The six races of Hyrule were: the Hylia, the Goddesses' chosen people; the Sheikah, or the Shadow Folk; the Gerudo, a race of women; the rock-eating Gorons; the fish-like Zora; and the Kokiri, called the Forest or Fairy Folk. The humanoid races, with their long, pointed ears, were said to be able to hear special messages from the gods.
Most of Hyrule consisted of the vast, open plains of Hyrule Field. Though travelling through these plains was necessary to reach Hyrule's major landmarks, they were seldom travelled along by at night as monsters often came to attack travellers who were not along the main travelling routes. Travellers who were attacked and lost their gear, or who became lost along in Hyrule Field, reported seeing a large yet lighthearted owl calling himself Kaepora Gaebora who would help travellers to reach their destinations. Rumours soon circulated that this mysterious owl is the reincarnation of an Ancient Sage.
A place called Lon Lon Ranch was soon built in the centre of Hyrule Field for the purposes of breeding horses and cattle to trade. Lon Lon Ranch became the only ranch in Hyrule.

The Hylia, as the gods' chosen people, were endowed witih great psychic powers and skill in wizardry, and an even greater skill in science. This noble race lived in the far north of Hyrule, in a prosperous city named Hyrule Town. Due to the respect the Hylia commanded as the gods' chosen people, the Hylian Royal Family were the rulers of the entire country of Hyrule. It was the Royal Family of Hyrule who held, as their hidden treasure, the Ocarina of Time.
Slightly east of Hyrule Town there was, in the shadow of Death Mountain, a smaller town called Kakariko Village, where the Sheikah lived; swearing allegance to the Hylia, the Sheikah posessed an even greater skill in the magical arts than the Hylia. This place was closed to anyone other than the Shadow folk, who lived their lives in the shadows of the Hylians, serving the Royal Family of Hyrule as bodyguards and attendants. Many mysterious and so-called Gossip Stones, which are littered throughout Hyrule, bore the markings of the Sheikah race, but exactly how that mysterious race placed them there is a mystery.

In the far west of Hyrule there lay little more than a baron desert, and it was at the edge of this desert that the Gerudo race made their home. The Gerudo culture centred on combat, using both standard weapons and magical powers.
The Gerudo were often seen by other races looking for boyfriends, as only one Gerudo would be born a male every 100 years. This Gerudo would, during his childhood, be taken to a Spirit Temple where he would be schooled in the mystic arts by two sorceress sisters, Koume and Kotake Twinrova. After being taught spells and incantations which would otherwise be taught only to the most diciplined of wizards, this male Gerudo would rule his race as King. During the years without a King to rule, a Royal Regent would be elected by the Gerudo to keep order.

Within the many caves which were within the active volcano of Death Mountain, there lived the Gorons. The Gorons' source of food was the many minerals which they mined from Death Mountain. Master blacksmiths, the Gorons also traded a crop called Bomb Flowers, which grew only in the darkest caves of Death Mountain. The Spiritual Stone of Fire, which became known as the Goron Ruby, was the hidden treasure of the Gorons. According to Goron legend, a subterranean lava dragon named Volvagia once tried to burn Hyrule to ashes, but a mighty Goron hero used a Megaton Hammer to destroy the dragon and save Hyrule.
Further east, just before the forbidden Lost Woods, there was Zora's Domain. It was from here that all the water in Hyrule began its journey along the perimeter of the country, proving nourishment to all life forms before coming to rest at Lake Hylia in the south-west. The guardians of this water were the Zora; part human and part fish, the Zora could spend only limited periods of time outside of water. The Zoras worshipped their guardian spirit, a large fish named Lord Jabu-Jabu, and held as their hidden treasure the Spiritual Stone of Water, or the Zora Sapphire.

Finally, in the far east of Hyrule, there was the forbidden Lost Woods; the path leading to this forest ended with the notice ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER. The magical air which blew through this mysterious forest meant that any who entered could only do so for less than a full cycle of the sun and moon, before they would be transformed into skeleton-like monsters. Only those who were permitted by this forest's guardian spirit, the Great Deku Tree, would be able to enter the forest for longer periods of time. Those who overstayed their welcome in the Lost Woods made up a small village hidden far within these woods, and were only seen by the Kokiri, who made their home in the Lost Woods and had as their hidden treasure the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, or the Kokiri Emerald.
Though few had ever seen a Kokiri, they were famous for the guardian they each had, who accompanied each Kokiri from birth until death. The Kokiri were the children of the forest, whose lives were made possible through the Great Deku Tree. The fairies which each Kokiri had helped protect them from the magic of the Lost Woods, though it also caused the Kokiri to remain no older than their pre-teens. However, since it was the spirits of the forest who gave life to the Kokiri, if any Kokiri were to leave the forest their lives would come to an end.

However, Hyrule's times during the years were not safe; endless wars and civil strife continued to prevail. The many races of Hyrule had forgotten many of the laws which the gods had left them with. Though none would ever admit it, each ruler secretly sought the keys to the Sacred Realm so that they could have their chance of obtaining the power of the gods. However, the precise knowledge of how to obtain the Triforce had been lost and distorted over time; only the Royal Family of Hyrule were known to have the uncorrupted story. It is little wonder, then, that most of these conflicts ended in stalemates.
The Hylia, exploiting their position as the gods' chosen people, fought for little more than putting all the other races under their heel. The Sheikah, sworn servants of the Hylian Royal Family, became just as hated as the Hylia themselves, but were oppressed by the same people they served. The Gerudo became little more than a race of thieves, and often raped their male victims in an effort to continue their kind. The Zora threatened drought or impure water to all of Hyrule should any race dare oppose their wishes. All races wished for posession of the rich minerals atop Death Mountain, but the Gorons defended their food source with their powerful weapons, which only the strongest of armour or the most powerful of magic could stand against.
Every race gave themselves a reason to be hated, yet none would do anything to turn the tide. Only the Kokiri, safely sheltered by the magic of the Lost Woods, were safe from the horrors.

Perhaps the bloodiest of battles which came during this war was a sudden, violent attack on Hyrule Town. Though the Hylian Army fought vallantly, both attackers and defenders lost heavily that day. Though the Hylian lines held, even the Hyrulian King lost his life to an assassin's arrow. Following this battle, Hyrule Town became the most protected settlement in the land....and many began to feel that the time of peace was long overdue, yet no ruler would be game enough to be the first to say they were wrong.
One Hylian mother, whose husband had been killed in the conflicts, resigned herself to the fact that the fighting could never cease. The only safe haven, she then decided, would be to enter the Lost Woods and beg to the forest spirits for mercy. Herself gravely wounded, she took her infant son and mounted a deserted horse, heading for the forbidden forest. Though the Great Deku Tree granted both mother and son protection from the forest's magic, the mother died soon after from her injuries. Her son, the Deku Tree decided, would be raised as a Kokiri.

With the tyrannical Hyrulian King dead from that battle, his son took the throne. The new King of Hyrule had a heart with a perfect balance of power, wisdom and courage. With his great military prowess, he assembled an army like none Hyrule had ever seen before. He then studied the Book of Mudora, a most ancient text, which had every script relating to the history of Hyrule within it. So sacred was this book that only the leaders of races were permitted to read it.
Using the laws of the gods as a template, the new King now summoned together the leaders of the warring races in an effort to end the wars once and for all. With this good news reaching them, rulers from far and wide travelled to attend the conferences: Nabooru, Royal Regent of the Gerudos; King Zora XVI of the Zoras and Darunia, chief of the Gorons. The Sheikah were now all but extinct, from both combat and overwork, and so were left out of this gathering. The Kokiri were also not summonded, since they had no involvement in the wars.
Under the King's wise diplomacy, and a yearning from all other leaders for peace, any foundations upon which war could have sprung were shaken to the ground. Agreements were signed that none could take anything from Death Mountain without the permission of the Gorons; that the Zoras would be responsible for keeping Hyrule's water clean and safe to drink. Though it was agreed that the Gerudo would not use their warrior skills for dishonourable purposes, Nabooru warned that much of the Gerudo culture centred on one's ability as a thief and could make no promises that her people would behave.
After 50 years of ceaseless combat, all of Hyrule welcomed the overdue peace. The Hylia, though the dominent people of Hyrule, were kind and tolerant of the needs of their neighbouring races. The Gerudos were now, though somewhat anti-male and pro-violence, still a peaceful and kind race who were amongst the most mild-mannered. The Gorons became extremely wealthy through their trading in metalwork, minerals and their unique Bomb Flowers. The Zoras, since they could not venture for very long out of water, were still not seen far from their home or from Lake Hylia. With the Sheikah homeland of Kakariko Village soon becoming less-than-livable due to a lack of upkeep, perhaps the last surviving Sheikah Impa, attendant to the newborn Hylian Princess Zelda, opened the village to all who would wish to come.

After over a decade of long, stable peace, there was a male born to the Gerudo by the name of Ganondorf Dragmire. Though the Gerudo masses proclaimed him as their hero, as was expected, the now former Royal Regent Nabooru soon grew distrustful of Ganondorf. She tried to warn other Gerudo as to the evil of Ganondorf, but all dismissed it as simply sour grapes from Nabooru losing her position as chief Gerudo.
As tradition demanded, Ganondorf traversed the Haunted Wasteland to the great Spirit Temple to be educated by the sorceress sisters, Koume and Kotake Twinrova. Ganondorf was a determined student, studying hard and learning quickly; he was never devoured by impatience, taking his time to learn the complex spells which a Gerudo King must know.
As the time grew near for Ganondorf's official coronation, he was required to learn the verses from the sacred Book of Mudora, held with such respect that the Gerudo copy of this book was only permitted to be read by a Gerudo King. Within this book were the accounts of the Triforce and how it became hidden. Within these texts, Ganondorf found one verse which warranted particular attention:

Every citizen of Hyrule, from royalty to peasantry, knew of the Triforce and the legends of how to obtain it. But it was only thought that the Triforce could merely grant powerful magic, not make one's deepest dreams come true! Ganondorf made particular note to remember what was required: the three Spiritual Stones held by the Gorons, Zora and Kokiri and the Ocarina of Time.
Hmm....Ganondorf could easily obtain the Zora Sapphire, simply by having some form of letter to prove he was a messanger of the King of Hyrule. That would be easy, since he would soon have to travel to Hyrule Castle to assure the King of Hyrule the peace treaties stood true during Ganondorf's reign. And while he was there, he would find some way of obtaining the Ocarina of Time, even if it meant taking hostage the King's daughter, Princess Zelda....

As for the Goron Ruby, well...the Gorons may be master craftsman, but they lacked a lot of common sense. He should be able to convince them to hand over the ruby without too many hassles. Gaining the Kokiri Emerald would be somewhat difficult; Ganondorf would need the permission of the Great Deku Tree in order to obtain what he needed.
En route to travelling to Hyrule Castle to meet with the King of Hyrule, Ganondorf made a detour to Death Mountain. There he approached the Goron chief Darunia, asking for the Spiritual Stone. However, Darunia was not as foolish as Ganondorf expected, and when Darunia refused Ganondorf's request, the Gerudo King closed the entrance to the Gorons' main mine, Dodongo's Cavern.
Hoping for better luck with the Kokiri Emerald, Ganondorf used his magic to communicate to the Great Deku Tree without entering the Lost Woods, and so avoiding the forest's magical air. Asking for the Spiritual Stone the Deku Tree posessed, the living tree sensed Ganondorf's evil intentions and refused. Ganondorf could easily solve that: using his magic, Ganondorf placed a death-curse upon the Great Deku Tree which could only be removed by destroying the monsters which now lived underneath the tree.
Ganondorf now set his sights to Hyrule Castle: soon, he will have found a way to obtain the Triforce!

The Great Deku Tree, now cursed to die before the sun set that day, would not give in so easily. It knew that there was more at stake here than simply losing the sacred Kokiri Emerald. No, it would not give in. All of these events had been forseen, and he would play his role in destiny's coming story without fear or favour, selfishness or sloath.
From the moment the Deku Tree saw the Kokiri named Link, he had known the boy had a powerful role to play in destiny. Link, the sole person to enter this forest without a guardian fairy, and yet be able to remain unaffected by the magic of the Lost Woods or survive leaving the safety of the forest.
The Deku Tree summoned the young fairy Navi; though Navi was only a young fairy and did not have the experience or knowledge which usually befitted a Kokiri's guardian fairy, the Deku Tree had no say in the matter. All that would occur now was already decided, and if the Deku Tree were to deviate from this road than untold damage could have happened.
Navi came as instructed, the Deku Tree urging her to find and bring Link before him. Navi left at once for the forest clearing where the Kokiri made their village.

When Navi found Link early this morning, he was waking from a nightmare. It was the same nightmare Link had been having every night these past few weeks...
Link was standing on an open plain, with few trees in sight. A large stone wall stood in front of him, just over a stream. As he stood there, motionless and alone, part of the stone wall came down, lower and lower. As it came to its lowest point, Link saw that that this part of the wall was made of wood. With this wooden portion down, it now formed a bridge over the stream, and a path into what looked like a strange village.
Suddenly, a large white creatre with four legs went galloping out of the village and past Link. A young girl was on the back of this animal, held by a larger woman. For a moment the girl looked like he wanted to tell Link something, but by the time the girl vanished into the darkness it was too late. Link heard another noise coming from the entrance to the strange village. He looked around: another of the strange animals, this one black and powerful, with a strange man on top of it, with an evil look in his eyes.
What happened next Link did not know, as it was at this point that he would awaken.

When Link discovered that at last he had a guardian fairy, both himself and his friends were overjoyed. Despite the bullying of Kokiri chief Mido, Link proceeded to the Deku Tree and learned of the curse which had been placed on the Guardian Spirit. Link, armed with a sword and shield, entered the Deku Tree and destroyed the parasitic armoured arachnid there which was the source of the curse.
Despite Link's efforts, the Deku Tree was still moments from death. However, the Great Deku Tree's life was not in vain: the Deku Tree told Link of an evil man from the desert who placed the curse upon him, and that this man had done so in a quest for the Triforce. The Deku Tree also told Link the story of the Triforce, and why this desert man should never lay his hands upon the Triforce. Furthermore, Link should travel to Hyrule Castle and meet the princess there. The Great Deku Tree also gave Link the Kokiri Emerald for safekeeping.
These were the last words of the Great Deku Tree, before it whithered and died. Link decided to make his journey to the castle, though none of the other Kokiri had any idea where this castle was. As Link left, Kokiri chief Mido accused Link of doing something wrong to the Deku Tree, causing it to die. Link's best friend Saria, however, realised this was Link's destiny and gave him a momento to remember her by.

Link journeyed west and out of the forest, both himself and Navi surprised that Link had survived. Did the Great Deku Tree have the power to permit a Kokiri to leave the forest? Or had the Great Deku Tree's death allowed the Kokiri to enter and leave the Lost Woods as they chose? Link decided not to ponder on these questions, but rather to find his way to Hyrule Castle. How he would reach there was beyond him, out of the sheer size of the field he must now cross.
Soon after leaving the Lost Woods, the owl named Kaepora Gaebora flew to Link and offered to show him the way to Hyrule Castle. Kaepora led Link to the entrance of Hyrule Town, telling Link to continue north to reach Hyrule Castle. Link felt unnerved upon reaching Hyrule Town, for it was the same location he saw in his nightmares. Nontheless Link pressed on, learning much from the Hylians by overhearing gossip: the Princess of Hyrule was named Zelda, attended by possibly the last of the Sheikah. Princess Zelda also saw visions of the future in her dreams.
Making friends with a young girl named Malon, daughter of Lon Lon Ranch owner Talon, Link proceeded to Hyrule Castle. He spoke with the gatekeeper, but the guards would not allow Link into the palace to see the Princess. Driven by his need to fulfil the Deku Tree's dying wish, Link used the agility and hunting skills he learned growing up in the forest to break into the castle courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, Link found a young girl apparently spying on something inside the castle. This girl, who soon introduced herself as Princess Zelda, saw Navi and immediately deduced that Link was from the forest. Zelda explained that in her most recent dream, black clouds gathered from the desert and reached accross Hyrule. A bright light grew from the forest and forced these clouds back, the light turning into a figure holding the Kokiri Emerald.
Zelda explained her mistrust of the Gerudo King, who had recently come to Hyrule Castle. Zelda had already decided that Ganondorf was after the Triforce, and so she explained the legends of how to unlock the Sacred Realm to Link; but even these legends were obscure, and made no mention of the Master Sword. The two youngsters planned to recover the keys to the Sacred Realm; Zelda would safeguard the Ocarina of Time while Link went in search of the Spiritual Stones. They would then enter the Sacred Realm and protect the Triforce from Ganondorf themselves.
Zelda's attendant, the Sheikah Impa, escorted Link out of Hyrule Town and taught him the Song of the Royal Family in case Link had to prove a royal connection. Link set off for Death Mountain and to the Goron City, meeting with their chief Darunia. Darunia did have the Spiritual Stone, but explained that Ganondorf had sealed off the entrance to the Gorons' main mine in an effort to gain the stone as well. Link reopened the entrance to the mine and destroyed the monsters there, winning Darunia's favour and earning the Goron Ruby.

With half of his quest complete, Link now travelled to Zora's Domain and the location of the Spiritual Stone of Water. Link did not have time to ask King Zora for the stone, since the Zoras were all paniking that their princess, Ruto, had gone missing. Link joined the search, and found Princess Ruto in the belly of the Zora's Guardian Spirit, Lord Jabu-Jabu. Ruto gave the Zora Sapphire to Link for rescuing her, though Link wasn't paying attention when Ruto explained that in giving the Sapphire to Link, Ruto had decided that Link would someday be her husband.
Link returned to Hyrule Town, though by the time he arrived night had fallen and the drawbridge leading into the town had closed. Before Link had a chance to look around for shelter for the night, the drawbridge lowered. A strong white hrose ran by, Impa in control of the animal while carrying Princess Zelda away. Link thought he saw the Princess throw something which landed in the moat. Link heard a second horse behind him, looked up and saw Ganondorf Dragmire mounted upon his solid black Gerudo stallion. Ganondorf tried to get Link to say where the Princess had ridden to, but Link's only reply was to draw his sword. Link's threat was worse than useless, Ganondorf using his magic to knock the boy aside before riding off to look for Zelda himself.
When day next broke, Link asked the citizens of Hyrule Town what had happened. No-one knew anything, only that a white horse had fled from the castle while being persued by a black horse. Several people reconised the riders of the white horse being Princess Zelda and her attendant Impa, and none of the guards of Hyrule Castle would say anything about the previous day. Link found one guard in a back alley of the town, dying from his wounds; Ganondorf Dragmire betrayed the King of Hyrule, attempting to kidnap Princess Zelda. Link learned little else before the guard died of his injuries.

Link returned to the moat outside Hyrule Town, remembering he thought her saw the Princess throw something at him. Slightly downstream, pulled by the current, Link found the bright blue Ocarina of Time. A telepathic message from Zelda filled Link's mind: Ganondorf attacked the Royal Family of Hyrule, and Zelda had to be evacuated by Impa. Zelda wanted to wait for Link, but there was simply no time left. Zelda taught the Song of Time to Link, begging him to enter the Sacred Realm and protect the Triforce.
Link went to the Temple of Time, placing the Spiritual Stones in their slots and playing the Song of Time on the ocarina Zelda had left for him. The Door of Time opened, and Link walked through and found the Master Sword. Since this room was otherwise bare, Link decided there was nothing else to do but lift the sword from its pedastel.
The last sound Link heard was the roaring laughter of Ganondorf Dragmire.

When Link came to, he found himself in a strange blue environment. The only other person there was a man in bright red and orange robes, who called himself Rauru. Rauru explained that Link was in the Chamber of the Sages within the Temple of Light, the resting place of the Triforce. Rauru explained that the Master Sword could only be pulled from the Pedastel of Time by one chosen by the Master Sword itself. Though Link was this personhe was still too young to use the blade, and so the Master Sword sealed him within the Sacred Realm for seven years so that Link could age into an adult.
However, during that time the Master Sword was still free of the Pedastel of Time, and the gate between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm was still open. Ganondorf had followed Link to the Temple, and since there was nothing left to stop him Ganondorf had captured the Triforce. Using its power, Ganondorf killed the good King of Hyrule and took his place. With the Triforce behind him, there was no-one who could stand in his way.
There is, Rauru offered, a way: the seven Sages of the Triforce will be able to draw Ganondorf into an Evil Realm and seal him there forever. Rauru himself is the Ancient Sage of Light, but all of the other Sages has since passed away. There are six Chosen Ones, one among each of Hyrule's races, remaining to become the next Sages.

Rauru returned Link to Hyrule, to within the Temple of Time. Here, Link was met by a masked man calling himself Sheik, the last of the Sheikah race. Knowing the prophecies surrounding the capture of the Triforce by an evil one, Zelda's attendant Impa came to the Temple of Time every day, waiting for Link. Impa has since grown frail, and Sheik has come in her place.
Sheik explains that an awakening voice has summoned the six remaining Sages to the various Temples in Hyrule, but Ganondorf has since siezed these Temples. Due to the evil magic in the Temples, the Sages cannot answer their call. Link must reach these Temples and destroy the monsters dwelling there so that the Sages can answer their call.
Link decided to first return to his home of the Lost Woods to reach his old friends. Navi did not at first trust these prophecies, reminding Link that the Kokiri do not age. Link reconsidered: had the Great Deku Tree, in permitting Link to leave the Lost Woods, sacrificed his immortality as well? Or had the Great Deku Tree's death, as well as permitting the Kokiri to leave the Lost Woods, had caused him to age?

When Link reached the Lost Woods, he found it overrun by monsters of every description. Link met with the other Kokiri, only to find that none of his companions had aged and that they rejected him as a Kokiri. Navi used this point to further bring up her mistrust of Link's current situation, but Link thought further and determined that the Master Sword's power was perhaps stronger than that of the forest spirits in causing Link to age.
Link proceeded to the Forest Temple, in the heart of the Lost Woods. Destroying the monsters dwelling there, including a phantasm of Ganondorf himself, a portal to the Sacred Realm opened within the Temple. Link's best friend Saria was the one who heard the awakening call and became the Forest Sage. With the evil gone from the Lost Woods, a new Deku Tree Sprout began to grow in place of the long-dead Great Deku Tree. Link met with the Deku Tree Sprout, where he learned the true reason why he had aged: Link was the son of the Hylian mother who sought refuge from the wars in the Lost Woods. The Great Deku Tree could sense that Link's fate would have a great bearing on the history of Hyrule, and so took Link to be raised as a Kokiri.

Link now travelled to Death Mountain to search for the next Temple. The cloud ring around Death Mountain Link had noted in his youth was now a ring of fire. Link ventured to Goron City, finding it deserted save a young Goron, Darunia's son who was named after Link! Link the Goron explained to Link the Hylian that the Gorons rejected Ganondorf's new order, and now Ganondorf plans to destroy the Goron race by bringing to life the mythical fire dragon Volvagia, who once tried to burn all of Hyrule.
Link the Hylian entered the lava-filled crater of Death Mountain, finding his way into the Fire Temple and meeting with Darunia. Darunia urged Link to free the Gorons from their imprisonment, while Darunia attempted to defeat Volvagia. Link freed the Gorons and recovered the same Megaton Hammer which the Goron hero used to destroy Volvagia from long ago, and using this weapon Link destroyed the dragon. The Fire Temple was freed, Darunia awakening as the Sage of Fire.
Link now journeyed to Zora's Domain, only to find its caverns frozen over. The only surviver of this ice was Princess Ruto, whom Sheik saved. Link met with Ruto when he entered the Water Temple at Lake Hylia, though Link went a seperate way rather than put up with the arrogant Princess as she babbles on how Link, her fiancée by Zora law, left her for seven years.

Link destroyed the creature which maintained the ice at Zora's Domain, freeing the Zoras and allowing Ruto to be awakened as the Water Sage. Link now returned to Kakariko Village to look for clues to the location of the next Temple. There, Link found the village almost in tatters; Sheik explained that a phantom shadow beast, who had been sealed in Kakariko's well, had grown strong enough to escape from its prison. Impa, who originally sealed the monster, has gone to the Shadow Temple to re-seal the beast.
At Sheik's urging, Link proceeded immediately to the Shadow Temple. Link destroyed the beast to allow Impa to awaken as the Sage of Shadow, her awakened state allowing her to become youthful again. Link now travelled to the far west to the land of the Gerudos to find the final Temple, the Spirit Temple.
The Gerudos were not polite hosts when Link first arrived at their Fortress, but after proving his warrior skills they accepted him as an ally of their band. Link was now free to cross the Haunted desert Wasteland to the Spirit Temple, but when he reached his destination Link found no passage big enough to allow him to pass.

Sheik appeared, revealing to Link an important piece of information: by replacing the Master Sword at the Temple of Time, Link could go back in time seven years. Link returned to the Temple of Time, then proceeded back to the Spirit Temple. Here, he met the Gerudo's former Royal Regent, Nabooru. Nabooru had sneaked into the Spirit Temple, planning to destroy the base of Ganondorf's evil plans. Nabooru needed Link, his youthful body small enough to fit through the passages, to recover an artefact allowing Nabooru to enter the depths of the Temple.
Link proceeded through the passages, recovering the treasure as Nabooru instructed. But then, the witches who raised Ganondorf, Koume and Kotake Twinrova, discovered Nabooru and captured her. There was no way Link could save her, unless he recovered the Master Sword and returned to Ganondorf's time. Link did so, entering the depths of the Spirit Temple and destroying the Twinrova sisters.
Nabooru awakened as the Sage of Spirit, and now only one Sage remained. Rauru guided Link to the Temple of Time, where he met with Sheik. Sheik explained the legend of the Triforce splitting into three parts due to the touch of someone without perfect balance of its three forces. Ganondorf holds only the Triforce of Power, while Link carries the Triforce of Courage. Sheik reveals that Princess Zelda, the seventh Sage, holds the Triforce of Wisdom. Sheik then shed his mask, revealing that 'he' was in fact the Princess!

Zelda explained that when she last saw Link, she was escaping from Hyrule Castle: Ganondorf made an attempt on the life of the King of Hyrule, and Zelda later learned that attempt was successful. But Ganondorf still needed the Ocarina of Time that Zelda had, so Impa took the Princess into hiding. When Zelda saw Link, she felt it best to entrust the ocarina to Link; but Zelda couldn't have foreseen the Master Sword sealing Link in the Sacred Realm.
Impa tutored Zelda in the ways of the Sheikah in order to hide her from Ganondorf. Zelda, knowing what had happened through the Triforce of Wisdom's power, waited seven long years for Link to return. Now, Link must distract Ganondorf while Zelda opens the gate from Hyrule to the Evil Realm, and the other six sages seal Ganondorf.
But what Zelda failed to realise was that Ganondorf was waiting as Zelda revealed herself to Link. Ganondorf captured Zelda, taking her prisoner to his castle. Link followed them there, breaking into the castle and reaching the summit of Ganon's Tower. After a long battle, Ganondorf fell dead and Zelda was freed. The two then escaped from Ganondorf's crumbling castle.

However, Ganondorf had survived the attacks due to the Triforce of Power. Link fought long and hard to bring Ganondorf down long enough for the Sages to seal Ganondorf into the Evil Realm. The Evil King, however, still held the Triforce of Power and made a vow to wreak a thousand-fold vengeance upon the decendants of Link, Zelda and the Sages.
There was little else to do: Zelda and the six Sages could only remain in the Sacred Realm, while Link was returned to Hyrule. He was then returned to his original time, to the moments before he first met with Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle.

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"Anyone who seeks fame need only become familiar with all that I have acheived." - Claudius Galen
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