Link watched as the huge fish leaped out the water, raising his shield as the beast came down towards him. The barrier did nothing to protect him from the impact of the larger mass, and the young man was blasted into the water. Before he could get his bearings, Link saw the fish return to the water, and helplessly watched as darkness surrounded him…

"LINK!" Zelda raised herself up, nearly bumping her head on Anju's. She found herself within a room of the Stock Pot Inn, surrounded by Anju and civilians. She questioned as to why she was in the room, until the back of her head began to throb. That's right, that Imperial named Zant had intercepted them, and knocked her out. Luckily for her, the Pendant of Wisdom was still with her. Now focusing on her fighting friend, Zelda leaped her bed and looked out the window.

"Zelda, are you-"

"Where's Link?"

"He's out there fighting, I suppose."

Zelda tightened her fists. "I have to help him."

Anju sighed, closing her eyes. "Zelda, you need to rest. There's no point in getting both of you-" A light flashed in the room, causing Anju to open her eyes. Just her luck, Zelda was gone.

"Where in the hell are you?" Shade rummaged through his magical pouch, searching for his personal raft that he had since he was a kid. Not as useful as most of the others, but the one moment he really needs it, it cannot be found.

"Have you found it yet?" Link's worried fairy asked.

"No! Dammit!" Shade slammed his fist on the wooden boards of the pier, and looked away to the isle far away, where he could faintly see the battle between Link and the giant fish continue. Link has little chance to beat the beast on land while it is in the water, and there's no way he can fight it underwater.

"Shade, where is Link?" The Hero of Hyrule looked up to see Ravio and Hilda approach him. He pointed to the isle.

"Over there. Horsehead had some sea beast drag Link over there."

Hilda looked back at Shade, helping him to his feet. "Why Link? He should be after you, yeah? You're the Hero."

Shade shook his head. "It's complicated. But I'm not the chosen one this time. Link is. But we must help him. He is in doubt that he's the Hero of Hyrule, and will constantly switch his opinion to suit the situation. The only way he will live is if he truly accepts who he is." Shade sighed as he looked to the isle. "Where's Zelda?"

"She was taken down by one of the Imperial generals, Zant. She's with Anju recovering," Hilda exclaimed. "Know him?

Shade shook his head. "No."

"He captured Midna after she jumped in to save Zelda. He seemed intent on taking Midna anyway."

Shade sighed. "Now the Imperials have the Pendant of Power."

"Hello there!" The trio looked up to see the blue bear that lead the Resistance charge earlier prepare to land by them. Once it landed, its rider disembarked, flashing the biggest smirk in Hyrule. The rider walked up to Hilda, bowing his head. "Your Highness."

Hilda returned the same gesture. "Your Majesty."

Ravio scornfully looked away, growling under his breath. "Prince Ralph."

"Sir Ravio," Ralph said with false respect. He turned back to Hilda, "Mission successful?"

Hilda nodded. "Kafei and Anju are alive. But… how was this possible?"

"Oh, I rounded up the prestigious Labrynnian Royal Air Force, and General Auru apparently had a secret fleet hidden in the Phantom Isles. Her Highness' old fleet."

Shade chipped in. "'The Fleet of the Gods,' the Royal Family's own warships. Only the Royal Family and high members of the military know about it. Our 'king' did not."

"And you are?" Ralph walked up to Shade, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know about the fleet?"

Shade smiled as he looked to the distant ships beginning to approach the city. "Perks of being the Hero of Hyrule." Before he turned away, he saw a golden streak dart across the sky. Slight fascination became immediate worry as he recognize what the streak meant as it headed closer and closer to the isle where Link was on. "Oh no."

Link felt his face implant the ground with with such intensity that he truly believed he broke a few bones. As he turned around, his vision hazy and his ears ringing, he could barely see anything and hear the roars of the gargantuan sea monster that's been kicking his ass. So far, it has been toying with him, knocking him into the water only to gobbled him up (not swallow), and spit him back unto land. Most of him is quite satisfied he isn't that delectable, although a part of him believes that Gyorg is playing with his food.

Whatever the case, Link didn't see himself getting out of this one. How was he suppose to beat a boss that swam? Aquamentus? Despite the name, it was a land beast, and its weakness was its horn instead of other body parts. Dodongo? Swallow a bomb, wait, and profit explosively. Those were done through trial and error, but how was Link suppose to stop Gyorg?

The Pendant of Courage flash dimly on his chest, somehow surviving the trips between the surface of the sea. The gods and goddesses, Farore namely, had to be joking. Link would admit he's ridiculously brave, but the epitome of courage? That is Shade, the Hero of Hyrule. Savior of the land twice. Fell in love with the Princess Zelda. Link has done none of those things. As far as he could see, it was his final hour. A minor casualty in a war, perhaps if he's lucky, a martyr for his friends. He helped save Clock Town, and gathered all of the pendants… Maybe he'll be remembered as a hero, with a lowercase 'h'.

The boy spotted bubbles rising out of the water, and painfully got up to his feet. Dropping his arsenal, Link prepared himself for what was to happen. He watched as Gyorg leaped out the water, and came down upon him. Darkness engulf himself, and Link took his last breath…

…

…

…

…

Until he had to breath for air. He sucked in all the oxygen he could, and opened his eyes. For some reason, once more, he could see the sky. He was still on land, but he remembered Gyorg coming down on him. Instead of a ringing roar of death, he could hear the chirping of birds, signals of life and peace. Just where in the hell was he?

"Uhhh… Owwww…" Link raised his throbbing upper torso slowly off the ground, and immediately realized that he was somehow away from the sea close to Clock Town. Instead, he was in a gray, misty void, with a large, pyramid-like structure in front of him. Reaching around his body, he found himself without all of his equipment, besides the dulled Pendant of Courage. Rising to his feet, Link took off the pendant, and examined it. "Look where you got me, having me do stupid things in the name of courage."

"Youths chosen by the three…" Link heard the melodic voice of a woman whisk by him like the wind. He searched for the owner, but the mist was too thick to show any object within it.

"Hello?"

"...unite north and south, and return the light to the darkened land." The voice sang again, and Link pinpointed it in the direction of the pyramid. Following the cleared path up to it, and believing the owner would be at its peak, Link listened to the words of the voice as he began to scale the pyramid. He tried to make sense of the previous words, but nothing came of it. Three chosen youths? Uniting north and south? The only thing that made any sense was returning the 'light' to a 'dark' land, the goal of the Resistance.

"Zelda… Maybe Zelda could figure it out. She's better with riddles…"

"Show the holy pendants the way to the timeless temple..." Holy pendants? Link raised the green stone again, finding it regaining some of its shine...at least Farore's symbol was glowing white. That never happened before. Only the green areas were bright before, but never the symbol. There's also the Pendants of Wisdom and Power, and along with Courage, made up the three pendants. However, Link has never heard of a timeless temple. Maybe Shade knows.

"...an age old war you shall find." Age old war? Link let that pass his mind. One war was enough, but to have another, one as old as time...nope. Wait, this was a song Zelda sang not too long ago? That what seems so familiar about the words. But he doesn't see her...not has he heard the following verse.

"In peaceful times, an ancient war breaks through. A defeated evil breaks the land in two, heroic lives stripped away, a rebellion fights for the day." This clearly refers to the events of 18 years ago and today, but "a defeated evil?" Ganon? That cannot be. Who was the other guy… Agahnim? Doubt it. Boy, Link wished another brain was with him, as his was one of a physical puzzle solver and monster beater (unless it happens to be a sea creature), not of a decoder. By the time he was done processing all that information, Link had made it to the top of the pyramid, and found a woman with two green pigtails sitting at the peak, her back to Link. She wore a long green dress, and beside her was a large brown book. She was also the source of the song, and was just finishing harmonizing when Link arrived. "Sing with me a song of courage and heroes. Green tunic stained red like a rose. Sword breaks through the evil, raised high in the sky. This is my lullaby." She quit her tune, and turned her head to Link, smiling invitingly to the boy. "Come hither, Link of Ordon."

Link stepped forward, mesmerized. "You know who I am?"

"Just as you know who I am… It is an easy guess."

Link did a glance over the woman, and it hit him. Green was associated with one woman in particular…"Farore," he stated with slight disdain.

"Yeah-uh," the woman giggled, and pushed her book aside. "Come, Link, and sit beside me. We have much to discuss." Link sat down, nervous to be in the presence of the Goddess Farore… Wait a minute…

"Am I...in the Sacred Realm? Like dead?"

Farore rejected. "No, you're alive. Bu this is the Sacred Realm, Link. I guess you heard of how it was turned into the Dark World by Ganon at one point, until the Hero Link restored it."

"Yeah...wait, he was named Link as well?"

"The Hero of Legend, the Hero of Two Worlds, and your mentor back home. The First Hero, the Hero of Sky, the Hero of Men, the Hero of Minish, the Hero of the Four Sword, and the doomed Hero of Time. All named Link. Last name differs, though."

Link released a deep breath. "Wow…"

Farore nodded. "Like your girlfriend back home, there have been many to share your name, and the both of you have a legacy to keep, as Hyrule's not-so-sworn protectors. And I you have guessed, I want you to do the same, and for the first time, I am personally asking the Hero to rise."

"Why?"

"Your friends are asking you because the pendant chose you, which is enough. But I am asking you, Link, because I need you too." Farore tsked as she turned away. "Din is laughing right now, having me, a goddess, plead to a mortal being. My special mortal being."

Link sighed, and began to play with his boots. "I don't want to be the Hero of Hyrule."

"And I don't want you to do it either. But… Hyrule, no, the world is threatened, even us gods are threatened, and I need you to rise to the occasion. If you don't do it for the world, do it for Zelda, as she believes in you, and, as she probably knows now or will know very soon, she's the second key to this. She'll need you, and I know you wouldn't let her down, would you?"

Link sighed. The Goddess of Courage had the courage to use Zelda against him. "No, never."

"You are here not because I summoned you (I did though) but because you showed an exemplary account of courage to fight a losing battle. As you know, the pendant glows around you, but glows brighter as you showed courage, which comes to you naturally. But that fight against Horsehead and Gyorg was the tipping point, to be a hero even when the odds are nigh impossible. You, of course, knew you couldn't win, although you were ready to backed down, you showed some courage to die standing. You have the courage, the swordsmanship, the honor to be who you are called to be, but I sense you are scared. Why?"

"Because… What if I fail? Shade failed, and look what happened. What if I make things worse?"

"You can't possibly make things worse than they are now. If only you could see North Hyrule." Farore reached for her book, and opened it. She handed it to Link, and said, "Show him the northern lands."

An image appeared on the pages Link looked upon, and he gasped. He remembered the stories his father told him of Northern Hyrule, how it was a prosperous land blessed with green fields, tall mountains, and lively towns. But what he saw with his own eyes was nothing of the sort. The fields were dead and dried, the mountains chipped and treacherous, the towns either charred, deserted, or barely teaming with life. Monsters patrolled the fields like nomads. The sky, blue in South Hyrule, was covered by clouds, thunder and lightning repeatedly heard and seen. Link looked up to Farore, who was looking at her book in sorrow. "I… I don't believe this."

"North Hyrule has seen better days and nights."

"You got to tell me who is responsible." At this, Farore turned fully away. Link knew what that meant. "You won't tell me."

"No, it is not that… It is that…the three of us don't know who the one responsible is?"

Link raised his eyebrows in shock. "What?"

Sighing, Farore leaped to her feet. "Before you misconceive that idea that we are not omnipotent, we are. We see all, hear all, and know everything past and present. But the future… Always in motion it is. We cannot know it. So it was unknown to us that when we created Hyrule, the Triforce, and the world, it would succumb to a darkness named Demise, and that we would lose our sister Hylia. It was unknown to use that Demise would curse mortal Hylia and the reincarnate First Hero by placing his hatred against their reincarnations in a bloody cycle. It was unknown to us that a miniscule being named Vaati would be the first to test you and Zelda after Demise's fall, only to fail. When Ganon arose, we didn't know. The history of Hyrule, all of it, could have been prevented if we knew what would happen. So Link, when I say that I'm sorry for making you go through this, whether in this life or the past ones, I am truly sorry. Nayru definitely feels the same for Zelda."

"And Din? Isn't Ganon her chosen? Does she feel sorry for what he has done?!"

Farore looked a Link, her teary eyes burning to defend her sister."She has nothing to do with Ganon! Why would she invoke havoc on the land she crafted herself?" She sighed as her head turned away. "She does have a soft spot for him, as she once...well, let's just say Din and Demise had history. It is another reason why she favors the Gerudo people. Ganon just so happens to have the trait she adores, and the Triforce of Power is historically bound to him." Turning back to Link, Farore folded her arms. "I can tell you this: Ganon is not responsible."

Link nodded. "That's a relief, I guess. So… How do we save Hyrule?"

"I don't know what do you mean by 'we.' There must be a Hero and a Princess, and I have neither of them… Unless you are ready. Hyrule cries for a hero, its Hero, so are you accepting destiny, or avoiding it like the plague?"

Link looked back at the book, and the images of North Hyrule. In the past, he swore vengeance for those killed by the Imperials in Ordon. But their crimes have surpassed that, and will do it if their leader isn't removed. Before, Link had a choice. Now, as he sees it, it is a duty. Nodding, he knelt to Farore. "I will accept my destiny, whatever it entails."

Farore rose up, and took Link's hand in hers. "Then, my champion, you are no longer Link Koroks, Civilian of Ordon Village. You are now Link Koroks… Hero of the Resistance." Link felt a warm glow surround him as he stood up. Farore smiled as the glow vanished, and clapped in glee. "Yippie! Now, to other business. Your pendant." Farore gestured to the far side of the peak, where a empty pedestal with three slots stood. "In your world, in North Hyrule, that would be within the confines of a temple. Once you find the temple, you must place the three pendants on a pedestal, and claim the power to defeat evil. You, Zelda, and Gan are the only ones who can claim this power, as bearers of the Pendants of Virtue."

"Zelda, me, and...Gan? Isn't he-"

"Not Ganon. But he is the Prince of Darkness' descendant. Definitely didn't see that happening. He's on our side, Din made sure of it."

Link breathed with relief. "Is that it?"

The goddess hummed a bit, gasped, and then pointed to Link's head. "Now we're good. Well, well, my hero, you look dashing. Drop them dead, and save the land I gave life to."

Link nodded. "I will."

"Good. Bye bye!" Link was blasted with a bright light, and darkness enveloped him as well.

"Link! Wake up! Please!"

Link shot up, quickly finding himself back on the isle he was fighting Gyorg on, instead of within the mouth of the beast. There was a good reason for it to. "Zelda?"

"Yeah, it's me, saving you ass for the third time!" Zelda used her water abilities to hold back the Gyorg from coming down on them. To the hero, now that he got a good look at the beast, it looked much more monstrous than he realized. Matter of fact, Zelda held it in such a perfect position that Link could see something he ought to have seen before. As many times as he been in Gyorg's mouth, he would think it would have spotted the pupil at the ceiling. Now that he had a target, a plan began to form.

Walking in front of Zelda, Link stood under the mouth of the beast, and turned to Zelda. "Let it go, and move."

"What?!"

"I said let it go. I got this." Zelda hesitated, and to calm her, Link drew his blade, "I got a plan."

Zelda frowned. "A foolish one."

Link chuckled as he faced the beast. "Yeah, but isn't that part of being the Legendary Hero? Now do it!" Trusting Link's instinct, Zelda released her slipping hold on the sea monster, and watched as it instantly rammed Link, knocking him to the water. She watched as Gyorg ignored her, following Link, leaping from the isle to the sea, and vanishing. Time passed, and Zelda began to worry for Link. She didn't know how long it has been, but she knew it was long enough that her beloved friend could have suffered two fates: Digestion, or if he managed to defeat the monster, drowning. Link was never an excellent swimmer. Yet, in her worry, she could sense Link's life force, and her senses told her he was still alive.

Her feeling became truth as the head of her friend bobbed up to the surface, and he threw something towards the isle. It was a normal sized fish, a miniature Gyorg. It continued to squirm as it got smaller and smaller, until a sword - Link's - pierced it one more time before becoming dust. Twirling and sheathing his blade, Link knelt on his feet, exhausted, Zelda looked down on him, and now realizing what he was wearing. "Nice getup, but isn't it too hot for this?"

"Take it up with Farore."

General Auru's ship, the Hylia, was was the last ship to settle at Clock Town's port. As the men and women aboard the ship disembarked, Auru looked down to a group of four who stood along the pier. They began to walk up the plank unto the ship, and Auru met them on the main deck. "Your Majesty, I have always wanted to see the Air Force in action, and today was legendary."

Ralph agreed. "Not just for my forces, General, but for the Resistance in general. We just sent the Imperials a message."

"Right." He turned to Hilda and Ravio, acknowledging them. "I hear that Anju and Kafei are around. We also found the source of the barrier, and taken it out." Auru looked back to the pier, eyes fallen, and sighed. "Hopefully we can now communicate with Midna and Gan now."

Ravio and Hilda glanced at each other, and the boy stepped back. "Uh… Sir, I don't know how to tell you this… We got some bad news. Gan and Midna were captured by the Imperials, along with the Pendant of Power."

"But," the fourth person, a man with the green cloak on, said, "there is some good news. The Pendants of Wisdom and Courage are with the new chosen pair."

"You mean Link and Zelda?"

"Yes. I also have an idea of where the Imperials are, of course."

"So do I.'

"But do you know how?"

Auru did know how, but as to how this guy knew where the Lair was was suspicious. "How do you know?"

The man smiled, and displaced his hood. "Because, sir, I was a crazy twelve year old kid." Auru felt all oxygen leave his lungs as he looked upon his long-lost friend.

"You alive son of a bitch."