Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or anything else worth owning.

~Hero of Winds~

This is my novelization of Legend of Zelda: the Wind Waker. This is my first Story, so please, be nice.

~Chapter 1~

~The Boy In Green~

"When once you have tasted flight,

you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,

for there you have been,

and there you will always long to return."

~Anonymous~

I was flying.

I was soaring far above the Earth, amid the heavens, the wind blowing through my hair as I gazed down upon the inundated realm of Man below. The rays of the sun should have stung my eyes as I took them in, unblinking, and yet I felt no pain, no tears, no reaction to the golden rays but awe. My eyes wide with wonder, I tried to see everything at once as I flew above the sea, laughing in excitement and happiness, enjoying this sense of freedom that I have never felt before.

I don't know how to describe the sensation of flight; I've never felt anything like it. I was weightless, and moved about effortlessly, seemingly through willpower alone; I felt no ground beneath my legs, no surface on which to plant my feet, and yet I felt secure, stable; I was unrestricted in my movements, the physical limitations laid upon me by flesh and bone were now somehow gone, lifted, as if by magic; and I found that I never grew tired, never fatigued, no matter how strenuous my actions or extravagant my movements. From far, far above the Great Sea of The Mortal World, I beheld the limitless expanse of blue and turquoise that was my home, the waters on which I was born, and on which I was sure to eventually die.

It was exhilarating; breath taking; and yet, It was more than that. It was more than being high above the earth, in the clouds; I would imagine that It was not the same as the flight of a bird, as birds must use energy and exert themselves to keep airborne. I felt as if I was without body, though I remained capable of using my senses, my sight, my hearing, to examine my environment.

I must have been a spirit, an apparition, yet I somehow knew that I was not dead. Never mind how or why, but for now, I was free from mortal impuissance, however briefly. I was free to go where I wanted, to see what I pleased; I then knew the meaning of true freedom, a freedom that most people will never have.

On occasion, I came upon small Islets, once great mountains which had managed to keep above the floodwaters, released many years past, now insignificant specks of land of varying suitability to life. They were diverse in their appearance and in their characteristics, from natural and inconspicuous, to artificial and unsettling, resembling the concepts of man in disturbing detail, seemingly through inexplicable coincidence. Some had populations of intelligent life, while others were home to strange, fantastical creatures, the very existence of which was the essence of fantasy. There were many hundreds, even thousands of Islands on the sea, all with their own unique features and quirks.

Now that I was able to see the Great Sea from so high up, It struck me how truly enormous the Great Sea was. It was giant; an unimaginable amount of water filled this Sea, and Land, let alone habitable land, was few and far between.

To this ocean, we were nothing. We were tiny, insignificant afterthoughts, compared to this seemingly infinite body of water; If we were to disappear tomorrow, This Sea wouldn't be affected whatsoever. It would continue existing, despite our absence, because, no matter what we did, It was so much larger, physically, than the human race that the only ones who would notice are ourselves and our fellow animals. It was a disturbing truth, and I pushed it from my mind, opting instead to continue to enjoy the feeling of being liberated from gravity and weight.

As I continued my flight, gazing down upon the wonders of the Great Sea, I spread my arms like wings and leveled my body, positioned myself parallel to the surface, and lowered myself to feel the spray of salt-water on my face, the briny smell filling my nostrils and the signature roaring of the tides meeting my ears.

I descended further, closer to the blue, reflective pool below, allowing my fingers to graze the smooth texture of the Ocean like running my hand across it like a piece of woven silk. As I did this, a school of fish came to the surface, following me, propelling themselves from the water to meet my gaze, and then dropping back into the unfathomable depths below.

But then, as if I had struck a brick wall, I stopped; without any warning, without my commanding my body to do so, I turned from my original course, to the unfamiliar, uncharted seas of the North. Fear seized me at that moment, and I fought desperately against the unwanted deviation in my path, resisted with every bit of power that I had, to no avail. From the familiar waters which I have sailed before, my home, which I had known all my life, I flew, though not of my own intention.

I struggled as hard as I could, and yet no matter how I tried, I could not reaffirm control over myself. I accelerated, and as I watched, many hundreds of islands slipped by, beneath my feet, at inhuman speeds, until I had moved far beyond any quadrant of the sea ever recorded by my people.

Newer Islands appeared; I was now growing very worried that whatever possessed me was going to bring me too far from Outset, and that I would never find my way back to my family. I continued north for many Leagues across the surface of the Ocean, before sharply turning to the East. I accelerated, now moving at too great a speed to comprehend the distance I had come, let alone commit it to memory.

Minutes later, I saw something rise above the horizon. It appeared to be a mountain, but upon the decrease in distance separating me from the figure, I realized that It was not just a mountain, but a chain of mountains; a series of peaks rising impossibly high, far higher than any summit that rose above the Great Sea. My speed dropped as suddenly as it had climbed, and I passed over the top of the mountain range, evidently serving as a kind of barrier between this world, of which i knew nothing, and my world of endless Ocean. I looked forward, not knowing what to expect of the realm beyond the towering blockade of earth and stone. The scene that met my eyes was one that I had thought I would never live to see, a sight that I was sure my own descendants would never have witnessed, not in the passing of a thousand years.

A sea of green replaced the customary blue, and I realized that I was gazing upon a Sea, not of liquid water, but of living vegetation; grass. I saw an endless expanse of Land, of Earth, spreading from the mountains bordering the sea to the West and South, to a river many miles off to the East, the plain stretching, seemingly infinite in length, to the North. I floated, far above the lush, green valley, bisected in the center by the broad river, carrying a stream of life and fertility from an unseen place, leaving a prairie on one side and a forest on the other. I saw all of the animals of the earth eating their fill of the plentiful resources this land had to offer; the deer and cattle grazed in the fields; the fish feasted on algae and plants; and a myriad of creatures of all kinds forming a natural order in the woodlands.

I realized that this land, whatever It was, was two things. First, It was the ideal location for human settlement. Abundant land, limitless water, a healthy supply of timber; all of the conditions needed for my to rise to greatness were met. Second, It was a chance. An opportunity. The chance I needed to escape from the insignificance and monotony promised to me by Island-Life; a chance to make something of myself, and to live on in history; the chance to do something great with my life.

A chance to be the leader of a new age. From my humble beginnings as the son of an island dweller, I would be remembered as the founder of the first true nation to exist for millennia.

Then, everything disappeared in shadow, and I saw nothing more...

"Big brother, Link!"

The familiar voice pulled me from the sight, too suddenly for me to register the change before several seconds had passed. I had ceased to be weightless, as I felt my body press against a firm, solid surface below. I was no longer standing above the golden plain; instead, upon opening my eyes, I found that I was laying face down on a wooden platform, my arms folded beneath my head to serve as a kind of pillow, a small number of seagulls standing nearby my sleeping form. Blinking, I raised my head, scaring off the birds, to determine where I was.

I gathered this; I was in the shade, for above me was a small canopy, affording me a bit of shelter from the rain that I recalled had fell the previous night; I heard the sound of waves below, indicating the ocean was nearby; and I was clothed in a blue shirt with a crayfish pattern on the front, as well as an orange pair of slacks and sandals. It was then it came to me that I did know where I was; a tall, wooden lookout post on the eastern end of Outset Island. I realized that I must have accidentally fallen asleep, again, after coming up to watch the sunset. I mentally groaned, knowing from experience that I had overslept and had, resultingly, missed breakfast. My mood was not improved by the fact that I had not eaten dinner the previous night.

I wanted to go back to sleep.

I then remembered the vision I had of the grassy realm, the land that held so much promise, for me, and for human kind. I grew excited, knowing that what I'd seen could be my savior from a life of simplicity and insignificance. However, As I lay there, I slowly came to realize that what I had seen had been a dream. I had imagined It all; the disproportionately tall mountain range, the flourishing wildlife, even the flight itself had been the product of my own subconscious. I would not be the Patriarch of a new Kingdom, there would be no new age for humanity, and I am stuck to live the rest of my days as an island dweller, my existence dull and meaningless, confined to a tiny little atoll where nothing of note ever happened to anyone. The bitter disappointment was great to behold.

I pushed the memories of my vision to the back of my mind, and did my best to ground myself in reality. Nothing that I saw would come to be, so it was best that I forget it. As my father once said, fantasies had no place in the living world.

But, it had seemed so real...

I pushed myself off the ground, for some reason feeling as though I was being watched. I turned to face the source of the noise that woke me in the first place, only to find that there was no one there. I shook my head, figuring that, like the dream, I must have imagined the sound, though the uneasy feeling of being watched lingered. Rising to my feet, I yawned and stretched, cracked my knuckles and scratched my head through my head of shaggy, blonde hair. I dusted off my shirt, and, my stomach rumbling inaudibly, started to head for the ladder, my eyes still half closed, but I was stopped by someone addressing me from behind; "I knew you'd be here!" I recognized that voice; I smiled, and, turning slightly, replied. "Good morning, Sister. I thought I heard someone come up here."

Turning to face her, I saw my baby sister, Aryll, swaying side to side, holding her most prized possession, a telescope, behind her back. She was a good two feet shorter than me, with hair the same color as mine, the ends tied up into pigtails near the side of her head. She wore a light blue dress with a flower pattern, two golden bracelets on her wrists, and a smile on her face. She was ten years old, the only other child even remotely close to my age on the whole Island, and the only real friend I could claim to have. She was a very nice girl, and I thanked Din for her at every opportunity I had.

She giggled. "This is my FAVORITE spot to gaze out at the sea. When I play with the gulls, I call it 'Aryll's lookout.'" "Is that right?" I looked around, gazing out into the horizon. She was right, this tower had the best view of the sea on the whole front part of Outset. The only spot with a better view was the cliff on the eastern half of the Island, far along the winding path up the mountain, at the start of the bridge leading to the entrance of the Fairy Woods.

She continued to stare at me, an innocent look on her face. "So, do you remember what day it is today?" On hearing this, I blinked. Have I forgotten something important? Was there a birthday that had slipped my mind? A Festival? I said nothing, but continued to stare at her. She put on a worried smile. "...You're still half-asleep, aren't you?" I raised my eyebrow, and continued to say nothing. "Did you forget?" She giggled some more. I couldn't help a tiny grin forming on my lips. I put my arms behind my head and started to stretch, relieving the slight cramp I had gained from sleeping atop the wooden tower. Before long, she spoke again in an amused voice; "Big Brother, It's your birthday!"

That woke me up. I dropped my arms to my sides, too surprised to respond; mentally slapping myself, I realized that she was correct. It was February 21, Seventeen years to the day after I had been born.

Still giggling, she continued. "That's why Grandma has been waiting for you to come back to the house! She's been waiting for a while now..." She paused, looking back towards the house where our Grandmother awaited my return. "It's a good thing I came to find you!" I shrugged. She was right; If she hadn't woke me, I'd probably have slept through my own Din-damned seventeenth birthday. "You should probably go home and see what grandma wants, don't you think?" I looked back at our house, on the other end of the Island. It was nothing special, not much different from any other cottage on Outset, but It was where I grew up, where I was born and raised. "Alright then. Thanks, Aryll; I'll be right back." With these words, I turned and walked to the ladder.

Rather than wasting time climbing the entire way down, I dropped off the edge of the wooden platform, undaunted by the 20 foot fall. The pier rushed towards me, and I braced my legs for landing. Upon connecting with the pier, I rolled, better helping my body absorb the sudden impact, ending gracefully with me standing on both feet. Uninterrupted, I ran across the pier, turning right when I reached Mesa's house. I then ran along the beach, scaring off some crabs, which burrowed down into the sand. A seagull flew past, squawked at me, and flew off, probably to join my sister at the top of the tower; for some strange reason, the seagulls loved to be around her.

Outset Island was, in truth, two separate Islands a few yards apart. The Outset isthmus was spanned by a wooden bridge, connected at the center by a stone platform. I walked along the bridge, passing a child named Joel, a stick in his hand, and reached the eastern Isle, where I saw Abe, one of my neighbors, lying prone, hidden in a patch of grass. Curious, I approached him, and asked him what was going on.

He greeted me, "Hoy, Link. You're just the person I need." He held up his hand, telling me to be silent. He spoke softly and pointed ahead; "Do you see that pig?" I looked to where he pointed and saw a small, solid black piglet, facing away from us humans. I nodded. He continued, "I wish to capture it and domesticate it, as a gift for my family. However, they are afraid of humans, and will avoid us should we wander too close. Unfortunately, I am too large and noisy to have any hope of drawing near to it..." He then looked to me. "...which is why I need your help."

"You want me to catch this pig for you?" He nodded. I looked towards the house where my grandmother awaited my return. I said to him, "My grandmother wishes for me to meet her at our house; I do not wish to keep her waiting for too much longer," shaking my head. "This will take but a minute." He assured me. After thinking it over for a few seconds, I shrugged. It couldn't hurt to be one more minute late. I laid down against the ground and inched forward, approaching the beast from behind. I crawled slowly and silently, watching every movement the pig made, ready to make a dash for the small animal should it notice my approach.

The beast snorted, completely unaware of my presence, and stood there, oblivious. I moved forward until I was a foot away from the creature; the beast still did not sense me; and, instantly, I sprang to my feet, my arms encircling the pig and clenching, causing a squeal to erupt from the wild hog's snout. Before It could react, I raised it off the ground and held it to my chest, restraining It as it fought and squirmed to break free of my grasp. I struggled to hold it back, muttering curses to myself, before looking back to Abe who was looking at the beast in my arms with a grateful and elated expression on his face.

He came over to me, and I handed him the small but heavy beast, relieved to have successfully completed the task. He thanked me profusely; He had been stalking this particular pig for weeks, yet it had always eluded his capture. I held up my hands. "It's nothing," I assured him, but he decided to reward me for my service regardless. Reaching into his pocket, he revealed a small red gem; the currency of the Great Sea, a rupee; and placed it into my outstretched palm, wishing me a happy birthday, and then turned to walk back up the hill to his house. I called out my thanks, and resumed my trek back to the house I shared with Aryll and Grandma.

That done, I placed the jewel into a small gem bag tied around my neck. I hadn't walked ten steps, though, before another familiar voice called to me from above; "Hoy, Link! I wish to speak to you!" I looked to the source of the sound, and saw Sturgeon, a short, aged, bespectacled man holding a large cane, standing in the doorway of the upper story of the house he shared with his younger brother, Orca.

He nodded his approval. "That's correct, I'm up here. You're a sharp one, boy." I bowed in response to the compliment. "Thank you, Sturgeon; why do you call me?" He pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "It has come to my attention that today is your seventeenth birthday, the day that you come of age. If I may, I would like to offer to you some of the prudence I have gained through my travels. If you so wish, you are free to make use of my study at any time."

I nodded my thanks; "I thank you, and apologize, Sturgeon. I'm afraid I don't have the time just now. My Grandmother has need of me, and I'm already late." I gratefully bowed, and, turning, walked the remainder of the way to my family's cottage. On the way, I ran into, or, rather, was run into by, another small boy, Zill, Joel's younger brother. For some reason, Zill allowed his nose to run unchecked, resulting in a long stream of mucus to constantly hang from the boy's nose. As sickening as this was, I wouldn't mind much, except for the fact that he made a game out of following me wherever I went, and he insisted on bumping into me at every opportunity, often causing his nasal excretions to rub off onto my clothing.

Luckily, I had avoided the disgusting surprise, for now, and sprinted away; Zill's stubby little legs couldn't keep up. I waved hello to Sue-Belle, a brunette girl who perpetually carried a pot of water between her grandfather, Sturgeon's, house, and, at
long last, reached the front door of my own.

I opened the old wooden door to a small, homely looking living room. Sticking my head through the opening and seeing no one, I entered the house, closing the door behind me as I stepped inside. It was a small house, with one small space that served as the main room, kitchen and bedroom, and a ladder that led to the 'second story', a room that served only one purpose; making space for the family shield to hang on the wall. The antique shield had been in my family for generations, and was undoubtedly invaluable as an ancient artifact of the old days. The floor was bare; no rug covered the wooden boards of the cottage, so they clacked against the bottoms of my sandals as I walked through the house. I called out; "Grandma, I'm home!"

A frail voice responded from the second story; "I'm up here, Link!" Once again, I groaned inwardly; there was only one reason that she would be standing where she was now. Knowing what the surprise was that she wished to give me for my birthday. Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly approached the ladder, ascending to the floor above, where I saw my grandmother standing besides the family shield, an aged piece of fragile, decrepit wood in an iron frame, expertly preserved and miraculously still intact, after thousands of years.

Despite it's age, the shield's decoration was ornate and artistic, and was as clear and colorful today as the day it was crafted; near the top end of the shield face, there were two symmetrical markings which represented the clouds. Near the bottom, where the otherwise rectangular shield curved into a broad point was an image of a flying, white stallion, it's wings outstretched, meant to symbolize the protection the shield gave It's bearer; and, in the center of the design, was the Icon of the Triforce.

According to legend, many thousands of years ago, there was nothing; pure chaos reigned in the land of Hyrule, and no order existed anywhere in the universe. No laws, no sense, no reason, all of existence was in disarray. This all changed with the arrival of the goddesses.

There were three of them; Din, Farore, and Nayru. Nobody knows from where they came, or what they are, but one day, they happened upon our world, and, seeing the chaos, decided to impose order.

Din, Goddess of Power, Took the realm and gave it Law; she shaped the land that was her creation, and crafted it to her pleasing, forming ravines, mountains, plains, whatever she desired came to be. This was the origin of the land.

Din's sister, Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, took the land her sister had created and filled the world with water. From her the torrential rain poured forth, giving the land oceans where there were valleys, and rivers where there were ravines. This was the origin of the waters.

The third sister, Farore, Goddess of Courage, created all the living things that exist in our world. She gave them shape and form, and when they were to her liking, she breathed into her creations the breath of life, giving them free will and consciousness. This was the origin of all creatures which dwell upon the earth, or within the seas.

When the three had shaped this new world to their liking, they left for reasons unknown. As they left this plane for the heavens, they left symbol of their power at the spot from which they ascended; the Triforce. The Triforce was set of three triangles, connecting at the tips to form another triangle. The physical manifestations of Power, Wisdom and Courage, when one who held a balance of all three virtues placed their hand upon the Triforce, he would have his wish; whatever it may be; granted. Hidden in a golden land, the Triforce remained sealed away from the mortal world, until one day, when it was discovered by a man of great evil.

This man used the power bestowed upon him to wage war on the Kingdom; blessed with unstoppable power, nothing could stop him as he went on his onslaught of evil. Then, when all hope seemed lost, and the hour of doom seemed at hand, a boy garbed in green appeared from nowhere, and stood against him. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed his opponent away, saving the kingdom from destruction.

Soon afterward , the boy disappeared. None know of what happened to him, and from then on, he was known as the Hero of Time, for he traveled through the years to save the land from eternal darkness.

However, one day, a dark wind fell on the land; somehow, the evil being had escaped his confinement, and was all too eager to resume his depraved machinations. The people were certain that the Hero of Time would appear to rescue them, as he had before. But the hero never came.

The people of the kingdom had no other option but to pray.

No one knows what happened to the kingdom, and the Triforce disappeared from human memory. However, the legends remained, and would haunt human memory for eons to come.

That was the story as I'd been told.

Because of the legend of the Triforce, It was customary to give boys a set of clothes identical to those worn by the Hero of Time when they came of age; Seventeen. And, my suspicions proved correct, as I saw my grandmother standing near our family shield, a set of green robes folded in her outstretched arms.

Biting my lip in dread, I approached the elderly woman, reluctantly accepting the tradition, however unpleasant It may be. My grandmother was a small woman, shorter than me and my sister. She had a full head of white hair tied into a bun in the back, and a kind face. She wore a red kimono, with a purple stripe running sideways across the middle of the dress.

She said to me, "I've been waiting for you, Link." I shrugged. "I'm sorry, grandma. I overslept." She waved her hand, saying without words to never mind. She spoke again; "Link... try these on." She handed me the set of green robes, feeling somewhat bulky in my hands. "Time certainly flies; I can't believe you're already old enough to wear these clothes!"

I looked the outfit in question disdainfully; they were absolutely ridiculous. The main part of the set was a dark-green tunic which ended slightly below the knee. Underneath this was a pair of white pants, held up by a leather belt. The shoes were acceptable, just a pair of brown boots, but the most unusual piece of the set was a green, pointed hat. When I saw them, they more readily brought up images of jesters then of Heroes. I had no doubt that I would appear a fool to any who saw me.

Furthermore, they looked a little warm for this weather...

Noticing my apprehensive expression, Grandma spoke in an understanding voice; "Don't look so disappointed, dear one! Just try them on. Today is a day to celebrate! It is the day that you become the same age as the young hero spoken of in all the legends." I sighed, still reluctant to make myself look like an idiot. Hoping to convince me, she said "You only have to wear them for one day, so don't look so down. Be Proud, child!" At this, I begrudgingly complied, and started to place the unsightly robes above my normal island clothes. As I slipped the forest green tunic over my head, Grandma continued to speak.

"In the olden days, this was the day boys were finally considered to be men. They were taught the ways of the sword to prepare them for battle with their enemies. But we don't live in such an age any longer... our ways are the ways of peace. Nowadays, I suppose Orca is the only one on the Island who knows anything about swordplay." I had pulled the white trousers over my pants, and had placed the leather boots over my feet; I now only had to fasten my belt and place the green hat upon my head.

"Hanging the family shield on the wall as decoration is another tradition carried down from those days." She finished her speech at the same time that I was carefully adjusting the flamboyant headwear to prevent it from falling off. Removing my hands from my head, I examined my now laughable attire, wishing for this day to be done as soon as possible.

"Does all this make sense to you?" she asked, although I didn't know what there was to not understand. I nodded anyway.

"Isn't that nice, Link? They sit you perfectly! A perfect fit!" Aside from being skin-tight, she was correct. The costume rested comfortably upon my body, and I had no problem moving about. Then she said something which cheered me up somewhat; "Well, tonight I'm going to invite the whole town over for your birthday party, so I'd better start getting ready, shouldn't I? Your grandma is going to make your favorite soup for you tonight! Mmmm!" My mood improved at the thought of my first meal in a day. "I Just know you're looking forward to it! Now, go get your sister, Aryll." I bowed and thanked her for the outfit, then went to retrieve my younger sibling.

I opened the door and stepped outside, immediately confirming my worries; these clothes were far too warm for this weather.

A/N: And so starts our adventure! Holy damn, this took a good three days to write, even when I stayed up extra late typing. However, If the chapters all remain around 5K words in length, then I hope to be able to update once a week. So, if all goes well, expect the next chapter to be up by April 14. Know, however, that though I reread and revise my stories several times throughout the writing process, I may have made a typo or a grammatical mistake here and there.

So, what do you guys think? Reading has always been my favorite pastime, and writing my own novel was something that I've wanted to do for a while now. I figured that I may as well start with a story that I love, from a game that defined my childhood.

And, just so you know, while there do exist other, very good novelizations of the story of the Wind Waker, none of them were really to my taste; they were all somewhat short, and didn't seem to have much descriptive writing. Furthermore, while other versions may have had very much original dialogue, I tried to stay as loyal to the story as possible in that sense, taking liberties wherever necessary; I couldn't have Link literally throwing the pig into Rose's sty, and I couldn't have Sturgeon be yelling "Press L right there and press A to talk to me!", now could I?

So, on a whim, I decided to write my own novelization, from the perspective of Link himself. I truly hope you enjoy this story; I put a lot of work into what I write, to try to make It the best story It could possibly be.

On a side note; I am writing this while watching ChuggaaConroy's excellent Let's Play of The Wind Waker on youtube; I highly recommend you take the time to watch it, it is well worth it, and If you do, you will have earned yourself quite a few laughs :D

Oh, and to Vixen Scribe of Odhinn; If you're reading this, know that I eagerly await the next update of Missing You. You rank among the best writers of Fanfiction I've ever seen. If the rest of you have never heard of her or read her story, then odds are you likely don't know about one of the best non-professional writers on the web. I suggest you do so as soon as possible, I guarantee you won't regret it! ^^

Reviews are appreciated!

Thanks for reading,

~Jetpak Clam

P.S. I've reread this chapter again, and improved it some more. I changed some of the dialogue, and separated my paragraphs more frequently. It should be easier to read now.