Hyrule Warriors - The Six Triforce Pieces

Chapter 1: The Triforce of Courage

Everything seems very peaceful as the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, sits in the middle of the field and plays on her harp. It's the middle of the day, and the sun beats down on her summer blonde hair. Her blue eyes are closed as she plays a song once sung by her ancestor. O, youth, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite the Earth and Sky, bring light to the land...

Some children are playing in the field around her, their parents sitting in the shade under the trees. Zelda can smell the blooming flowers that rest next to her. The blue and white ones give off the most potent scent, which is why the butterflies and bees are more attracted to them. She isn't bothered by the wildlife buzzing around her, however. It finally feels like she can relax, not surrounded by her constant duty as princess. Her shoulders have never been this lowered, her back never this slouched. Her frail fingers glide against the strings in a harmonizing way as she plays three at a time expertly. Clunk! Hmm? She must have hit a wrong note. Zelda opens her eyes to look at her harp, but upon doing so she sees there aren't any people around her anymore.

She stands up quickly, sensing there is something not right about this scene. "Hello?" is all she has time to say before a wave of dark matter flies up from over the hill. It races toward her, crushing the grass and killing any living thing that touches it. Over the horizon, a deep red moon starts rising. Zelda gasps and drops her golden instrument as she sprints away, trying to get to the castle. However, her high heels get tangled in the grass and she trips, the darkness catching up with her.

The princess screams as she sits up in bed, throwing the covers off her. Instantly, a woman opens the door and grabs a weapon that's hanging off her hip. "Princess, are you alright?"

"I... I had that nightmare again," Zelda realizes, catching her breath. She looks out the window at the rising sun, trying to shake the fear she is feeling. It wasn't real, she reminds herself.

"A dark omen, perhaps? Of something to come?" the woman asks. Her gaze softens upon seeing the princess in such a state of worry.

"Don't be so rash, Impa," Zelda says, waving her off. She stands up and heads over to her vanity to gaze in the mirror. "It's just a silly dream. It could mean nothing at all."

"Your Highness, with all due respect, every time one of your ancestors had grave dreams like this, it was the beginning of something despicable."

"I know that, Impa. But, mine tell me nothing. I don't see any heroes or villains, no sacred powers being used, just darkness... consuming everything." Impa grabs a hairpiece off the nightstand while the princess speaks and walks over to Zelda to help straighten her golden locks. "And everything it touches dies."

"You hear no voices?" Impa asks, now brushing her hair.

Zelda gives up on trying to do it herself, her hands still shaking, and she sighs. "No. I'm the only one who speaks, and I'm singing that song mother taught me."

"About the sky?"

"Yes."

"Hmm," Impa contemplates. "You know, that song tells the story about the founding of Hyrule. It was about the first ever sighting of the legendary hero who held the Triforce of Courage, and how the goddess sent him off to defeat a great demon known as Demise."

Zelda puts a hand on her chin and stares at her reflection. "Perhaps it means we should be looking for the hero of our time, then. If there really is a force of darkness brewing..."

"I'm sure we have time before anything drastic happens," Impa says reassuringly. She finishes braiding Zelda's hair and places a hand on the princess's shoulder. "Let's say we scout the grounds today and see how our soldiers are faring. Who knows? Our army might be powerful enough to stop the darkness without the Triforce of Courage."