Link groaned groggily. He tried to force his eyelids open, but they would not budge. His arms and legs felt numb, but he already felt his heart pounding in his chest. Then he felt a hand lay itself on his forehead. It was a soft one, with long and fine fingers. He thought he heard something, a woman's voice, but he found he could not force his brain into clear thought.

The boy tried, unsuccessfully, to pick himself up. He found himself breathing through his nose. He had to be patient. He counted to himself-one, two, three...one, two, three-and finally opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was that he was not wearing his green clothes, but a long white smock with short sleeves. The next was that he was laying on a cotton bed with an embroidered blanket covering everything below his chest. Still woozy, he forced himself into a sitting position.

"Are you okay? Take it easy..."

Link shifted and looked up to find himself staring up at a tall woman with long red hair and dark skin. She wore a black vest over a tight-fitting white shirt and long baggy pants. Her face was oval, and her eyes were concerned.

"What is your name?"

"Uh...oh." Link was flustered. "My-my name's Link. If you're the one who helped me, thank you so much..."

"Actually, it was the Gerudo Elder who found you by the riverside when she was taking her walk. She called upon us to take you to this tent. The Gerudo tribe frowns on those who reject travelers in need."

Link's head began to clear up. Gerudo tribe...the riverside...

"If I may, what brought you to this state?"

Link remembered, then frowned.

It was supposed to be an easy journey.

The four boys had borrowed a boat and a set of oars from the people of Hyrule Castle Town. They had procured a bag of provisions; smoked ham, hardtack, and waterskins. Red had tied the bag to himself to match Blue, who insisted on taking his newly acquired sledgehammer on his back. They had even found scabbards for their swords.

Vio had shown them the map he had taken from the library, and he had deduced that if they could find Princess Zelda anywhere, it would probably be the Palace of Winds. It was an ideal hiding place for the likes of Vaati and Shadow Link.

They agreed that it would be a simple matter to use the Great Hylian River to ferry themselves to Death Mountain. From there, they could cover the last stretch of the journey on foot. They would storm the palace and save their princess. All they had to do was follow the riverpaths, taking the right turns to reach their destination.

They had found out too late that the map's instructions were years out of date.

Some passageways were blocked entirely by debris. Several new canals had been cut into the river for farm irrigation. Careful planning had given way to guesswork, and by dusk it was clear that they were hopelessly lost.

"Don't worry guys!" Red pumped his fist into the air. "Aren't adventures supposed to go off the rails?"

"Don't act so chipper!" Blue shouted. "We're not supposed to be like this? We can take on monsters, but not this...this dumb water!?"

"Take it easy, Blue." Red looked unsettled. "We all have each other..."

He yelped as Blue flung his oar. The red-clad hero ducked, and oar sailed passed his head and sank to the bottom of the river.

"Don't call me that! I'm Link! I'm the real Link!"

"If there's a main Link, it's me!" Green, standing at the prow of the boat, lost his temper. "Everybody knows that Link dresses in green!"

Link clutched at his blue tunic, then hissed. "You're thinking you're better than me just 'cause of your clothes!?"

"No!" Green shouted. "Not just that! I'm not the idiot who threw away his oar!"

"To be fair," Vio cut in, "that was a stupendously stupid move on your part."

"Shut it!" Blue lunged towards Vio. "You act so smart, but you're the one who grabbed the wrong map!"

Vio intercepted Blue, grabbing on to his head and shoulder, but underestimated the amount of force the snarling boy put into his lunge. The two fell off the side of the boat, hitting the water with matching splashes.

"Agh...you fool!" Vio fought himself back up to the surface, waving his arms even as the river forced him past the boat.

"Ack!" Blue had a harder time staying afloat, thanks to the sledgehammer that was still strapped to his back.

Before Green could do anything, Red tossed his oar aside and assumed a psuedo diving position, disregarding the heavy sack attached to him. "Don't worry, guys! I'll save you!"

There was a third splash, then a yelp.

"Wait! We never learned to swim, right? Oh, no!"

"Red! Green shouted. He had his back to the prow of the boat, unsure of what action to take. In his confusion, he missed the rock jutting up from the river. He yelped as the prow hit it, and he fell off himself. His vision exploded in color as his head hit the wooden side of the boat when he tried to right himself. He was on his back before long, his brain losing rational thought as the water carried him away.

"Once again, I can't thank you enough."

The elder gave Link a nod. The old woman was shorter and stouter than the caretaker, who stood behind her chair. The elder's body was covered with a checkered cloak, and her face was hidden behind a veil.

"We are glad that you were not seriously harmed."

Green smiled and finished his bowl of dates. He had his green clothes back, freshly washed and straightened. And even now, he was thanking his lucky stars that his Four Sword at his side and not lost in the river. The caretaker had returned his effects to him before the impromptu meeting had started.

The three of them were seated in the middle of a low stone square, surrounded by tents of various colors. Among the tents, children chased one another as their mothers washed clothes, sharpened swords, and tended to the scattered palm trees.

"If what you said about Hyrule Castle is true, then I can only imagine what will happen to the rest of this country."

Green finished off his gourd of water next. "That is right. I'm going to try to do what I can to stop the monsters behind all this."

"But you have also said you lost your companions."

Green's chest tightened. "Yes. But somehow, I know they'll find their own way. We have the same destination in mind...Death Mountain. I will be there in no time."

At that, both the elder and the caretaker sat in stunned silence. Finally, the latter shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but that will not be possible."

Green's face twitched. "Why not?"

"The lot of us are at the farthest end of the Hylian River, boy." The elder extended her arms. "Gerudo Desert is vast, and the river only goes upstream from here. We have mounts, but it will take you a long time to cross the desert, likely more days than you can spare."

Green was shocked, but not beaten.

"There has to be another way."

"There's the Py-"

"Quiet!" The elder silenced the caretaker with a wave of her hand before she noticed Link staring at her intently. She sighed, and extended her arm, pointer finger extended. Link followed it. Past the tents, past the expanse of land, he did indeed see a dark shadow on the horizon, vaguely shaped like a triangle.

"The Pyramid was constructed," The elder paused to cough, "in order to house a great evil and keep it isolated from the rest of Hyrule. No one has ever gone to it and returned. Even one of our kings, Ganondorf, lost himself to what was inside."

Green's brow furrowed. He was sure he heard that name before, somewhere...

The elder sighed. "Nonetheless, it has two entrances. One that leads directly inside, and one at the end of a long tunnel. One could find the base of Death Mountain right outside the other end of the tunnel. It would be the fastest way to get to the mountain, if one ever tried it. And...I have a feeling that no matter what I say, you are going to try it."

Green nodded. "It's the only way."

At length, the elder nodded back and turned to the caretaker. "Bring him to the pyramid. Give him food and water to take along. He will need all the help he can get."

And so begins the separation arc...