Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda, Nintendo, or any of these characters.
A/N: I had a brainstorm recently. I was thinking about my old fanfiction Hero's Blood that I ultimately canned because it just wasn't good. Then the other day I realized something: I was going about the whole project the wrong way. And from the old drafts I took an entirely different twist which... well, ended up as this prologue. I know I have a tendency to start and then stop, but I just couldn't stop this idea from coming forth. Review and tell me what you think, no?
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Prologue: The Legend of the Hero of Time
There is but one of the legends of which the people speak…
Long ago, when Hyrule found itself newly united against the Evils of the world, there existed the Seven Provinces of Hyrule: the craggy summits of Death Mountain where the Gorons slept, the Sapphire depths of Lake Hylia where the Zora swam, the Kokiri Forest where the Children of the Great Deku Tree played in eternal bliss, the Crimson Village where the Sheikah dwelled, the dry deserts of the Gerudo Plateau, the light drenched surfaces of Hyrule Castle where Hylians walked proudly amongst their kin, and the rustic flows of time which existed as an intangible force in the minds of all of the Goddesses' Beings.
Hyrule flowed rich with prosperity that others envied. The Goddesses gave each of the Races guardians to watch over the ebb and flow of the Land. The Sages faithfully executed their given duties and protected the Order of the World.
But from amidst the burning sands of the Gerudo Desert arose a Devil in Black, hungering for the crimson dye of blood fresh on his fingertips. A Beast in the guise of man named Ganondorf Dragmire.
Ganondorf laid siege to Hyrule, slaughtering the King and countless others in a day of wailing and grinding of teeth. Lake Hylia shone maroon with the blood of the slaughtered as the Earth wept forth crimson liquid, denying it entry into the saturated soil. Each of The Goddesses' Provinces was cursed with infertility and left to ruin as Ganondorf took seat upon the throne, crowning himself King of Evil.
The whereabouts of King Harkinian's beloved daughter, Zelda, were lost to the sands of time. Hyrule lost hope that their beloved Princess had been spared her life in Ganon's siege. Though the Princess' attendant, Impa, managed to ghost the child away from the castle, the Hylians thought her to be dead.
For if the Princess were alive, surely she would have come out of hiding to liberate them.
From amidst the sands of time, an emerald clad hero emerged from the depths of the Temple of Time.
With the Blade of Evil's Bane in hand he set free the imprisoned Sages and utilized the Holy Power of The Triforce of Courage to cleanse the Ganon's evil from each of the Temples. Piece by piece, Hyrule came back into itself and the world was righted.
Ganondorf, sensing his waning influence in the world, kidnapped the newly revealed Princess Zelda to lure the Hero to his lair.
In one final battle, the Hero and Ganon fought violently against one another. The clash of their blades sent tremors through the face of the Earth and made those who bore witness gaze in awe upon the dueling pair.
With the last of his remaining strength, the Hero took the Master Sword and cleaved it through the Beast's neck, driving Ganon's head from his body. As he swung his blade through the air, the Hero left himself defenseless.
Ganon's scimitar found its way into the Hero's heart, spewing Holy Blood upon the floor as onlookers watched in horror.
The Hero collapsed to the floor, dead. Victory came at the lost of Hyrule's most beloved soul.
The Sages, however, had little time to grieve the loss of their Champion. The Hero lay dead, and none could wield the Sword of Evil's Bane save he.
Without the Master Sword to act as a final key upon the locks forming a prison about Ganon's cursed soul, the King of Evil would reincarnate and Hyrule would never find peace.
And so the Six Sages took up the Hero's body and Ganon's head and walked to the Great Chasm that separates Hyrule from the Twilight, endeavoring to use a different means to lock away Ganon's soul.
The Sages flung Ganon's head into the Twilight Chasm and took blood from the wounds of the Hero, freshly spilt, and used its Holy Essence to seal away the wretched man's soul for all eternity.
A single Sage, driven mad with grief at the loss of the Hero, refused to participate in the ceremony. Without that Sage's power, the seal remained incomplete and Ganon's influence bled through the bonds and formed monsters which sought the Hero's body to set their Master free.
The Sages took the Hero's body and burned it, securing the ashes within each of the six altars spread across Hyrule, forming a seal over the mouth of the dungeons and the evils that the Hero defeated within.
The Legend of the Hero of Time and his great sacrifice are taught to children the moment their ears can understand the Hylian tongue. For his is a story of valor and selflessness.
Yet the people of Hyrule remain blissfully ignorant.
…Blissfully unaware of the fact that Ganon's minions still search for the Hero's blood, deigning to release the bonds binding their Master to his hellish limbo.
Note: Don't forget to read and review more of Kurai Hitokiri's excellent writing and artwork over at Fanfiction.Net.
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