Storyline

Had words existed during that age, they would be unable to describe the magnitude of the vast pool of nothingness that occupied the physical world at the beginning of time. It was at the precise moment that this expansive pool of space looked at itself and wondered "What am I?" that three goddesses arrived to provide an answer to this unspoken question posed by Emptiness.
Din, Goddess of Power, Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, Goddess of Courage spoke in unison saying, "You were naught."
The pause that followed would have witnessed the birth and death of countless mortal generations, were there mortals available to live and die. Just as Emptiness exhaled a universal sigh in protest of the puzzling nature of the goddess's statement, the three deities raised their palms above their beautiful faces and stated together, "You were naught. Now you are."
The goddesses joined hands, and through the power of an ancient magic they shaped the globe which would be the ultimate stage for a grand variety of drama, comedy and tragedy. Din filled the globe with water, stone, air and fire; Nayru sprinkled the newborn landscape with plants and animals, while Farore planted the seeds which would grow into intelligence, consciousness and magic.
When their work was complete, Emptiness had fled away with great fear. Though the goddesses were surprised at the strange sensation of fatigue which filled their spirits, they felt the need to continue their work by creating a token to serve as a symbol of their holy bond with the new world.
Each goddess forged her own contribution to the magical talisman: Din offered the Triforce of Power, Nayru contributed the Triforce of Wisdom, and Farore presented the Triforce of Courage. Combined, the three pieces formed the ultimate sacred Triforce.
The ground where the Triforce stood instantly became holy territory in the fresh minds of the inhabitants of this new world. This Sacred Realm became known as the Golden Land.
As Emptiness ran farther and farther away, the free-spirited souls which wandered this new land of High Rule eventually settled down, learned to farm, and formed the Kingdom of Hyrule. The three goddesses never strayed too far from this new world they created, and the people of Hyrule worshipped them respectfully.
Although most of the inhabitants of Hyrule respected the Triforce, there were those audacious enough to plot to steal the relic and use its power for their own selfish ends. To protect the Triforce from falling into the wrong hands, a great Sage named Rauru built the Temple of Light to guard the entrance to the Sacred Realm. Within the temple, the entry way to the Sacred Realm was barred by a complex magical seal that could only be opened by one worthy of audience with the Triforce; one who had all aspects of the Triforce in perfect balance.
As time passed, the Triforce became a legend, and the different people of Hyrule forgot the laws and wisdom that the goddesses had left behind. Warfare and strife became common in Hyrule, as the armies of the Zora marched on the Hylians. The Gorons fought the Gerudo. It seemed every race of Hyrule was at the other's throat. Only the secluded Kokiri, sheltered by their magical forest and the Great Deku Tree, were spared the destruction of Hyrule's civil wars.
After 50 years of ceaseless combat, there arose a Hylian King of great wisdom, courage and power. Through his brilliant military campaigns and wise diplomacy, he was able to bring the varied people of Hyrule into a tenuous harmony. Treaties of peace were signed, and prosperity once again seemed to bloom in Hyrule. But no sooner had people declared peace in Hyrule than trouble once again stalked the land.
In the trackless desert of Hyrule, the King of the Gerudo Thieves, Ganondorf, had come across the old legends of the Triforce during his magical research. The tales told of the great power that would come to the one who possessed the sacred relic:
In a Realm beyond sight,
The sky shines gold not blue,
There, the Triforce's might
Makes mortal dreams come true.
Another little known legend was especially intriguing to the scheming Gerudo. It provided the details on how to gain entry to the Sacred Realm. According to the story, there were three Spiritual Stones that were part of the puzzle that unlocked the Sacred Realm. He read with great interest that the Spiritual Stones were held by the Kokiri, the Gorons, and the Zora. But although these were essential for opening the gate to the Sacred Realm, one item above all was necessary, and that was the legendary Ocarina of Time.
According to this legend, that magical instrument was passed down by the Royal Family of Hyrule. Armed with this treasure map, Ganondorf set his plans into motion. With his evil minions, he rode forth from the desert, intent on using his own mystical powers and force of arms to steal the Spiritual Stones from their owners. He believed it
would be easy to bully the Gorons and Zora into handing over the stones, weakened as they were by Hyrule's civil wars. He thought he could easily destroy the Kokiri's guardian tree and claim their stone.
With the stones finally in hand, he would then use trickery to obtain the final key to the Sacred Realm. His coming audience with the King of Hyrule would be the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the mighty Hyrule Castle. Once inside, he would find out which member of the Royal Family had the Ocarina.
He vowed that he would do anything to get the Ocarina, slay its holder if necessary, even if the holder was the King of Hyrule's young daughter, the princess Zelda...
Meanwhile, a very special child named Link was growing up in Kokiri Forest. Even though all the other Kokiri kids -- or Children of the Forest as they were called -- had their own guardian fairies, he had never received one. Though only 10 years of age, young Link was about to find himself involved in the first of many epic adventures which resulted in great good for all the people of Hyrule.
Link's heroic career didn't begin on a very high note, though, because Ganondorf was able to trick him into opening Rauru's sealed doorway in the Temple of Light. Instead of collecting the Spiritual Stones himself, Ganondorf watched from afar as young Link travelled to Goron City and Zora's Domain, risking his life to help the troubled inhabitants there.
Link thought he was helping Princess Zelda to protect the holy Triforce by collecting the Spiritual Stones, but after he had gathered all three magical relics he was in for an unfortunate surprise. As Link approached Hyrule Castle, he caught sight of Zelda's guardian Impa rushing Zelda to safety.
They were being pursued by Ganondorf, but just before Zelda sped away she was able to throw the Ocarina of Time into the moat of Hyrule Castle where Link swam down to retrieve it. Link then had everything he needed to enter the Spirit Realm. He hurried into the Temple of Time and pulled the legendary Master Sword from its pedestal.
The last thing Link remembered was opening the door to the Spirit Realm and watching as Ganondorf leapt from the shadows and placed his tainted hands on Triforce. Though Link did not witness it first-hand, Ganondorf tapped into the power of the Triforce and throned himself as the King of Evil. With heavy hand, he transformed the beautiful Hylian landscape into a barren wasteland. Sadly, even the Golden Land in the Sacred Realm was stripped of its beauty. It was not long before this fallen territory
came to be known as the Dark World.