Pitch black. Nothingness. Space and the empty void laid here. Then, a voice.
"Come... Come to me... Hyrule, needs you."
A spark of light ignites a dim image. A person. A figure. A being reached out as a castle came into view.
"Please... Hyrule, needs you... You three are our only hope..."
Three triangles appeared by the figure and came together. A sword in one, a bow and arrow in another, and a five pronged trident in the last one.
"You must hurry... Please..."
In a fairy forest of a faraway land, a boy began to have strange dreams and visions. A mark on his left hand, three triangles that formed one, would dimly glow at these times. This morning was one such time.
"Wake up... Wake up... Hey!~ Link, wake up! Lazy bones!"
The boy opened his eyes with a groan. It happened again. He looked down at his birthmark, and saw one of the triangles glow. What bothered him, was how the glow would would move with his hand, as if the light had a mind of its own. It faded as the voice outside shouted.
"Link!~ Don't make me get up there! You know I will!"
Link sighed and got out of his bed. Though entirely wooden, as it was a simple treehouse, it felt like that of the lightest feathers. He poked his head out of the door. The lush green forest, lost and hidden away, even from the light of the sun. At the bottom of the tree was a girl who waved at him.
"About time, sleepy head! The Great Deku Tree wants you, it's really, important!"
She put on a serious face and attempted to speak in a bellowing tone as Link climbed down the tree.
"And make sure he comes right to me and don't get distracted!"
She giggled and pulled Link off the tree once he was in reach.
"Don't delay; we're on a busy schedule so now's not the time for play!"
She pulled him along and through the small forest village. Everything was grown the way it was built. Nothing cut or carved, severed, or even forcefully adjusted. All natural. Even as many waved, smiled, and laughed with each other... Link didn't feel like he belonged. Safe, yes. Welcomed, yes. Happy? Well it was all he knew. They ran to the entrance of the Great Deku Tree. The girl stopped and let go of Link reluctantly.
"Uh, he wants to see you privately. It's pretty dumb but he's the boss! See ya for the swim race?"
Link opened his mouth, but as usual, he only let out a sound. No words.
"Ahn... Uh... Ah."
The girl shrugged.
"Whatever! Not like you ever say no!"
He never said yes either. As she ran off, he walked into the open field. A large grass plain with a single giant tree that towers over all. The bark had a face grown onto it and the roots alone made the walls around the entrance. Everything was connected, to the Great Deku Tree.
"My Child. Do Not Be Upset, But Do Not Blame Them, You Are All Children."
Link folded his arms and looked away.
"Hn."
"HoHoHo. It Can Be Taxing, But A Father Knows Only Love For His Kin."
The Great Deku Tree may have been just, a tree, but it understood him. It comforted Link, taught him to speak with his hands, but no one in the forest knew how to read. Even then, without even using his hand language, The Great Deku Tree knew Link better than anyone.
"Mhn..."
"You Do Not Think So?"
Link looked up to the tree in surprise and shook his head. Flower petals and leaves danced in the air, the old spirit laughing.
"Please Do Not Misunderstand Me, Link. I Called You Here Because Of Your Heart. It Is Not Here. But That Is Not Inherently Bad. I Know Of All Things That Happen Within These Woods. Thoughts, Feelings, Even Dreams Are Known To Me. Your Dreams."
Link lowered his head.
"The Truth Is That You Were Given To Me As A Babe. Raised Under My Branch. Who You Are I Do Not Know To This Day But You Are Still Every Bit My Child."
Link looked down at his hand, the glow on his birthmark faintly returned, the single golden triangle pointed the way.
"You Wonder Many Things, And We Have Not The Time, All Your Answers Lie Outside Of These Woods. Outside My Protection. Follow That Marker And It Will Guide You... Now, It Is Dangerous To Go Alone, Take These!"
The mouth of the face opened. A small room resided inside. A chest, a small bag tied tightly, and a shield that laid against the chest. Link entered and opened the chest. A sword that felt rather heavy in his hands.
"My Child. The Weight A Blade Brings Is A Great Many. I Give You Not Protection, But The First Of A Cruel Reality, That All Things Must End. You Now Bear The Responsibility, The Decision To What Ends And What Continues. It Is Not A Gift, But A Curse. I Pray That You Can Forgive Me."
Link stared at the edge, and saw his own eyes. He had heard the old tree, but simply didn't understand, taking the blade like it was a toy. The bag was full of rupees,and the shield was light enough to hold with one hand. As he finished equipping himself, he looked down at his hand. As he left, he looked back, with doubt.
"No. You Must Not Ever Look Back. You Mustn't. The Past Must Remain In The Past... Go, And Know I Will Always Love You, Look To The Future And Know, I Await Your Rerurn."
Link stood there for moments. Then, he ran. He ran as fast as he could. The others chased him thinking it a game, but the further he ran, the fewer that chased. He saw it. The light to the outside. It broke through the edge of the forest. All he had to do was go.
Link! Wait! Stop! Please...!"
The girl. That girl. Her voice stopped him. He nearly glanced back, but stopped himself, the words began to echo in his head. However, the girl turned him around, worry pasted on her face.
"Link, you silly! That's not a good place to play! Come back, i-if it's about the river dunking, we won't do it!"
Link lightly pulled away from her.
"W-We'll play hide and seek! You're so good at that one! You know all the best parts!"
Link pulled away from her.
"We can go to the small shop and... I-I'll buy whatever you want! Anything! I've got all these nuts that Brutie likes! Please! Just, don't leave!"
Link roughly pulled away from her.
"Is this about the fitting in thing!? Who cares! I don't! Just don't go! You'll never come back if you leave!"
Link stood completely still.
"Ever since you came here, I could actually talk to someone who wouldn't make fun of me. You stood up for me! I have friends now, but you're my best friend! Please..."
Link stood there, then pulled away, pathetically. The girl looked down and forcefully opened his hand. She put in it, an ocarina.
"Y'know what this is, right? It's mine... If I give this to you, you can't leave forever! You'll have to give it back!"
Link looked down at the instrument. He took it, as well as her hand, and began to trace his finger on her palm.
"What the... L-Link, we can't play charades here! I-I don't know what you're saying."
He shoved her away, much to her surprise, and ran out to the light with his eyes closed. He kept running. Running. And running, until he simply couldn't anymore, and fell. He panted and stood up with his eyes open. A large grass field with little trees surrounded him. Strange shapes were in the far distance. One like a fat finger that wore a cloud ring. A spikey rock with several strange branches, and a hill with a ranch.
"Hey, kid."
Link turned around to a hooded giant. Rugged and torn rags, patched trousers that ended mid calves, and a sand dusted hooded cloak that hid the strangers face. Save for the crimson blood red eyes that blazed through the dark. He smiled and took a step closer.
"That wallet seems a bit bug for you. Lemme carry it for ya."
Link took a step back, but then noticed something odd. The stranger had his own birthmark on his hand. It too glowed, and pointed in the same direction as Link's. The stranger shrugged.
"I'm not the bad guy, don't judge a book by it's cover, okay? Where's your parents or, whoever, takes care of you? They not here?"
Link shook his head.
"Then what do you think you're doing all the way out here?"
Link saw the stranger reach for him, and drew the sword. The stranger's grin, faded.
"You know what that thing does, right? Cause, you look like that's the first time you've drawn it."
Link nodded, which gained a chuckle.
"Least you're honest... But so am I. I'm not gonna hurt you. Just, put that sword down."
Link nodded, aalnd brought the sword down, onto the strangers hand.
"Hyagh!"
The sword chipped upon impact, and the stranger's eyes became different, scary.
"Okay, kid."
Link rolled onto the floor, and didn't even know how or why. The stranger struck him with a knee to his nose. There was a lot of space in between them, but the stranger closed it with a single leap, and seized Link by his tunic.
"Hylians, all the same, even when young. Swinging your blades carelessly with no care."
Link was lifted right off the ground and held right above the giant's face. He raised a foot to kick.
"If your dinky butterblade couldn't hurt me, how cou-"
Link's boot crushed the stranger's nose with a crunch. Neither noticed the short intense glow of Link's birthmark. The hood fell back with the head as the stranger dropped him. A young boy with round ears and hair as orange as a deep sunset. He held his nose, and with a snap, put it back in place. Link began to crawl back and held his sword out. What bothered the stranger were Link's eyes. There was fear, yes, but a strange bright light in them. As if something hidden laid dormant. Then, he saw Link's birthmark.
You...!? You have one too?! Hey, this is your people's symbol, the Triforce! Tell me what it's doing on me! You can talk, can't you?"
Link shook his head at the boy and raised his hands, he began to make signs, but slowly stopped and lowered his head with a sigh. This person wouldn't understand him at all.
"You came out of the forest after you had dreams?"
Link's head shot up, he jumped to his feet and ran right up to the boy, forgetting the previous scene.
"What? I have people who can't speak at home. A home I left because of the same reason you did. Someone was, calling you, right? And then the Triforce formed around Hyrule Castle. Right?"
Link nodded several times and raised his hand out. The boy held his own hand out.
"I don't know what's going on, and it looks like you don't either, but if we're having the same weird stuff happen to us... It ain't coincidence. Look, let's forget about earlier, I need to have a good standing with foreign lands if I'll be king. What's your name? You can do letters, right?"
Link nodded. The Great Deku Tree taught him many things, and finally, it was all being put to use.
"L- I- N- K- ? Link? Of course it is, no point in giving mine since you won't be able to use it."
Link kicked the boy in the leg, but only held his own foot in pain.
"Hmph. You're a weird one, can hurt me, sometimes but not all the time? Hyrule is so stupid."
The boy lifted Link up and placed him on his shoulder.
"I'll forgive you this time, but hit me anymore times, even if don't hurt, I'm breaking you into pieces."
Link stuck his tongue out, which the boy pinched and pulled at.
"Nnnngh!"
"Yeah, not so smart now, are ya?"
He let go of Link and put a hand into his cloak. He pulled out a map of the land. The Land of Hyrule.
"We're still a few days away from the castle town. If we get our act together, and work together, we could get this done in three days. Alright?"
Link stared in awe of the map he had never seen such a thing before. The boy eyed him curiously.
"H-Hey, what's with that face? Haven't you ever been outside before?"
Link shook his head and began to sign.
"... You idiot! A forest is outside! Gah, I got stuck with some sheltered forest brat! How could things get any better!?"
As he began to walk, the nearest tree sprouted up and out the ground, hovering as large leaf blades spun furiously. It began to fly towards them.
"... I hate Hyrule."