Disclaimer: I not even surprised anymore by the lack of reviews. It's got me thinking that this story is a lost cause. I hope otherwise 'cause I don't want to have to delete it.

No ownership.


Chapter VI

As the mismatched pair entered the wide open space of the new room, the soothing sound of gentle church music continued at a slow and steady tone. The décor of the room was actually somewhat similar to the décor of Hyrule Castle; soft, elegant, and extravagant. White marble walls and pillars lined the length of the room while there was an enormous dark red carpet across the floor. Two sets of full length seats rest on said carpet side by side, leaving an aisle down the center between them. There was an altar resting just ahead of Zelda and Link, the former of whom slowly approached it from out of the passage. Link was busy gazing around the room and didn't have a chance to notice that Zelda had shed a tear when she saw the altar. There she placed her hands on the altar and fought away the tears that were slowly welling up in her eyes.

Eventually taking notice, Link asked, "You okay?"

"Yes," Zelda replied quickly, but the expression on her face betrayed her words. With a small, barely audible sigh, she continued with the truth, "No. This is the Temple of Time; this is where my mother was laid to rest when she passed away... years ago."

"I'm sorry." Link's tone was soft and genuine. He somewhat relate with the Princess, having to deal with not having parents to guide him when he was younger.

Wiping her face of thea tears, she tried to gathered herself. She never did like to cry in front of others and she especially didn't want to cry in front of Link. "It's alright. We should be safe here for the time being."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Link muttered as he gazed back at the tunnel they emerged from. Suddenly, the pair heard a door open in the distance, not sure where as the sound came from as it reverberated off the church walls. Zelda immediately crouched down behind the altar while Link slipped down behind one of the seats, both of them having a nervous pounding in their chests.

A deep, slightly raspy voiced called out, "Who's there?"

An elderly looking man came into the hall having a large stick in hand as he walked across the floor. His robes were partly shredded, but ran down to the floor where it dragged along, clinging to the ground. His grayish-white beard covered his entire jaw while his equally grayish hair ran down from the ugly hat he wore. After taking his time walking slowly and briskly into the big room, the old man gazed around for whomever it was that had invaded the Temple of Time. In defense of his wellbeing, he brought up if walking stick and held it out front. If the intruder was some random bandit, he'd whack repeated until he, she or even they ran away.

"I know you're in here, hiding in this hallowed space," he said. "Show yourself so I can throw you out on your behind."

Link glanced over at Zelda from his hiding spot behind the front-most seat. She was also glancing back at Link from behind the altar. Both of them shrugged, not too sure as to how to respond to the old man. Obviously, ignoring him wasn't much of an option; he already knew they were there and there was no way to try to sneak away. Link then noticed Zelda waving him off. She was clearly trying to urge him to reveal himself, while he was trying to wave her into doing the same. Link practically had used his own form of sign language to ask if she was out of her mind. Ignoring him, she again attempted to urge Link to reveal himself. As they continued to silently bicker back and forth, the Old Man slammed the point of his walking still to the floor, the loud thump echoed through the room.

"I said show yourself," he bellowed, causing Link to cringe; he could tell that the elderly man ment business despite his feeble age. Zelda smiled, waving at Link almost mockingly. With an annoyed sigh, Link stood up to reveal himself. The old man seemed nonplused. "Oh, it's you."

"Nice to see you too, Old Man." Link quipped.

The Old Man, whose name Link couldn't even spell, much less pronounce, slowly inched his way to the boy while huffing along the way. "You being here in this holy place hardly surprises me nowadays knowing the sort of trouble you conjure up on a regular basis. Where's your little redheaded friend?"

Link felt a sudden pang of guilt when Malon was brought up. He was worried about her, hoping that Impa was able to save her before the goblins got to her. "Um, well she's… um…"

"HEY," the Old Man shouted passed Link. "I know you're there hiding that altar. Show yourself."

There was a moment of sudden dread for Link and Zelda, who was still hidden behind the altar. She was hoping to the heavens that this Old Man to whom Link was speaking wasn't one of Ganondorf's lackey's; though she thought the man sounded entirely too senile for that particular notion to be considered. Despite that, she was scared of what danger this man potentially could pose, so she tightly grabbed her bow, readying it without grasping for an arrow. Taking a deep breath, she stood up slowly from behind the altar. Much to her surprise, the man didn't seem to be an immediate threat. No sword, no shield... he seemed to be just as he appeared to be; an old man.

As she stare at him, the Old Man cocked his head to the side, curiously studying the girl as well. She clearly wasn't Link's friend; this one's long hair and facial structure was so different than the other. She seemed much more mature than Link's redheaded friend; regal even. Yet, somehow, there was something strangely familiar about her, as if he'd seen her somewhere before… and then it hit him. His wrinkly eyes widened once he realized who this girl was.

"You… you are the one and only Princess of Hyrule…" his voice clearly portrayed his bafflement. "…the daughter of Kind Daphnes and Queen Vera, the heir to the throne and…" he stopped and thought and then spun around to face Link, who threw his hands up in defense. He knew that it looked bad for him. "Link, you young fool! What did you do? What madness did you cause in kidnapping the Princess? Are you out of you bloody mind?!"

"I swear to the heavens that this isn't what it looks like, Old Man." Link quickly defended.

"You're in a holy place here, boy. Watch your tone," the Old Man spat. "Now, I suggest you starting speaking the truth lest I summon the Royal Guards."

"No wait," Zelda rushed over to Link's aid, which surprised both him and the Old Man. "Please, my companion does in fact speak the truth. My castle, my home has been taken by the Gerudo chief, Ganondorf, and my father, slain."

The Old Man took a few moments to process the words of the Princess. "Ganondorf, you say? King Daphnes slain? Bah," the Old Man stomped around the room, banging the tip of his stick on the floor. "The words alone don't fit together. The King is dead; long live the King… and Queen…" he added. "…in the hearts and minds of the people of the Hyrule."

"Please, if there's any way possible for you to help me reclaim my home, then you must tell me how," Zelda pleaded, hoping that he could aid her. "The future of Hyrule hangs in the balance."

"I very much doubt an old fart like myself can do much against someone the caliber of the Gerudo chief. Unless…"

The Old Man fell completely silent, as if he fallen into deep thought; or just went completely stiff, neither Zelda nor Link knew for sure. It turned out to be the former once the Old Man started tapping his walking stick on the floor. That usually meant, in his mind anyway, that he was thinking. The pair exchanged slow glances that were mix of confusion, frustration, and exhaustion while they waited for the Old Man to speak again. To their impatient dismay, the Old Man simply walked around, tapping his stick on the floor as he went while apparently muttering lowly to himself. He paused and looked as though he was about to speak. The two were eager to listen, unconsciously leaning slightly closer. Then he went back to thinking, much to the annoyance of the pair.

"Of course," he finally said, turning to Zelda. "Princess, may I see your hand for a moment?"

"My hand?" Zelda asked with slight curiosity. She looked over at Link who smiled and humorously waved her off. She rolled her eyes as she held out her hand.

Taking her hand, the Old Man studied it closely, finding the light outline of three triangles. "Ah ha," he said. "It's exactly as I thought it would be. These outlines match that of the Triforce."

"I'm sorry; the what?" Link asked.

"The Triforce, boy; the mythical relic left behind by the Golden Goddesses at the dawn of Hyrule's creation," the Old Man stated. "Don't you read your history?"

"I'm usually too busy running from the guards." He chuckled with some amusement and pride, failing to see that Zelda had rolled her eyes.

"Bah, I have to explain everything to you. The story of the creation of Hyrule is as old as Hyrule itself…"


((In the beginning, the realm we call home was nothing more than a barren, chaotic and lifeless world. That changed when the Golden Goddesses appeared from the heavens and went about spreading their gifts across the realm. Din was the first to spread her gift by giving the realm its physical form creating the mountains and the trees, the oceans and the high plains. Nayru would spread her gift of law and order that would serve to govern the realm. Finally, Farore created the flora and fauna and the races that would inhabit the realm. The realm of Hyrule was created by the Golden Goddesses and has existed ever since.

Once the deed was done, the Goddesses returned to the heavens. They each left behind a portion of their gifts in the form of three triangles. Separately, the triangles represented the three virtues of Power, Wisdom and Courage. Together, they formed the relic that would become forever known as the Triforce. The legend goes that whoever was to acquire the Triforce would have their one wish, their one greatest desire, granted.

There was a chance; the individual who acquired the Triforce had to pure of heart with a balance of the three virtues. If that individual were to be, let's say, power-hungry or weak-willed, then the Triforce would splinter into its three separate triangles. One of the triangles would remain with the individual who believes most in one of the three virtues, while the other two would seek out those chosen by destiny.))


"I assume that Ganondorf had found the Triforce long ago," the Old Man continued while still holding Zelda's hand. "Because he wasn't pure of heart, the Triforce splintered into its three pieces and he kept one. In this case, Ganondorf attained only the Crest of Power."

"That's really interesting, but what's that have to do with us?" Link asked.

"Princess Zelda here was one of the three chosen by destiny to bear one of the Crests; in this case, the Crest of Wisdom," the Old Man explained. "If I were a betting sort, which of course I clearly am not, the Crest of Courage lies…" the Old Man then pointed his bony finger at Link, "…with you, boy."

Link shouted, his eyes dilated in stunned disbelief, "Me?!"

At the same time, Zelda shouted with equal disbelief, "Him?!"

"Whoa, wait a minute; I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and probably for the wrong reasons," Link defended. "I mean, do I really look like some kind of chosen one?"

"I agree; there must some sort of mistake. Look at him," Zelda waved her hand to Link, not able to believe the insanity that the Old Man spoke. "He's a mess from off the streets of the Royal City for Heaven's sake! He hasn't had a sword in his hand for more than a couple hours!"

"You know I can hear you, right?"

"As messy a street urchin he may be," the Old Man yanked Link's hand out, revealing the same triangle outline that was found on Zelda. "This here makes all the difference. The two of you have been chosen by destiny to quell the great evil that even now is spreading across the realm. Come with me."

The Old Man lumbered off to the farthest corner of the room, leaving the two to exchange very wary glances. It was painfully obvious that they didn't like each other for various reasons, but if what the Old Man told them was true, then they were the only ones who could stop Ganondorf. That was assuming they didn't try to kill each other first. With a pair of pained sighs, they followed the Old Man to the corner and it was there that he turned a knob. A door opened leading into a smaller enclosed room.

The room wasn't much to look at in terms of décor. It was dimly lit with only a single ceiling light. Several book shelved lined the walls, dusty and clearly old. A large map rest on the wall farthest from the door that showed a map of Hyrule, including the plain and the various corners of the realm. Zelda took a particular interest in the map as she recognized places such as Death Mountain, Hylia Lake and Kokiri Forest. There were also the regions of the Lost Woods and Gerudo Valley, two places Zelda preferred to avoid; though she couldn't say the same for Link.

At the moment, he was sharing at a large shield, diamond-shaped and made of iron, that rested on the wall. While the edge was silver all around, most of the shield was blue with red designs around it. At the very center of the shield was image of the Triforce. That design was colored gold, all three triangles seeming to shimmer in the dim light. Link couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen the shield somewhere before, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Snapping the tw from their distractions, the Old Man popped out of another room while dragging a chest out loudly behind him.

"As it turns out, I've been expecting something like this to happen since the passing of Queen Vera, hence the reason that the Sheikah entrusted me with this chest," he explained while dropping the chest to the floor. "I'm too old for this. Well…"

"Well what?" Link's face had confusion written all over it.

"What're you waiting for," the Old Man snapped. "Open the chest."

Why am I doing all the work? Link thought annoyed as he opened the chest. He pulled a forest green tunic and cap, a white full body suit and a set of brown leather gloves and boots. Link's response was, "It's… green."

"In the ancient Hylian dialect, it's said that the color green is a representation of courage," the Old Man stated. "Princess Zelda, this is yours, passed down through the years from the Sheikah clan."

Zelda received a form fitting unitard. The arms and leggings were solid blue and the chest area was silver with a design of a red eye on the center, which Zelda recognized as the symbol of the Sheikah. "Hey, how come her outfit looks better than mine?" Link asked.

"Perhaps it's because you're not royalty," Zelda returned wittily with a subtle smirk on her lips. Ignoring Link, who was sticking his tongue out at her, she said to the Old Man, "This clothing is quite unique, but it can't possibly be enough to stop Ganondorf."

"That clothing and weapons you both carry will only protect you harm. Ganondorf will send every minion he has after the both of you," the Old Man told them. "The only way either of you will have a chance to defeat him is to find the weapon that is the blade of evil's bane. You need to recover the Master Sword."

"What's so special about this Master Sword?" Link asked.

"The legend goes that the Master Sword was forged at the behest of the Golden Goddesses to prevent the Triforce from falling into the wrong hands," Zelda explained. "It's said that the Sword has the power to repel evil and to keep them from using the sword."

"And, you know where this Sword is, right, Old Man?"

"Nope," the Old Man casually replied, much to Link and Zelda's chagrin. "Although, it's rumored that three jewels are scattered across Hyrule and when these jewels are put together, they can pinpoint the exact location of the Master Sword."

"I can only assume that you don't know the locations precisely of these jewels." Zelda said with a frown.

"Unfortunately, no, I don't. But you could try searching for one of them in Kokiri Forest, south of the Great Plains that stretch across Hyrule," said the Old Man before he reached into the chest and pulled out a smaller replica of the big map and a compass. "Take these. They should be a useful guide for you on your journey."


Link and Zelda spent the next few minutes getting into the clothing that the Old Man provided them. They did get dressed while out of sight of the other since the last thing they wanted was to see each other not clothed. Link emerged from out of the closet, a little bit annoyed that he was made to dress in such a dark, enclosed space. He felt like a fool when he came out wearing the white full body suit and the green tunic and the gloves and boots. He had the cap in his hand as he'd yet to put it on. The sword Impa had given him during the escape from the castle was kept in an over-the-shoulder sheath on his back.

"I look ridiculous," he scoffed as he looked himself over. "I feel ridiculous."

"That's putting it mildly." Zelda quipped.

She appeared wearing the Sheikah-inspired unitard. Her hair was tied behind her in a tail while she wore a wrap cap on her head and a scarf around her neck. Whether that was for added mystique or protection, Link wasn't exactly sure, but he didn't really care enough to ask. The unitard was formfitting, that much he did notice. Zelda noticed Link eyeing her and glared at him, in which he quickly averted his gaze. He couldn't help but smile to himself. Ignoring him, Zelda grabbed her bow and slung it over her shoulder before pushing passed Link out of the room. The Old Man walked up to Link and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She's a stubborn one, the Princess; headstrong and proud, just like her mother," he stated. "It's your responsibility to keep her safe, boy."

"Keep her safe? I'm pretty sure she can take care of herself," Link scoffed, remembering how she almost took his eye out in the tunnel. "Besides, she doesn't like me nor do I like her."

"Be that as it may, Zelda can't challenge Ganondorf on her own," the Old Man explained. "You need to protect her, because if Ganondorf succeeds in capturing her, he'll be one step closer to the Triforce and all you know will be destroyed."

"But I'm not a hero. I shouldn't even be involved in any of this." Link said.

"Yet, here you are. Sometimes, things happen for a reason," the Old Man walked over to the wall on which the shield hung and took it down, handing it to Link. "It's dangerous out there. Take this; it might come in handy."

Link took the shield, albeit reluctantly, and held him in his left hand for a few moments at a time. He expected it to be heavy, maybe even drop it to the floor, but, much to his surprise, it was actually lightweight even though it was made almost entirely of iron. Link swung the shield around. It offered almost no drag or weight. Strangely, Link then drew the sword and held it steady in his right hand. He felt different, as if he was someone else entirely, but once he put the sword and the shield away, he just felt again like… Link.

Zelda reappeared from outside the room, completely ignoring the look on Link's face. "Are you coming or not?"

Link didn't respond, but the Old Man did. "Follow me," he said. "I can get you both out of the city undetected. After that," he paused to let Link and Zelda think about it. "The fate of Hyrule rests in the hands of the both of you."


Author's note: Like I said, I'm not surprised by the lack of reviews and I really don't want to cut this one loose.

That said; there was mainly a lot of talking in this chapter until the end. Link in particular received his iconic green tunic and the Hylian shield. Also, Link is right-handed in this story. Zelda received the Sheikah outfit from Ocarina of Time but retains the bow.

Other than that, not much out of this chapter so send a review to keep this story alive.