A distant booming echoed through the chamber. Zelda and Link jumped.
"Crap, the parade's starting! C'mon!" Zelda said, taking Link by the hand and dragging him back the way they came.
"Why do we have to go?" Link asked, struggling to keep up. He gained his footing and ran beside her.
"It's for a grade! We need to write a review of it!"
As they ran through the murky sewers they could hear the growing sound of people cheering and yelling as they moved to the parade street. The only big celebration the people of Hyrule celebrated was Hylia Day, in honour of the legendary woman who ruled over Hyrule at the beginning of time. Not many believed in the story and only celebrated because of tradition. There were fringe groups who believed Hylia to be the reigning goddess of the land, but many mocked their beliefs. Hylia had become a mythical figure who watches over children and brings presents to all who are worthy of them.
Upon reaching the ladder where they entered, Link climbed up and shoved the metal grate out of the way. Zelda tossed up the flashlight and climbed up after him. "We need to see the parade, shower, write up our review and turn it in to Professor Impa before nightfall!" Zelda yelled over the cacophony. Link nodded and together the weaved through the crowd, climbed up some scaffolding above the walkway and situated themselves so they could view the parade.
"Best view in the house." Link said with a smirk. They high-fived and turned as a canon boomed nearby.
The parade began with the official Castle Town band and dancers. Several floats decked out in bright colours and glitter and flowers followed in a slow procession. Many depicted Hylia giving children presents, or sprinkling the ground with water or decorated in flowers of all kinds. Some floats threw candy to the children in the front row, others used glitter and confetti canons to shower the crowd.
Amidst the excitement, Zelda saw a flicker of light below in a dark empty alley. She shook her head and turned back to the parade, but then she noticed it again, this time brighter. "Hey, Link, c'mere a sec." she said, tugging on the sleeve of his green hoodie. Before he could say a word, she was climbing down and in the alley. Link scurried after her.
"What in the-" he began but stopped when he came up behind her.
At the end of the alley was a woman, glowing and golden. She was beautiful, and carried a harp with her. She motioned for the two to come closer. After a hesitant moment, they slowly walked towards the mysterious woman. When they were an arms length away, they stopped.
"I am Hylia. I come to you, my heroes, on the eve of a great conflict." the woman began.
"What? You're Hylia?" Zelda asked, stunned.
"You're real?!" Link asked loudly.
Hylia motioned for them to be quiet and they obeyed. "All will be revealed to you once you complete four tasks. You must rescue the Golden Goddesses from the claws of evil. Afterwards you must further prove yourself worthy of the Weapons of Heroes."
"You must be...what...this is crazy!" Zelda said, glancing at Link. He shook his head, at a lost for words.
"Take this to Impa. She will guide you." Hylia handed the harp to Zelda. Once she took it, its glow faded and it looked like a harp made of gold. Hylia disappeared, leaving the two in a dark alley.
"What just happened." Zelda asked after several quiet moments.
"I dont know, but we have reviews t o write."
The two tried to focus on writing, but the golden harp and Hylia's message distracted them. What should have taken a few minutes took hours.
As the sun began its descent the two teens hurried through the school to their professor's room. Just as she was locking up, they came to a halt, panting.
"Waiting till the last minute, again. Given that the parade ended hours ago, I expected these before now." she scolded, taking their papers.
"We have...a reason..." Zelda said, trying to catch her breath.
"Oh, really?" Impa asked, arching an eyebrow.
Zelda pulled the golden harp out of her book bag. Impa's eyes grew wide and shoved it back into the bag. "Follow me." she said under her breath. The two looked at each other, hesitant, but followed their professor.
She led them to a dim corner of the library where few venture.
"Um...do you still want our reviews...?" Link asked awkwardly.
"That's besides the point now. We have bigger things to worry about. Pull out the harp." Impa said curtly.
Zelda gently placed the harp on the book table.
"This harp is almost as old as time itself. When Hyurle was created, the three goddesses trusted Hylia to protect the Triforce. What followed started a reincarnation cycle of the blood of Hylia, the spirit of the hero, and hatred and evil." Impa said as she pulled out a thick, dusty book.
"Hey, that looks a bit like mine..." Zelda said, pulling her book out of her bag.
Impa smiled. "I was wondering where the second volume went. These books contain the history of Hyrule. Whenever a great evil threatens the land, one who has the blood of the goddess and one who possesses the spirit of the hero rise up to defeat it. Hylia became mortal to continue protecting the Triforce from evil in human reincarnations." She opened the book to a picture of the Triforce with the three golden triangles labeled. "One for wisdom, one for courage, and one for power." She pointed ay each one in turn.
"What does this have to do with us?" Link asked.
"Give me your right hand, Zelda." Impa reached for her hand. "Link, your left." The two reached out their hands. Impa took them gently and turned their palms down. For a moment nothing happened. Link and Zelda shared a skeptical look. Then, a faint glow in the shape of the Triforce appeared on their hands. The two gasped, yanking their hands away and staring closely.
"What does this mean?!" Zelda asked incredulously.
"Zelda, you are of the blood of the goddess. Link, you possess the spirit of the hero. Together you must face and defeat the evil that has already begun to spread."
"What do you mean? Theres nothing spreading! Everything is fine!" Link said desperately.
"On the outskirts of Hyrule Field, where there is little development, monsters have begun snatching people. They are angry, and want to retake what was once their land. Dark forces are using this anger to conquer Hyrule."
"Why now?" Zelda asked.
"The darkness has trapped the three golden goddesses deep within wild lands. You must free them. The world depends on it." she smiled sadly. "I know this is a great burden to place on your shoulders. But if you work together, you can overcome anything. Go to Kakiriko Village, speak to the shaman. He will guide you on the first step of your journey. Go, pack, move quickly. Take these books. We dont have long." Zelda and Link nodded and left, books in hand. Impa sat down, watching them depart, unsure if she would see them again.