The sun had barely risen above the horizon when Link and Epona crested the final hill to Hyrule Castle Town in the northernmost part of the field. Link steered Epona onto the old, worn-in path, letting her slow to a walk. Epona was completely lathered in sweat. The white foam covered her chestnust-coloured neck and flanks. Link was sweating as well. His blonde hair was plastered to his forehead and his green tunic was nearly sopped. The weather had changed dramatically from the day before. The air was hot and humid, without a huff of wind, and the temperature would only increase as the sun rose and beat down upon the land.

Link heard the distant creaking from the chains of the drawbridge as it was slowly lowered to the other side of the moat surrounding Hyrule Castle Town. Link saw it drop to the ground, and heard the faint thud a split second later as the sound traveled to him. Epona was so tired she didn’t even flinch at the noise.

Link felt like a zombie walking through the bright and cheerful Hyrule Castle Town. He’d left Epona near the drawbridge as he continued on his way into town. He felt a terrible sense of déja vu. The streets were filled with laughing, dancing people. The brightly-coloured awnings of the stores seemed to mock him, as if they knew that something was wrong, yet continued to sway ironically about. They seemed to be asking Link why he was the only one in town who was in a somber mood, and even though they knew perfectly well what lay ahead for him, they refused to reveal their secret knowledge.

Link was aware of the cheerful songs played by the musicians along the streets, but the tunes would not register in his mind. The raven’s cawing was all that flooded his thoughts; the ringing in his ears was in tune with the slow, sad cadence. Link stopped in the middle of the street, then put his hands over his head and closed his eyes, as if trying to clear his mind… yet he was unable to block it. “Leave me alone,” he muttered as he started walking again.

No one so much as glanced his direction as he walked through the Town Square. He wasn’t really there, in their world. He was far off in the dimensions of his own reverie, far from the reality of what he was doing, where he was going. His legs carried him along; he was merely a passenger to wherever they decided to go.

Link stopped in front of the castle and glanced up at the tall towers that cast long shadows across the path. He easily eluded the castle guards and swam through the moat to a small drainage opening that led to the courtyard. He squeezed through with some difficulty, then shrunk back quickly as he was almost seen by a guard patrolling the courtyard. Link waited until the guard was facing the other way, then ran quickly behind a hedge. He made his way through the courtyard without any more close calls. He was almost there, to the small garden where he knew he’d find Princess Zelda.

Link was overcome with déja-vu when he saw her. She faced away from where he’d entered. The sun glistened a deep gold in her hair -- the colour of the Triforce, as if confirming her true royalty. The sound of his sword shifting in its sheath as Link walked closer caught her attention. She turned around, half-expecting to see a guard -- But the look on her face when she saw Link was strangely not of surprise, but expectancy. She felt almost as if she’d just seen him the day before, rather than five years ago.

“I thought you would come,” Zelda said slowly. “I knew it. It was bound to happen again.” She stared down at the flowers that grew near her feet, then looked into Link’s eyes. They didn’t have to explain. They knew why they were there, what was bringing them together again. He stared back for a moment, then spoke.

“Did you send me that prophecy? That girl,” Link began. “Who is she? I felt as though I had a connection with her, somehow, but I know I’ve never met her.” Zelda looked confused.

“Girl?” she asked. “I sent you no prophecy, but I did have one of my own. There was no girl in my dream, only you, in the Temple of Time.” Link looked at her quizzically.

“That means that someone else sent us those prophecies." There was a long silence. Not an uncomfortable silence, but one of deep thought.

“Tell me about your dream,” Zelda said finally. Link explained the haunting prophecy in as much detail that he could. He told her of the warrior girl, the wall of fire that separated them; but he could not explain in words the look of horror on the girl’s face, or his dire urgency to save her. Zelda listened intently, then told him of her dream. It still replayed in her mind with perfect clarity.

Link entered the Temple of Time. He'd aged since Zelda had seen him last, nearly five years ago. She could see the Ocarina of Time in his hand, as he walked slowly to the Door of Time. Link stopped in front of the door, where the three Spiritual Stones had once rested, and put the Ocarina to his lips. The song he played was unfamiliar to Zelda, a sad, minor cadence. Link played the tune twice. The symbol on the Door of Time began to glow a bright white light that caused Link to shield his eyes with his arm. (Was it not said that the Door of Time could only be opened with the Spiritual Stones and the Song of Time?)

Link walked through the door, into a small room with a high, tapered ceiling. It had only one small stained glass window that cast a narrow ray of golden light, becoming wider as it reached the tiled floor. It cast a long shadow of the Master Sword, resting in its pedestal in the center of the room.

Then another shadow fell upon the room. It was the shadow of a raven, perched on the sill of the window high above. Link looked up, in astonishment. He shook his head, as if he thought he’d imagined it, then walked up the few stairs to the pedestal. Link placed both hands on the hilt of the Master Sword and pulled it, disappearing into the portal of light that led into the glory and mystery of another land. Nay, the same land, but a time unknown to Link.

Link was silent for a minute after Zelda finished, trying to make sense of the dream. Finally, he spoke. “…You said I played a song on the Ocarina, one you hadn’t heard before,” Link said thoughtfully. He began to hum the raven’s tune, almost subconsciously, staring unseeingly at the stone wall as he did so.

“Link! That’s it!” Zelda exclaimed, putting her hands on his shoulders. Link looked down at her, still with vacancy in his sky-blue eyes.

“Link?” Zelda asked him, concerned with his sudden detachment.

“Oh...” Link finally responded, coming out of his reverie. “I just felt like I wasn’t really here for a minute. Strange.” He shook his head. His eyes fixed on Zelda with a sudden intensity. “I have to go back, to the Temple of Time,” he said in certainty. “Last night, in the field, I saw a raven. It sang me that song.. I-I thought I was imagining it. Then, that dream, that prophecy, that nightmare….” Link looked down, scuffing the toe of his boot lightly at the ground.

“I know,” Zelda replied sorrowfully. “I see it in your eyes. You’re a true warrior, Link. The true Hero of Time.” She smiled a true smile of warmth and admiration.

“I understand you’re worried about me,” he told her. “But I know it’s right, this time. I’ve had a calling from the Sacred Realm. I need for you to give me the Ocarina of Time, again,” he finished. The two prophets of the Sages exchanged a look of complete understanding.

“Stay here,” Zelda said softly as she turned and entered the castle.

Link walked up the stairs to the Temple of Time. The Ocarina of Time rested in his right hand as he reached the huge door the led inside. It slowly opened, creaking in protest. He stood for a moment, then stepped cautiously inside. The warp tile with the symbol of the Triforce lay in the center of the black and white tiled floor. The light shining through the stained glass windows cast a surreal shadow of Link as he walked -- the shadow of the Hero of Time. He reached the end of the room and faced the Door of Time. His mind was oddly blank, as if the temple's sanctity drove out the voices that had been torturing him. Had the voices belonged to the Sages? Had he finally answered them? Link knew only that he must open the great Door of Time.

Link put the Ocarina of Time to his lips. He’d never played the Raven’s Song before, but it came naturally to him. Strangely, he didn’t feel as if he was the one playing it. The sad, shrill notes flowed together all on their own. The song played twice, then the Door of Time began to glow, as Link had seen it do only once before in his life. The Triforce symbol above the door radiated a deep gold. The Door slowly disintegrated, leaving only the doorway into a small dark room.

Link strode slowly to the pedestal in the centre of the room. The raven's dark shadow fell over him. From its perch high above on the windowsill, the bird somehow filled the dark chamber with a feeling of hope. Link looked up into the eyes of the bird, feeling the same understanding he had with Princess Zelda. He knew the bird was grateful, but for what he did not yet know. He took a deep breath, turning to the center of the pedestal. The raven watched him; her head slightly tilted to the left, as Link placed his hands firmly on the hilt of the blade that was the Master Sword.

Next..