect you!" He grinned. "Ah, our celebration after my victory today will be glorious indeed!"
"I told you to stay outside," Zelda hissed. "Do you care at all for the safety of my subjects?"
A knight ran into the throne room, doubling over and clutching his knees as his chest heaved. "Something's breached the town gates! It's—heading straight for the castle!"
"Bar the doors!" Zelda said. Numbly, she reached for her father's throne, clutching an armrest, too tense to sit down.
An explosion echoed through the stone halls and Zelda knew she had given the order too late. The unmistakable unease of dark magic seeped through the area and Zelda was forced by her own limp knees to sink into the throne. No. No, this can't be happening now. I thought this time would be different.
But it was never different, was it?
Heavy hoofbeats thudded in Zelda's ears, accompanied by shouts and screams of terror, drawing nearer and nearer. She shrank against the back of the throne and Link stepped in front of her, raising his sword and shield. For a split second Zelda felt as though he was actually trying to be chivalrous. But from his proud stance she could see that he saw this as just another opportunity to gain more bragging rights.
The doors to the throne room burst open, sending knights flying, and in stomped a massive porcine beast. The red mane along its back rippled like fire, and its yellow eyes burned with a fierce malevolence. An aura of dark magic shrouded the creature, making it almost painful to look at. Even Link seemed to falter for a moment, but kept up a brave front—or perhaps just a foolhardy one.
Zelda was sure she looked pale as paper, but she kept a straight face, staring the monster in the eyes, almost daring it to come closer. She would not show it weakness. Not when she had so many people to protect.
The beast halted in front of the throne, opening its jaw and letting out a hot breath. Then it bowed its head and its muscles twitched and shuddered. Dark magic wreathed its form, twisting and churning while everyone in the room watched, unsure what to do.
When the umbral cloud dissipated, in the stead of a monster stood a man, tall and powerfully built, wearing black leather armor and the tribal emblems of some long-disappeared people. His hair and beard were the same fiery red as the beast's mane, and his swarthy skin was offset by his gleaming amber eyes.
"So," he breathed, tilting his head as he looked down at Link and Zelda, "we meet again, heroes."
Ganondorf had returned.