He felt as if he was wide awake. But that couldn't be, because he was most definitely still dreaming. Well, at least he thought he was, given the fact that he was floating through an infinite abyss of ominous darkness. Link could feel it in his blood. Something bad was going to happen. A vision, no doubt, just like a year ago, of a profound evil needing to be stopped.

In a distance, there was shimmer of golden light in the shape of a triangle. A piece of the Triforce. Weird, Link remembered thinking, Why am I seeing visions of a Triforce piece?

In the corner of his eye, Link caught flickers of frigid blue and fervent red which, like mist, enveloped the piece of the Triforce until it was completely obscured from his vision. A panic unlike any panic he had felt before struck into Link's heart. The only thing he could remember thinking was, this is not good. This is not good at all.

Then, he woke up.

o/o/o

Link opened his heavy-lidded eyes to the dull light of the early morning. It was quiet, almost too quiet. He could hear his heartbeat pounding against his breast, and while he didn't necessarily feel panicked, he was overcome with a certain sense of distress that made his sweat grow cold.

That was such a strange vision, Link thought, What did it even mean?

Nothing good, that much was clear.

Link's eyes flitted over to the back of his own left hand. Faintly, the shape of the Triforce gleamed. That, too, wasn't good.

The Triforce of Power.

Last Link remembered, it was sealed away in the Sacred Realm. Reason being that after the events of one year ago, Princess Zelda made the choice to keep the Triforce split into three pieces. One under the guardianship of Zelda, one with himself, and the last one kept away in the Sacred Realm, guarded by the Seven Sages. That made it nearly impossible for it to fall into the wrong hands.

It worked so far, Link supposed, but he doubted there would be anymore need to guard the Triforce and keep it split considering most evil had been vanquished a year ago.

Or so he thought.

"Irene would know what to do," Link said, flinging the covers over his legs. "Irene always knows what to do."

Link stumbled out of bed, still partly asleep, and made his way out of his room. He could hear distant voices coming from the living room, so he directed his sleepy feet towards said voices. It became more obvious the nearer he got to the living room that there were in fact, three voices. One was Irene's, one was Yuga's, but the third...

It sounded smug and smooth, and Link only know one person with such a distinct voice. Osfala.

With no grace, Link stumbled into the living room. Immediately, the voices shut up and turned to him. Link straightened, observing the three eyes staring back at him.

"Oh, sheesh, Greenie." Irene said, smiling with a worried look on her face. "Still sleeping?"

Link tittered. "You can tell?"

"Ahem."

Link's eyes turned to the offending cough, and sure enough, there sat Osfala. His beautiful emerald eyes were as calculating as ever and Link could feel his scrutinizing glare judging him.

"Good morning- well, it's more the afternoon now, isn't it?"

"No need to be rude about it," Link said, "It's good to see you, too, Osfala."

Osfala humphed. "Yeah, yeah, enough with the pleasantries, Hero. We have more important things to discuss."

Irene fell quiet, Yuga remained so. Osfala looked irritated, but Link could tell a certain fear hid behind his frontward facade.

Link frowned. It was then that is occurred to him that Osfala was there, for seemingly no reason. Link assumed Osfala wouldn't be the one to recklessly leave Hyrule for the sake of it—only if he was trying to prove something, like how supposedly strong he was. And yet, here he was. And that made Link uneasy.

"What are you doing here, Osfala?"

Osfala's eyes flitted to him, and he snapped, "I already told you. We're in a dire situation, in dire need of help. How can you be so ignorant? Don't you get the visions, too?"

Link could feel Yuga's eyes on him.

"I mean, yeah," Link said. He swallowed nervously. "This has something to do with that?"

Osfala nodded. "Then you know that I'm here because something happened to the Triforce of Power."

"Wait, so- so the vision meant something?"

Osfala nodded again. Link felt panic leap into his throat.

"What happened to it?" Link asked. "I mean- I saw the vision, but it was- it was very vague. What I saw didn't make sense, it-"

"It was stolen."

Link looked to Yuga. Yuga looked pale, almost like a ghost.

"What?" Link gasped. "Stolen? The Triforce of Power?"

Yuga looked hesitant, but he nodded. Link's stomach sunk.

"But- how is- what- that's not...possible." Link stuttered.

"Or so we all thought," Osfala muttered.

"But the Sages! Zelda! They're supposed to keep it safe. Only they can open the Sacred Realm, right? Only they know how to get it. How- how was it stolen?"

"No one really knows," Irene said, "But it wasn't by one of us. Not me nor Osfala, anyway. And the other Sages would not have a reason to take it, either."

"There is one loophole to the Sacred Realm," Yuga said.

"Our defenses are impenetrable, blackguard," Osfala hissed.

Yuga's eyes sharpened, full of fire. "But obviously not, prig."

"Yuga, Osfala, please. This has been going on all morning." Irene sounded exasperated.

"The point is, the Sacred Realm has a glaring flaw," Yuga said, his voice a growl. "True, the Sages may have safeguarded it with their lives, but none of you, none of you, factored the possibility that the Sacred Realm is also accessible to anyone and anything that's sacred."

"Well, why don't you guard the Sacred Realm, if you know so much!" Osfala raged, throwing his hands in the air.

"For the last time, I am not attacking you, Osfala!" Yuga said, equally as angry, "I am just pointing out a weakness that you all did not take into account, so don't you dare start blaming me for your faults!"

"You know what? You're really something, Yuga. Our world is in danger and all you can think about is blaming someone. That doesn't change anything! The Triforce is still gone and every single one of us is in danger if we don't find it!" Osfala said.

"Why, you-"

"Guys!" Irene shouted. "Please stop this senseless arguing! We get it—you two hate each other! Can we please just get on with what we're going to do about it?"

"I honestly can't fathom why you insist on keeping him around." Osfala muttered. "But, yes, you're right. We should."

Yuga sunk into his seat, seething. Link followed his urge to put a reassuring hand on Yuga's shoulder, and while Yuga did not spare him a glance, Link could feel the tension loosen.

"Okay." Irene let out a breath. She looked hesitant with her next words. "I have a theory on who could've stolen it."

Yuga squirmed in his seat, as if he knew what Irene was about to say. Link could almost guess it, too.

"Who?" Osfala questioned.

"Twinrova."

Osfala's nose crinkled and his brow creased, and he threw his head back, guffawing so outrageously, it was clear that it was meant to be sarcastic.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Osfala laughed. "Twinrova has been sealed away for centuries. There's no way-"

"Maybe if you let me explain, it could begin to make sense," Irene said in a leveled tone, but the edge of her stare knew no mercy.

Osfala's mouth clicked shut.

"I theorize that Twinrova was actually sealed away here in Lorule. True, there is no solid proof of this, but I did find many strange things that could support my theory. In Lorule's library, I found a diary belonging to a priestess, written in Gerudan. And you might recall that Lorule has no history of any Gerudan tribes."

"And how, exactly, does this connect to the Triforce situation we have now?"

"I was getting to that. The rift that connects Hyrule to Lorule- for a deity like Twinrova, it would be a perfect way to escape Lorule and wreak havoc in Hyrule. By wreak havoc, of course I mean by opening the Sacred Realm and taking the Triforce of Power."

"But then why? What is it all for?"

"To revive Ganon," Irene said simply.

Osfala stayed quiet for a minute. "Why had Lorule not yet fall to Twinrova's havoc, if they have been sealed away here, then?"

"Lorule...has," Irene said. Her eyes turned to Yuga briefly. "There was another thing in that journal that concerned me. Twinrova...opened the Sacred Realm and tried to steal the Triforce away. But they were caught before they could escape and that was why the Triforce was destroyed in the first place. Of course, this only works if Twinrova was, in fact, the owner of the priestess' journal."

"You didn't think of mentioning this earlier?" Yuga growled.

"...I'm sorry."

Yuga adverted his eyes with a huff. "That is concerning."

Link didn't know what to think about the whole situation, really. There were still so many unanswered questions, so many mysteries to solve about this whole thing that was basically just a theory.

But, something wasn't right. Link felt as if he was looking for a puzzle piece, something to complete an image. Something kept drawing Link back to his dream. It sparked a memory of something which was told to him a long time ago: Yuga's dream.

Yuga had told him about seeing the Triforce in a dream and placing his hands on it—whether he had acquired a piece of it was still a mystery, but Link was sure that he had, unintentionally. And Yuga said he knew he was doing it for a reason. A reason not yet understood.

Link compared it to his own dream. Twinrova, wrapping themselves around the Triforce of Power and stealing it away. Twinrova had opened the Sacred Realm with their power to take it.

A question then dawned on Link. How had Yuga acquired a piece of the Triforce, if Lorule's Sacred Realm hadn't been opened?

It...had. That was the only logical response. But Yuga couldn't have opened it. Rationally, the only thing able to enter the Sacred Realm were those chosen by the legend and the sages. If Twinrova was a sage in the past, they could've been the one to open the way to the Sacred Realm after the Triforce was restored. And that could only mean that Yuga was...protecting the Triforce from being stolen by splitting it into three and keeping one piece to himself. And shortly after, Ravio and Hilda started getting the visions.

In Link's mind, only one question remained: How did Yuga enter the Sacred Realm and why did he acquire a piece of the Triforce?

Yuga didn't make sense, but everything else did.

"Hey, Greenie, you're looking a little pale there. You okay?"

Link blinked. "Yeah. It just occurred to me...I think I understand it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think I know the truth. Most of it, at least," Link said, "Some things just...connected inside my head. I-I might be wrong, but with the progression of these events..."

"Care to explain?" Osfala grumbled, waving his hand in the air.

"Yuga, do you remember your dream? The one you had in your coma?"

Yuga shifted. "I do."

"You said you touched the Triforce and it split into three. Three pieces, which, I am sure you have acquired one."

"But I am not sacred, I wouldn't be able to without- without some sort of help from a deity," Yuga explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Isn't that how this works?"

"He does have a point, Link. The last time he had a piece of the Triforce, he had the help of Ganon," Irene said.

"So, I don't know," Link said, exasperated, "I don't know why Yuga is part of this picture, but he is. In fact, I am willing to say that it all started with him and I don't know why. But it's the truth. He does have a piece of the Triforce, because he was protecting it from falling into Twinrova's hands!"

Irene fell silent for a moment. "That's a lot to unpack."

"And how, exactly, did you come up with this outrageous idea?" Osfala asked.

"Because it makes sense. Look—Irene literally just said that Twinrova attempted to steal Lorule's Triforce once before, after which it was destroyed. Then, after all of these years, Twinrova opened Lorule's Sacred Realm again after the Triforce was restored. They attempt to steal it again, but Yuga somehow, somehow, got to it first and split it into three in order to protect it from them. Ravio and Hilda acquire the other two pieces. Then, the rifts from Hyrule to Lorule come back. And so, Twinrova used the opportunity to enter Hyrule's Sacred Realm to get the Triforce of Power."

There was a moment of silence. Osfala looked like he was about to retort, but even he was lost in thought.

"Okay," Irene started carefully, "Everything makes sense. Execpt for one thing. Why would you assume...Yuga...has a part to play in all of this?"

"I saw the mark of the Triforce on the back of his hand," Link said.

"A trick of the light, perhaps?" Osfala offered.

Link shook his head. "It couldn't have been. I know what I saw." Link glanced to Yuga, whose gaze was fixated on his own hand. "And not only that, but he'd- he'd have these...episodes...from time to time."

"What sort of episodes?"

"As if he was possessed by- well, I don't know. An evil entity," Link said, "Ganon, maybe?"

"But he was sealed away," Yuga said.

"With this turn of events, can anybody be sure?" Osfala snapped, "Perhaps you were faking it this entire time! You're still Ganon, aren't you? You plan to doom us all!"

"Osfala!" Irene exclaimed.

"That's not true! Do you think I would purposefully sabotage everything Lorule has sacrificed?" Yuga growled. "I would never."

"So, how do you explain these so-called 'episodes?'" Osfala asked. "If you hadn't unleashed Ganon a year ago, none of this would've happened!"

"That's enough!" Irene screamed. She pointed to Osfala. "You! You're not helping! Just because things went wrong doesn't mean it's Yuga's fault. Okay, true, he was the villain a year ago, but it's time you moved passed that! Yuga, Lorule, heck, even our home world of Hyrule, is in trouble! Right now, working together is our best shot at putting an end to this chaos. Understand?"

Osfala shrunk in himself, a rare look of embarrassment finally overcoming his features.

"We need to figure out more about Twinrova and more about Yuga," Irene said, "Is there a way to know for sure if Yuga has a piece of the Triforce, Link?"

"Um, yeah, actually," Link said, "The pieces of the Triforce resonate in close proximity."

"Wait- so- Yuga!" Irene turned to him.

Yuga shuffled in his seat. "Yes?"

"Did you speak to Hilda before we left?"

"I did."

"So, she told you about- about what happened?" Irene asked.

"Well, I mean- what exactly are you referring to?" Yuga asked.

"About the- the sword? And the Triforce of Courage?"

Yuga brought a hand to his chin. "Ah, you mean, when she requested Link for his assistance on an errand outside of the castle without providing any knowledge to me? Yes, I have been informed."

"So, she was awake?"

"Indeed she was. She was at her study, working diligently to uncover the true legends of ancient Lorule." Yuga tilted his head. "As a matter of fact, she was the one who encouraged me to leave Lorule and to come here."

"Wait, she- she did? How come?"

"The monarch of Annyrbal is very knowledgeable," Yuga explained, "A psychic. Her Grace was hoping perhaps we could find a clue there."

"I see," Irene muttered.

"So, when went to see her, was Ravio there?" Link asked.

"No, he was absent. Knowing him, he was either still asleep or fetching something for Her Grace. I left before he could return," Yuga said. Upon noticing all three in front of him deflate, Yuga raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you assumed that if Ravio, Hilda, and I were in the same room, with the three pieces of the Triforce, they would resonate? And then we would've know for sure?"

Link nodded.

"Well, then, what are we still doing here?" Osfala exclaimed, "We must hurry back to Lorule at once!"

"Actually," Irene cut in, "We still have to visit the White Tower while we're here."

"Honestly, Irene, this is the worst time to indulge in your fantasies of tourism!" Osfala said.

"No." Irene shook her head. "I meant to meet the monarch. If this monarch is, in fact, a psychic, we could get valuable information. Either on the Triforce or Twinrova."

"Oh," Osfala said, "Right, yes, of course."

Yuga, who had been quiet for moment, inhaled suddenly and turned his head to Link. "Link? Could you join me for a walk? I need to talk to you about something."

Link did not miss the subtle urgency in Yuga's voice. "Huh? Oh, uh, alright."

Osfala cleared his throat. "Time is of the essence, you know! I wouldn't dally if I were you."

Yuga stood up, his face without emotion. He spoke to Osfala just as evenly. "I'm not dallying. I just need to speak with someone who isn't a conceited fool."

While Osfala stood there speechless and offended, Yuga walked out. Link trailed right behind him.

"I'll be right back," Link said.

"What does he want to talk to you about?" Irene asked.

"I have no idea," Link said as he disappeared behind the door.