Zelda was in the Castle's library. She had been there for the past three hours, ever since she had come out of her room. She had been going through all the books and scrolls that she could find, and had found many references to the 'Sacred Triangle', or the 'Triforce', the 'Golden Triangle of the Goddesses', and so on; however, none of the books she had read so far had mentioned anything about 'triangles glowing in your hand'.
She felt this strange. She knew since she was a girl that the Royal Family had been trusted with the Triforce and held the Key to the Sacred Realm, but it had been ages since the dark days and now most people (except for the higher circles of Hyrule's royalty) thought those stories about the Hero of Time, and the ancient Sages, to be mere legends, bedtime stories for little kids, or a way for elders to remain interesting to younger generations.
The more she thought about the triangle in her hand (which had stopped glowing just a few minutes ago) she felt that her dream had actually meant something and was not a simple nightmare. She opened another tome of 'History of Hyrule' and began reading. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she dropped the book and she gasped while turning around.
"You should be rejoicing over the importance of this day, but instead you're locked up in the library" said her father, the King.
"Sorry, father" she said and rose to her feet with a bow.
"My dear Zelda" said the King lifting her face and cupping it with his hands. "You're no longer a little girl, and tonight we will present you as the Princess of Hyrule, now in role and not just title; however, you seem to be anxious and restless.
"I had a terrible dream, that's all… and I wanted some…" she thought about saying 'answers', but instead she said: "…distraction."
"Legends of old say that dreams are the way of the Gods to talk to us. That ancient Sages commune with us through our sleep" said the King with a smile. "Don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. If the gods sent you a dream, they will send you the answers you need. Now come, my child. There are guests waiting for you."
Zelda followed her father down the stairs, the line she had last read flashing across her mind:
"The Triforce parts are resonating... they are combining into one again..."
Mr. Regol handed Link a cup of fine Faron Chateau (a soft drink made out of Faron goat milk and honey). Link's hands were trembling, the golden triangle nowhere to be seen now. Mr. Regol sat across the table and took a sip from his own cup. Link had just finished telling him his vision, and Mr. Regol, who was actually one of the elders of the village, seemed to give it a great deal of importance.
"Then, time has finally come" he said.
"Time for what?" asked Link confused.
"Time… for the hero to appear."
Link kept staring at Mr. Regol. He kept his silence all the time, trying to read the expression in the old man's face. He was about to stand up when Mr. Regol spoke up again:
"Have you ever listened to the old legends, or ever wondered if they're true?"
"Do you mean all of those kid's bedtime stories about the Hero of Time and children embarking on long and dangerous adventures?" asked Link. "I've heard them, but they don't seem to be any way possible… I mean, what kind of parent would let their little kid go on a quest to save the world?"
"They're true, Link. They're so true that they are happening again. Link, I need you to come with me, I must show you something."
They rose and left the workshop. Mr. Regol took Link into the forest and walked in front of him in silence. Link kept looking around him all the time, and suddenly he noticed something strange: he hadn't seen any animals, not even a small bird or a squirrel; it was as if they had all disappeared. They kept walking deeper into the forest and then Mr. Regol stopped. Link stopped next to him and his eyes widened.
They were standing next to an old watchtower, vines covering almost its entire structure and its top rising above the level of the trees. Mr. Regol opened the door and motioned Link to enter.
"Is this safe?" he asked. The tower indeed looked so old that it could turn into rubble any time.
"I was here last night. I usually come here to relax, but there is something you must see" replied Mr. Regol.
They both entered the tower and climbed the circular stairs all the way to the top. When they got to the top, Link felt the soft breeze on his face. He smiled for a moment, as he noticed that he could see the edge of the forest from there and, if he forced his view enough, he could even see the top of Hyrule Castle's towers.
He was beginning to wonder what had Mr. Regol wanted him to see, when he noticed the answer by himself: all the way to the west, a dark cloud could be seen. Link looked at it for a few seconds, trying to find a way to explain its presence, but it was near noon, the sun still up in the sky, and it was still the middle of the harvest season, so there was no rainclouds in sight.
"That dark place is known as the Forsaken Wastelands or simply the Barrens" explained Mr. Regol. "It is said that it once housed the great tribe of the Gerudo, a race of thieves that dwelt in caves dug up into the rocky cliffs of the desert. Many ages ago, the King of Hyrule of the time declared that the Barrens were no longer part of the sacred land of Hyrule, and a wall was built on its edge, keeping everyone either in or out."
"What does it have to do with that dark cloud, or with me?" asked Link.
"The Gerudo had a leader, a King of Evil, one who wished to unite Hyrule and the Gerudos under his rule, his name was Ganondorf."
"Ganondorf? Isn't that the name of the evil king on every legend?" asked Link perplexed.
"It is said that Ganondorf was defeated, others say that he simply was locked in the void. One thing is for sure, Link: whenever Ganondorf approached, darkness covered the world."
"I don't understand" said Link.
Mr. Regol took Link's right hand, and the triangle appeared again.
"You have been called by the Gods, Link. You have been chosen. The spirit of the Hero has awakened in you and your destiny has been laid out in front of your eyes."
Link stared at his hand, doubting for a moment about all this. He had never given serious thought to the old Legends; he had always referred to them as 'bedtime stories' and mocked the idea of demons, beasts and haunted temples. He had been once to the old Forest Temple, where his people worshiped the spirits of the forest and had an altar to the Goddess Nayru, and he hadn't sensed it dangerous in any way.
"What should I do?" asked Link, surprising himself.
"You will go to the Castle. You will take my cart and bring the sword to the King. If you have been indeed chosen, the Gods will show you the way. Take Epona with you, she is a fine young horse and will be strong and fast enough for the road."
Link nodded and looked again at the darkness covering the Barrens.
It frightened him to embark on this quest, but he had a feeling that this was what he was meant to do.
Epona had been saddled and the cart was loaded with supplies and a large wooden crate with the sword forged by the smith for the tournament. Tara and her father were readying another cart, ready to depart as well, and they had decided to march along.
In Link's cart, there was another package, however. Mr. Regol had given it to him after he had returned from explaining his father his decision to go to the Castle, which he had taken surprisingly well ("somehow I knew this day would come" he had said while embracing Link). The package was a piece of cloth carefully draped around a sword and a medium-sized shield made by Mr. Regol ("you may need them both on the way, and the other shield is getting a bit small for you" had explain Mr. Regol).
Link got into his cart and took Epona's reins. He drove by Tara's father's cart, while they were both climbing into it.
"We're glad you decided to come with us" said Mr. Durian, Tara's father.
"Couldn't resist the spirit of adventure?" asked Tara playfully.
"Guilty!" Lied Link with a smile. "We should move on, festival begins at sundown and we must get there long before that."
The two carts began moving forward, their horses keeping a steady gallop all along. Tara and Link kept teasing each other and telling jokes they remembered since they had been little kids. Mr. Durian laughed hard at some of them and told some jokes of his own. When they came out of the forest, Link's face became grim at the sight of the dark cloud stirring in the west.
"What in the name of the Gods is that?" asked Mr. Durian.
"I don't know" replied Link, but it doesn't look good.
"Strange… well, we should keep moving" said Mr. Durian.
Link looked at the distance and saw Hyrule Castle's towers. It was still very far away from them, but he felt a sudden rush of courage, knowing that his fate lied ahead in that direction. He wasn't sure, but he suddenly thought that he heard a soft voice, like if the heavens were speaking to him, calling him: "Come forth, Link… come forth, oh Hero… thou shalt be our Hope… thy Time has now come…"
"Yes… we should" agreed Link, and both carts started to move forward again. All along, Link felt the back of his hand prickling.
Zelda was with her father in the Great Hall of Hyrule Castle. Many aristocrats from Castle Town and fine merchants from all over Hyrule had come to present the Princess with luxurious gifts: one had brought her a diadem made out of pure gold and with a beautiful polished sapphire on it; another had gifted her with a small silver flute (the Princess was famous for her beautiful melodies); one merchant had given her a fine dress made out of white silk and threaded with golden strings, crowned with a delicate tulle threaded with strings of silver ("for when you find a proper suitor" he had said with respect making Zelda blush).
The King was handing out invitations to the noble men that had come for tonight's festival, encouraging them to enter the tournament.
"We have requested for a notable smith for a great prize" he said to every one of them.
Zelda's hand kept itching. She knew that it was the triangle of light (she had seen it glow twice already), and she now knew that it was a piece of the legendary Triforce. What she didn't understand was why it was in her hand. She apologized to a couple of fair young girls that were talking to her, daughters of Kakariko Village's mayor, and she left the hall through a back-door into the gardens.
She sat on a bench and looked up at the sky. She saw a few birds soaring around one of the towers of the Castle and then she removed the glove. Indeed, the Triforce was shining in the back of her right hand, maybe brighter than ever. She touched it and it felt warm. Suddenly, she smiled; she realized that somehow she wasn't worried anymore about this.
The courtyard was then filled with a sudden light. Zelda rose to her feet and looked around. She realized that something about the place was different: it was as if every single structure was entirely made of silver. There was a beautiful shrine in front of her, with a fountain of crystalline water flowing in the middle of it.
The emblem of the Royal Family, made of finely polished gold, topped the fountain. She thought she could hear a whisper coming from it
She heard someone calling her, it was Viacka. She put on her glove again and stood up. As she walked towards her maid, she thought that maybe she would be able to endure the day.