"Link," the woman repeated quietly. "Yes…yes, of course it is. And I assume you know who I am."
"Of course, Senator Zelda," Link said. "There are few who wouldn't recognize your face."
"So, you know nothing of your past, correct?"
"Yes," he said, not knowing where she was going with the statement.
"And yet you still pick the name Link. Well, this certainly does prove it's you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Link, let me…well, let me explain a few things. You've been seeing creatures. Creatures no one else can seem to see. Things that are just barely glimpsed on the edge of reality." He merely nodded, surprised she knew so much. "And you feel somehow called to combat them, as if driven by some greater force, as if you're called by the goddesses themselves."
He snorted. "The goddesses. Just a fairy tale to bring hope to the stupid."
The senator smirked. "How amusing. It appears that they've chosen an atheist. Link, what part of you can believe the goddesses don't exist? The mark on your hand—that's a piece of the Triforce, and you know it. Why would you be fighting imaginary demons if not for the goddesses themselves? How can you possibly think them fairy tales?"
"Have you seen this world?" he roared. "I had to pick myself off of the streets! I fight just to survive every day! Colin? The boy is seven years old, and he's already probably been through seen more than a posh senator like you will even hear about in your lifetime. And Aryll?" His hands balled into fists at the thought. "Aryll," he hissed through clenched teeth. "The things that that girl has had to do—the things she's had to go through just to make it from one day to the next…. And it's not just us. Look around you, senator. Hyrule is rotting. You yourself play a game of deceit, pretending that you're doing good for this nation. What the hell have you done for it?"
"We are working for the good of Hyrule!" she retorted.
"You're competing to see who can come up with the best lies to feed the people! Hyrule's problems are getting worse, not better! Don't ask me how I can call the goddesses lies. If they're out there, why aren't they doing anything?"
She reached out as he seethed and gently grabbed his hand, bringing it up. His eyes fell on the marking. "They are doing something, Link," she said gently. "They've sent you."
The statement hit him hard. He had never thought of it that way at all before. "You're the answer," she continued. "You, Link, are their talisman. Their arm. The mediator between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm. You want this world to change? Fine. Go ahead and change it. You have the power."
He sat down on the front steps. "Who…who are you?"
"I was getting to that, right before you spurned the very deities who chose you. You know who I am. Senator Zelda Hyrule. It's no coincidence that my surname is the same as the name of this nation. Back when Hyrule was still a monarchy, my family line sat on the throne for as long as the histories can remember. The line was never direct, and it would often be a nephew or cousin to take the throne, but it was always a Hyrule.
"Now, the king's first daughter was always named Zelda. It's a long story, and an interesting one, but unimportant. Now, I'm no princess, but my father was a direct descendant of the last king of Hyrule. He named me Zelda in honor of the tradition, although I'm sensing the influence of the goddesses behind it. You see, in the histories, there are three names that constantly surface. One is my own. Another, Link, is yours. The third is Ganondorf. Or Ganon."
"Or?"
"Well, it's a bit complicated. Ganondorf was simply a man. A man with power and influence, yes, but just a man. However, there was once a Link and a Zelda who, through their youthful inexperience, accidently allowed Ganondorf to access the Triforce. The goddesses managed to split it, and he ended up with the Triforce of Power. With it, he became all but invincible. He, in his defeat, transformed himself into an extremely powerful boar-like monster, called Ganon. Ganon was defeated, but he always managed to come back, sometimes as Ganon, sometimes as Ganondorf."
"And he's back again."
She hesitated. "Yes. His spirit has found a new body to inhabit. Senator Ganondorf is a new politician who has already managed to gain quite a bit of fame and support. If these politics are," she said, a hint of disdain in her voice, "just a game of lies, Ganondorf is winning every match. His popularity is…well, it's staggering. I'm the only one who seens to know his hidden agenda."
"Excuse me, senator," he said, holding up a hand to stop her, "but how exactly do you know so much."
"Were you not paying attention? The Triforce split. Ganondorf may have obtained the Triforce of Power, yes, but the Triforce of Courage went to you and your past incarnations. I, on the other hand, received the Triforce of Wisdom. Wisdom and knowledge directly from the goddesses is helpful, yes, but it's also a burden. You know what I mean, don't you? You have great courage and skill, but—"
"But I never asked for it. Yeah. I know." He shook his head. "Look, I thought I was going to be a bodyguard. I can't do what you're asking me to do. I have a family, you know."
"They'll be taken care of," she said. "An old nursemaid of mine will look after them. They'll be much better off now than they were before." He sighed. "You have no more excuses," she said. "You know that you're fighting to protect them. To protect all of Hyrule."
He sighed. "Yeah. So, then, I'm a reincarnation of this hero guy?"
She nodded. "It's uncanny the resemblance we bear to your predecessors…often down to the clothing we wear. It would explain why you wear that tacky windsock, even though it went out of style nearly a decade ago."
"You leave my hat out of this!"
"No, no, it rather suits you," she said, clearly trying to hold back a chuckle. Then she suddenly grew solemn. "Now, Link, listen. This is very important. Those creatures you've been fighting—they're Ganondorf's minions. Moblins. They're not quite in this world yet, and you're the one holding them back. But as Ganondorf gains power, they'll become stronger. They'll break through into Hyrule once more. It will be difficult: as time goes on, he'll become more powerful and we'll be able to devote less time to him in order to hold back his minions. We have to strike quickly, if possible. But you…you're not even remotely ready yet."
Link glowered at her. "I'm stronger than you think."
"And he's stronger than you think. You, no matter how strong you are, are just a man. Ganondorf is…well, he's something else. Something more than human…or perhaps something less."
"So how am I supposed to beat him, then?"
"With help," Zelda said. "You'll have quite a few allies who will help you along the way. You'll need a few things as well. A special sword, the only thing that can defeat Ganondorf. I hear you're well acquainted with a sword already," she added.
"Unimportant. Where do I find this sword?"
"That's the thing," she said. "I'm not sure myself. It's just a legend at this point, and it's an old one. The goddesses have not shown me its location. They have, however, shown me what you'll need to find it."
"And what's that?"
"You'll need a guide. Someone who can track down almost anything. Someone who stands a chance of helping you find it."
"And who, senator," he said, starting to get impatient, "would this guide happen to be."
"I don't know. But you will. Trust me. When you find your guide, you'll know."
"So where will I find whoever it is?"
"Again, I don't know."
"Senator, a little bit of that wisdom would come in really handy about now."
"The goddesses have shown me one vision," she said quickly. "It's probably not what you want to hear, but trust me, it's very valuable. They've shown me where this quest of yours will begin. The place you need to start from. Things should, hopefully, align themselves on their own from there."
Link nodded. "Okay. So. Where do I go?"
"I can guarantee you'll be a bit unsatisfied with the answer, but…you're going to a park."
"A park," he repeated, dumbfounded.
"Yes. Kokiri Park."