A Link to the Past

Chapter One: Final Entry

It seems like forever since I wrote in this old book, not since my nephew was only a few years old, and then suddenly in the blink of an eye he's almost a man. I had always intended to pick up the book again one day, I really did, but it was too painful to even look at the pages again after writing down the whole story of my adventure on Koholint Island. My father's adventures had such a happy ending, defeating Ganondorf to win the Triforce of Power and then finding the love of his life while on another quest to break an ancient curse… part of me has always resented him for it, too.

My father, Link, the great Lord Sheriff of Hyrule… he had it all… love, family, a best friend that he didn't have to fight to the death… yes, I defeated Agahnim and freed the Wind Fish, but I suppose I lost in the end. The wizard had built a whole life for himself on Koholint Island, and he told me that everything he had with Tracy, I could have with Marin, but instead I listened to that owl and lost everything. I didn't believe it was possible, how could I know that the whole island and everyone on it was all just a dream of the Wind Fish? But it was true… I won the great beast's freedom, Agahnim was banished to… somewhere… and then it was all gone.

I came back to Hyrule a changed man, my father described it as being more grown up, but all I felt was hurt. In time he retired and I assumed the title of Lord Sheriff, I tried to hard to distract myself with my work, but the dreams of Marin and Koholint Island never stopped. There were some thing that could take my attention for a while, like when the Kingdoms of Hyrule and Arcadia eventually united, and it took years to formally move the capital to a place somewhere in the middle of this new land. The North Palace still exists, but the capital is now based far to the south in a province called Kakariko, sure it's a smaller, less developed place than bigger settlements like Port Hylia, but the castle is a sight to behold.

Kakariko reminds me a little of the Southern Outskirts, the province governed by Agahnim's father before he passed on, in that the climate and terrain are so diverse. Mountains, forests, deserts, it was like the King was trying to find a place that sampled every corner of the new Kingdom, including all the criminals and hostile creatures. With help from the guards, I drove the criminals away from the castle and its nearby village, while also driving the creatures back into their natural habitats, which is also where the criminals and bandits retreated, so they can deal with each other. For a while after this, Hyrule was enjoying a time of peace and prosperity, but it was not to last forever.

Suddenly it was like the land itself turned against us, the weather rotating between drought and floods, with great storms attacking the ports and townspeople, while the creatures of Hyrule became far more aggressive than before. For a couple years it felt like things would never get back to normal, and out of desperation the King sent word to the farthest corners of Hyrule and beyond, offering great rewards for anyone that could figure out a way to end what was by now seeming like a curse on the Kingdom. That's when I saw him… many would-be wizards and scholars came to the castle promising much but delivering nothing, that is until I had to rub my eyes one day to make sure my old age wasn't playing tricks on me.

It was him, I'm sure of it, Agahnim the wizard walking through the castle gates and then going inside as if he was expected. This was not some kin with similar features, like how my nephew Link III looks much like I did in my youth, no this was my old friend, and he looked exactly like he had all those years ago on Koholint Island, as if my old friend hadn't aged a day. When I asked about his fate, the Wind Fish only told me that the wizard had been sent to a place where he wouldn't be able to harm anyone ever again, but there he was, and before too long… all the Kingdom's problems began to fade away. The beasts calmed, the bandits retreated back into the forests, and except for the rain that never stops, the weather improved as well.

The King declared Agahnim a hero, hosting a feast in his honor and then naming the wizard as his closest advisor, and I wanted to confront him several times, I really did, but I suppose I figured that the truth was too painful to face. Would he still be angry with me for freeing the Wind Fish? Would he blame me for the loss of Tracy and his children? I think perhaps my graying hair and tired features stopped him from noticing me, but I couldn't bring myself to face him. After that something strange began to happen, the castle guards began to get more aggressive, harassing or even sometimes assaulting anyone who got too close to the building, and the King became very reclusive.

When I attempted to enter the castle myself in order to speak to the King, the guards stopped me as well, telling me in an almost angry tone that Agahnim had ordered a complete lockdown of the castle. I even tried to get a message to Princess Zelda, but no one has heard from her, either. Many of the maids and kitchen staff have been dismissed without warning, bringing with them rumors of a silent King and more food being sent down into the dungeons even though I have no records of anyone imprisoned inside the castle. The other thing I started to notice was the covered carriages, six of them in total that I've seen in the course of my duties, always in the middle of the night… and always being let into the castle without question.

Who are these people being brought in who are so important that they can enter the castle while the Lord Sheriff is denied? And why haven't they left the castle since? Something is very wrong in the land of Hyrule, and I must find out what it is… my father would've simply asked the Triforce of Power, but it and the other two simply vanished when he was young, so I'm going to have to sneak past the guards in order to find out what's going on. I have been trying to tell myself that the King and Princess Zelda have fallen ill and that Agahnim is using his magic to heal them while keeping everyone else at a distance, but none of them know what he is capable of. None of them saw the power and fury in his eyes as we battled over the Wind Fish, and… and I'm scared to face him again.

Go ahead, believe that I'm a coward if you must, but also remember that my youthful adventuring days are long behind me. My father was twenty years old when he faced Ganondorf to win the Triforce, and I myself was just a boy of nineteen when I washed up on the shores of Koholint, but my nephew is even younger. Link III is only sixteen… no, I cannot hand over this responsibility to him, and… and Agahnim is my responsibility. My nephew knows the basics of swordsmanship and such things, but looking at the boy as he sleeps peacefully inside the guest room of my small house, I know… I know he wouldn't last but minutes against the kind of power Agahnim wields.

Still, part of me wants to ignore it, explain it away as, well… anything… but now there have been strange lights, flashes of unnatural colors from the windows of the castle's highest tower, and I can delay no longer. My silver sword, passed to me from my father who received it from the King, is sharp as ever, but I hope that I can still move quietly enough to sneak inside… I do not wish to spill the blood of any loyal subject of Hyrule, even if they are somehow up to no good. I just know that Agahnim is the cause of all this, and if I can reach him, perhaps reason with him, or even discover what has happened to the King and Princess Zelda, perhaps all this can end before it gets out of control.

I will go tonight… the rain is especially heavy, leaving me all but invisible if I wait till the darkest hour, but if the worst should happen and I do not make it back, I leave this final message for those investigating to find. My nephew, Link III is ignorant of my actions and motivations, and is innocent of any and all crimes laid onto me as a result of my attempting to sneak into the castle. I hereby leave my land, title, and all my possessions to him in the event of my death. I hope it does not come to this.

Letting out a long, slow breath after finally looking up from the page, the Lord Sheriff had to blink a few times, rubbing his eyes after setting down the quill pen and then looking around the dimly lit house. With only a candle in each room, minus the darkened guest room where Link was sleeping, it was still hard for the older man to see even after his eyes adjusted away from the no longer blank book page. Quietly he walked over to the vanity and changed into the hood and cloak suited for traveling in less than favorable weather… no lantern, though… no, no light and as little noise as possible. A flash of lightning through the windows caused the whole house to light up for only a moment before the crash of thunder that followed, and it was only then that the Lord Sheriff realized that he was no longer alone.

"Uncle?" A sleepy eyed boy asked, his words distorted by a yawn and stretch. "I had the strangest dream, and… are you going out?"

Link naturally appeared confused as to why anyone would go out at this time of night, especially when the rain was coming down this hard, but there was no avoiding it, nor could the older man give his nephew any kind of real explanation as to what he was about to attempt, not if he wanted the boy to avoid prosecution should the worst happen. After several seconds of the older man not saying anything in response, Link began to speak again, telling his uncle about a strange dream where someone was calling out to him, but the Lord Sheriff didn't have time for a long drawn out discussion.

"I'm sorry, boy, but I'm in a hurry tonight, urgent business." The older man exclaimed, putting his silver sword into its sheath. "No need to worry about dreams right now, so just go back to bed and you can tell me about it when I return. I should be back around morning or so."

Not waiting any longer for the confused boy to say something else, the Lord Sheriff turned and opened the front door of the house, momentarily surprised by how hard the rain was coming down, and having to take a step back in reaction to the sudden gust of wind. Oh, what a horrible night to have to sneak around in the darkness. Pulling the hood of his cloak closer around his face, the older man took a breath and then stepped out into the storm, pushing the door closed behind him and then almost blindly heading in the direction of the castle.