I'M BAAAACK! Sorry for not uploading anything for so long; I was kind of out of my storytelling mood it for a long while. When I saw the trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I really wanted to try writing a short story about it. So, without further ado, here's my idea of what might have gone through Link's mind at the start of the gameplay. Possible slight spoilers ahead. EDIT: The beginning has been updated to sound much better.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise, or its characters.

Our Light

"Open your eyes…"

A female voice called out to him in the dark. Black was all he could see in his vision.

"Wake up, Link!"

Wake up? Was he asleep the whole time? Wait…how did she know his name? Obeying the voice, he opened his eyes. What greeted him was some sort of stalactite, glowing a bright cyan. He hadn't noticed he was surrounded in water—or even practically naked—until it drained from his resting place.

Link, the young person who laid in the room, took a look around, seeing what appeared to be a cave based on what it looked like. He slowly got up, taking a small walk around the room. There were carvings and archways along the walls, indicating it might not be an ordinary cave.

He soon came across a pedestal, were the blue symbol inscribed on the top turned orange, before revealing a rectangular item with the same markings.

"That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will help guide you after your long slumber."

With nothing else to do in the room, Link took the slate as commanded, causing a door to slide open for him, leading to another room. It was a hallway, with blue torches lit along the walls. There were also two chests located on the floor, prompting Link to take a look. Clothes. Thank goddesses.

When Link found another pedestal, the voice called out to him again. "Hold your Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way."

The way? The way to what, exactly? Just how much did this voice know about him anyway? Can't she tell him what's going on?

Nevertheless, Link used the slate on the pedestal, opening a larger door, allowing the light from the sun to peek inside. Link stared out the door, shielding his face from the bright light, before allowing his eyes to adapt to it.

"Link… You are the light—our light—that must shine upon Hyrule once again."

…What? What is she talking about? What's Hyrule? These thoughts didn't last long, however; once he stepped outside, standing on the edge of a cliff, his eyes widened at what he saw: a vast, luscious wilderness, breathing with life. It was beautiful.

Link looked back the way he came. He was out of the cave—more like a shrine, to him—at least… with clothes, but that didn't stop questions from flooding his head. What was he doing in that cave in the first place? How did the voice know his name? How helpful would this slate be to him? And this land in front of him… was this Hyrule—the place the voice was talking about? The name sounded familiar, but nothing in his mind clicked.

The voice had told him that he was their light to shine upon Hyrule, but he didn't really understand why she said that. Can the voice really rely on someone as inexperienced as him to be burdened with "shining light upon Hyrule"? She must be mistaken.

He was in in awe of the size and beauty of the world in front of him, taking in his surroundings. He saw the forest far below him, covering the ground from those looking from above. He saw a mountain off in the distance—a volcano most likely—emitting smoke and red fire from its fuming peak. Probably the most thought-provoking area was the castle in the center of his view. He didn't know why, but there was something about it he couldn't put his finger on.

Something else soon caught his attention: a man in dark clothing to his right, staring at him from a distance. One thought came to his mind: help. Maybe this man could help him! The man in question began to turn away, heading back down the slope of the grassy hills of the cliff. He took off after him.

It took a while, but he was finally able to reach the man's camp site. It was under an overhanging rock, with just a campfire and a baked apple. Wait… a baked apple? He was pretty hungry. Reaching down to pick it up, he nearly jumped out of his skin when the man noticed him.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON," the man shouted. "I do believe that is my baked apple! You can't just go about taking whatever you please!"

Link felt terrible. The man had a point; while he could take apples from the trees around him without permission, this was an entirely different matter. He tried to apologize, even holding the apple in front of him to give it back. The man's reply surprised him.

"Har har har! Forgive me—I couldn't help myself! Please, enjoy!"

Oh… Well that was reassuring. After staring at the apple a bit, he took a bite; he had to admit, it was better than eating normal apples. He'll have to remember how to cook in order to make his own at some point.

"An apple and an open flame is a recipe for a succulent treat."

Okay, now he had to learn how to cook.

He finally took a long look at the man. He seemed to be an old man, his long white beard hanging from his face. He wasn't too sure about his age, but he was sure he needed that wooden stick of his to stand up straight. For his personality, he seemed to have a nice sense of humor, which he was thankful for. He believed he could trust this old man.

"It is a bit of a surprise to see a fellow traveler these days."

Really? Now he wanted to know more about this man if that was the case; who knows how long he's been living here all alone? He asked the man who he was, which is the first thing you should do, of course. The old man told him his name wasn't his concern; he was just a lonely old man, after all. He decided to ask where they were, instead. He should at least tell him that, right?

"Answering a question with a question. That is fair enough. As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence…I shall tell you."

Link took a seat on the grass cross-legged, keeping himself focused on the old man to hear what he knows.

"This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule."

So this was Hyrule! But looking at it now, he didn't expect it to be a kingdom, despite seeing a castle; everything seemed to be in ruin. Just what happened here? The old man stood up, turning his gaze to a building not far from where they are, pointing his stick toward it.

"That temple there… Long ago, that was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Since the decline of the kingdom, it now sits abandoned, in a state in decay." The man turned back to him, a grim look on his face. "Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self."

As the old man sat back down, Link kept his gaze to the temple he spoke about. He envisioned the temple in its golden era, the many people of the kingdom gathered around to begin a ceremony, before the vision faded away into the past. The kingdom must have fallen so much in the old man's lifetime.

Something about the temple was drawing him to it. He didn't know why, but his instinct was telling him to go there. Standing back up, he prepared himself before taking is first steps toward it. The old man took notice.

"So, you wish to see it," the man asked. "You will need a weapon to defend yourself. It is dangerous to go anywhere alone in these parts." He turned his eyes to an axe left in a tree trunk. "That axe will have to do. Safe travels, young one."

Link also said his goodbyes, heading to the trunk the axe was stuck in. Grasping the handle, he pried the axe out of the trunk, though with a little struggle. He held it up to analyze it; it seemed to be a decent weapon to use, a heavy hitter, a bit chipped on the blade. He would be satisfied until he found a better weapon...if there is a better one.

Securing the axe on his back, he took another look toward the temple. How could such a magnificent looking place, crumble away into obscurity? He recalled the words of the mysterious voice in the cave.

Link… You are the light—our light—that must shine upon Hyrule once again.

…It wasn't a mistake, was it?

Link looked back to the old man sitting by his campfire. If those words were true, he made himself a promise. This old man was the first person he met in this strange new world, giving him advice and support. Now, it was time for him to return the favor.

He headed for the temple, ready to face whatever may come on his journey, a journey that would take him across the land of Hyrule and back. And maybe…just maybe… he can find the answers he was looking for in this wilderness.

He is their light, who will shine upon Hyrule.

He is the light who will blot out the darkness in the night.

He is Link.

Hope you enjoyed, and leave a constructive review if you'd like!