Chapter Text
"Link! Behind you!" the young Hylian princess, Zelda, shouted at her older brother. Link jumped far to his right and stylishly did a roll—avoiding the object that flew behind him. Still running towards Zelda, he slashed at some of his targets before he felt a hard smack against his head. He let out a grunt of surprise before landing face-first into the ground.
"Gotcha," a mysterious figure said mischievously. The figure's dark face and glowing eyes lit up as they approached the young hero. "You thought you could escape me, but you shall rue the day that you ever tried to challenge the great and powerful—"
"Skull kid!" Zelda shouted, approaching the both of them. "Did you have to hit him so hard with your slingshot?" Zelda knelt down next to her brother, looking concerned.
"Oh, uh... heh." The Skull kid chuckled uncomfortably, putting a hand behind his head, embarrassed. "I suppose I may have gotten... slightly carried away. Are you okay, Link?"
Link remained motionless on the ground as his sister began shaking him frantically to wake him up.
"Oh—sweet Farore!!!" the Skull kid cried, putting his hands over his beak-like mouth. "I've killed the prince of Hyrule!"
"I'm... okay..." Link grumbled into the grass. He turned onto his back, seeing his sister and his good friend Skull kid fretting over him. He smiled and continued, "That was a great shot, Skull kid! Your aim is incredible!"
"Ahhh!" the Skull kid cried, falling over Link. "I thought I hurt you."
"Seriously, I'm fine," Link said, patting his friend on the back.
"You could have really hurt him though," the young princess scolded the lost boy. "You have to be more careful."
"The enemy won't be careful," Link said, starting to sit up. Skull kid moved off him and was now kneeling next to Link as the boy continued, "That's why this training is so important. I have to be ready."
Zelda and Skull kid gave each other a worried glance and nodded their affirmation at Link's statement.
"Are you still having those nightmares, Zelda?" asked Skull kid, starting to stand. He helped Link up as Zelda replied,
"Yes, but they're still... fuzzy." She started to stand with the pair. Link began repairing some of the straw soldiers he had slashed down earlier in their private royal courtyard. He listened closely to Zelda and Skull kid's conversation while tending to the straw dummies.
"What do you mean?" asked Skull kid. He mindlessly picked up some rocks for his slingshot.
"Well, last night, for instance..." she began. "The sky over Hyrule turned black... the clouds too, but there... there were these pulsating red veins stretching along the sky." She shuddered before continuing, "Our guardian machines all began to malfunction at once and turn on our royal guards. Monsters appeared everywhere... it was... complete chaos... and a man..."
Link and the Skull kid had stopped what they were doing and were now closely watching the young princess, listening to every word of her dream.
"...pure evil, surrounded him. An evil so dark, so malicious... he was the root of all the chaos. But," she folded her arms as her brows furrowed, looking confused, "while I saw that... the sky would also flicker back to normal, the malfunctioning guardian machines were gone, the monsters vanished as well... that man I saw... he wasn't... so malicious anymore."
"Strange," Skull kid said, his hand moving to his beak-like lips as if deep in thought. "I wonder what it means?"
"It means," Link said, adjusting his light armor, "that I have to keep training and protect Hyrule at all costs! Let's do it again, from the top."
Zelda and Skull kid nodded. Zelda ran to one side of the courtyard, and Skull kid to the other. Link stood in the middle, counting down before the children began their act.
"It is I," Skull kid said, in the most commanding voice he could muster, "The King of all Evil! I have come to lay waste to all of Hyrule. Hah, hah, HAH!"
"Oh," Zelda began dramatically, her hand resting above her head as she swayed, "Hyrule is in trouble, our only hope is for a hero to appear!"
"I shall be your hero!" Link exclaimed, jumping into their make-believe battle arena. "Do not fear, princess, I will protect you!"
The children cut down straw dummies, fired slingshots, and gave compelling performances, dreaming of the day that they would really be the heroes of Hyrule. The sun was starting to set now, and the three children were laying on the soft green grass of the private courtyard, laughing about some joke Skull kid had just said. The clinking of a soldier's armor caused the lost boy to sit up and turn to his companions,
"I should go. See you guys tomorrow?"
The siblings nodded, wishing him goodnight before he hopped into the air and vanished. They sat up to watch as one of the royal guards approached them.
"Your royal highnesses," the guard began, bowing, "King Rhoam requests your audience immediately... Ah," the guard looked back up at the royal children, whose clothes were streaked in grass stains and dirt. "Perhaps you should freshen up first. Quickly now, we wouldn't want to keep your dad waiting."
The kids nodded and quickly rose from their spot on the grass, rushing past the guard and into Hyrule Castle. It wasn't long at all before both the prince and princess were cleaned and in respectable clothes. They were led by the guard to the royal throne room—located at the end of the upper south wing.
When the siblings arrived, their father was already sitting in the golden Hyrule throne, the seat next to him empty, as their mother unfortunately had passed away when the children were very young.
The room was well lit—half a dozen golden chandeliers hung high above them, and dozens of large, grand windows decorated the long hallway to the throne. Dusk's light was still visible through the glass panes—guards stationed in front of every window. The siblings walked down the long, ornate red carpet together, their backs straight and hands clasped in front of them.
Once in front of their father, they bowed, as they had been taught the utmost manners from their Sheikah governess, Miss Impa. King Rhoam looked down at the children for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh,
"Get over here!" He roared, smiling as he extended his great arms. His children rushed to him, embracing him in a hug. "Ah, my loves," the king exclaimed, kissing both of his golden-haired children on the head. "What mischief have you been up to?"
"No mischief at all, papa!" Zelda gasped, smiling up at her dad.
"Just training," Link explained, "Zelda was the magical princess, I was the hero, and Skull kid was the villain."
"Ah, playing with that Skull kid again," the king teased his eldest son. Almost all the adults in the kingdom were convinced that the Skull kid was the siblings' imaginary friend. "Did you defeat him?"
"Of course I did!" Link told his father excitedly.
"He got hit in the head though," Zelda added, looking concerned, "but he's okay."
"That's my boy," the king said proudly, ruffling Link's golden locks, "my hero of courage."
"I practiced my magic too," Zelda pouted, jealous of her father's attention on her brother. "I saw a spark today, and made the most wondrous ball of light!" Link raised an eyebrow at her sister; he didn't remember that happening. Zelda glared at his disbelieving glance and whined,
"It's true, papa! I did!"
"My little princess of wisdom, that's marvelous!" the king declared, squeezing his daughter close.
The siblings shared a few more pieces of their day, careful not to slip any details about Zelda's nightmare... they didn't want their father to worry. Before long, the king began to explain to his children why he had called for them.
"Now, we have a guest coming tonight. He won't be here long, but it's important that we are all present for their arrival."
"This late?" Zelda asked, crinkling her nose.
"Yes, well, it was the earliest he could come..." It was clear that the king was also not exactly pleased at the late arrival either, but he continued, "You have both had the honor of seeing various leaders from all over Hyrule pledge their allegiance to the crown. This is how we keep the peace... tonight is a special night, because this is the last king to pledge their loyalty to Hyrule. With this alliance, Hyrule can truly experience peace for the first time in centuries."
"Zora, Goron, Rito, Minish, Sheikah..." Link was counting the different kingdoms on his fingers, trying to figure out the last one, "...Gerudo?"
"That's right," the king said, his eyes sparkling with pride. "With the Gerudo as allies, Hyrule will be the strongest it has ever been."
"So the King of the Gerudo will be coming?" Zelda asked her father.
"That's right. Actually..." The king looked out at the sky; the sun was about to set. "They should be here very soon. You kids be sure to mind your manners, as you always do—we want to make a good impression." He winked at his kids before they nodded back at him, eager to make their father proud.
A guard at the end of the hallway spoke then, their voice thundering down the throne room—
"His majesty, Ganondorf, King of the Gerudos, humbly requests your audience."
"Send him in," the King of Hyrule thundered back. Zelda and Link stood to the right of their father, being sure to stand up straight and look as stoic as possible.
A large man entered the throne room then. He seemed to glide down the hallway with such confidence; his short red hair seemed to burn like fire, and his eyes were a shining gold color. The large man's heavy black armor clinked with every step he took, and the crown that covered his forehead bore a large yellow gem that caught the light shining down from the chandeliers.
Link tried not to gasp as he saw that their guest's skin was green—he looked absolutely evil, and the young prince tried not to shudder at the man's presence. He was sure his little sister, Zelda, was thinking the same. He dared not look away from the King of Gerudo as he approached them. Once before King Rhoam, he took a knee and bowed his head low.
"Your majesty," King Ganondorf began, his golden eyes now looking at the king of Hyrule. "I offer my sincerest gratitude for allowing me an audience at this hour. You honor me."
"You honor me, Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. Thank you for coming all this way." King Rhoam began, motioning for Ganondorf to rise. Once the green-skinned man was standing tall again—and, goddesses above, he was so tall—King Rhoam motioned to his children, standing motionless beside him. "My children. Zelda, the Princess of Hyrule."
Zelda curtsied deeply at the Gerudo king, her face remaining composed. "Your majesty."
"And my son," King Rhoam continued, "Link, the Prince of Hyrule."
Link bowed deeply to their guest, trying to remain as composed as Zelda. "Your majesty."
The King of the Gerudo bowed his head toward the two of them. "It is a pleasure to meet your highnesses," he said, smooth as poison. His voice gave Link the chills; he could have sworn he felt Zelda shiver beside him.
"Let us retire to the chamberroom; we have much to discuss, and," he looked at his kids warmly, "it's past their bedtime."
Link and Zelda bowed slightly toward their sinister-looking guest, before taking their leave of the throne room. Before they left, they overheard their father tell Ganondorf,
"The chamberroom is just this way, behind this gaudy throne," the children heard their father chuckle. "Please follow me."
Then the large doors shut behind them. Link let out an exaggerated sigh of relief before yelping out in pain—the Triforce on his left hand began to burn brightly. He looked up, horrified, at his little sister—she too was looking at him, alarmed that her own Triforce mark was burning bright.
The siblings knew without saying a word that their sinister guest must have borne the mark of the third Triforce, the mark of Power. Zelda grew very pale then and started to shake.
"What is it?" Link asked in a hushed tone, gently touching his sister's shoulder.
"That... that man..." Zelda looked up at her brother, horrified. "He was the man I saw in my dream!"
Link's eyes grew wide as he whipped around at the closed throne room door. Was their father in danger? No... Surely he could defend himself against any enemy.
"Are you sure?" Link whispered back to his sister, who nodded her head firmly in reply.
"But... I have an idea," Zelda said, keeping her voice low. "Follow me."
Link followed his sister down the east upper hallway. She stopped in front of a door and opened it, revealing a small room that had a spiral staircase going up. The only light that illuminated the cramped, cobweb-stricken stairwell was the moon shining through the small windows ascending the staircase.
The siblings rushed up the narrow stairs in silence until they reached a large attic space. Zelda asked the goddess Hylia for power, and a soft light appeared in her hands. Maybe she really was practicing her magic... Link thought as he observed the room they now stood in. Various furniture littered the room, thick blankets covering them so as not to attract dust.
Zelda walked determinedly to the largest covered object in the room—it was leaning on the south attic wall and nearly reached the ceiling.
"Help me with this," Zelda said, cocking her head toward the large cloth that covered the object she wanted revealed. Zelda, trying to manage her magic, could only watch as Link helplessly tried to pull at the cloth alone.
"Need a hand?" a child-like voice said in the dark. The siblings spun around and were relieved to see Skull kid appear in the attic.
"That would be grand!" Link exclaimed, tugging at the cloth again. It wouldn't budge. Skull kid stood at the other end of the object, and the two of them began to pull at it together until the large cloth fell to the ground, a spray of dust causing the kids to cough.
Before them stood a door—a grand door. The frame was decorated with ancient paintings of flowers, leaves, and small wooden-like creatures... The oak looked ancient and was splintered in some places... though, in other places, the door looked alive—small branches had healthy leaves or flowers growing out of it. A gold handle rested on the door. Link could reach it if he stood on his toes and really extended his arms. Skull kid and Link gasped at the sight of it, but Zelda looked at the door, her deep blue eyes looking determined.
"Mama showed me this door," she began, her magical light flickering slightly. "Right before she..." A pained expression flashed on her face, before she continued. "Anyway, she showed me this door. I had forgotten about it... until I saw... until I saw him. Then the memory hit me, like a wave." She looked at her brother and Skull kid before saying in a low voice,
"This is the Ancient Fairy Door... Mama said it leads to a magical realm, full of fairies and wood-like creatures... She told me that in a time of need, the door would open to someone who was worthy, and protect them from danger in times of great peril."
The three children looked up at the door, thinking of what may lay behind it. Unable to contain himself, Skull kid leapt up at the doorknob and opened it. Zelda and Link gasped, not knowing what to expect—when the door swung open, nothing was behind it, just the attic wall. The trio sighed in a mixture of relief and disappointment.
"I have a feeling," Zelda began, her small light still flickering bright, "that if anything were to happen with that vile man... we can use this door, somehow."
"I trust your intuition, princess," Skull kid said, shutting the door closed again. "After all, you predicted Link would get really sick if he took that bite of his birthday cake, and sure enough..." Skull kid pretended to throw up on the ground. The three of them laughed. Link had just celebrated his 11th birthday, and he did get sick from his cake...
"That premonition," Zelda began, laughing, "did not require any magical ability. Link had six slices of cake—it was obvious what would happen next..."
"You could have warned me!" Link cried out, laughing along with them. Once the laughter died down, the trio looked upon the door again.
"Someone worthy can access the door," Link began, repeating what his mother had told Zelda. "In a time of great peril... I wonder what's behind it?"
Zelda and Skull kid said nothing; they weren't sure.
"At least... we have a plan if Dodongo crud hits the fan," Skull kid said after a moment of silence.
"Yeah, we have this." Link agreed. "Good thinking, Zelda."
Zelda nodded. "We should head back now. The guards are probably looking for us."
"Right," Link agreed, looking at Skull kid. "See you tomorrow? We have to train harder than ever, now that we know who the threat is."
"I'll be there," Skull kid agreed. He waved goodnight to his friends, then vanished again.
The siblings rushed out of the attic and down the circular stairs. They opened the hallway door slightly, Zelda peeking out to make sure no one was watching them. Once the coast was clear, the two of them stepped out into the hallway. Zelda ceased her magic, and the light went out. Her room was just down the east hallway, only a few doors away. Link had to scramble to the opposite side of the castle to his bedroom in the west wing.
"Hey," Link said to his sister, who still looked worried. "Everything is going to be fine," he tried to reassure her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "I'm the destined hero, remember? I won't let anything happen to you, or papa, or Hyrule."
Zelda smiled at her brother and nodded. She believed him completely. The siblings whispered their goodnights, and Zelda headed east, while Link headed west. Link tried to make his steps as light as possible as he rushed to his room, undetected by the royal guards... He was sure to get a lecture if anyone caught him.
He was about to pass the grand staircase leading down to the castle's entryway when he saw the King of Gerudo walking in front of him.
Link froze.
His entire body filled with dread as Ganondorf stared at him, scoffed, and continued walking down the staircase. Link approached the staircase quietly, watching the Gerudo king slide across the entryway on the bottom floor and exit the castle's front door.
He sighed a breath of relief.
He's really scary... but I can take him. Link smiled smugly to himself as he continued all the way down the west wing and into his room. In no time at all, the young prince was in his pajamas and asleep in his bed, dreaming about swordplay and magical fairy doors.
. . .
Link awoke as the sun's light began to pour into his room. Time to train! he thought excitedly as he leapt out of bed, tore off his pajamas, and slid into his Hylian armor that his father had gifted him for his birthday.
He flew out of his room and down the staircase like a kid on Winter Festival day, trying to beat Zelda and Skull kid to the private courtyard. After a few turns down the lower hallway and zipping past some of the garden mazes, he found himself in the familiar courtyard.
He beamed—he was the first one there.
Link walked further inside the courtyard and picked up his small metal sword that he had left on the grass yesterday and gingerly began sparring with one of the dummies.
"Looking good!" Skull kid called from afar, rushing over to the young prince.
Link stopped his sparring to smile toward his friend. "Good morning!" he called out to him.
"I was thinking we should practice some dueling today," began Skull kid. Once in front of the young hero, he began pulling out a wooden sword from a dummy's gloved hand. "You never know when you'll be face-to-face with the enemy!"
"Great idea!" Link said, carelessly dropping his metal sword to the ground again, and taking another wooden sword from a nearby dummy.
"En Garde!" Link exclaimed, rushing toward his friend. The two of them were laughing while bashing their wooden swords together, being extra dramatic if the other was "stabbed," and pretending to die.
They were just about to start another joust when a loud clashing sound echoed across the castle.
"What... was that?" Skull kid asked, looking frantically around the courtyard.
"I... I don't know..." Link said, looking just as confused as Skull kid. The clashing sound rang through the castle again, both young boys covering their ears as the ringing continued to echo.
Zelda ran into the courtyard then, eyes wide and holding back a pool of tears.
"It's the guardians," Zelda gasped once she reached them. "F... father ordered them to be activated."
"What?" Link gasped, looking worried.
"Why would your father order that?" Skull kid asked, another ear-splattering clang echoing across the castle.
"I'm not sure," Zelda said, covering her pointy ears, "but it's not good."
Suddenly, the sky grew very dark. The trio looked up in horror as the once-blue sky, shining in the morning's light, was now a deep gray. Black clouds began to spread across the sky, streams of red veins strung along the clouds, pulsating a menacing magenta color, like a type of electricity.
It was exactly as Zelda had described in her dream yesterday.
The three children looked at each other, terrified. Ganondorf—they thought of the evil name together. Nodding to one another, they rushed back to the castle and to the east wing. The castle was in chaos. Guards were swarming the halls, getting into position—was an attack happening here?
Link was surprised at their luck, as the trio managed to rush past the occupied, frantic castle guards undetected. Zelda threw open the east door that led to the spiral stairway, and the children began to ascend the staircase with haste.
Once in the attic, the room was dimly illuminated by two circular windows high on the wall. Link gazed upon the fairy door, which now had a magical light spilling out from the corners... something was clearly different this time. Something from beyond the door urged Link to open it up and step inside. He turned excitedly to his sister.
"Zelda! The door, do you see that?"
Zelda looked wide-eyed at Link, and then at the door. "I... I don't see anything," she said in a defeated whimper.
"Really?" Skull kid asked, looking confused at Zelda, then back at the door. "You don't see that light behind the door?"
Zelda shook her head, starting to look scared. The castle shook, causing the trio to fall to the ground.
"Maybe you just need to look closer," Skull kid suggested, standing from the attic floor and helping Zelda up. The three of them approached the door. The sounds of metal clashing echoed outside the castle.
Standing before the Ancient Fairy Door, Skull kid asked, "Do you see it now? That light?"
Zelda shook her head. "It looks as it did yesterday..." She turned to Link, eyes pleading. "Do you see the light?"
Link looked desperately from his sister to the door, which had light pouring out from it, traces of magic swooshing around him. "I... I see something..."
The castle shook again, and part of the attic floor cracked. The children gasped in fear. A second later, the fairy door swung open, revealing a blinding light on the other side. Link and Skull kid squinted their eyes at the brightness, while Zelda's eyes looked at the crack growing bigger on the floor.
She really couldn't see the light, Link thought, horrified—why can't she see it?!
"Link," Zelda began, trying to compose herself. "Do you see it? A way beyond the door?"
"Yes, but—" Link began, his eyes pleading. He had a feeling where his sister was going with this.
"Go through it. Get to safety," she said, turning to him and giving him a reassuring smile, her eyes fighting back tears. "It must be fate... there is a reason why the door is presenting itself to you... you have to go."
The castle shook again, and the crack in the floor turned a dark purple color, resembling an ooze... a Bokoblin forced its way out of it and eyed the princess maliciously.
"I'm not leaving you here!" Link cried out. "I'm going to protect you!"
"Skull kid," Zelda looked at her friend, mustering whatever courage she had left inside her. "Take Link... please, I'm begging you... get him out of here!"
Link cried out as he felt the Skull kid's arms wrap around him.
"NO! ZELDA!" he screamed, feeling his body stumble back into the door's light—he watched helplessly as the door's magic pulled him away to somewhere unknown... The last thing he saw was his little sister mustering up her magic and preparing to fight.
The door slammed shut as Link and Skull kid got sucked through the Ancient Fairy Door's magic light.