Disclaimer: While this should be totally obvious, especially since this is specifically called a "fan-fiction", but in accordance with the rules of copyright, I am required to say; The Legend of Zelda and its characters are the property of Nintendo. This story is a fan-made, non-canon, and non-profit tribute to the series created solely for entertainment purposes only. All that I own is this fan-story and any original characters in it. I possess no copyrights to the Legend of Zelda series whatsoever. If I did, I would be making this story into an actual game and/or TV series, but alas I don't. Therefore, a mere fan-fiction will have to do. No copyright violations intended. Please support Nintendo's official work.

~SilentN

The Legend of Zelda: TriSpirit
Episode 1: The Prologue

Of great heroes, many legends are born...but no hero is born great. Every legend has a beginning, and so do the very heroes they tell of. This is the story of a boy... A boy who would become one of three great heroes of legend.

Important Note: The story you are about to read is a remake of a previous attempt. Writing this story was, in fact, the reason I had joined FanFiction in the first place, but unfortunately, Breath of the Wild's story had ended up creating a number of contradictions to this one upon being released, and so I had decided to revise TriSpirit to fix up the new plot-holes that BotW had created for it, as well as to add a number of new ideas that I had gotten after playing the game.

For those of you who had been following the original edition; you will find that there are a number of changes to this revised version of TriSpirit, but I know that some of you might not want to spend your time rereading all this again just for a few minor changes if you have already read the original version. So for your convenience, I will include in each chapter's Author's Notes section a brief explanation about what has changed so that you can be informed of any significant differences without having to go through the hassle of reading all over again if you don't want to. These sort of Author's Notes will be underlined so that you can recognize them right away.

For those of you who are new to this series; feel free to ignore the underlined Author's Notes at the bottom of each chapter if you wish, as those ones only really matter to those who have read the original edition. The Author's Notes that will mean anything to new readers will NOT be underlined, so those are the only ones worth the read for you, but of course, you are also welcome to read the underlined ones if you do find interest in them anyway. It's all up to you.

You can also follow this story on DeviantArt where images and background music are provided for a more enriched reading experience. Artwork related to this fanfic is also available using the hashtag; "#lozTriSpirit" on DeviantArt, Google+, and Twitter. (I also have plans to eventually post to YouTube as well)

Chapter 1
Legends of Old

This is a legend passed on in Hyrule:

Long ago, the world fell into a state of destruction and despair. A chasm had opened in the earth, and from it, the demon king Demise arose and mercilessly swept unspeakable terror across the land.

Countless innocents were brutally slaughtered, blood from every race was spilled in his wake, and all hope for peace seemed like but a futile wish fit for a fool.

Demise sought the sacred triangles that housed the golden power of the gods. With it, he could spread his reign across all living things, ruling and worshiped as this world's most powerful being. None could stand in his way once that power would be his.

But his evil plans were not to succeed...

Hearing the cries of her beloved people on the surface, the goddess Hylia had intervened, protecting all who called upon her from Demise's threat, and granted power to a valiant mortal whom she chose to be the hero that would lead the people to victory.

Demise was sealed away, and the people of Hylia were given a place of refuge in the sky, where they would live in peace and safety for hundreds of years before Demise would eventually return and Hylia's chosen one would be reborn to finish what was started.

The time inevitably came when Demise's servant would succeed in bringing about his master's resurrection.

But after undergoing many trails, Hylia's chosen hero reborn had once again thwarted the demon-king, this time for good.

Demise was slain, and his spirit sealed away, but with his last breath, he had sworn this curse on the world to follow the hero's bloodline; an incarnation of the demon king's hateful spirit would unceasingly rage war against the people of Hylia, preventing the land from ever knowing lasting peace.

Centuries had passed. The people of Hylia now once again inhabited the world beneath the clouds, founding the land of Hyrule, where they would enjoy a life of prosperity and peace.

But it is said that if Demise's spirit should ever be released from its imprisonment, the curse he swore upon the world will come into effect...

"Well, isn't that an interesting variation of the legend?" asks Professor Flat to his brother Sharp as he finishes reading the passage out of an old book he had borrowed from Hyrule Castle's library. "Most modern versions of the tale always close it with the typical happy-ending, where everything is peaceful and settled in the end, but according to this older version, the demon king's spirit is merely sealed away, but still holds a potential threat to the world, and it even mentions a curse that could supposedly take effect if that hateful spirit should ever be freed. I've never heard the legend told like that before, but apparently this version was once the common telling of the tale, back in the day."

Sharp looks over the pages with intrigue. "It does leave the reader with a desire to hear more," he remarks. "I don't suppose you've also come across a continuation of this take on the story, have you?"

"No," Flat answers. "I've found nothing more so far. But it certainly does intrigue me. Perhaps a sequel once existed that has been lost to modern audiences?"

"Well, some do believe that the legend may have been based on a true story," Sharp notes. "There has even been what some believe to be possible evidence that the fabled 'place of refuge in the sky' may have really existed. We still cannot confirm nor deny the possibility that the legend could be an actual event from Hyrule's ancient history and not just the fairy-tale that it is often taken for... If so, a 'sequel' could only be written if any further events were to take place in true history following where this story ends..."

With a disturbing realization dawning, Flat looks to his brother in mild concern. His expression has taken a more serious tone. "You don't think it's actually possible that the spirit of some demon king really is sealed away somewhere, do you? And that it's just been waiting throughout all of Hyrule's history for an opportunity to escape and wreak havoc on the world? Possibly even to this day?"

"That is indeed a disturbing thought," Sharp says, still looking over the pages of the book. "And if it were so, I should think that such a threat would have great precautions taken against it to ensure that it never comes to be, and so it wouldn't soon be forgotten. But then again, I suppose that whoever might be responsible for guarding against such a threat would likely prefer to keep all knowledge of it a secret to everybody to avoid the risk of anyone attempting to toy with what they shouldn't and unleash disaster. So it'd make sense that any mentioning of the demon king's spirit living on would be omitted from the tale to avoid arousing dangerous curiosity in later generations... Who knows?"

"We may just be looking too much into this, but what if that really was the case?" Flat asks. "What if the demon king were to be released from this supposed imprisonment today? Could he possibly come back and bring the same destructive rampage described in the book onto modern Hyrule?"

"Anything is possible", Sharp replies as he puts the book down. "But if no such thing has happened by now after all these centuries, then I doubt we'd ever have to worry about anything like that. It's still just a legend."

"That's true, but it definitely has me wanting to know more," states Flat as he picks the book up into his own hands again. "I'm going to keep researching and see what else I can find. I might even ask the village elders if they know anything about it when I'm in Kakariko next week."

"That reminds me... Princess Zelda's birthday celebration is coming up fast, and all of the kingdom is welcome to attend. It's not too late for you to reschedule your trip to Kakariko, you know. After all, this is a pretty big day for our princess. Are you sure you want to miss it?"

"It's fine. Castle Town will be busy and bustling with visitors then. I'd much rather be out of town during all that ruckus anyway. Do give the princess my regards though."

Just then, there is a gentle knock at the door.

*Knock knock*

Sharp answers it. He is met by a familiar young boy, about 17 years of age, with light-brown hair, blue eyes, and the signature pointed ears of the people of Hylia. The lad carries a basket of eggs in his hands and has a small cart loaded with produce from a farm parked beside him, although it is nearly empty by now, suggesting that his deliveries are nearing completion for the day.

"Well, hello there Link!" Sharp greets the boy. "Are you and your grandmother keeping well?"

The boy answers quietly; "Yes, thanks... I'm here with your egg-delivery..."

"Well, thank you." Sharp says as he receives his egg delivery and reaches into his wallet"And here are your rupees, young sir."

Link receives his payment and bows his head in response, staying quiet but still polite.

This is a typical reply from Link, as he is not much of a talker. He tends to use words as little as possible and would rather reply with simple gestures like this when he can.

Sharp, however, continues to make small conversation with the quiet lad; "So I hear you're back in swordsman-training again, are you? Is the great Agias Pent still your trainer?"

Link nods wordlessly. Still as quiet as ever.

"I see," Sharp continues. "You're quite lucky to be mentored by such a legendary swordsman. I hear he's a tough teacher, but his exploits from his former days as a dragon-slayer are still often talked about across all of Hyrule. I'm sure you're learning a lot under him. On your way to the castle courtyards for training now, are you?"

"Yes," Link answers simply. "Right after I've finished just a few more deliveries around town..."

"Well, I wish you best of luck in your training! Just take care not to push yourself too hard. You wouldn't want to suffer another injury now."

"I will, thanks..."

Link gives another bow of his head and turns to leave. Sharp returns to his conversation with his visiting brother while getting a pot ready to begin cooking breakfast. "I'm about to start an omelet," he says to Flat. "Have you eaten yet? You are welcome to join me for breakfast while you're here."

"No thank you," Flat declines. "I already ate and will be heading back on my way soon."

"Very well. I'll just get my cooking pot started for myself then."

"So anyway, who's the boy?" Flat asks, growing mildly curious about the shy lad.

"Oh, that's Link," Sharp explains. "He comes by every other day to deliver eggs. You know Linda, don't you? The old widow who owns a small cucco farm just outside of the southern end of town? That's her grandson."

"Ah, Linda's grandson. I see. ...Kind of shy, isn't he?"

"He is that. Hardly speaks a word, that boy. But he's a good kid. He certainly works hard to keep the farm up and running and takes good care of his grandmother."

"Say, I heard you mention something about avoiding another injury. Did something happen previously?"

"Yes, this is his second attempt at swordsmanship. He had started training under Sir Pent about a year ago, but unfortunately, had injured his hand and had to drop out very early in the year. I understand one of his fellow trainees had gotten excited when Princess Zelda had happened to walk by the courtyard where they were training and grew recklessly competitive hoping to catch her attention, which resulted in him hurting poor Link's hand in the excitement. You know how teenage boys are these days..."

"Yes, they do tend to get awfully rambunctious around young girls..." remarks Flat, shaking his head. "Especially when the girl is the princess. It seems to be the dream of just about every young knight-in-training to woo the princess and win her affections...as well as a place in the Royal Family."

"It sure does," Sharp says with an amused chuckle. "And then they all grumble in envy when the king arranges for her to marry an actual prince, like she was always planned to, before they ever get their long-shot-of-a-chance that they had so vainly hoped for."

Flat bursts into brief laughter. "And isn't that just the way it always goes! It's quite amazing just how many young swordsmen are so hotheaded to really believe that they will be the one to win the king's favor, capture the princess's heart, and win her hand in marriage like some sort of fairy-tale. You don't suppose this is what that Link has in mind, do you?"

"I doubt Link would be interested in that sort of thing. Given how shy he is, he'd probably consider that kind of attention to be the worst thing possible!" Sharp mildly chuckles in amusement again at the thought. "No, I think Link's only intention in swordsmanship is mainly just to serve his country and protect his grandmother. Especially with these increasing rates of monster sightings we've been hearing about lately. You can't be too careful these days."

"Yes, the reports of monsters have been growing ever worrisome as of late..." Flat remarks, taking a more serious tone as he begins to contemplate. "It is strange though; how monsters suddenly seem to be spawning at such an alarming rate after so long of tranquility... For as long as I can remember, monster sightings in Hyrule had always been pretty infrequent, and yet the rates of monster-attacks have increased so rapidly almost overnight. It's almost as if they all came together and planned to station in Hyrule at once!"

"Some suspect that may be the case..." notes Sharp grimly. "There have been rumors of a secret society in operation that makes use of monsters. Of course, it's still just a rumor with no concrete evidence. But whatever the cause of their sudden numbers, there doesn't appear to be much that can be done other then just staying vigilant and keeping in numbers yourself when venturing out of town. I sure hope you don't plan on making your trip to Kakariko alone..."

"Don't worry about me," Flat reassures his brother. "It's only a short trip, and I'm always armed with our people's ancestral magic. No monsters should be able to detect me, and even if they do, they'll be the ones in far more danger then I would be."

"I just hope your not overestimating yourself..." Sharp says sternly while readying his eggs for breakfast. "Carelessness can be one's own worst enemy."

Immediately after saying this this, Sharp accidentally drops an egg on the ground.

Splattering it.

*Splat!*

There is an awkward moment of silence.

"...See what I mean?"

Continuing the last of his deliveries around town, Link waits quietly as one of his less trusting and more stingy customers, Mamamu Yan, carefully inspects the eggs and vegetables he delivered.

"Hmm..." she mutters with suspicion. "Well, I don't seem to see any visible damage...this time... Humph! Fine. I'll get my purse. But I'll have you know it certainly is disappointing to my faith in humanity knowing that such a close inspection is even necessary with every purchase I make. You would think that someone who's been delivering eggs for so long could be trusted never to break them!"

Although growing rather vexed by these deprecating remarks, Link patiently holds his tongue. He remains silent and takes the belittlement without a word of defensiveness.

Mamamu Yan heads back into her house to collect her purse and bring her delivery in. Her little dog, by the name of Richard, steps out and begins barking at the young farmboy by the doorway.

Link bends down to let Richard sniff his hand. The barking dog quickly calms down for him and happily allows himself to be pat on the head.

Mamamu Yan steps back out with her purse in hand. She gives Link a scornful look upon seeing him touching her prized dog without her permission. "*Ahem* I hope your hands are clean if you're allowing them to make contact with my precious Richard..."

Aware that the dog is likely much filthier than his own hand could possibly be, but not wishing to upset Mamamu Yan any further, Link immediately quits petting Richard and straightens up. Richard looks up at him with disappointment for having stopped so soon.

"Humph! It looks like I may have to keep an even closer eye on you than I had thought..." Mamamu Yan rudely remarks as she retrieves the rupees from her purse. "Here you are. Now be on your way. I haven't the time for any further disruption from the likes of you."

Upon accepting the rupees, Link gives a polite bow of his head (which may be a far more gracious gesture than Mamamu Yan really deserves) before turning to leave. Mamamu Yan is not an easy customer to please.

Although she is quite wealthy, she tends to be very stingy about money and is always out for any excuse she can find to avoid having to pay. And no matter how kind or generous Link tries to be, she still always acts as if he is cheating her or going to try and harm or steal that dog of hers. But after a recent incident involving cracked eggs, she has treated Link all the more coldly.

Fortunately, Mamamu Yan was his last customer for today. After a quick stop at the marketplace to drop off his remaining produce, Link heads to Hyrule Castle for swordsman training.

Arriving at the castle and parking his emptied farmer's cart safely nearby, he enters the outer courtyard where training is held and is immediately greeted by his fellow trainees in the usual way.

Which is not a friendly greeting.

Far from it.

As he walks through the main entrance, his legs are no sooner met by the hilt of a spear placed deliberately between them.

He trips, falling face-forward into the ground.

*Thud!*

An all-too-familiar voice taunts him as the other trainees laugh on;

"Did you have a nice trip, wimp?"

Thanks for reading! I have FINALLY gotten TriSpirit back up and streaming again! I have officially deleted the original edition now (which is a real shame, as it had 27 favs and 31 follows...) so you won't be seeing it around here anymore, but I've been taking your reviews into careful consideration when writing this revised edition. I hope you'll find the results to be a good improvement.

Now as for the changes made to this first chapter from the original edition; there is a brief extension to this first scene, which involves Link being given a hard time from a stingy customer, but the only other difference worth mentioning in this first chapter outside of that moment is that Link's grandmother now has her name revealed from the start instead of waiting for Chapter 30 like in the original version. (The only reason her name was revealed so late previously is simply because it had taken me that long to decide to even give her a name of her own in the first place. Ha ha)

Now for those who are new to this story: you may be wondering why Link is being described as shy instead of bold when courage is supposed to be his strong point. Now, I know Link is usually depicted as courageous from the start, but I thought it would be more interesting for him to start of timid and shy, and then gradually find his courage as the story goes on. So that's how he'll play out in this tale.

Anyway, sorry about having to include such a long author's note. Future chapters should hopefully not require such long ones like this. Reviews are welcome (especially if you are a returning reader from the original edition, as I'd like to hear you thoughts on the revision), whether you want to offer constructive criticism, point out a typo that I need to fix, or just comment about your favorite line or moment in a chapter, I'm always glad for the feedback. But I do respectfully ask that you please refrain from using profanity or making vulgar remarks. Thank you.