The Legend of Zelda: Hero of Time Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

"Link!" Navi shouted to try and keep him from crying, and to remind him of why he was out here. "The Deku Tree sent you to go to this Hyrule Castle, but I'll be wingclipped if I know where it is."

Here was an overgrown passage, no longer the forest or the Lost Woods, but simply an area and a tunnel of trees to the outside world. Looking around, Link could see the sun, and it was an oddly bright yellowish color he had never noticed before. He ran through the tunnel and reaching the end, he saw a large owl.

But, this was not a normal owl, and Link could tell right away that this was so. His long busy eyebrows seemed to arch inquisitively, like a humanoid, and his eyes seemed to show something more in them than the wisdom of a normal owl. He was also, easily, four times the size of any other owl Link ever remembered seeing, and there was a sense of urgency to his mere presence, not any single aspect, but the entire presence made Link's quest seem more urgent.

With a hooting trill, the owl looked towards the oncoming boy and his fairy partner. He cocked his head to the left, and then spoke, a high and airy, yet urgent and commanding, voice coming from his beak. "You are the child of destiny, hidden these long years in the forest," the owl said. "And I am Kapoera Gaboera, sent to help and guide you on this quest. I can guarantee that this will be a trying time, perhaps a week, perhaps several moons, but trying, nonetheless. I have been asked to tell you that your first destination ought very well be the Market Town of Hyrule Castle, and then the castle itself. I will try to meet you in the castle with more information, young hero."

"Wait! Please, sir owl, call me Link. But, I need to know where Hyrule Cass-ull, or whatever it is, is before I can go there."

"You will also need to learn more of the language of Hyrule. Here, come to me, and I will give you the knowledge, and a map in your mind, so you may keep record of where you have been and where you must go." The great owl spread out his left wing and Link came nearer. For a moment, he panicked as the wing folded and surrounded him, but when it opened shortly after, he was amazed at how much more he seemed to know.

"So, this castle is the north? How long will it take to get there, wise one?"

"If you travel with due haste, you ought well to make it to the Market Town by high-sun tomorrow, and evening at the worst of luck. Remember what you must do Link, and I will see you when you reach the castle." With that said, Kapoera turned away, spread wide his wings, and beat them, pushing himself into the air. With a graceful and majestic rhythm, his wings continued to beat until he was well out of sight.

"So, travel north and I can be there by high-sun? That sounds good," Link said, looking around. Somehow, he now knew exactly which way to go to reach Hyrule Castle, and he turned and headed out. He traveled the whole afternoon, picking berries off some roadside bushes. He could see smoke on the horizon as the sun fell and he made camp, lying against a stone wall for the night. Camp was a poor term to describe it. Actually, he huddled in the cold against the stone wall, falling asleep after a while. It wasn't that cold, really, but he was used to sleeping in the warmed air of the Lost Woods and the Kokiri Forest.

When Link woke up, to the sound of a horse galloping by, he looked around, to see who was coming, or going. It was a stallion, and as it neared Link, it paused, then stopped, as the rider dismounted. Link decided to play dead. The rider had bright red orange hair, and wasn't wearing any sort of headgear. He had a long and sharp pointed nose, and his eyes were yellow. He stopped there for a moment, allowing his stallion to graze, and he examined the child.

"Forest child," he muttered. "If he isn't dead by now, he will be soon." He shook his head, paying the child no further notice, but instead pulling several rice cakes from his saddlebags. He tossed one towards Link, and it landed on the child's tunic, but he made no move to grab it. Link opened one of his eyes and glanced at the rider again. He wore jet-black armor, and he seemed to have a ruby set into his forehead.

[Is this the man that the Great Deku Tree warned me about? I'd best stay still until he leaves.] So he did, still feigning death, and the rider left, leaving the rice cake behind as well. [At least I won't go hungry.] Link nibbled on the rice cake as the sun rose over the forest and the seemingly distant Death mountain, but once he could see that the day was clear, he started off again. He heard a cart in the not so far path beside his own, and as it went passed, also headed to the Market Town, he caught a glimpse of red hair, not fiery or rusty, but, well, it stirred something different in him.

He continued on his way, Navi sleeping still and comfortably in his hood, and as the sun reached it's apex, he arrived at the wooden bridge-gate into the Market Town, and from there to the castle beyond.

This town was a far different from what Link had been expecting. He had figured something small, and spread out, not the densely packed set of buildings he encountered. He couldn't understand why they had built the walls so tall, or why people would want to live so close together. And he certainly didn't understand the way they would all crowd around a small stand or booth they way they did. He walked towards a fountain in the city square, and almost fell over as a loving couple walked past.

"Watch where you're going, young man," the man said, looking down at Link. Link shied away until the pair was out of sight, and then he went back up to the fountain. Edging his way around, he bumped right into a red-haired girl, and the first thing he thought was that she was really cute.

"Oh, hi. You're a stranger here, aren't you boy?" she asked. She smiled as he blushed. "Your clothes are how I knew. They're not like a normal person's, they look like what people say the fairy kids wear. Are you a forest boy?"

"Uhhm, yeah, I'm a Kokiri," Link said, blushing even more as she kept talking. "My name is Link. What is yours?"

"I thought you'd never ask. I'm Malon, from the Lon Lon Ranch. Why did you come out here, fairy boy?" She grinned and leaned closer to him as she spoke, and he just kept blushing more and more.

"I need to go to the, err, castle, yeah. The Great Deku Tree told me to see the Princess in the Castle!" He jumped back as Malon leaned a bit further, and she fell right over. He reached out his hand to help her up without even thinking. "Oh, I'm sorry, miss Malon. I didn't mean for you to fall."

"No, it's my fault for being too curious," she said, taking his hand. She giggled at the warmth, and pulled herself up. "Say, you're headed for the castle? Well so am I! I have to find my dad. He went up to deliver some crates of Lon Lon's Milk, the best milk in the land, to the castle this morning, and he hasn't come back down yet! Will you help me look for him?"

"I guess it couldn't hur..." he started before Malon pulled him off his feet. "Hey, what are you doing," he shouted in shock, then looked up. He saw a huge stone fortress ahead of him, and he assumed immediately that it was the castle. His protests were gone in an instant, as he realized that he hadn't even know where the castle was before. "Wow. That's huge."

"Look at this, fairy boy," Malon whispered as they neared a bend in the road to the castle. "I snuck her out of the house when we left, because I thought Daddy might fall asleep on the job. This is one of our cuccos, and she ought to be able to wake daddy up."

"Okay," Link said, a bit confused, as he brushed some of the dust off his clothes. "So, I guess we should go in, right?"

"I already tried, and they won't let me in. You take the cucco and find my dad, maybe he can help you get into the castle." Malon held the cucco on her arm, and reached for Link. "You're going to have to sneak past the guards though. These vines are strong enough that you should be able to climb up, but once you get past the first gate, you'll really have to be careful, okay?"

"I guess," Link said, letting the cucco move to his arm. immediately, it moved to his shoulder, and then on to the top of his hood.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing, this is my spot," Navi shouted, waking up. "Ooh, why, who let this giant bird on top of me?"

"Sorry Navi, but it needs to stay somewhere while I'm climbing these vines," Link said. "I think I need some other way to carry things, though."

"Well," Navi said, flying around the vines. "They should be safe enough. Unless you slip, but that shouldn't happen."

"I know, Navi, now could you just let me go?"

"All right." Navi lighted on top of Link's nose, giggling as he started the climb.

It took some time, but Link did make it up the vines, and glanced around. He didn't stay there too long, but he wanted to make sure he went the right way. He nodded to himself, shaking Navi off of his nose, and looked at the castle. "It sure is big," he said.

"That's what makes it a castle," Navi said, flying off. "Follow me, Link, I think I see an easier way for you to get down, past the gate." Link followed her, wondering why he had been chosen for this, why he had to be the hero. He almost asked her, when he felt his foot landing on nothing.

"Navi! Why didn't you tell me there was a hole here?"

"I tried," she said, looking at him. "Someone was too lost in thought to hear me, though."

"Oh, sorry," Link said, looking into the hole. He saw a ladder, and swung himself over, so he could climb down it. Navi had been right, though. This was far easier than trying to use another set of vines to get down, and safer than jumping. After falling the last 4 inches, where the ladder ended, he looked out to the door and walked to it. "Seems too easy," he thought, stepping outside of the guardhouse and moving behind the pillar it was set in. He glanced up, but could only see the top of the castle over what had seemed to only be a slight rise.

He took another look, then decided that was the right way to go. "Come on Navi," he whispered, stopping at the bottom of the rise. "Malon said we have to be careful." He glanced around, taking extra caution as his elevation increased. Sure, he could see better if he were higher, but he would be more visible too. He quickly ducked as he saw a guard walk past in front of him, at the top.

"Link, you should be more careful," Navi said, slapping his nose, although it tickled more than it hurt. "And stop thinking about that girl! Look, the sun is going down already. At this rate, it'll be morning before you even get inside, so focus on the job at hand."

"I don't see what good it would be to get in at night," Link muttered as he ran up the hill, and then across a fairly open field. He kept a careful eye out for guards, but even when he saw them, they were too far away to notice him. Too bad the same couldn't be said of his other partner on this journey, who greeted him at the only spot he could even have a chance to get in from.

"Link! I'm glad to see you've made it here, and at a time of day more to my liking as well," Kapoera said, looking down. "You ought to be able to climb this wall, then sneak behind the gate guards, after jumping inside the castle grounds proper. But then you need to figure out how to reach the Princess' Garden, where she spends much of her time." He swung his head back and forth. "Maybe the milkman knows a way in. Good luck, hero, and take care." He lifted into the air, flying grandly over Link.

"Owl gives me the creeps," he said, shuddering as he grabbed a few protruding rocks in the wall. He pulled himself up, then reached for another rock. It took a little while, especially to manage the climd without being noticed, but did make it up the wall, and yawned. "Navi, I should be asleep by now."

"Not my fault," Navi said. "You're the one that slows down when he starts thinking about that ranch-girl."

"Her name is Malon," Link said defensively. "Now come on, let's get in and find her dad... before I fall asleep trying." He forced himself to stand, and walked to the edge. It was a little higher, but the ground looked more firm on this side. Yawning yet again, he jumped, falling on his hands and knees instead of his feet.

As he pushed himself up again, Navi looked at him. "The guards are about to change their post," she said, flying up near his ear. "If you run past while they're changing, you shouldn't get caught. I'll bob down and back up when it's safe, all right?"

He nodded, and watched her fly toward the gate. He closed his eyes for a second, then remembered she was going to be bobbing any second. He knew what bobbing was, sort of, from the times Mido had made him "bob" for rocks, which were only going to be thrown back in the pond any ways, so in the grand scheme, it didn't matter whether or not Mido had wanted the rocks for they day or a week, he always ended up complaining about how they obstructed his view of the pond.

Then he spotted the signal. He ran, as fast as his tired body would take him, and barely made it past safely. He ducked behind the guard post, panting for a moment before going on, following the fence. He trailed it with his hand, and ran into the far end of the fence, where he turned, and opened his eyes. "Please Navi, just lemme sleep," he said, walking forward. He was barely awake as it was, and Navi had to shout in his ear to keep him from falling in the moat.

"Lazy," she said as he straightened his course.

"Not lazy," he countered. "I'm just eight. I'm not s'posed to stay up all day and night."

"Look!" Navi rushed on ahead, stopping above, well, something. "Is this Malon's father?"

Link rushed up too, and looked. "Doesn't look like 'er," he said, lying down not far from the sleeping man. "Wake me up in that morning," he said, closing his eyes. "G'night Navi." He was asleep instantly, and Navi couldn't do anything but go to sleep herself, in his hood.

"At least I'm warm," she said, stretching her tiny body. She pulled one of the folds up, and went to sleep.

"Crac-kraa-craaaka-tooo!"

Link jumped up, startled by the sound. "Wh- what is it?" He was shocked, then looked around. By his feet was Malon's cucco, which he had forgotten all about. He glanced around, and spotted a balding man on overalls, snoring away, despite the cucco. He pushed himself up and grabbed the bird again, then walked over to the man.

"E- excuse me, sir," he said, looking at the man, but receiving no response. "E- excuse me, sir," he repeated, louder this time. He squeezed the cucco as he grew impatient with the man, and the squeeze led to another crowing.

"What the he..." The man opened his eyes at the sound. "Well I'll be, if it isn't one of the town squirts. What's up lad?"

"Well," Link said, looking at the man. "I... I have to get into the castle garden, but they won't let me go in. And... uhh," Link knew he was supposed to say something else, but couldn't remember it. Navi hopped onto his nose and stretched, smiling.

"Oh, where's your little girlfriend," she said, giggling at the thought.

Link turned redder than a tomato, as he suddenly remembered why else he'd come. "Uh, are you Malon's dad?"

"Talon of Lonlon," the man said, slapping Link on the back. "That's me. Why're ya askin?"

"B- b- because Malon asked me to find you, because she waited for you all day yesterday." He was blushing as he thought about Malon, and how he thought she might react to a kiss, but then shook his head, remembering why he was here. "By the way, Mr. Talon," he said, looking around. "Could you help me get into the garden?"

"Sure can," Talon said, grinning. "I'll just tell 'em I brought along one of my kids to play in the garden while I make my delivery."

About an hour later, Link was looking around the massive garden, trying to find out where the Princess was. "Excuse me, Mr. Guard," he said, looking at one. He received no response, and continued on his way. He had asked several guards already, but none had even paid him any attention.

Talon had taken the cucco with him, back to the ranch, and left Link to find whoever he was looking for. Link glanced up as a shadow covered him, and saw a guard looking down at him. "Little boy, can I help you?"

"Can you tell me where the Princess is," Link asked, glad that someone had noticed him. "Please?"

"Depends on which princess you mean, kid," the guard said. "But if you mean little Zelda, she's with her nursemaid in the private garden. I'll take you there right away."

Link nodded, and laughed as the guard lifted him up. When all the other guards asked, he just said that it was a new playmate for Zelda, and link laughed. He wished it could be as simple as just being a playmate, but nothing was simple in his life.

They reached a stone overhang and Link felt himself going back down to the ground. "Here ya go, kid," the guard said, turning around. "Just don't expect me to help you get back out." He winked as he said this, and headed off.

Link looked straight ahead, and could hardly believe his fortune. Zelda was right in front of him, looking in at a window. She was wearing a pink dress, with a pale lavender blouse over it. She had golden hair, sticking out of the white cloth that had been wrapped around it, and slender arms, from what he could see.

He carefully walked up to her, silently, and stood about a foot away from her. He cleared his throat and spoke. "Pardon me, y- your highness," he said, not sure how else to get her attention.

"L- what!?" She gasped as she turned around, her pink dress not moving as quickly as her legs. Her gentles blue eyes widened as she took in the sight before her, a young boy in green clothes, with a fairy on his nose. "Are you, L- uhh, from the forest?"

"Yes," he said, not knowing what she'd been about to say, but wondering if it was his name. "I am Link, of the Kokiri. I was sent by the Great Deku Tree."

"A- and, L- Link, do you have the Spiritual Stone of Wisdom, the Kokiri Emerald?" She looked at him, not sure what else to do.

"Y- yes," he said, blushing. She was cute, like Malon, but in a different way. He felt different around her, like they were somehow connected, but he couldn't really tell how or why he felt that way. It almost felt like he'd even met her before.

"I knew it," she said, clasping her hands together. "I knew my dream was a prophecy, that one would come from the forest, and now he has!"

"Dream?" Link thought of the dream he had been having during recent nights. A white mare was running from something... no, from this town, and this girl looked at him as the mare ran away. She would throw something, and then, the black stallion... and the evil man. He looked down at Link, and sneered, before Link woke up every time. "What dream?"

"The land would be covered in dark shadows, black clouds thicker than the thickest fog. And then, a shining green light broke through, from the forest, coming to the castle." She looked at him. "A boy and a fairy, holding the Spiritual Stone of Wisdom, and they fought back the black clouds. Link, I think you symbolize the boy from my dream."

Link gasped. "B- but I'm just doing what the Deku Tree asked," he said, nervous. For some reason, strange thoughts were entering his head, thoughts about kissing her and grabbing his sword, but she was bigger... and so was his sword.

"I'm sorry," she said, closing her eyes. "I got so wrapped up in this, that I forgot to introduce myself." She grabbed her dress by the sides and bowed slightly. "I am Zelda, Princess of the land of Hyrule. It is my pleasure to meet you, sir Link." She giggled as she said his name. She kissed him on the cheek, then held out her hand for him.

Link didn't know what to do, so he just took her hand and shook it, like Mido had always done with Saria. She blushed and turned towards the window, gesturing for him to watch with her.

Inside, was a large hall, and Link gasped at who he saw going through. It was the man from his dream, and from yesterday morning. "Zelda, he's," he was interrupted when she started to speak.

"Link, I believe that man symbolizes the black clouds from my dream," she said, whispering it in his ear.

Link looked on in shock as the man looked at him, straight at him, and gave a slight wave. "Y- your highness," Link said. "He just waved at me! He recognized me from yesterday, when he found me sleeping on the road."

Zelda shook her head. "No, he always acts kind when people are around," she said, pulling link down into a crouch. "But I'm certain he's evil. He saw you, you say? It doesn't matter, he doesn't know our plans. Look, I've been holding this for a few weeks now, waiting for you to come. All I need to do is add your name, and you can go up Death Mountain, to get the Spiritual Stone of Power, the Goron's Ruby."

"He waved at me," Link said. "Yesterday, he recognized me as a Kokiri, and thought I was dead. Today he waved at me, either he forgot so quickly, or he knows that I'm special. I can live outside of the forest, and by now, he must know that."

Zelda was writing symbols on the sheet of paper she had pulled out, finishing a very official document. "Link, take this letter. With it, you can go anywhere in Hyrule... except the Gerudo's camp, but you shouldn't need to go there anyway."

Link nodded, trying to take everything in. "Your highness," he said. "Please, can you explain what we are trying to do here?"

"Link, call me Zelda, or Princess, but not 'Your Highness', got it?" She seemed very insistent on it, but then went on. "And we're trying to keep Ganondorf, the evil man, from getting the Spiritual Stones. I will guard the treasure my family has kept for years, you need to find the stones and bring them to the Temple of Time." She gestured back towards where Link had come in from. "Link, go talk with Impa, my nursemaid. She will teach you something, and take you out of town, where she will point you towards Death Mountain. Time is of the essence, Link. We cannot waste even a minute."

Link nodded, and took the piece of paper. He read over it.

- Princess Zelda of Hyrule"

He then turned and went back to where he'd come in from. A woman stood there, with her white hair pulled back and trimmed short. She wore a deep purple and black suit, fitted almost perfectly to her body, and her steel gray eyes pierced Link's soul. "Hello, Link," she said, in a voice that seemed all too gentle for how she looked.

"My role, in Zelda's dream, was to teach the forest-child a song," she said, pinching her forefinger and pinky together. "I have played this song for her often, as a lullaby. It is a song of the Royal Family, and for one to know it, shows that you have some connection to them. Follow me," she said. She placed the two fingers in her mouth, and began whistling.

Link quickly pulled out his ocarina, and tried to mimic the notes. They were high, but not too high, and within a fairly short time, he learned them. He played the song, and looked up as he finished, to see Impa smiling. She lifted him up and held him.

"Link," she said, looking him in the eye. "I will take you outside, and point you towards Death Mountain." She led him back along the twisting trail the guard had used, and then carried him out of the palace grounds. Navi followed, not too far behind, and Link smiled as he saw her imitating the Sheikah's stride in her flying.

It was midday when they finally left town, and Impa set Link down. She pointed to the west, where a large mountain stood over the foothills. "Link, do you see the cloud circling that mountain off to the west?" She glanced down to see him nod, and continued. "You must travel up that mountain, to the home of the Gorons. Once there, you must find their leader and ask him for the stone. At the foot of the mountain is Kakariko, the town where I grew up. There will be some there who may be able to help you, so ask around."

"I, I think I understand," Link said, nodding his head. "So, I go to the town and then up the mountain to find the Gorons, meet their leader, and get the stone?"

"Yes, young hero," Impa said, kneeling in front of him.

"All right," he said, grinning. "It doesn't sound hard, I'll do it!"

"Good luck," Impa said, standing up. She walked away, moving behind him, then disappeared with a flash, leaving Link to figure out how he was to manage all of this.

The Legend of Zelda: Hero of Time Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3