The mist surrounding Link obscured his view. He felt a firm, solid surface beneath him with each step he took, but he couldn't tell what he was stepping on. All he could see was the faint figure of the Hero of Twilight walking before him, guiding him through the clouds. That was until he vanished.

"Huh– Twilight?" Link shouted, coming to a stop in the mist. He looked around, yet no one called back. "Wait... Wait, wait, wait, hold on! Twilight! Hey!"

Still, no one called back. Confused, afraid that he had been left behind and was now lost in the Sacred Realm, Link twisted and turned, trying to get a glimpse of something—anything —before attempting to calm himself.

"Calm down..." he told himself as he took a deep, steadying breath. "I've been awfully panicky since the Yiga. Come on, take a moment to think. The Sacred Realm reacts and takes shape to what I need, so... Hm..."

In no particular direction, Link looked forward, staring at the thick fog before him.

"'A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage,'" Link mumbled to himself. "What I need is to find Twilight."

Closing his eyes, he took another breath before calmly stepping forward. With his eyes closed, he continued stepping through the fog until, suddenly, he felt warmth. He could feel the crunching of dirt beneath his boots and hear the sound of birds calling from above. The thinning clouds brushed past his skin as he passed through to the new world the Sacred Realm had created, becoming mere wisps before vanishing completely. Link opened his eyes, wincing at the brightness of the sun beating down upon him. After wiping away the tears caused by the blinding light, he blinked a few times, his eyes finally adjusting enough to see the land before him.

It was a small ranch, surrounded by mountains and hillsides, of similar size to those in Hateno. It was partially enclosed by the mountains, with fencing to seal off the remaining side, which meant there was no danger of the cattle inside escaping. The only point of entry was the large wooden gate; the doors were currently wide open, with Link standing between them. This was also not a place Link recognized, nor one that was on Hyrule's map. As he stepped inside and looked around, he could see an old, derelict stable house near the mountain, its roof made of straw, with wheat growing on each side.

As Link stepped further into the lush, green pastures of the ranch, the low hum of animals attracted his attention. He looked over to find an abundant herd of oversized, dark-haired goats, each with a tall, oval-shaped horn forming a sizable ring over their heads. The goats grazed nearby, searching for the most succulent blades of grass to nibble. Link realized there were many goats, all in smaller herds spaced sporadically throughout the entire ranch, calmly grazing wherever they chose.

"A goat ranch?" Link asked himself as he approached the tribe of goats, only to be blocked by a winged creature streaking across his path, passing quickly in and out of view. Caught off guard, he looked up to see a brown-feathered hawk gliding to the other side of the ranch, where it landed on the arm of a familiar face sitting in the grass. Recognizing who it was, Link strode toward him, calling out the moment the man was in earshot. "You left me."

"And yet you found your way," Twilight kindly responded as Link came to a stop before him. When Link looked unamused, he chuckled. "Come on, you can't expect me to hold your hand the entire way, can you?"

After a moment, Link chuckled.

"Yeah... I guess not," he said."So, where is this? You know, right?"

"I do," Twilight nodded, allowing his hawk to take flight from his arm. Watching as the impressive bird took off into the air, he continued. "This is Ordon Ranch. It's where I used to spend my days before...well, everything."

"Now that I think about it, you did say you used to be a farmhand," Link said, looking around. "It's nice. It reminds me a lot of Hateno Pasture."

"It's one of my favorite places," Twilight said peacefully, watching as the grass rippled in the breeze. "I always came back to it, even after knighthood."

"You said you spent your days here before that," Link said. "Did you grow up here?"

"I did," Twilight nodded. "Right up until today."

A sudden gust of wind brushed past them. Link was confused for only a second before seeing what had passed by them. A horse, one strangely similar to his own mare, was trotting away with a young farmhand sitting in her saddle. Link instantly recognized the farmhand as the Hero of Twilight, yet he wasn't wearing his chainmail, red robes, or even his pointed red cap. Instead, he wore old clothing stitched together with different patches of faded cloth. The young farmhand circled around on his familiar horse as he waved his hand, spurring the lazy goats into a trot or run. Skillfully, he guided the separate herds into the sheds before riding off to herd the next group.

"What happened today?" Link asked as he watched the younger Twilight ride across the pasture.

"Everything happened today," Twilight said as he watched his younger self finish with the goats. After speaking with a burly man—who Link could only guess was in charge of the farm—the young hero urged his horse into a trot, exiting through the gates. It was at this moment Twilight pushed himself from the grass and stood. "Come on."

"Are we following...you?" Link asked. The hero nodded.

"We are," Twilight said as he calmly began to walk, but Link didn't budge.

"Hey... Why are we here?" he asked, prompting Twilight to turn and look back at him. "Don't get me wrong, this is interesting. But...I'm more interested in your answer."

"Regarding?" Twilight asked.

"Me being sorely mistaken about heroes not making mistakes," Link said. "I'm not a fool; that's the point to all of this, but I don't want to beat around the bush to get an answer. I've been through that enough."

"I'm not beating around the bush, I promise," the Hero of Twilight chuckled. "I figured it'd be easier to understand if I showed you while telling you. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I...can't argue with that," Link said, starting to walk after his ancient counterpart.

"Don't worry; you'll get an explanation," Twilight chuckled again as they walked side by side toward the gate. "While we walk, why don't I get an explanation from you?"

"From me?" Link asked.

"From you," Twilight confirmed. "Like...why you're so eager for such an answer?"

Link looked over at Twilight, meeting his piercingly calm gaze.

"You already know, don't you?" Link asked. "That's why we're here."

"Maybe," Twilight nodded. "But I still want to hear it from you."

Link gave the Hero of Twilight an irritated look before sighing.

"I've made...a lot of mistakes," he began reluctantly. "From a hundred years ago when I didn't finish the Calamity, to just a few weeks ago in my own home. I almost got Zelda and everyone in the village killed, and I did get those I cared about in the past killed. I messed up, and I know I'm supposed to learn from those mistakes, and I feel like I have, but... I dunno, I just feel like I've failed as a hero."

"What do you think a hero is?" Twilight asked as they passed through the exit gate.

"Well–" Link started, but before he could finish, he was taken by the arm and pulled to the side.

"Watch out for the goat," Twilight said simply.

Just as Link regained his balance from being tugged aside, he heard a call from the ranch owner as a goat barrelled its way past them, kicking up dust as it bolted away. Coughing as the dust flew by, Link looked down the road, where he could see a village in the distance.

"Is that gonna be okay?" he asked, to which Twilight nodded.

"Yeah, I got it," he said, patting Link on the back as a sign to keep walking. "You were saying?"

"I, uh..." Link said, looking down the road as he tried to regain his thought process. After a moment, he sighed. "At this point, I'm not sure. In my time, the hero was destined to face the Calamity, to save everyone from destruction."

"You think a hero is supposed to save everyone?" Twilight asked as they began walking again.

"If not that, then as many as they can," Link said. "I failed. That's why Maz Koshia was testing me all those months ago. I failed... I got everyone killed. The champions, the king, most of the population..."

"I see," Twilight replied simply. "You don't think you saved people?"

"I know I saved people," Link said. "I eventually helped Zelda. I saved everyone in my new era. I saved a ton of lives in the past, and I get all that. But...I should have been able to save everyone."

"Well, that's contradictory, isn't it?'' Twilight asked as they walked through another gate. Before Link could reply, the hero gestured up toward the village ahead of them. "Welcome to Ordon. My home."

Link looked around to examine the village they had been walking toward. It was a small village surrounded by mountains and large forest trees. While the nature surrounding it was dense, the village itself was fairly open. Pumpkin patches had been scattered around the open fields, reminding him vaguely of the Kakariko Village of his time. A river ran through the fields, with a few wooden bridges to connect either side. The houses themselves had been built into the rock formations and gigantic old trees, yet there were a few houses that stood tall on their own, one of which even had a water wheel. What caught Link's eye the most, though, was the two men that stood before them, one the younger version of Twilight and the other an older, larger man with a substantial belly, narrow eyes, and a bushy, segmented mustache resembling horns.

"What happened to your horse?" Link asked, noticing the familiar silver-maned horse was nowhere to be seen.

"A friend of mine took her from me," Twilight chuckled. "Watch out for the goat."

Pulling Link to the side again, they watched as a dejected goat trudged back the way they came, heading for the ranch again.

"When you said you had it," Link said as he observed the goat slowly walking away with its head hung low, "did you mean the you over there?"

"Yeah, I caught it," Twilight replied simply, also watching the goat. "You just need a sturdy stance and a good grip on the horns. Gotta be careful so as not to hurt the little guys, though."

"Impressive..." Link nodded casually. Suddenly, he furrowed his brow. "Hold on a second, did you say somebody took your horse?"

"I did," Twilight answered calmly. "But, I eventually got Epona back."

"Your horse is named Epona?" Link asked. When the Hero of Twilight nodded, he looked appalled. "How could you let someone take Epona from you? That's your horse!"

"And I love my horse dearly," Twilight chuckled. "Meaning I wouldn't let anyone just take her."

"No one should. That's Epona," Link said sternly. "That's your horse—our horse."

"Oh? Does that mean you wouldn't let Zelda take her if needed?" Twilight asked with a cheeky smile. At this, Link faltered.

"Right... You know about my relationship with Zelda," he mumbled, which made the hero beside him chuckle.

"I do, but we'll get to that. It seems like I've already gone after Epona, so why don't we follow?" he suggested.

At this, Link looked over where the young Twilight had been standing. The young farmhand could be seen running across the bridges and through the village. Still as cheerful and relaxed as ever, Twilight strolled after his younger self, prompting Link to follow.

"What did you mean by what you said earlier?" Link asked, accepting that he'd simply have to wait to see what happened with Epona. Realizing that Twilight would most likely ask what he meant even if he did know, Link clarified. "About my...contradiction?"

"I mean, it's exactly what I called it," Twilight said as they crossed the river. "A contradiction. You said one thing, but it sounds as though you're holding yourself to a different standard. I asked what being a hero meant, and you said to save most, if not everyone. Yet, you dismissed the lives you saved afterward."

"I mean... I feel like that's a fairly petty reason to call what I said a contradiction–" Link began, stopping when he noticed the hero shaking his head.

"Link, when it comes to this, those small things matter," he said as they passed by a pumpkin patch and a couple of houses, the first beside a lake, the other on the opposite side, built inside of an old tree. At the sound of this, Link frowned, but before he could find an argument against what the hero said, Twilight patted his shoulder, regaining his attention. "We're heading through here."

Looking up, Link noticed the path beginning to narrow. They had started walking toward the forest, where stone and tree trunks had somehow begun to merge. A winding path had been carved through the stone wall, leading into the forest. Twilight strolled down the path, with Link following, intently surveying the tall trees surrounding them. The leaves rustled as the breeze caused them to dance above, spreading the unique scent of Ordon village around them.

After some time on the winding path, they eventually arrived at a clearing within the woods that felt vaguely familiar to Link. The clearing was surrounded by towering trees similar to those in the woods where he had met the small child before his training, but it was what was built inside the clearing that spoke to his inner spirit the most. On one end of the clearing was a small training area, where a makeshift scarecrow with a pumpkin head stood tall on a pole. Nailed high on the trunks of the surrounding trees were crudely painted wooden targets. Most prominently, situated near the rear of the area was a tree even larger than those surrounding the clearing, with a house built within the trunk, so high above the ground that a ladder was needed to reach the front door.

"This is your house, isn't it...?" Link asked.

"It is. My childhood home," Twilight replied.

"But, it's all the way out here, away from the village. Did you live alone?" Link asked.

"I did live a bit outside the village, but I wouldn't say I was alone," Twilight chuckled. "There was a man who looked after me from as far back as I can remember. He trained me to use a sword, taught me how to fish... He was like a father to me."

Twilight smiled as his eyes softened with nostalgia the longer he looked at the treehouse before them.

"And, well..." he chuckled, "even if he didn't visit me, I always had some form of commotion going on out here."

He gestured over to the scarecrow, where Link had only just noticed the small children playing in front of it. There was a girl with freckles, a slightly enlarged forehead, and short, reddish hair; a very small boy with large cheeks, a small mouth, and expressionless eyes; and another, much louder boy currently—and unsafely—swinging around a large, wooden practice sword. With each swing, the boy missed the target, yet they all looked to be having fun.

"You play with the village children..." Link commented.

"I did. Still do occasionally, but they're a lot older now," Twilight said, looking at the children fondly. "One even has his own business. It's quite impressive, really. You play with the village children in your town, don't you?"

"Yeah... At least...I did," Link said, losing some of his smile. "I, uh... I've been a little sidetracked these past few months. But you know about all that, don't you?"

"Maybe," Twilight answered. Link took a silent, deep breath. Another question avoided.

"Did you teach them?" Link asked. "Was this your teaching method? Giving them a sword to try out?"

"Not necessarily," Twilight answered. "I usually would never let them use that sword, especially unsupervised but... Well, I needed to get my horse back, right?"

"Were they in your way? These guys?" Link asked.

"You could say that, and while I'd usually try to get creative with a solution, I was in a hurry this time around," Twilight explained. "I guess I'm not the best teacher."

"I wouldn't say that," Link commented. "You've been teaching me this whole time; at least, I think you are right now."

"I appreciate that, but I'm just emulating the men who taught me," the Hero of Twilight said. Link furrowed his brow at this.

"Men?" Link asked.

"I told you about one just now," Twilight said. "The other you've mentioned before."

"The skull kid's friend..." Link answered after a brief pause, to which Twilight simply nodded.

"Come on. We'd better catch up," Twilight said suddenly. He gestured over to another path that led deeper into the forest.

Crossing the clearing, they began following the path into the deep woods. As they listened to the crunching of sticks and thick grass between them, careful not to trip over any of the stones on the path, Link kept stealing glances at Twilight, who simply walked with a serene smile. They walked through the forest for some time before Link spoke again.

"Those small things matter," he said, repeating Twilight's words.

"They do, because while you can be told just how much good you've done, it's those small mistakes that stick with us the most," the hero replied. "I'm sure you understand that feeling well."

"Yeah... Yeah, I do," Link admitted.

"That's especially true for us," Twilight explained. "Those who have not only the weight of the kingdom on our shoulders, but one even heavier–"

The Hero of Twilight paused in his steps. They stopped in front of a closed gate in the wall of trees and stone. This gate was far more intricately decorated as if signifying what it was protecting was sacred, therefore worthy of the extra steps that a simplistic town would give to its builds. Losing his smile, Twilight looked through the open areas of the gate's decor, staring into the clearing they protected.

"–is the weight of protecting the ones closest to our hearts."

Curious, Link stepped beside Twilight and peered through the gate himself. What he saw was a beautiful natural spring with several waterfalls and cascades, large stones with intricately carved patterns, and sparkling sand surrounding the spring water itself. While the spring was gorgeous in its own right, it was those who stood in it that grabbed his attention. There was Epona, who looked cleaner than she ever had, with a girl and a little boy beside her. The boy looked similar to the other children, very short in stature with a blond bowl cut, but the girl was something else. She was beautiful, with short, light hair, a simple white shirt, tan pants, and no shoes as if to better feel the purity of the spring water. Before her stood the young hero, who Link and Twilight had been following, staring into her eyes with a certain gleam of entrancement behind them. It was a look Link knew well.

"Is that your Zelda?" Link asked, but Twilight shook his head.

"That's not the princess," he answered. "But...she was someone special to me at one point, just like your princess is to you now."

"At...one point?" Link asked, only for him to once more be tugged to the side before a crash reverberated in his ears.

Immediately, his hand went for the legendary sword on his back as he turned to see the group of monsters headed toward them. While his stance was perfect and his eyes steady, he was quite surprised. These monsters were very different from what he had faced in his Hyrule. Instead of the usual wild horses caught and abused into submission, these monsters rode boars strapped in armor. The riders, while still very monstrous, didn't look piglike at all. They were fully clothed with bits and pieces of makeshift armor. The skin that was visible was green and putrid, and their faces had coverings that obscured everything but their red, glowing eyes.

With their clubs and bows drawn, they rode right past the two heroes as their boars charged through the gates. Horrified, Link watched as the onslaught began. Epona reared back in fear, crying and neighing as a few of the riders jumped onto her saddle. The boy and the girl tried to run, but the boy was trampled by one of the boars, while the girl was shot with an arrow that pierced her back. Finally, the young hero of Twilight was violently bashed over the head with one of the creatures' clubs as they rode past him. The young hero fell helplessly into the water as the creatures assembled their forces. While one set gathered up the child and girl, the rest of their forces focused on the horse, who was still putting up a powerful fight against them.

"There's nothing you can do," Twilight said as they watched the onslaught. Turning, Link looked back at the hero, who watched with a grim look in his eye. "This happened long before you could do anything, before your Hyrule even existed. The past can't change, no matter how much we wish it could. We are just as helpless as I was when it happened."

Link frowned. It was just as he experienced in the Illusionary Realm with Maz Koshia. Again, he was powerless. Before he could reply, he heard another set of hooves behind him. While slower than the rest, they were far heavier. Turning, he saw a final boar rider, larger, with far less armor, naturally protected by his massive belly and thick skin, and a similar shade of putrid green as the rest. It was obviously in charge of the others since it had the biggest horns protruding from its skull, showing his dominance and strength, and carried a large, fearsome battle axe on its back.

The creature brought its boar into the water of the spring, just barely avoiding trampling the young hero's unconscious body before coming to a stop. Inspecting his henchmen's work, the creature grinned, showing its uneven teeth before bringing a large horn up. With a deep breath, it blew a powerful, uneven note through the instrument before signaling its henchmen to retreat. Taking the horse and hostages with them, they vanished from the spring, leaving the unconscious hero alone in the water.

"How long were you out?" Link asked, staring at the hero's young body still lying in the water.

"Not long, but long enough for the village to be attacked, my teacher to be injured, and the rest of the children to be kidnapped," Twilight responded in a low voice, "and I was powerless to stop it all."

"You can't put that on yourself," Link said, furrowing his brow. "You were outnumbered. They caught you by surprise, and you weren't prepared–"

"Really now?" the hero said, raising an eyebrow. "That sounds like another situation, one I'm sure we both know of."

Link hadn't needed the Hero of Twilight to point that out. He had noticed the similarities the moment they came out of his mouth. Unsure of what to say, he looked back at the unconscious young hero still in the water as Twilight continued to speak.

"By your logic, I was the hero," he said. "So, regardless of my disadvantages, I should have succeeded."

"Did you know you were the hero?" Link asked suddenly. "When this happened...did you know?"

"I did not," Twilight answered honestly. Link nodded slowly in understanding, only for the hero to read him easily. "If you think that's an excuse, though, why don't we continue to a time when I did know?"

At this, Link noticed movement in the spring water. He saw the younger hero picking himself up, rubbing his head as he tried to ease the pain. It didn't take long for the young hero's face to fill with horror before sprinting off, unwittingly passing Link and his older self while heading down the path he knew the beasts had come from when they first barged in. As the hero passed by them, Twilight gestured for Link and himself to follow.

Following the fresh hoof prints on the path, they walked a short distance before arriving at a bridge. This bridge was different from the ones in Ordon. Instead of a small wooden bridge that spanned a small river, this was a large rope bridge spanning a vast, bottomless ravine, one deeper than any Link had encountered in Hebra.

"Careful, you wouldn't want to fall down there," Twilight said as Link looked down to inspect the ravine's depth.

"If I had my paraglider, I wouldn't be too afraid of falling," Link commented. "Though, I doubt even I have the stamina to climb back up from down there. Where does this lead? Everything we've visited is entirely new, and I've never seen anything like this. I've never even heard of an Ordon in Hyrule."

"That's because this isn't Hyrule," Twilight said simply. "This is the bridge that connects our lands, the province of Ordona to the kingdom of Hyrule."

"We're not even in Hyrule?" Link asked. "No wonder I've never heard of these places. But then... Why did the monsters come here?"

"Whether or not the land is deemed Hyrule or not, the three golden goddesses created everything we see. We're all connected in one way or another," Twilight said as a breeze blew through the ravine.

"A land beyond Hyrule... People beyond Hyrule... I never considered that somehow," Link said, which made Twilight chuckle.

"You're starting to sound what a friend of mine would call elitist," he said.

"I'm not saying it like that," Link said with a frown. "I'm saying everything always happens in Hyrule, from what I was taught. To think there are lands beyond us that also have trouble..."

"There are some things in this world that are simply out of our control," Twilight said. "The beasts that stormed in just now were after a light spirit's power. The power of the gods are connected and spans far beyond the land of Hyrule... Yet, most events do occur in our kingdom, that is true."

After a brief chuckle, Twilight looked out over the breezy ravine. He took a deep breath of the Ordonian air before gesturing to Link again.

"Come."

They crossed over the bridge, neither afraid of the slight sway as they crossed. Once on the other side, their boots stepped onto the grass once more. While they were still very much within a forest, the nature surrounding them appeared much brighter. The tree leaves, the blades of grass beneath their boots, and even the flowers that bloomed across the clearings were all vibrant in hue.

"So, where in Hyrule is this?" Link asked as they strolled through the forest.

"Faron Woods," Twilight answered, looking around at the tree leaves that danced above them. "The southernmost forest in Hyrule."

"This doesn't look like Faron to me," Link murmured, but Twilight shook his head.

"It may look different, but I assure you it's where we are in Hyrule," he said. "This is Faron; at least, Faron many millennia ago."

"Millennia?" Link asked. "What era are we in?"

"An era rarely mentioned in your history books, that's for sure," Twilight replied. "Centuries after my time as the hero, this time period was deemed the Era of Twilight; an era that existed long before your Hyrule was born."

"Before my Hyrule was born?" Link repeated. "But Hyrule is old. Really old. Over ten thousand years old. You're telling me we're in a time before my Hyrule? You make it sound as though this is a different kingdom entirely–"

"It might as well be," Twilight cut in. "While the ground we walk on is the very same soil the goddesses created, the kingdom itself has risen and fallen many times over. This kingdom is not the same as the one you lived in."

"It's not the same...?" Link asked, coming to a slow stop. He furrowed his brow and looked around, prompting Twilight to stop as well, before asking, "How... How long have we been doing this?"

Twilight stared at him for a moment before giving a simple reply:

"A long time."

With that, Twilight continued through the forest. Forcing his thoughts to move on, Link followed.

It's no wonder the monks were ready to replace me so easily, he thought as he followed. Well...I guess we never did beat the Calamity entirely. We only sealed him...

"We're here," Twilight said, coming to a stop.

His voice snapped Link out of his thoughts, who looked up to find another spring, similar to the one they had left in Ordon. Instead of a group of people standing in the water, there was only one person—the young hero himself, his back turned to them—wearing the same garb Link was wearing at that moment. The young hero wasn't alone, though, for while he was the only person, a being was looking down upon him. Floating above the water was a large spirit in the shape of what Link could only guess was a monkey. Its entire being was encased in a golden glow, its fur and markings all the same shiny essence, with a long tail curled around its body.

"What is this...?" Link asked, watching in awe as the spirit spoke to the young hero. The spirit was so bright it was difficult to look at, yet it was so incredible he couldn't pull his eyes away.

"This...is the moment I was told what I was destined to be," Twilight answered, his eyes locked onto the young green-clad hero in front of them.

Suddenly, the spirit vanished in a flash of light, leaving only a few light particles in its wake. With the spirit gone, the young hero stood in the water, looking down at his newly gloved hands, taking in all the spirit had told him.

"You were told you were the hero by that...spirit?" Link said as he watched the young hero inspect his green clothes. "That's surprising... You don't have the Master Sword."

"I got it much later in my journey," Twilight said. "Though, it is strange. Out of all the heroes, you've held that sword longer than any of us."

"Really?" Link asked, glancing back at the purple-winged sword on his back. He stared at it for a moment before looking back at Twilight. "If you came from the village behind us... Then you weren't a knight. You weren't trained for this, not properly. Were there any Champions? Anything to help you?"

"No Champions, no official knight training, no Divine Beasts as you call them," Twilight said. "Just what my Ordonian teacher taught me and the sword I stole from him on my back. I was tasked with defeating the King of Twilight, the one I thought was responsible for the kidnapping of the children. But...I wasn't alone."

"Well, well... You're the chosen hero and all that, huh?" a high-pitched voice suddenly spoke.

Surprised, Link looked around before noticing something strange about the young hero's shadow. As he stepped out of the spring and back onto the grass, the shadow beneath his feet wiggled and squirmed before seemingly rising from the ground. Separating itself from young Twilight's feet, the shadow floated to the young hero's eye level, taking the form of an imp with a large, peculiar helmet.

"So that's why you turned into that beast! Hee hee hee!"

"Another imp? Like the skull kid?" Link asked, to which Twilight shook his head.

"No. She's different. She actually enslaved me when we first met," Twilight said. When he caught Link's confused look, he chuckled before adding, "She ended up helping me along my journey. She became important to me. She... She was my friend and partner."

"Was?" Link asked quietly. Twilight stood silently for a moment, staring at the shadow's laughing, teasing figure before replying.

"When I heard I was the hero," he finally said. "I was happy, ecstatic even. Do you know why?"

"I can't...say I do," Link answered honestly. "When I took hold of this sword and found out I was the hero... It felt heavy, like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders."

"You were wise," Twilight said, watching as the shadow dove back under his younger self. As the young Twilight ran off deeper into the woods, Twilight stood and watched. "I was excited because that meant I had the power to save the children. To save the village. To save Ilia. Being the hero meant I couldn't lose... How ignorant I was."

"What happened?" Link asked, taking a step toward the hero.

"I lost," Twilight answered simply. "I lost, and I almost cost my partner her life."

"You...lost?" Link repeated, to which the hero nodded.

"I found the children," he began to explain again, very slowly walking toward the spring water where the young hero had just been standing. "They were in Kakariko—a Kakariko far different from yours. The monsters that first took them tried to do them harm again, and that time, I managed to take care of it. I helped the Gorons save one of their own kind and even restored him back to normal. I helped the Zora, who were frozen in their domain, and their prince, who was dying at the time. And finally... I found Ilia. She wasn't completely okay, for she had lost her memory–"

"I get that," Link commented.

"–but overall, as tired as I had gotten, things were looking up."

With a sigh, Twilight stepped into the spring water. Placing his hands on his hips, he looked up at the cascading water before continuing.

"My partner, she... She wanted help saving her world from their false king," he said, listening to the water's constant roar. "I helped her gather what she needed, and when we got the last piece that would help her... We were sure everything was in place for us to save everyone."

After a pause, he closed his eyes.

"I was ignorant."

Instantly, without warning, the scenery changed. The vibrant forest and spring had vanished, replaced with what Link presumed was a cave. It was clear that this was no ordinary cave, for they stood on a natural rock ledge that overlooked another beautiful spring. Instead of large stones, massive roots descended from the cave's rocky ceiling and reached down into the spring's water, all bearing the same carvings as those on the rocks before. Link and Twilight stood on the ledge of the cave, peering out into the water below.

"What's–?" Link began to ask, but suddenly, another figure appeared directly between them, forming from a strange collection of thin, black squares.

It was the young hero, with a far more confident look in his eye than before. Instead of the green tunic he had been gifted, he sported a blue one decorated with scales and flippers. With a victorious smile, the young hero turned, ready to walk out of the cave, then paused abruptly. His face filled with shock. Nothing more, not even fear. Confused, Link turned completely, wondering what would stop the young hero so suddenly, only for his eyes to widen in surprise as well, while Twilight turned with a knowing, grim frown.

Standing behind all three was a man.

He was tall, with dark, armored robes that covered his hands. His face was completely obscured by an intricately carved helmet designed to resemble a fish, detailed with a large fin on top, a peculiar, pointed nose complete with nostrils, and large, rounded eyes carved into it, with the irises looking in opposite directions. Despite this, they somehow still seemed to be intensely, yet lifelessly, staring down at the young hero.

I... I didn't even hear him, Link thought, his hand going for the Master Sword just in case. It's like he just appeared! Is this the king Twilight menti–?

Before he could reach the handle, the ground began to shake. The markings on the roots and the water behind them began to emit a bright light before a creature sprang out from below, splashing as it rose into the air. It was a long, serpentine beast with golden scales and markings similar to the primate spirit from earlier. As it rose into the air, it quickly coiled its body before stopping just behind the young Hero of Twilight, baring its fangs as it stared viciously into the helmet's stone eyes.

Link could feel the power of the spirits around them, winds blowing around as the beast's long body continued coiling around the room. He looked back at the young Twilight, wanting to see how well he fought in the past, and yet, the hero had frozen, still staring at the enemy before them. As the light spirit behind them prepared to attack, the robed man remained motionless. It was all he had to do.

Without a word spoken or a muscle moved, power radiated from his robes. While Link and Twilight prepared (Link barely had time to react), the young hero flew back, landing hard on the ground. The light spirit was also blown back, slamming against the rear of the cave, causing an ominous rumble throughout the cave. Finally, the robed man raised an arm toward the incapacitated beast, and with a wave, the creature was forced back into the water.

The light disappeared, not just from the water and the roots, but from the world itself. The cave was riddled with a haunting glow of darkness as black squares twisted in and out of reality. Confused, Link looked around the new atmosphere before locking on to the robed man, still ready to fight in case the trials forced him to duel. But the man wasn't interested in him; he was interested in the imp on the ground, sitting next to a wolf that had mysteriously appeared.

"What happened?" Link asked Twilight as the robed man began to talk to the imp. "Where'd you go?"

"I never left," Twilight answered simply, watching as the robed man magically forced the imp into the air, her wrists bound invisibly by his power. "When the light is receded by twilight, the chosen hero will take the form of a beast."

"A beast?" Link asked. He looked around before noticing the wolf unconscious at their feet. "You mean–?"

He didn't finish. Disrupting his thoughts, a few large, ornate pieces of stone flew by them, having been taken from the imp. The robed man, still controlling everything without lifting a finger, took them before making them vanish into thin air.

"Why do you defy your king?"

The words he spoke had an eerie, low-pitched quality to them; deceptively calm, yet clearly threatening, even from behind his heavy, stone mask.

"A king?" Link asked.

"The King of Shadows, a self-proclaimed false king," Twilight answered, still grim as he observed the events unfolding before him. The imp started screaming at the false king. "The man I thought had taken everything from me. The man who used a power that was not his own."

"Not his own?" Link repeated, only to be interrupted once more.

The imp's body flew forward before being slammed violently into the ground next to the wolf's body.

"This power... This power is granted to me by my god!" the man suddenly shrieked, his voice becoming high-pitched."It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you will respect it!"

Finally, the wolf awakened, revealing his blue eyes.

"You're up," Link said.

"Too late," Twilight replied.

Growling, the wolf jumped, baring its fangs, yet again, the robed king dismissed him without the slightest bit of movement. The helmet's stone eyes seemed focused purely on the imp, who was still recovering from being thrown to the ground. The wolf was blown away and tossed down once again. With the wolf handled, the imp was once more raised by invisible hands and brought to the king's chest, where he began quietly whispering into her ear.

"I wasn't able to stop any of this," Twilight said as he watched the imp pull herself away from the man's invisible grasp, clearly rejecting whatever it was he was offering her. She flew down to the unconscious wolf, attempting to shield him from any further harm. "I was powerless, despite being the hero... Despite claiming I could save them all. That arrogance...almost cost my partner her life."

"What?" Link asked, only for the shadowed king to answer his question.

"So be it..." the king sneered down at the imp. "I will return you to the light world you covet."

"A normal being from the Realm of Twilight," Twilight slowly answered as he painfully watched the imp being forced into the air again, "cannot survive in our world of light."

Twilight closed his eyes, and Link watched as the imp was pulled away from them. With a piercing shriek, the imp was forced off the ledge and held above the water. The strange, dim glow of the world disappeared, allowing for the gigantic golden serpent to rise from the water once more, recovered from the initial blast it had taken earlier. Its body coiled through the cave before facing down the King of Shadows, only just noticing the small body that floated before it, but it was too late. As the world of light returned, the imp was forced to feel its brightness. Screaming, she writhed in pain as the skin across her entire body began to burn. The spirit looked between her and the King of Shadows before making a decision.

The cave began to shake again as winds bounced off the walls. With its scales growing brighter, the serpent's body began to coil the room while its head and eyes remained locked onto the King of Shadows. With a roar in preparation to attack, the room flashed with a light so bright it was blinding, blocking Link's vision entirely.

He expected to see or hear a battle, but there was only silence. Rubbing his eyes, he opened them to see they were no longer in a cave. Instead, they stood in a dark field, far emptier than the forest they were in before. The bright sun had been replaced by a night full of dark clouds above. Link looked around, twisting and turning to see where the man had gone, but stopped when Twilight put a hand on his shoulder.

"What happened?" Link asked. "Where'd he go?"

"I dunno where he went after that," Twilight answered as a light rain began to fall from the sky. "All I know is when I woke up, I had been transported out here, to Hyrule Field."

"Hyrule...Field?" Link repeated.

He scanned his surroundings as well as he was able through the rainfall. While it didn't look exact, this was a field he could believe was similar to the one in the center of the map he was used to. A rolling landscape with trees and rivers, though this one was far more uneven. What convinced him the most was the enormous castle in the distance, almost completely hidden in the darkness of the night. Eventually, Link's eyes finally found the wolf, who was just now beginning to stir in the grass, with the scorched imp on his back.

"Did she...? Were you able to...?" Link tried to ask, but Twilight shook his head.

"I couldn't save her," he said, watching as the wolf darted off toward the castle in the distance, "but I was told she could."

"She?"

Lightning cracked down from the sky, causing another flash of light. Immediately, Link no longer felt raindrops or the humid breeze of the field on his face. Instead, he heard the patter of the rain against a large window pane from safely inside a large room. It was an elegant room, crafted from stone bricks with the most beautiful, intricate carvings—carvings he recognized.

"The castle?" he asked Twilight, to which he nodded silently. Link looked around to find that while it was still large, it was smaller than the rest of the castle he had explored before. There was even a bed. "A bedroom–?"

Without warning, the doors to the elegant room opened. Rushing in was the wolf with the scorched imp on his back. Near the back of the room, a figure turned in response, catching Link off guard. He hadn't noticed the figure standing in the shadows, draped in a dark hooded cloak, for she had been so still. As the wolf came to a stop, the imp weakly slid off his fur, landing on the cold stone ground. Crouching down, the hooded woman reached a hand out and placed it on the imp's cheek.

"That woman..." Link mumbled. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, for even with the hood covering most of her face, he could see her eyes. While they were blue instead of the green he had come to know, they still felt oddly familiar. "That's her, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Twilight said quietly. "That's the princess."

"Please... Please tell me... How do we break...the curse on this one?" they heard the imp ask weakly as the princess pulled her gloved hand away.

"She was worried about you," Link said, watching as the events unfolded. "Even in her state..."

"She was," Twilight answered. "She tried to protect me when the false king attacked us, and even in this moment, she was trying to save me...and I failed her."

"Who is she?" Link asked as the princess began looking over the wolf. "You said she was your partner, but...she looks like she's from this Twilight Realm you spoke of, the one that king was from."

"You have a keen eye," Twilight said. "She is. As we have a leader, the Princess of Light, the Twilight Realm has a leader as well... The Twilight Princess. I told you, the King of Shadows was a self-proclaimed king–"

"–who was gifted powers by his so-called god," Link finished. "Her home was taken from her..."

"She needed my help, and while she was a bit heavy-handed at first... Well, you saw what happened," Twilight explained. "And in this moment, more than ever, she needed me, and I couldn't do a thing. Someone else had to save her for me."

"Zelda saved her," Link pieced together, watching as the princess's hand began to glow. "The Sealing Powers..."

"Those powers are for more than just sealing," Twilight said. "The Princess of Hyrule is capable of far more than you realize, just as you are. Unfortunately...that doesn't make her all-powerful. Some things require sacrifice..."

"What binds him is a different magic than what transformed him when he first passed the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power," the princess spoke in response to the imp's question. "Our world is one of balance... Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil. Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane, the Master Sword."

As the princess continued to explain, she suddenly raised her hand.

"Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddess..."

On the back of her hand, a light began to glow again, made of three similar shapes to make one.

"Her control over it is incredible," Link said. "Zelda had such a hard time but...your princess seems so in tune with them."

"Those powers work in strange ways," Twilight replied. "My princess was powerful and had great control; her powers pale in comparison to the strength your princess has."

"Then why was it so hard for her to control them?" Link asked. "Why did the goddess ignore her calls?"

"Those are questions I cannot answer, for I'm unsure myself," Twilight said. "Whether it was the goddess, the golden goddesses themselves, or just her own internal struggles inhibiting her, I don't have the answer. Even at this moment with my princess, I didn't understand what was going on. All I wanted was for my partner to be healed, and that's what I got."

Link furrowed his brow before suddenly, another light began to shine in front of them. He saw the princess's robed body glowing before her light began transferring to the imp. The small being levitated as the light engulfed her, causing the princess's light to dim.

"What's happening? What's going on?" Link asked. Twilight didn't respond.

"No! Link! Stop her!" the imp shrieked, but the wolf simply watched in awe.

Slowly, the princess of light vanished, leaving just the wolf and his imp, who looked healthy, even in the world of light.

"Wh–?... What happened?" Link asked slowly.

"The princess sacrificed her own life to save her," Twilight answered grimly.

"You let her sacrifice herself?" Link asked incredulously.

"I did, though I didn't know that's what she was doing," Twilight replied, looking Link in the eyes. Suddenly, Link's anger vanished upon seeing the guilt behind those irises.

"I...I'm sorry," he said regretfully. "I...I just...I get protective over her, and..."

"I know," Twilight said. "Believe me, if there was another way, I would've tried. All of this happened because I wasn't strong enough. I was ignorant and almost got myself and my partner killed, and I might as well have killed the princess because of it."

"But... That's not..." Link tried to comfort him, but Twilight simply gave him a look.

"It's not my fault?" he asked. When Link didn't reply, knowing full well the trap he had been led into, Twilight chuckled. "Come. Let us continue."

Without warning, the scenery changed again. They were once more outside Hyrule Castle, where the sun was beginning to rise. Unprepared for the change, Link was shaken by the sudden flash of light. He looked up to find the castle completely encased in an angular, dark barrier. Before Link could ask a question, Twilight spoke.

"We were so focused on taking down the false king, we never noticed the princess had been fighting another war all on her own," he said, looking up at the imprisoned castle.

"The god the King of Shadows spoke of?" Link asked. Twilight nodded.

"He is no god. He's nothing but a man," Twilight said, furrowing his brow. "The mastermind behind everything, and without the princess...it was a perfect opportunity to seize it all."

Again, the scenery changed. Link blinked before rubbing his eyes, blinded by the bright morning light. He never believed he would ever move faster than when he used the Sheikah Slate to teleport. Finally adjusting to the light, he looked around to find they had returned to a forest setting. A canopy of leaves was above them again, yet the ground they stood on was flat. He could make out the remains of a building's walls around them, before finally noticing the familiar sword resting in the center of it all. He looked back at the sword on his own back, and the moment he pieced together what was happening, the doors to the staircase that led up to the room's remains opened. Running through was the wolf and his imp riding on his back.

"That trial I took before finding the sword," Link asked as the wolf came to a stop in front of the sword. "Did you have to take that as a wolf?"

"You're sharp for being able to put the pieces together. I did, and it was a challenge," Twilight chuckled. "The skull kid did not go easy on me...but I made it through, and that sword...it saved me."

The Hero of Twilight gestured back toward the wolf, who was slowly approaching the sword. Link watched as the beast grew closer to the blade before suddenly, the sword began to glow. It grew brighter before a blast of wind blew from the pedestal where it stood. The imp was blown away as Link held his arms up, trying not to fly off the ground himself. This was the Master Sword's true power?

Struggling to keep his eyes open against the force of the wind, he watched as the wolf fought to stand against the sword's power. Roaring, the beast stood his ground before he began to glow as well. Finally, the blade released its full power, forcing a bright light to shine through the woods. Once the light faded, Link opened his eyes to find the human form of young Twilight standing before the sword with his hands on the handle. With a mighty tug, he pulled the blade from the pedestal before holding it in the air, where another powerful, but more controlled gust of wind blew from the sword. With the sword now in the young hero's possession, the imp finally found it safe to get close to him once again. As the hero and the imp spoke, Link turned to Twilight.

"I've never experienced that," he said. "That wave of power..."

"And it's not even its true strength. You'll one day wield that power yourself," Twilight said, but Link only furrowed his brow.

"Why wouldn't it reveal itself to me when I needed it?" he asked. "Was the Calamity Ganon not threatening enough?"

Twilight stared into Link's stern eyes before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I think there's someone far more suited to discuss the Master Sword with you, and your time to speak with him will come," he said. "For now, let us focus on the question you asked at the beginning of all this."

Though the sound of this person intrigued him, Link nodded, accepting he would get his answer later on, but not without asking a final question.

"Skull kid's other friend... Is that who will give me the answer regarding the sword?" he asked. Twilight smiled.

"No," he said simply, finally giving him a straight answer. "That is another person, though you may meet him as well."

Staring at Twilight for a second longer, Link inspected the hero's eyes before nodding.

"Shall we continue?" Twilight asked.

"What happened after this?" Link answered with another question, watching as the young hero and the imp, who had vanished under his shadow, disappeared through the doorway whence they came.

"We went after the King of Shadows," Twilight answered, pacing through the grass. "We needed to get to the Twilight Realm to face him and free my partner's people. He tried to stop us by breaking the passageway there, but we managed to find the pieces he hid across Hyrule, and even restored my friend's memories in the process. Once we entered the Twilight Realm, we faced him in his own castle, where... Well, things got a little out of hand."

Realizing he was about to be moved, Link closed his eyes before opening them again. The forest had vanished, only for them to reappear in a different part of Hyrule Field. Turning around, he saw the imprisoned castle still within view, with a large, elegant staircase leading up to the beautiful walled entrance of what he assumed was this era's Castle Town.

"Castle Town?" Link asked, to which Twilight nodded. "But, why here? I thought you said–"

His question was cut off by a piercing scream, though he received his answer when two beings appeared from a mesh of thin black squares in front of them. The young hero, now wielding the Master Sword and Hylian Shield, skidded away from the King of Shadows, who had been brought to a knee out of exhaustion.

"He brought the fight here?" Link asked. Again, Twilight nodded.

"He took me to many places in an attempt to mess with me," he answered, "but it didn't work. Thanks to my partner, the princess's sacrifice, and the helpful teachings of the skull kid's friend, I found my courage."

Link watched as the self-proclaimed king stood up, angered and stomping, before revealing two large blades hidden in his robe sleeves. Fearlessly, the young hero stood, confident and ready to continue their duel. The king jumped forward, wildly swinging his twin blades around. Effortlessly, the hero jumped and dodged, striking wherever he could find an opening. As the crazed king continued to swing, the hero leaped and rolled before jumping up and slashing behind him, a move Link recognized as one of the hidden skills he used in his battle against Maz Koshia.

As the battle waged on, it appeared as though the young hero would triumph with ease, though the longer the battle dragged, the more unpredictable the king became. He began teleporting around, disappearing and reappearing to try and catch the young hero by surprise. Sometimes, he would appear with chopping attacks; other times, he would appear while spinning his body as violently as a twister, and yet, the young hero predicted them all. After a barrage of attacks, the hero finally dealt a final, powerful bow, bringing the King of Shadows to his knees as he shrieked in pain.

The moment the king fell, the world began to change. It was different from the sudden appearances Link had become accustomed to. It was as if a spell was being lifted, a spell the king had put over everyone. The beautiful field, the imprisoned castle, and the large staircase all vanished, and what took its place was the inside of a building. This structure was different from any Link had seen before. The room was tall, built from dark, carved stone. Angular details had been carved into it, with strange greenish lights that decorated their surfaces. It was clear, even through the unique architecture, that this room was special, for at the end of it was a large throne, where the King of Shadows sat, slouched over one of the armrests.

As he lay injured, the imp appeared from the young hero's shadow, who now stood in the center of the room, staring down the fallen usurper king. With magic of her own, she retrieved the stone pieces that had been taken from them in the cave. Now that he could see them clearly, they all looked like a piece of the helmet she currently wore. Gaining the pieces back, she looked down at her body, though she was surprised to look exactly the same. Before Link could ask Twilight about this, a voice shrieked from the throne.

"Y-you...traitors!"

"Traitors? Ha!" the imp laughed. "You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant. All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils. Did you think we'd forget how our ancestors lost their king to such greed?"

As she continued on, Link noticed something. She was angry—furious even—and while he understood why, having pieced together this was originally her throne room, he couldn't ignore the look in her eye. It reminded him of how he was only a few weeks ago. As he put this together, he heard the one called Zant laugh.

"Foolish Twilight Princess... The curse on you cannot be broken..." he wheezed tiredly. Now that Link had a good look, he noticed his helmet had been removed, revealing a man with pale skin and a thin face. His eyes burned a bright orange, and though he still had a hood, a few strands of reddish hair could be seen from his bangs. "It was placed on you by the magic of my god! The power you held as leader of the Twili will never return!"

His god... That keeps coming up... Link thought to himself.

Again, his thoughts were interrupted. The atmosphere had changed, and it was clear to see the cause. The imp, who was listening to Zant's taunts, was growing angrier. Her long ponytailed hair had started to rise as her small body shook violently. The change wasn't in his head; power was oozing from her body uncontrollably.

"Already he has descended and been reborn in this world..." the self-proclaimed king said. At this, the young hero standing by the imp's side furrowed his brow. "As long as my master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!"

Link felt the vibrations of his heartbeat course through his body at the sound of that name. Suddenly, Impa's statement from when he had first visited Kakariko Village rang in his ears:

The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon, a primal evil that has endured over the ages...

As Link stood in shock at what he heard, the King of Shadows weakly raised his head, uttering an eerie, lost moan, as if relishing the idea of his god reviving him. This was the imp's final straw. Furious, her hair changed to become a large, slimy hand. With immense power, the hand grew, pulsing as it did before firing forward toward the king's body. Together as one, the fingers pierced the center of Zant's body, something that seemed to surprise the young hero. As the fingers pushed deeper into the king's being, he shrieked as he fought back, kicking his feet and flailing his arms, his neck nearly cracking as he tried to pull away. Suddenly, his body began to inflate, as if being filled with power, before eventually, he popped. As the imp's power returned her hair to normal, the throne was left empty as everyone, including Link (except for Twilight), stood shocked at what they had seen.

Immediately, the floating imp curled into a ball, her eyes filled with horror at what she had done.

"I... I used just a fraction of the power that's in me now..." she uttered, staring at the now empty throne. "I did that using only a fraction of my ancestors' magic? I... I didn't mean to..."

"I understand that anger," Link commented as he and Twilight watched the imp stare at the throne. "I... I had a similar look in my eye when I was fighting a Yiga a few weeks ago."

"Did you now?" Twilight asked. Link nodded.

"She regretted it, didn't she?" Link asked. After a pause, Twilight nodded.

"Immensely," he said. "He had been beaten, and her power had far exceeded his. She wished she would have dealt with him another way, but... She did regret her actions, especially since he wasn't the main source of evil."

"That makes me feel a lot better," Link said, taking a deep breath. "Speaking of that evil..."

Link turned away from the imp they had been looking at and stared directly into Twilight's eyes.

"What was that he said about Ganon?"

Suddenly, the imp and the young hero vanished, leaving just the Hero of Twilight and Link in the throne room. Twilight stared at Link before looking at the spot from which the imp and his younger self had vanished.

"Zant's god... The one who had given him the power to take over the Twilight Realm... The mastermind behind everything that happened in my era...was caused by Ganondorf."

"Ganondorf?" Link asked.

"I learned about him when I visited the Gerudo Desert," Twilight explained. "Apparently, that was his home. I was told that, a long time ago, he was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule, supposedly in hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm. He was known as a demon thief, a wielder of evil magic, known for his ruthlessness. He was set to be executed...but he somehow survived."

So this thief is the reason the Sacred Realm hid itself away, Link thought before asking, "He found a way to escape death?"

"Whether it was his magic that summoned it, or it was just some divine prank, Ganondorf survived," Twilight explained. "Unsure of what to do, he had been banished to the Twilight Realm, where eventually he found Zant and gave him power."

"How long ago was that?" Link asked quietly.

"I wasn't told, but it was a long time ago," Twilight answered. "It could've been a hundred... A thousand... Even ten thousand years ago before my time."

At the sound of this, Link's eyes widened. Suddenly, he remembered when he and Zelda made their first trip to Zora's Domain in his era. They had gone to take down notes on the history of the Zora, where one of the Zora Stone Monuments spoke of an evil man...

"–an evil man intending to rule the world appeared, bringing disaster to Zora's Domain. It is said that Ruto awakened as a sage, facing down this foe alongside the Princess of Hyrule and the Hero of Legend...'" Zelda read out loud. "Link, doesn't this seem eerily familiar to...?"

"Yeah, it does," Link answered. "It sounds similar to the legend from ten thousand years ago."

"Urbosa once said that the Calamity Ganon was once a Gerudo male..." Zelda said. "You don't think... You don't think the Calamity Ganon and this person are connected, do you?"

"Was it you?" Link asked. "The one who fought alongside a Zora Princess named Ruto? Did you fight by her side to take down this Ganondorf?"

"No," Twilight replied. "That was another hero... The skull kid's friend and my teacher. I fought him on different terms."

Before Link could ask about this other hero or anything more about this Ganondorf's past, the setting changed again. They now stood in the world of light, once again, on a familiar stone floor. They had returned to the castle, though this time, the view was one Link recognized. They stood on the ledge next to the staircases that led to the tallest tower; the ledge Link had jumped off and climbed down to first meet the Hero of Twilight. Now, however, the pure white clouds had disappeared. The landscape was visible, and the clouds above were not white, but dark and eerie. Strong winds were blowing around them, almost knocking Link and even Twilight off their feet.

As they struggled to stay standing, Link noticed the young hero appear through the door between the staircases. He ran out, fighting against the wind himself, before turning and starting to climb the staircase to the tallest tower. Gestured forward by Twilight, they followed him up the staircase and into the tower, into Hyrule Castle's throne room.

The room was gigantic, bigger than even the sanctum Link had known in his time. The room was rectangular and long, with high, decorated ceilings adorned with even more intricate window panes. In the center of the room was a long blue carpet separating the left and right, with each wall having a row of large pillars to keep the tower standing. Finally, at the end of the hall was the throne situated at the top of a short staircase; a large red chair where a tall statue stood behind it, holding up three gigantic triangles held together by two stone women, with one missing its head. It was clear there was originally a third statue, but she had fallen, cracked, and in pieces at the foot of the throne, where a man was seated. While the man piqued Link's interest, what attracted him more was the sight of another person: the princess of Hyrule, thought to have disappeared, was placed in the center of the golden triangles above. It seemed as though she had also caught the attention of the young hero they had followed in, and he stepped forward ready to help, only to be stopped by the imp, who held a hand out in halt.

As rain drummed against the ceiling and lightning flashed outside, a low, rumbling chuckle echoed through the halls.

"Welcome to my castle."

The man, sitting hunched over on the throne with his elbow on his knee and his chin resting on his knuckles, grinned.

"So...you're Ganondorf," the imp said.

Still chuckling, the man slowly picked himself up from his seat, revealing his full figure. He was a massive man, far taller than the young hero. His build was sturdy and covered in dark, heavy leather, fur, and armor. His skin was as black as the clouds outside, and his hair and beard a shade of red that matched the Gerudo women Link had known. In his hand was a large, otherworldly, glowing sword, sheathed in a dark scabbard that clashed against the brightness it emitted. With his cloak billowing behind him, he stepped forward, his heavy boots clomping, before smirking down at the duo before him. The imp grinned back as the young hero prepared himself.

As the imp and the one known as Ganondorf exchanged a few words—the man showing off his divine power and the imp swearing to defy him by any means—Link's brow furrowed. He noticed the bright white wound pulsing in the center of the man's chest.

"A man who refuses to die... A Gerudo who tried to take over the kingdom... The King of Shadow's god... Ganon... Is he what the Master Sword is warning me about? But... If he is the same, Zelda and I sealed him, didn't we...?" he mumbled to himself, trying to connect the pieces until Twilight spoke.

"You'll get your answer soon enough," he said. "Remember why I'm showing you all this. You asked what I meant about no hero being perfect, and nothing sums this up greater than this battle right here."

Suddenly, Link—having not taken his eyes off the King of Thieves—noticed Ganondorf's form beginning to change. His body disappeared, becoming nothing but a swarm of thin black squares. They flew up, stopping just before Zelda's unconscious body hanging high above them. Link's eyes widened.

"He wouldn't..." he mumbled as the imp flew upward, trying to stop the man's plan, but it was too late.

Blown back from the force of his power, the imp flew across and out of the hall, vanishing into the rain outside. Seeing her go flying, the young hero made a dash to go check on her, but a field of magic blocked the doorway. Ganondorf's laughter echoed throughout the room again. In horror, Link watched Zelda's body descend before her boots touched the blue carpet. While she appeared to be awake, her skin was deathly pale, and her beautiful blue eyes had become a sinister amber. The princess began to walk toward the hero, summoning her thin longsword as she smirked at him.

"Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the King of Light and Shadow..." she said. Again, her body began to rise into the air, holding her sword out at the ready. "So you choose, and so...you shall feel my wrath!"

Confused and horrified, the young hero watched as the princess grinned evilly before suddenly bolting down from her place in the air. Flying toward him, she aimed her sword for his chest, something the hero barely deflected with the Blade of Evil's Bane.

"You fought her?" Link asked as the airborne princess continued her volley of attacks against the young Hero of Twilight. "No... No, you can't fight Zelda!"

"I had to. I didn't have a choice," Twilight said, painfully watching the battle unfold before him. "I stalled for as long as I could, but she couldn't break free from his clutches. It...it was a mind game I wasn't prepared for."

"But..." Link stammered, watching as the princess and hero dueled.

"Without my partner, there was nothing else I could've done," Twilight said. "It was the most painful fight I had ever experienced, but...it was either fight or allow her to continue living that nightmare, threatening her own kingdom. That is a choice you may one day have to make."

"Don't say that," Link rejected. "There has to be another way—a way to save her."

"I'm not saying you'll one day have to fight your Zelda," Twilight said. "What I'm saying is as the hero... I hope you find an answer when something along these lines arises, for it's up to us to make these impossible decisions. Unfortunately, I wasn't strong enough to save her myself. I had to take her down and hope my partner could save her after."

Conflicted, Link frowned as he watched the battle between hero and princess wage on.

Balls of electricity thrown from the tip of her sword, beams of light shooting from the floor, and strikes swung down from the air above. All of these were attacks the young hero managed to dodge or deflect. Laughing, the princess landed, grinning as the young hero backed up.

"What's wrong, boy?" the princess asked, bringing the blade of her sword to her cheek. "Do you wish not to harm me? Such a magnificent blade, yet you have not the strength to wield it!"

In a final, desperate attempt, the young hero held out his legendary, purple-winged sword. Just as when he first encountered it, power began to burst from its blade as it started glowing. Flinching, Zelda held up a hand, her long brown hair and dress blowing around from the strength of winds now forcing her back. Gritting his teeth, the young Twilight took a step forward, struggling to hold the powerful blade steady in the hope that it would dispel the evil from Zelda's body, yet with a laugh, the princess knocked the sword away with her own.

"There we go, kid... Give me a real battle," she grinned, brandishing her blade again.

With a pained frown, the young hero looked back at the throne room's entrance, catching sight of the little imp's unconscious figure lying on the ground. Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he opened them and turned back to the corrupted princess. Readying his stance, he twirled the Master Sword between his fingers. The princess's grin grew more wild.

With incredible speed, she burst forward, bringing her sword down as she aimed for the hero's throat, only to be blocked by the brilliant blue and silver shield the young Twilight held. Using his sword, he knocked her sword to the side before bashing the shield against her chest. Coughing, she stumbled back, placing one of her gloved hands on her front before looking up to see the hero jumping into the air with his sword ready. Now gritting her teeth, she flew back, narrowly avoiding his strike before she became airborne again.

Now well out of reach, she raised the tip of her sword high above her head, where a surge of power began to build up. It was a wild power, similar to the electricity she had thrown at her opponent before, but this one was larger than any of the rest. The ball of power grew, eventually encompassing the entire blade before she violently swung her sword, firing the energy down at the young hero. Holding his stance firm, the young Twilight faced her as the Master Sword's blade began to glow. Just before her attack could strike, the hero swung, knocking the power right back up into the air. Matching the hero's technique, the two bounced the power back and forth between them. With each strike, the energy flew faster, requiring quicker and strong strikes to redirect it. In the end, it was the Master Sword that shone brighter. With a final strike from the hero, the ball flew upwards again. The princess's swing was only a mere second too late as the ball flew past her blade and struck her body.

Zelda writhed in pain as the electricity coursed through her body. Link winced, looking away as the princess, still screaming in agony, came falling to the ground. Landing on the carpet and dropping her sword, she tried to push herself up, jolting with every surge. Near the entrance, the magic wall faded, a sign Ganondorf's magic had grown weak. Noticing this, the young hero looked back to see his partner finally pushing herself up. Seeing the princess's weakened state, the imp jumped into the air, summoning the relics she had used to put an end to the King of Shadows.

Circling her, they joined to create one helmet, and the moment they fused, the power began to take form. At first, it was just her ponytail turning into a hand, but then there was a second hand, then a third until eventually, the imp had grown to almost half the size of the throne room. She was no longer recognizable, for her body was nothing but a large, glowing, slimy-looking mesh of arms and hands with a helmet for a head.

"Is that still...?" Link asked, taking a step back at the sight of the large, multi-armed creature.

"Yeah. That's her," Twilight replied.

As the creature crawled through the throne room, shaking the castle tower as it moved, it shot two of its arms forward before grabbing the princess, holding her tight between its large hands. They forced her body back to the throne, and with a violent squeeze, Link watched as the black squares that had entered her body were forced out, leaving only the princess's body, her skin returning to normal. As the hands pulled away, Zelda collapsed, leaving it to the young hero to run and catch her body before it hit the ground. Inspecting her, the hero sighed in relief, and as the large creature moved forward to look, the castle shook again.

Both Link and his monstrous partner turned to find the thin, black squares flying to the other side of the room, merging once more. Link watched, preparing for the man's reappearance, but the darkness had grown far larger than the body it had once been. It grew until it, too, took up half the tower's room. The black mass began to take shape; a four-legged beast Link found uncomfortably familiar. With tusks, a long snout, a long red mane, and beady yellow eyes, a beast resembling a boar appeared, roaring in challenge of the Twili monster who stood before it.

"We should probably back up," Twilight said, retreating toward the room's walls.

Taking Twilight's advice, Link ran after him, listening to the roars of the boar and the returning screeches of the multi-armed monster. Reaching the wall, he turned to see the two beasts clash, shaking the castle as they fought. The beast—a vague cross between wolf and boar—stood on its hind legs as its strange, burly arms swiped and clawed at the multi-armed, pulsating creature, which grabbed wherever it could on the boar's body to try and keep it at bay. With each stomp either beast took the stone floor beneath them cracked. Pillars crumbled as the boar was thrown into them, only to pick itself back up and charge at the Twili colossus with its tusks. Their roars and cries were deafening as they traded blows, only stopping during the brief moments of separation before the boar would charge to strike again.

Somehow, even though entranced as he watched the two titans clash, Link noticed the young hero placing Zelda's unconscious body on the throne, unsure of where else to move her. After ensuring this was the best he could do for her at the moment, he turned and headed toward the battle, brandishing the Blade of Evil's Bane once more. Avoiding any debris and the stomping of the titan's hands or feet, the young hero wove between their locked bodies before noticing the pulsing bright wound still under the boar's furry belly. With the Master Sword, he waited until the Twili beast shoved the boar to the ground, where its stomach was exposed. Getting in close, the young hero jumped and stabbed his sword into the open, glowing wound.

The boar gave a violent, hysterical roar of pain before pushing itself to all fours again. With a powerful swing, it knocked one of its burly arms against the young hero, sending him flying away toward the same wall Twilight and Link were observing the battle. He slammed into the stone wall, falling to the ground at Link's feet, who watched as the bloody hero lay motionless on the ground. Seeing her partner go flying, the Twili screamed in anger, its stone helm violently shaking as it began to push the boar down with some of its hands, using its remaining hands to beat down against it as the boar tried to fight back.

With each blow to the boar's body, the castle shook. Link was afraid the castle would collapse. He looked down at the young hero lying at his feet, but just before he could ask Twilight if he was okay, the hero gripped his sword and pushed himself up. After wiping blood and dirt from his face, he looked up to see the boar finally pushing the Twili off and stabbing it with a tusk. Sparked with a sudden new surge of energy, the young hero charged back into the colossus battle as the boar threw the Twili down. The boar reared on its hind legs, clawing and pounding the helm of the Twilight titan, only for the boar to cry in pain again. The boar hadn't noticed the little Hylian scurry underneath him to stab him in his open wound again. With the power of the Master Sword surging, the young hero pushed the blade deeper into the boar's stomach, holding the handle tightly.

The boar reared back, trying to escape the legendary sword, but the Twili had managed to crawl up and grip the boar wherever it could hold it down, allowing the hero to shove the sword to the hilt. The castle shook violently with the boar's screeches and roars. Wind burst from his stomach as the Master Sword purified its innards. In excruciating pain, the boar shook and swung its tusks around, digging its claws into the floor as it tried to pull away, but the hero and Twili held on. As the multi-arm Twili roared in response to the boar, the young hero yelled as he struggled mightily to hold on to the Master Sword, to keep his blade firmly inside the boar.

With a final, vibrating screech, the boar lost its strength. Twili Colossus threw the beast to the side to prevent the young hero from being crushed by the falling beast, which caused the entire castle to shudder upon impact. Tired and dirty, the young hero pulled his sword from the boar, the body beginning to disintegrate and burn. Turning, the hero watched as his allied titan shrank, returning to her impish form with only one piece of her helm remaining. Walking up the steps to the throne, they turned back and watched as the boar continued to burn, fully engulfed by scorching, golden flames. Suddenly, the imp's body began to glow, and they looked on as the emitting light began to transfer from her body to the princess's, who finally opened her eyes.

"Your friend grew powerful enough to survive without Zelda's power," Link said, watching as the three allies beside the throne smiled at each other. "It...looks like everything worked out. You managed to save everyone–"

"I didn't," Twilight replied.

Confused, Link tore his gaze away from the heartwarming view to see Twilight's grim features, still watching. Before Link was able to question his response, a spark echoed through the hall. Link and the group near the throne turned to see the flames that had consumed the boar beginning to spiral in the center of the room. The throne room grew hot as the flames morphed, taking the form of the thief's head, just as large as the boar had been. The head of flames gave a deep, threatening laugh, and Link noticed both the young hero and the princess take a step back in fear, intimidated by the immense power before them.

"I froze, and it cost everyone," Twilight said. "She had to save me again."

As the young hero and the princess stepped back, the imp didn't move. She stared at the power burning before her, and after a few seconds, she responded in kind by bringing out her helmet shards again. Noticing this, the young Hero of Twilight looked at his partner, realizing her plan. He dashed forward, trying to make up for the paces he had retreated, but before he was able, both he and the princess disappeared in a mesh of thin, black squares. As the black squares flew away, the imp watched with a smile on her face before the helmet pieces reattached, encasing her head entirely.

The multi-arm Twili colossus had returned, its viscous body pulsing as it turned its attention to the flaming mass before it. The Twili floated into the air, summoning a gigantic spear out of nothing. As it began coiling its arms around the spear, the flaming head growled and roared in provocation. With an answering scream forceful enough to cause the pieces of the helm to quiver, the Twilight Titan and the evil flames charged toward each other, ready for their deadly clash.

This was a battle Link didn't get to see, for the scenery had changed the moment the young hero and princess were teleported away. They now stood in a new, barren part of Hyrule Field where the sun was rising in the East, and the castle was shadowed in the distance. Stuck in the field, everyone except Twilight looked around in confusion.

"What happened?" Link asked. "Your partner, the castle, Ganon. What–?"

Before he could finish, an explosion sounded in the distance. Link turned to see the castle covered in a large cloud of dust. Towers fell as flames were visible in the distance. Everyone in the field stared at the destruction with dismay, turning to horror when they noticed something strange.

Someone was in the distance, a figure—a man—sitting on a horse... It was Ganondorf, mockingly holding something aloft. Upon closer inspection, both Link and the young hero realized what it was: the helmet the imp had been wearing, now crumbling between the man's dark fingers. As Link and the younger Twilight watched in horror, the King of Thieves, rearing his horse, summoned an army of spectral soldiers on ghostly mounts with his dark magic, an army Link assumed were ghosts of enemies long past. With a battle cry, Ganondorf spurred his horse. He and his army charged across Hyrule Field, heading straight for the young hero and princess. While the young hero had drawn his sword, the grip on the handle was weak. He stared at the army charging toward them, his mind clearly still filled with the vision of the helmet crumbling between Ganondorf's fingers.

"What are you supposed to do...?" Link asked as he, too, watched the army charging toward them. "He just keeps coming back, over and over... He needs to be put down—put down for good—but...but how do you put someone like him down?"

"For a second there, in that moment, I was asking myself the same question," Twilight answered, watching as his younger self gaped in terror and confusion. "For a moment, I had lost my courage. It was owing to the princess that I did remember it. It was because of her that my sword found strength again."

He gestured forward, prompting Link to look at the young hero and the princess again. He watched as Zelda took the hero by his wrist before everything flashed again. Closing his eyes in response, Link blinked a few times before keeping his eyes open, finding himself and Twilight standing on an endless sea of water with a dark sky above them.

"The Sacred Realm..." Link murmured before noticing the hero and princess. He saw a golden bow appear in Zelda's gloved hands.

"Link..." she said. With a pleading smile, she placed a hand on her chest and bowed. "Chosen hero... Lend us the last of your power. Please."

As Zelda lowered her head to the young hero, Link noticed the smiles and looks they had given each other.

"You two hadn't talked much during this entire time," he said to Twilight as he, too, watched. "Yet, you look as though you already know her properly."

"You noticed, huh?" Twilight asked with a smirk of his own. "I'm sure you already understand. When it comes to the princess–"

"–it feels like we've known each other forever," Link finished. "Apparently, no matter what era."

They watched as the young hero held out his hand, allowing the princess to take it before they returned to Hyrule Field in another flash. Link and Twilight had also returned to their place in the field, watching as the young hero and princess turned to face the evil, stubborn man sitting on his steed in the distance. With a newfound, confident gleam in his eye, the young hero reached into one of the pouches on his belt and pulled out an unusual, crooked whistle. Bringing it to his lips, he played a beautiful, short tune. With a neigh in the distance, his old chestnut steed galloped toward them from wherever she had been, stopping next to her owner so he and his princess could climb into her saddle. With a bow in the princess's hand and the hero with the Master Sword ready, they urged the horse forward, riding to meet the King of Thieves and his army head-on.

Link and Twilight watched as the duo rode throughout the field, trying to subdue their opponent. As the hero sliced through hordes of the ghostly riders trying to take them down, the princess kept her aim firmly on the King of Thieves, firing at every opportunity with her powerful, luminescent arrows. Link recognized these as the Bow and Arrows of Light.

"He's not even in his beast form, and he's still fending both of you off..." Link said, watching as their horses rode side by side. As the young hero attempted to strike his opponent, Ganondorf managed to defend himself with his sword while riding. "It took an entire army of Guardians to take me down alone..."

"Are you praising yourself there?" Twilight asked, but Link shook his head with a stern gaze as he watched their swords clash and arrows fire.

"I'm saying this guy... This Ganondorf... He's insane," he said. "He's taking you, with such a powerful sword, and the princess, with the Bow of Light, on at the same time and holding his own. And that's after he fought your partner. What kind of power does he have?"

"Above all else, Ganondorf is a sorcerer," Twilight explained as he watched a golden arrow pierce Ganondorf's armor. "The power he wields is unlike any other. Even the divine power gifted to him only enhances what he's already capable of. But... In the end, he is still just a man."

The moment Twilight said this, his younger self struck the King of Thieves a final time. With a shout in pain, with arrows protruding from his body, the man swayed on his horse before both man and mount collapsed to the ground. Pulling on the reins, the young hero and the princess came to a stop nearby, looking at the dust that had kicked up from the man's fall. As Link and Twilight arrived, having walked across the field to reach them, another laugh echoed from the dust cloud.

"You can't be serious," Link mumbled.

As the young hero leapt off Epona with his sword ready, the dust cloud cleared to reveal Ganondorf, picking himself up, light arrows still protruding from his armor. Standing tall, he threw his head back in hysterical laughter, which echoed all across Hyrule Field before abruptly stopping. Lowering his head as the arrows dissolved from his body, he smirked at the exhausted young hero standing before him.

"You still point that sword at me?" he asked the young hero. Chuckling again, he continued. "It's an impressive-looking blade... but nothing more. Would you hear my desire?"

Taking hold of his own pure white luminescent sword, he pulled it from its makeshift scabbard.

"Allow me to take this foul blade...and use it to blot out the light forever."

Ganondorf stepped forward, preparing to take the young hero on himself. Noticing the man coming forth, the princess attempted to climb off the horse herself, but before she could, a barrier of magic surrounded the King of Thieves and the hero. With the barrier up, dark clouds gathered in the sky. As rain fell and lightning flashed, Ganondorf and the young, courageous hero prepared to duel. Link spoke not a word. He focused on the two swordsmen, awaiting the imminent clash. Finally, the opponents dashed toward each other, beginning their legendary bout.

Their swords collided. Sparks flew as both ancient blades scraped against each other. The size difference between Ganondorf and the diminutive Hylian was clearly evident; Ganondorf was more than twice his size. Yet, the young hero held his own, refusing to allow Ganondorf to push him down. Finally, they broke away, skidding apart before charging at each other again. Laughing, Ganondorf swung his blade, a strike the young hero barely avoided. As the pure white blade sliced past his ear, the hero jabbed the Master Sword forward, only for Ganondorf to jump a surprising distance into the air in avoidance. Landing behind him, the King of Thieves kicked him in the back with his heavy boot, a blow Link felt in his own spine.

The young hero flew toward the magic barrier surrounding their makeshift arena, slamming into it with significant force. Yelping in pain caused by impact and electric shock from the barrier, the hero collapsed to the ground as Ganondorf slowly advanced toward him, his taunting chuckle echoing as he approached.

"Such a pity..." he said in a rumbling tone as he closed in on the hero. "You know... I fought another lad like you once, a long time ago. He was the reason I was captured. Compared to him... You're nothing. He didn't even have that sword, and he still put up a fight. What a waste."

As the young hero of Twilight tried to pick himself up, Ganondorf placed a heavy boot on his back, forcing him back to the ground.

"You're weak," Ganondorf said, losing his smile as raindrops poured down his face, his eyes peering down at the hero in disgust. "Just like that Twili friend of yours."

The boot felt heavier as he increased the pressure, forcing the young hero deeper into the ground. The young hero tried to push himself up, to fight back, but he couldn't shake the man off. This was it–

"Link!"

Link, Twilight, and the young hero looked over to see the princess jumping from the horse to the barrier wall.

"Get up! He's just a man, a man filled with evil. You have something stronger than that. You have courage!"

At these words, the young hero gripped the green-strapped handle of his sword tighter. With a growl, power beginning to pulse from the sword's blade, he struggled to pick himself up, fighting against Ganondorf's heavy boot. Against all odds, surprising Ganondorf himself, the young hero pushed the king off his back and straightened himself out, twirling his sword and readying his shield again. Noticing the hero's renewed resolve, Ganondorf laughed again before charging, holding his ancient glowing sword with both hands.

As the hero dashed forward himself, their blades clashed again, sparks flying as they pushed against each other. This time, however, they were not equal. With a yell, the young hero pushed his large opponent back. As Ganondorf stumbled backward, the young hero advanced, slicing whatever part of his body he could, trying to aim as many of his attacks toward the wound glowing on Ganondorf's chest. Finally, with a mighty slash, the King of Thieves was thrown back, landing on his backside with a thud. Before he could push himself up or dodge, the young hero jumped into the air, landing on the thief as the Blade of Evil's Bane pierced his body through his glowing wound.

The moment the blade struck him, he bellowed in pain, which echoed through all of Hyrule, notifying the land of his defeat. As he screamed and writhed on the ground, the young hero climbed off of him, stepping back in exhaustion as the princess ran to his side.

"Looks like you finally beat him–" Link said, trailing off mid-sentence as his eyes widened in disbelief.

Again, Ganondorf stood, with the hilt of the Master Sword still firmly sticking out of his chest. While Link was surprised at his resilience, neither the young hero nor the princess budged. With stern gazes, they watched as the man weakly tried to stay on his feet, gasping for air despite the blade piercing his body.

"D-do not think this ends here..." he managed to gasp out. "The history...of light and shadow will be written in blood!"

"You are beaten, Ganondorf," the princess replied calmly. "This duel, your plans, all of it. It is over."

"I– I refuse!" Ganondorf shouted.

He raised his hand, the back of it glowing a brilliant light, and yet it faded. Slowly, he lowered his hand as the bright, glowing wound on his chest started to dim. As his eyes lost color, he lowered his head, his body becoming as still as a statue. As the wind blew, his cloak brushing at the ankles of his boots, his body stood still and lifeless. Link sighed in relief.

"That was intense–" Link began, watching as the princess and the young hero stared at their dead enemy, only for something to stop his words.

From behind them, a bright light began to glow where the helmet Ganondorf had destroyed was lying in the field. Turning, everyone watched as what appeared to be four light spirits surrounded the helm before revealing a small body in the distance. No one looked as surprised as the young hero quickly started running up the hill despite his exhaustion. He dashed up as fast as he could, almost tripping over himself, as he went to meet the friend he'd thought was lost.

"She was saved..." Link said as Twilight chuckled.

"Yeah... In a way," he said.

They walked up the hill after the young hero, only to find the person he had dashed to was not the imp, but a tall, beautiful lady. She was statuesque, her body the same white and black colors as the imp Link had been accustomed to seeing. Dressed in a long, beautiful cloak, with patterns similar to the Twili, she looked at the young hero and smiled.

"What? Say something," the woman said. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

Confused as they came to a stop beside them, Link looked at Twilight.

"Is that–?"

"Yeah," Twilight laughed. "It is."

"Wow... Alright then," Link said, watching as the princess caught up to them. As the three friends conversed and laughed together, he asked, "So, it appears you managed to save everyone."

"Kind of, but not without some losses," Twilight said, looking back at the destroyed castle in the distance. "People were hurt during the attack. We're lucky injuries were all we suffered. But..."

"But?" Link asked.

After a pause, Twilight sighed.

"I didn't save everyone."

Suddenly, the scene changed again. Looking around, Link found themselves standing in what looked to be a very small sandstone colosseum. The circular walls and pillars surrounding them were tall and ornate, but what stuck out the most was the large, tall obelisk in the center of it all. While the rock itself was nothing special, what was being projected onto it was. It was covered in white patterns of light that were clearly those of the Twili, and projecting those lights, placed on the opposite side of the colosseum from the obelisk, was a strange, circular mirror, where Link saw the young hero, the princess, and the Twilight Princess talking.

"What's this?" Link asked as he and Twilight stepped closer.

"This...is the moment I couldn't save my partner," he answered grimly. Confused, Link looked up toward the sandstone pedestal where the three friends stood beside the strange mirror, observing as the events unfolded before him.

"Well...I guess this is farewell, huh?" the Twilight Princess asked. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know."

"What?" Link asked upon hearing this. "What does she mean by that? You... You guys are partners, aren't you? That's proof enough that light and shadow can mix..."

When Twilight didn't say anything, Link resumed observing, now leery of what was happening.

"But..." the Twilight Princess continued. "Never forget there's another world bound to this one."

"Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other," the Princess of Light replied. "I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes... That is what I believe."

At her words, the Twilight Princess averted her eyes in thought before smiling, meeting Zelda's eyes again.

"Zelda... Your words are kind, and your heart is true," she said. "If all in Hyrule are like you... Then maybe you'll do all right."

Turning, the Twilight Princess walked toward the mirror as Zelda watched on in silence, pondering the meaning behind her words. As the Twilight Princess stepped in front of the mirror, a staircase of light appeared, but before she stepped onto it, she looked back at her two Hylian companions, specifically the young hero.

"Thank you..." she said. "Well, the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again..."

At this, the young hero smiled, but to his and Link's surprise, a tear ran down the Twilight Princess's cheek.

"Link... I..." she said. Suddenly, the tear began to float, then drifted forward with a push of her hand. It slowly traveled through the air. "See you later..."

The teardrop entered the mirror, causing it to crack. In horror, the young hero turned toward the Twilight Princess, who had started running up the staircase. She turned around, smiling at the hero with apologetic eyes and a kind smile. At this, the young Hero of Twilight shouted one thing:

"Midna!"

In a flash of light, her body disappeared, sending her back to her world only moments before the mirror shattered. The lights on the obelisk disappeared, leaving the hero and the princess alone in the colosseum. Link stared in silence for a moment before lowering his head, trying to piece together what had transpired before him.

"I... I don't understand," he said. "Why? You guys were partners—friends. Why would she...?"

"Because...I couldn't save her," Twilight said. "She was afraid... Afraid for her world, afraid for ours... After everything that happened, I couldn't save her from her fear. I couldn't save one of the most important people to me. In fact, I wouldn't have saved anyone if it weren't for her, the princess, and everyone else who helped me along the way."

For the final time, the scenery changed. This time, Twilight's younger self wasn't visible, nor was the dark-haired princess of light. Both Link and Twilight stood alone in a new location, one Link hadn't recognized from all the places Twilight had shown him. They stood beside a small lake surrounded by high cliffs, creating a serene and secluded haven. There was a tall island in the middle and stately trees with delicate pink blossoms dropping petals that drifted slowly to the lush grass below. It was a peaceful place.

"Where are we?" Link asked, looking around at the scenery.

"The fishing hole," Twilight answered calmly. "It's where I go to clear my head. Make sense of everything."

"You fish?" Link asked, to which Twilight nodded with a kind smile.

"Why don't we fish together, and I'll explain why I showed you everything you just witnessed," he said.

Surprised to find he was getting a straightforward answer, Link nodded. Upon Link's agreement, the hero of Twilight guided him to a small hut near one of the natural walls of the hole. After entering and searching the place, they came out with two fishing poles.

"I would usually take a canoe out onto the water, but I think we'll be fine just sitting in the grass nearby," he said, walking out to the lake's grassy edge.

Taking a seat in the grass, Twilight began adjusting his rod before casting out the line into the water, where the hook entered with a small splash. As Link watched Twilight fish, he held his own rod, in wonder at what he was witnessing. Only a few minutes ago, he was watching a death match for the fate of Hyrule with one of the ancient heroes, and now that same hero, after showing him everything, was calmly fishing beside him. After a moment, Twilight looked back.

"Well?"

Finally collecting himself, Link sat down next to him.

"Have you ever fished before?" Twilight asked.

"Not the...um...traditional way," Link answered.

"Here, just watch what I do–"

After a little bit of explanation, Link quickly caught on to how fishing worked, and soon, the two were sitting next to each other with each of their lines cast into the calm lake water before them.

"So," Twilight said after a little bit of silence. "You're probably wondering why I showed you all of that."

"I feel like I have a general idea," Link replied coolly, having accepted the peaceful nature they were surrounded by. "You didn't manage to save everyone, either. You lost your friend, and I get that, but–"

"There is no but, Link," Twilight said. "I didn't save everyone. It's that simple, and I don't just mean Midna either. By the time I had even learned I was the hero, a horde of monsters had invaded my village, captured the children, and hurt the people I cared about. The castle was in shambles, the princess locked in her room, and the people in disarray. I didn't even show you how the Gorons were fighting themselves, or how the Zora were frozen alive, or how everyone in Hyrule had been turned to spirits."

"What?" Link asked. "The Zora were frozen? People were turned to spirits?"

"And the castle had blown up, a whole realm of people—the Twili—enslaved, and the King of Thieves returned," Twilight finished. "I also had to wrestle my mayor half-naked. That was something."

At the sight of Link's confused face, Twilight laughed heartily before calming down enough to continue.

"Link, I was only able to save everyone after the fact, and even then, I still let a castle blow up," Twilight said. "And that's considering all the help I had. I told you, I wouldn't have gotten far at all without Midna, Princess Zelda, or everyone else. If I had been left on my own...I would've died long before I could save a soul. Link..."

Pulling his line back, Twilight flicked it and cast it out into the waters again.

"On my journey, people got hurt. I was almost turned into a wolf permanently. I couldn't save one of my best friends. I didn't save everyone. We are not perfect. We all make mistakes. We are heroes...and still just people."

"Do you still feel guilty?" Link asked, watching his line bobble in the water. "About your partner. Do you still think about her?"

"Every day," Twilight replied. "Every day, I wish I could have found a way to save her from that fear. It's something we all have to live with."

"And how do you live with it?" Link asked. Twilight smiled.

"With others," he said. "With the princess... With my friends in Ordon... With the people we managed to save, and that's the key to it all, Link."

With a smile, he looked over at Link.

"Look at everyone you did save."

"And those I didn't?" Link asked.

"Well, what was it you told me earlier?" Twilight asked, playfully thinking back. "Right, I think you said something along the lines of, 'they caught you by surprise, and you weren't prepared.'"

At the sound of this, Link took a deep breath.

"It'll take a while to accept," Twilight said, "but that's why the sword brought you here, because sometimes you just need to hear it from yourself."

"Right," Link said, looking back at the purple-winged sword on his back. "Thank you. I mean it."

"Absolutely," Twilight said.

"Can I ask you something else?" Link asked. When Twilight nodded, he asked, "What did you do after everything? Did you go back home? Be with that farm girl?"

"Ah... About that," Twilight said with a guilty smile. "After everything, I went back to the castle to help where I could; I had to take the princess back since we were just left in the desert, but... The damage was far beyond what I could help with. So, I went back to the forest, returned the sword, and tried to live life normally again. But, uh..."

Twilight heaved a deep sigh.

"Things weren't the same," he said. "I wasn't the same. I couldn't go back to just being a farmhand. I...I left, and... Ilia and I didn't work out. She understood."

"O-oh. I'm sorry, I didn't–"

"Ah, it's fine," Twilight said, tapping a finger against the wooden shaft of the fishing rod. "It's how life works sometimes."

After another brief silence, Link asked another question.

"Did... Did you find anyone...else after that?"

"Are you asking if the princess and I got together?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Link. When Link didn't immediately respond, the hero chuckled before saying, "It wasn't a normal relationship. She was still the princess, and I was a farmhand, regardless of being the hero and given a high status even among knights. But...we made something work."

"I'm glad," Link said. After a pause, he ventured to ask, "If I were to ask you more about Ganondorf–"

"I'd say you'll learn in due time," Twilight said, but catching Link's gaze, he sighed. "Ganondorf is from a time before me. He's an evil man that always found a way to return, usually owing to his sorcery–"

"Was it him?" Link asked quietly. "The Calamity Ganon... Was the Calamity Ganon I fought the same Ganondorf you fought?"

Twilight stared at Link before giving his answer.

"Yes."

"And you're not the only one who fought him, either," Link continued. "The skull kid's friend—your other teacher—he fought him, too."

"He did, centuries before I did," Twilight said.

"But you killed him. We watched him die," Link said, furrowing his brow in thought. "How...? How does he keep managing to come back?"

"I told you before. Ganondorf is...different," Twilight explained. "He's a sorcerer with powers we don't understand. They keep his spirit alive, even without a body. He finds a way to stay around. It's why you and your Zelda could only seal him."

"You know, don't you?" Link asked after a pause. "You know how he keeps coming back."

"I do," Twilight said.

"But you're not gonna tell me."

"I'm not. That's for someone else," Twilight replied.

"Do you think the Calamity Ganon—Ganondorf—will return?" Link asked after a few more seconds of silence. "Do you think Zelda's seal will break?"

"I don't know," Twilight said. "None of us do. We can help you learn every lesson possible from the past, but the future is the future. Whether it's Ganondorf...or something new, we can't tell you because we don't know. All we can say for sure is that you're still needed; otherwise, that sword would have gone to sleep a long time ago."

"I see..." Link responded. He took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then released it slowly. "Thank you. I'm sorry to harp on it so much; it's just... I can't help but see this as a chance to finally get ahead of what's coming–"

"You are, at least in some ways," Twilight said. "By healing your soul. At the core of it all, that's why I'm here. To help you heal and remember what's important, so you can properly wield that sword, and protect those you love in the future, no matter what happens, because–"

"–a sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage," Link finished, giving Twilight a smile. "Right?"

"Right..." Twilight replied. Suddenly, something tugged on Link's fishing line.

"I got one–! I got a bite!" he said excitedly, quickly getting to his feet.

"Come on, pull!" Twilight said, getting to his feet as he watched the line dart across the water. "Pull!"

"I'm pulling!" Link yelled before suddenly, the hook appeared from out of the water with a splash. Dangling from the line, held up by Link, was a large green fish. With a grin, he looked over at Twilight. "How's that for a catch?"

"It's good...for a beginner," he said. When Link frowned, he chuckled. "You've learned, Link. You've grown stronger during your time here. I'm proud. Your spirit is stronger than before."

"You think so–?" Link began to ask, only for a sound to interrupt him.

It was a chiming, one that sounded awfully familiar. He glanced behind him to see the Master Sword chiming and pulsating with light from inside the scabbard, a sign the blade was glowing.

"It...looks like our time has come to an end. I've accomplished what I needed to," Twilight said. "It's time for you to return."

"Already?" Link asked, still looking back at the sword. "But...I was just getting good at fishing. I guess I'll just have to practice in my era sometime and get better at it. Next time I get a catch, I'll tell Zelda about the time I fished with myself–"

His words stopped the moment he looked back to find Twilight giving him a guilty smile. Confused, Link just looked at him before understanding dawned.

"I won't remember..." he said. Twilight slowly nodded.

"You've been told how the Sacred Realm works," he said. "It keeps itself hidden due to events in the past, hence why you couldn't remember Hylia the first time you left–"

"Then how will I remember everything you taught me here—the time I spent here with you?" Link asked. Suddenly, the world around them began to fade as the Master Sword's chiming grew louder, filling with the same mist Link had walked through at the beginning of their journey to the Era of Twilight. "I'm really going to forget?"

"You will," Twilight said, placing a hand on Link's shoulder as the fishing hole filled with mist. "But everything you've learned will be engraved into you. Your confidence, your courage... It'll be there. You just...won't remember how you got it."

"The same way I felt better when I left Hylia to finish my fight with Maz Koshia..." Link said. "But... You... I'm tired of losing memories..."

"Hey," Twilight said, gripping Link's shoulder a bit tighter. "We share the same spirit, right?"

Pointing a finger, he placed it in the center of Link's chest.

"I am always a part of you, whether you realize it or not. We all are."

Soon, the mist covered their boots as the sky above vanished.

"I'm sorry we have to say goodbye like this," Twilight said guiltily. "Really, I–"

"It's okay, it is. At least this time, I get to say goodbye," Link said as he looked sorrowfully into Twilight's eyes. With a sad smile, he held his hand out through the thickening mist. "Thank you. Really. For everything."

Returning his smile, Twilight took his hand.

"Goodbye, Link."

Soon, Link and the Master Sword vanished, leaving Twilight alone in the mist. As he began to vanish himself, he said one last thing.

"Good luck, and tell the other two I said hello when you meet them."

...

Link's eyes quickly opened as he gasped for air. Looking around, he found himself standing in the center of a forest completely familiar to him. Glancing down, he noticed his clothes had returned. No longer was he a naked soul running through floors of synthetic forests and fighting monsters the Master Sword had created to test him. He looked up to see the small forest children flying around him while the large tree in the center of the woods creaked as it looked down at him with his shadowed eyes.

"So, you return..." the Great Deku Tree said. "Ah... I can sense your spirit has grown since the last time I saw you."

"How long was I gone?" Link asked, looking up at the evening sky. "Has it been a while?"

"A few days," the great forest spirit answered. "Tell me... What did you see?"

"I saw... a lot of rooms," Link said. "Floors, with different monsters on each one. Sometimes just one, other times camps... The last thing I fought was a hinox, and honestly..."

With a sigh, Link looked down at his Hylian Tunic and trousers.

"It's amazing I'm still alive. I didn't think I'd make it."

"And yet, here you stand before me," the tree said with pride. "A fine job, Link. I had no doubt you'd be victorious."

"I'm not done yet," Link said, looking down at the Master Sword, standing tall with its tip in the stone pedestal before him. "I think I have about... Two more trials? Something's telling me two. That's gonna be a lot of floors..."

"Will you be confronting them now?" the Great Deku Tree asked, but Link shook his head.

"No... No, I won't. I need rest," Link answered tiredly.

"A wise choice," the tree replied. "Do return when you feel most prepared. The sword will be waiting for you here. Well done... Link..."

With a yawn, the tree became still once more. It was a fatigue Link could sympathize with. He looked down at the purple wings of the Master Sword's hilt one last time before walking around it toward the large tree behind it. Crawling into an opening in the tree, he entered the small area the Koroks called home. It was a well-carved-out spot in the Great Deku Tree's trunk, with three small rooms: one with a shop of goods, one with a shop of wooden weapons, and the last kept a reasonably-sized makeshift bed with a quilt of leaves. Walking over to the bed, he looked down at the Korok standing in front of it. Strangely, he seemed to be sleeping standing up. Chuckling, Link held out a hand and shook him slightly.

"Uuuugh... No... Vegetarians everywhere... No! No, that's my face!" the Korok mumbled before jumping, abruptly waking up. "Ah! Oh, Mr. Hero! Sorry about that; I must have dozed off for a bit there..."

"That's no problem, Pepp," Link chuckled tiredly. "Do you mind if I take a nap in the bed there?"

"Of course, of course!" the Korok said, jumping up and down on his little stubby feet. "It's all for you, Mr. Hero!"

"Thanks, Pepp," Link said.

Exhausted, he walked over to the bed and plopped down on the leaves. He lay there for a few minutes, thinking back to his time in the trials and how challenging the floors were. Only a few days had passed, and yet it felt as though he were in those trials for weeks. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, happy to get a break from it all. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep, his dreams taking over his consciousness. There, they were filled with strange castles and lands covered in clouds, where he found himself sparring with someone he couldn't help but feel he had met before.

...

Whew! Super long chapter here that does a lot for the story! Now you may notice... I said Ganondorf is the same as the Calamity Ganon in this. I KNOW it goes against what people are saying about TotK, where they claim TotK Ganondorf is summoning multiple Calamity Ganon's in an attempt to escape Rauru's prison, I know. But... a.) I disagree with that theory for in-depth lore reasons, and b.) even if I didn't I want my story to be different from just what everyone else thinks. You'll see how I tie everything together with TotK, just know it will differ from what the community says the "proper lore" is.

Gimme your thoughts on this super long chapter! We're actually coming up on the end of ACoT soon!

Kenny