Valerie and Link hide behind a hedge to keep out of the sight of the guard. The eleven year old girl watches carefully for the guard to turn the corner. Right when he does, she grabs Link's wrist and sprints with him to the other side of the bush. "Wow, that was close."

"I don't think we should be celebrating just yet." Link points over Valerie's shoulder and the girl looks down the path. Two fountains stand there, spraying water elegantly into the pools below it. Standing in front of the fountains are four guards talking with each other. "How are we going to get past? There's too many, and they're blocking the way!"

"Hmm..." Valerie looks around her and sees a decent sized stone by her foot. The material is light colored and doesn't weigh that much. "Must have fallen off a sculpture when they were carrying them into the garden. This'll distract them!"

As hard as she can, Valerie chucks the stone over the fountains and it smashes against the castle wall. All four guards turn around with confused looks, now alert with their spears bared at their side. Not needing Valerie to pull him anymore, Link runs right behind her and past the fountains. He almost keeps running, but Valerie holds out her arm, making him run into it and halting his footsteps. This guard walks around the shelter of an awning with leaves draping down a wooden plank.

"He's fast. Even if we try to go around him, he'd catch us red handed." Valerie says angrily. She doesn't want to give up just yet, but she knows it's way too risky to try and sneak past this guy.

"I have an idea. Follow me." Link uses his sword and stabs it into one of the wooden support beams, then uses it as a step to hoist himself onto the top of the awning. Valerie climbs up as well, allowing Link to help her onto the platform. Link leans down and grabs his sword, careful to not make any sound. Slowly and quietly, the two kids walk in a tightrope fashion across the wooden plank and above the alert guard. When they get to the other side, they jump back onto the grass.

Around the next corner is the biggest statue Link has ever seen. The person on top of the alter seems to be of a strong, muscular man with a crown on his head. He holds two identical swords. On his right and left are two soldiers, one with light armor and one with darker armor. Valerie notices Link staring at the statue and clarifies, "That's the king of Hyrule."

"What's with the soldiers?" Link notices the same triangle symbol on both the soldier's helmets, but the darker armored one's triangle is upside down.

"I think it connects... something? My parents told me once, but I probably wasn't paying attention. Maybe it's light versus dark?" Valerie does her best guess, but she thinks there's more to it than that.

Link thinks so as well, but they can't figure it out by just standing here. He gets back to the task at hand and looks at the bottom of the statue. Eight guards, yes, eight, walk around the statue and patrol the grounds around it. "How big is this garden?!"

"It's a straight shot across the statue to the other side, but there's no way to get across without being seen. Too many guards." Valerie sighs, taking out a necklace from under her shirt. Link didn't notice she was wearing a necklace. It's really pretty and shiny. The stone in the middle is yellow and shaped in a hexagon with six white stones circling around it at the sides. Gripping the necklace, Valerie turns to Link with a determined expression. "When the guards are distracted, run past the statue. The courtyard is close, it has to be."

"What? Valerie, wait!" Link realizes what Valerie is talking about too late. The girl jumps out from behind the wall and immediately catches the guards' attention.

"Hey, you, kid! Stop right there!" Two guards grab her arms, much to Valerie's protests. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"I got lost!" Valerie quickly comes up with the lamest excuse. She groans, knowing that's one of the most unbelievable things she's ever said.

"Uh huh. Where's your parents?" The guard in front of her crosses his arms.

"Uhhhh..." Now she blew it. Her face becomes red, knowing there's nothing she can say now that'll get her out of this. Punishment is evident. She's going to be in so much trouble when she gets home.

"Thought so. Come on, we will send a messenger to your folks." The talkative guard, which Link is guessing is the leader, starts walking out of the garden with the two other guards apprehending Valerie on his tail. Link makes sure he's hidden as they pass. Two other guards follow them, and the rest sit down against a wall to get some rest while their leader is gone. As Valerie walks with the guards, she passes a window and looks inside the castle. Suddenly, she makes eye contact with yellow irises and suddenly gets a chill down her spine. Everything seems to go in slow motion as the man notices her, a smile creeping up on his face. Valerie turns her head once the window is out of sight. Who was that guy? She shakes her head to shake off the chills. It's probably no one she needs to worry about.

Link easily slips past the statue and is met with a long hedge passageway. Two more guards roam around it, but Link slips past them easily. He can't get caught now that he's so close, especially since Valerie sacrificed herself for him to get through.

Once he's past the hedges, Link finds himself going through a stone tunnel. It's not that long, and on the other side is a small area filled with grass and streams of water. A circle of flowers grows in the middle, and Link thinks Carol would be so jealous of all their colors. Straight ahead past the flowers is a set of steps leading up to a window. On the steps looking through the window are two girls.

The girl on the right has a pink and white dress on with the same colors on her headpiece. Her sleeves are blue, and the little hair that shows under her cap is the same yellow as Link's. The other girl has the same dress style, but the pink is replaced with purple. Instead of blue sleeves, she has silver ones. Her hair, that Link can see, is brown instead of blonde. Link knows instantly that these are the princesses Zelda and Reyna. They are the exact same height which makes him think they're twins, but then Link remembers Carol telling him that Reyna was adopted. He wonders which is which.

Walking closer to the girls, Link can hear what they're talking to each other about. The blonde one turns to her sister and puts a hand over her mouth. "Are you sure it's him you saw? Father thinks he's trustworthy."

"I know it for sure!" The brunette whisper-yells. She crouches so that her eyes just barely peek through the window. "He disappeared for a week then came banging on our doors. Something isn't right. Plus, my dream! I don't like him."

"You're right, sis. I just wish there was a way to prove it. He keeps creeping around the castle, like he's waiting for something." The blonde leans her elbows in the windowsill, propping her head up with her hands.

Link feels like this is the best time to make himself known. He doesn't want to eavesdrop on the princesses anymore. "Who's doing what now?"

The brunette stands up and turns around just as the blonde does. The girl in pink manages to form words before her sister and mumbles, "Who... who are you? How did you get past the guards?"

"Zelda, look!" The brunette's bright green eyes get bigger and she points to Link's hat. "Did you see that? It's a fairy!"

Link understands what the brunette is so excited about and lifts up his hat a bit. Navi flies out and rests on his shoulder before he puts his hat back on his head. Zelda, which must be the blonde one, realizes what her sister is saying and locks her blue eyes with Link's. "You must be from the forest!"

Before Link can confirm or deny Zelda's question, her sister, Reyna, spits out another one, "Then... then you wouldn't happen to have the special stone from the forest, would you? That green and shining stone. Do you have it?"

"This thing?" Link pulls out the Spiritual Stone of the Forest he was given by the Great Deku Tree. When he sees it's magnificent emerald shine, he remembers the tree's last moments alive. He becomes a bit sad at the memory, but holding the stone is also comforting in that he feels like the Great Deku Tree's spirit is somewhere within it.

"Just as I thought!" Reyna practically jumps, her wild green eyes glancing from Link to Zelda. "Sis, the prophecy is coming true!"

"Prophecy?" Link puts away the stone and thinks about the word. He's not sure of its true meaning, but thinks he has heard it said by the Great Deku Tree or something. He thinks it means something like 'future'.

"Yes, allow us to explain." Zelda puts a hand on Reyna's shoulder, settling her down and beginning her story. "My sister, Reyna, had a dream. In the dream dark storm clouds appeared over the land of Hyrule, blocking out the sun. Suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds, and lit up the ground. The light was coming from a boy holding a green stone followed by a fairy."

"It was you in my dream! It had to have been." Reyna smiles confidently and takes a step toward Link. She puts a finger on her chin and closes her eyes. "And to prove it, your name was said in my dream. It's Link, right?"

The fairy boy is suddenly at a loss for words. Navi flies up to his ear and whispers, "These girls seem a bit crazy. I'm not sure why the Great Deku Tree wanted us to meet them. How about we make a break for it?"

"It's okay, Navi. I believe them." Link finds his voice just in time to respond to his fairy.

Navi, Reyna, and Zelda all at the same time widen their eyes and say, "You do?!"

"Yeah, I mean," Link's ears droop and the princesses see a bit of sadness and guilt in his eyes, "the Great Deku Tree wouldn't have sent me here if it wasn't important. For some reason, he trusted me with this stone ad to leave the forest by myself. I have to have a little trust in others too, right?"

"You left the forest by yourself?" Zelda asks, her blue irises a bit saddened by the fact. Link must have been completely lost going to a place he has never been to before. All alone too, for that matter. "Interesting..."

Link looks at the princesses, confused a bit by Zelda's statement. The two sisters look at each other before Reyna tilts her head at Link. "Do you know the legend of the Triforce?"

"The quad-what?" Link groans internally, thinking he's going to be bombarded with more confusing information that he's never heard of before.

"Tri-force. You know, tri, as in, triangle?" Zelda makes an outline of a triangle with her finger in the air.

"Oh, three? So... the three-force?" Link mimics Zelda's motions and also makes a triangle.

"Sort of." Reyna takes off the medallion on the front of her headdress. The symbol on it, now that Link is looking at it closer he can properly see, is three triangles all connected at their corners to create one big triangle. "This is the Triforce. There were three goddesses that made Hyrule named Din, Nayru, and Farore. When they left for the heavens, the essence of their powers formed into the Triforce which is sealed away in the Temple of Time. Each piece of the Triforce holds the essence of a certain goddess. This one is Din's, the Triforce of Power." Reyna points to the top piece. "Nayru's, the Triforce of Wisdom." She points to the bottom left. "Farore's, the Triforce of Courage." Lastly, the bottom right.

The princesses both look at Link, waiting for him to say something. Surprisingly, he's not as confused as he thought he would be. It's pretty straightforward. Yet, he does have a few questions, "So, what seems to be the problem? If the Triforce is sealed away in the Temple of Time, doesn't that mean it's safe from anyone who wants to use it?"

"Not exactly." Zelda starts explaining while Reyna fixes the medallion back on her forehead. "There are ways to open the door of the temple and get the Triforce. Once someone collects the three Spiritual Stones and plays the Song of Time, the door will be opened."

"The man from the desert, the one who attacked the Great Deku Tree..." Link starts connecting the dots. "You're saying he's the one who's looking for these stones so he can get the Triforce from the temple?! What happens if he gets it?"

Zelda wraps one arm across her chest in a stressful manner. "I'm not entirely sure, but the powers of three goddesses in the hands of someone? Link, the results would be disastrous!"

"Well, at least even if he gets the stones he still can't get in." Reyna smiles gently at her sister, trying to relieve her of some worry. "Remember, he still has to play the Song of Time."

"That's right. It's the final piece to opening the door, and he needs the Ocarina of Time. That instrument has been in the royal family for generations." Zelda takes a deep breath, knowing there is no way the desert man can get the instrument.

Reyna suddenly gasps and grabs Link's arm while looking through the window. "He's back! That's him." Zelda and Link both look through the window as Reyna jumbles through her words. "That's Ganondorf, the Gerudo King. They hail in the desert far to the west. Even though he pledged allegiance to our father, I'm sure he's not sincere. The dark clouds in my dream, they must have symbolized that man!"

Ganondorf stops walking and tilts his head to the side. He glances out the window, spotting the three children. Reyna squeals and pulls Link to the side so that he's out of Ganondorf's sight. Zelda shakes a bit, but keeps taking deep breaths to calm herself down. "He saw us, but that doesn't matter. He has no idea what we're planning... yet!"

"Uh, your highnesses?" Link catches the attention of Zelda and Reyna. He realizes someone spotted him in the courtyard with the princesses and carrying a sword on his back. He might not have much time left until guards come. "This is crazy. Shouldn't we tell an adult about this?!"

"Just Zelda and Reyna is fine, Link." Zelda says and looks through the window one more time. Thank goodness Ganondorf is gone. "We told our father about Reyna's dream, but he did not believe it was a prophecy."

"I just have this terrible feeling that Ganondorf is planning to destroy Hyrule, no, the entire world!" Reyna slides down the wall until she's sitting on the stone platform. Her white and purple dress flows elegantly across the ground.

"No, that won't happen!" Zelda absolutely hates seeing her sister this troubled. She takes out a piece of paper and behind scribbling down words in pink ink. "I know why Link was sent to us. He needs to collect the stones and get the Triforce before Ganondorf does. Don't worry about the Ocarina of Time, Reyna and I will protect it with all our power. He shall not have it! And here, take this letter, it will help you enter the mountain where the Spiritual Stone of Fire is kept."

"Okay, I can do this." Link remembers that he fought a giant parasitic arachnid back in the Great Deku Tree. Sure, he almost died, but he didn't. He's totally got this. One step at a time, Link, one step at a time. "Go toward the mountain and give this to the guy so I can pass."

"Yep, and Impa is standing just outside the courtyard. She will lead out past the guards so you don't get in trouble." Reyna smiles sweetly and Link nods.

The fairy boy walks toward the exit of the courtyard, but he's stopped by a tall woman wearing some armor. Her white hair is tied up in a short ponytail and her red eyes seem to glow with compassion. She must have been hiding in the shadows or something because Link swears he didn't see anyone when he first walked into the courtyard. Imps crosses her arms and looks down at the boy. "You are starting an incredible journey. You trust the princesses, and I appreciate that. Allow me to teach you a song that will prove your connection to the royal family."

Impa whistles a simple tune which is peaceful in its special way. Link carefully takes out his ocarina that Saria gave him. Placing his mouth over the top of the instrument, he repeats the tune Impa played flawlessly. Impa cracks a smile, proud that Link learned the song. "That is called the Princess Lullaby. I played it for Reyna and Zelda when they were infants. If you ever need to prove yourself of belonging to a high position, play that song. Don't forget it. Now, I will lead you out of the castle."

Link follows Impa, carefully doing everything she says. It's way easier to get through the garden with a member of the royal family guiding him. Once they're out, they quickly weave through the market and enter Hyrule Field. Impa turns to the left and points at a very tall mountain, a ring of smoke dancing around the top. "That is Death Mountain, home of the Gorons who hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire. That is where you must go next. There is a small village called Kakariko Village at the foot of the mountain. I'd advise you to acquaint yourself with the people there. They will help you with anything you ask."

Link takes a step forward to look at the mountain more closely. He turns around to say thank you to Impa, but when he looks behind him, she isn't there anymore. Heeding her words, Link makes his way over to the village.

It's way more homey and less chaotic than the market. Link would admire all the houses, the green grass, and the many animals running around, if he didn't spot a certain blonde he met by the castle crying into her hands. Link quickly makes his way up to the crowd and gets to the middle. He is very surprised to see Naomi and two adults crying, their faces red and hands salty with fresh tears. "What happened?!"

Link notices Valerie, Carol, and Malon are here as well, trying to comfort the sobbing trio. At Link's words, Naomi looks up at him. She wipes her face with her arms in an attempt to clear her face from her tears. "M-my best friend w-was climbing o-on the Death Mountain Trail, a-and there was an avalanche..."

The female of the adults lifts her head off of, what Link guesses, her husband's chest. "My beautiful daughter! We can't find her!"

The woman's husband rakes his fingers through her long, light brown hair. "Peyton's stronger than you think, dear. I'm sure she survived the rockslide. We just need to send a search party tomorrow morning. We will find her."

Link then notices that the sun is just starting to set. However, he isn't tired at all. Looking from Naomi to the girl, Peyton's, parents, Link turns toward the Death Mountain Trail without needing to hear anymore. His priority just switched from obtaining the next Spiritual Stone to finding this lost girl and bringing her back home.