Chapter 2: Sleep
It was a place that was like a dream itself. If anything within it could be clearly defined, it would be what appeared to be blue, iridescent water flowing down its wall-like sides. In the center of this fabled space, surrounded by other smaller platforms, was a special platform, where the seals of the seven sages of legend encircled the mark of the sacred Triforce.
This place, a place untouched by man, was only known as the Chamber of Sages, the only place within the Sacred Realm, the resting place of the Triforce, that was left intact after Ganondorf got his hands on the ancient relic of Hyrule. This was not by mere chance however; the chamber had been spared for one reason and one reason alone: to contain the spirit of the hero destined to rescue Hyrule for Ganondorf's dark rule.
The hero, locked in a state of slumber, had remained in a dreamless sleep for seven years. Not that he had known it, nor of the destruction and desolation that had revenged upon the land in his absence.
The hero, known as Link, had entered this place by what could be assumed as an unfortunate accident but fate certainly had its hand on both him and the land of Hyrule on that fateful day seven years ago. After collecting the three Spiritual Stones, the keys to entering the secret realm, Link had witnessed Ganondorf's takeover and resolved to make sure the Triforce did not fall into his hands. Collaborating with Hyrule's young princess, Zelda, Link raced to the Temple of Time, where the Door of Time was located and played a special song on the treasure of the royal family, the Ocarina of Time, which opened the door to the sacred realm. Beyond the Door of Time, laid the powerful Master Sword, a weapon so powerful, as Link had heard, that it was the very sword of evil's bane.
At the time, Link had been but a young child, who had spent his entire life in Kokiri Forest, living his entire life as one of the forest children, the Kokiri, who never grow up. Collecting the three Spiritual Stones alone had been quite a task for the child, bestowed upon him by the Great Deku Tree, and he had gladly accepted. He had always known he had been set apart from his fellow Kokiri, and his destiny had been made clear at that moment. Or so he had thought…
However when Link pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, instead of giving it the power to defeat Ganondorf and rescue Hyrule, it sealed his spirit away in the Sacred Realm, making him powerless to stop the Guredo King as he entered the realm and stole the Triforce for himself.
Oblivious to him, those seven years passed by slowly yet surely. And Hyrule, the peaceful land he had explored and came to know only a few days before he fell into slumber, had greatly changed. But that wasn't the only thing that had changed…
On that day, Hyrule's salvation would finally be awakened…
Though normally an uneventful and peaceful place, the Chamber of Sages suddenly began to shake violently. And, all once, it stopped. A bright light flashed and two figures appeared on the platform of the Sages. One was the Sage of Light, Rauru, who had been the sole protector of the Chamber of Sages, even as Ganondorf invaded the Sacred Realm. The other, was the young hero himself, although not as he remembered himself.
Link could hear his name being called as he lay in the center of the platform. As he could suddenly feel a sense of being once again, he opened his eyes slowly.
"Link," Rauru called out to him softly. Link wiped the heavy sleep from his eyes and gave a small yawn taking in his surreal surroundings. The only familiar thing in this place was his guardian fairy, Navi. His wandering eyes stopped when he came to the Sage of Light.
"Who are you? Where am I?" He asked in a deep voice that surprised himself.
"I am Rauru, the Sage of Light and you, Link, are in the Chamber of Sages located within the Sacred Realm," the elderly Sage said.
"What?" Link said, rising to his feet, his mind still hazy with drowsiness. "How did that happen? The last thing I remember is coming into the Temple of Time and pulling out the Master Sword. How did I get here?"
"I know you must be confused," Rauru said patiently. "Allow me to explain. Ages ago, we ancient sages built the Temple of Time as a safeguard for the entrance to the Sacred Realm. The Chamber of Sages, where we are now, is in the Temple of Light, located in the heart of the Sacred Realm. It is the last place untouched by Ganondorf's evil in the Sacred Realm. The Master Sword, the evil destroying sword you pulled out of the Pedestal of Time, was the final key to entering the Sacred Realm."
"Then that means…" Link came to the awful realization of what had happened. By pulling the Master Sword from the pedestal, he had allowed Ganondorf access to the Sacred Realm, the very thing he and Princess Zelda had tried to prevent.
"Do not be alarmed, Link," Rauru said consolingly. "Look at yourself!"
"What?" Link looked down at himself and gasped in shock. Instead of being the stocky child he had been when he pulled the Master Sword, he was now a tall and dashing young man. The hero was speechless at this change.
"Wow Link!" Navi proclaimed in her usual high pitched tone. "You're big now! You've grown up!"
"Yes," Link said, still in utter disbelief. "But how?"
"The Master Sword is a sacred blade which those with evil hearts may never touch," Rauru intervened. "Only the one worthy of being the 'Hero of Time' can pull it from its pedestal."
"Wait, so that means, I'm the Hero of Time?" Link asked.
"When you pulled the sword, you were too young to be the Hero of Time," Rauru said. "Therefore your spirit was sealed away here for the past seven years, in a state of slumber of sorts. However, now that you are old enough, you can finally awaken as the long-awaited Hero of Time!"
"Seven years?" Link said to himself. All of this news was almost too much for him to take at once. Things were happening too fast for his liking. If seven years had truly past, what else aside from his body had changed? At the same time though, Link knew what he had to do. It had been him who had caused all of this and it would be him who would end it.
"Well," Rauru said after giving Link some time to let all of this soak in. "Do you understand your destiny, Hero of Time?"
Link simply nodded pulling the Master Sword from its stealth. If it was his destiny to defeat Ganondorf, he would fully accept it. Especially now that he was old enough and strong enough to fight him.
"Very good," Rauru said. "But remember, though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace, the evil Guredo King of thieves, Ganondorf, used it to enter the Sacred Realm. He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light, and using its great power, he became the King of Evil… His dark power radiated from the Temple in Hyrule and in seven short years, Hyrule turned from the peaceful and beautiful land it once was to a world of monsters. My power, even now, has very little influence to change this, even here. Yet hope still shines. The power of the five other sages remains. When their power is awakened, the sages seals will contain enough power to contain all of the evil power within this realm. I, Rauru, am one of these sages. Your power to fight together with the sages is what makes you the Hero of Time! The Hero of Time, chosen to liberate Hyrule by the Master Sword! Link… please keep my spirit with you and find the power of the other sages and add their might to your own! Take this," Rauru held out a golden medallion to Link. "It's the Light Medallion, the signification that my power is now added unto your own."
Link took the medallion into his hand, and instantly his strength increased. "I will do everything I can to free Hyrule from Ganondorf's power."
"Thank you, Hero of Time," Rauru nodded. "One final thing. I'm about to send you back to the Temple of Time, so that you can find the other sages. When you first arrive there should be someone waiting there for you to tell you what to do first. Hear this messenger's words and do what they tell you for I'm the one who has sent them to you. Now Link, find the other sages and save Hyrule. You're its last hope!"
Suddenly, Link was blinded by a bright light all around him. And just like that, the Hero of Time returned to the realm of Hyrule, ready to take on his new quest.
