Twilight Princess's Place in the Timeline

[Potato_King]

A split timeline theory confuses me, and I simply refuse to agree with such a timeline. I prefer to have everything in one timeline, as it makes things easier to understand (for me at least! XD).

First thing to explain is how Ganondorf gets imprisoned after Link is sent back as a child at the end of OoT. As River_Zora (I think) stated in a comment of the split timeline, Link coming back and telling Zelda would likely not be considered enough evidence for Ganondorf to be imprisoned by the King. I like his theory, that states after Link returns he goes off to do Majora's Mask, then returns to Hyrule and lives his life as normal until he is old enough to use the Master Sword. Ganondorf can do nothing at this point and so must bide his time, then Link pulls the sword out to defeat Ganondorf.

Now the sword isn't going to be powerful enough on its own to defeat Ganondorf yet, as it doesn't have the power of the seals. So Ganondorf gets past Link to the Sacred Realm, attempts to grab the Triforce, and it splits. Everything proceeds as it would normally, with Link having to get the seals again while Ganondorf tries to take over the kingdom. After getting them all Link returns to Hyrule and defeats Ganondorf and seals him in the Sacred Realm. And we are back where we started except Link does not need to "experience his childhood" again as he already has.

Now that should explain how Ganondorf becomes sealed for the events of TP and TWW to happen, although there is probably something that has been missed. Regardless, the rest of this theory is completely what I have thought up.

The new adult Link forms a new group of Hylian Knights, from which future Heroes would eventually become descended from. He goes about setting rights in the Kingdom, and generally just getting on with his life. Towards the end he realises he must put the Master Sword somewhere in order to stop any old person using it. He doesn't wish to use the Temple of Time, as it is too easily accesible and could possibly mean breaking the seal on the Sacred Realm. So, he travels south to the forested areas that noone has properly explored yet, hoping to find a deserted place that noone will find. He discovers tribes of humans living in the areas that become known as Faron and Ordon, and they are joined to the Kingdom of Hyrule.

Link travels east, finds a suitable spot then begins work (you could assume he brought builders with him already, ultimately it's not important). Still in possession of the Triforce of Courage, he uses the magic he has to place seals on the new Temple, one that creates a huge tower of sorts existing in a sub-realm, only accessible through the Temple of Time by someone wielding the Master Sword. He also places a seal on the door, that transports anyone using it back to the point right before he placed the sword in the pedestal (which is why it's empty). However, they appear in a frozen time, where time does not pass and so there is no danger of Link entering to place the sword and running into another hero. Sometime in his life Link encounters the Oocca, who ask him to hide some of their artifacts in the tower area. Finally, when he retires Link places the Master Sword in the pedestal, and returns to wherever he lives. I would assume he has a wife and children, who by this point likely have grandchildren.

300 years pass, and due to noone ever visiting the Second Temple it falls into ruin. The people of Hyrule merely know of Ganondorf as a legend of old, and do not consider him to be any real threat. A woman falls in love with a Hylian Knight, and whether through a one night stand or the result of a long and passionate relationship, she falls pregnant. The Hylian Knight has to go off to fight monsters or for whatever reason, and ends up being killed. Knowing she can't raise a child alone in a big city like Hyrule, she retreats to the southern forests of Ordon. A kind village (the one in TP) takes her in, even building a house for her to live in. Unfortunately she dies in childbirth, and so the child (Link II) comes under the care of Fado who raises him as a ranchhand. When old enough to look after himself, Link takes the house originally built for his mother. The villagers do not seem to find it odd that link bears a triangle mark on his hand.

Link II grows up and the events of TP unfold, ending with the death of Ganondorf. The Hero's Shade is Link I trying to pass on lessons to Link II. Due to the Mirror of Twilight being destroyed, the Twlight Realm eventually passes out of memory of Hyruleans. I do not believe Ganondorf dies as such, more part of him still lingers in the Sacred Realm, a part of him he has stored there in case his Light World incarnation is ever destroyed. Similar to Voldemort and the Horcruxes in Harry Potter.

Link II is named the Hero of Beasts (well OoT and WW Link got titles, why not this one? ) and takes control of the Hylian Knights. Same sort of things happen with him as happened with the first Link, with the Master Sword eventually being retired to the second Temple of Time and Link living his last years with his family. I like to think he marries Ilia, but it doesn't really matter.

A couple hundred years of peace pass, and eventually Ganondorf breaks free from his seal, and the events of Wind Waker unfold, and the rest of the timeline remains the same.

I like to think this explains how TP fits into the timeline without damaging it too much, but there is likely something I have missed. Feel free to point out errors I may have made, as long as they are not pointed out in a way such as "OMFG UR THERY SUX". I welcome constructive criticism, and wish to make this theory as watertight as possible. Let me know your thoughts and opinions.

~ Potato_King

[Eralk Fang]

Your theory is very interesting. The idea Link must defeat Ganondorf a second time after Majora's Mask allows for Ganondorf to become truly and totally evil (to the point of being able to turn into Ganon) in the "normal" time, instead of a sort of paradox of motives: Ganondorf, before invading Hyrule (but with such intentions), is sealed away on the advice of Link I. I find that paradox interesting, but ultimately useless for timelines.

I like the way you explain two Temples of Time. However, I don't think the Oocca, if they contacted Link I, asked him to hide their items. Murals in the Temple of Time of Twilight Princess reveal a parade of the Seven Sages, with one (perhaps the Seventh Sage, the leader) wielding the Dominion Rod. Perhaps it was a gesture of good faith from the Oocca to Sages? Link doesn't have to do everything, although it certainly seems like he does.

Overall, I like it. However, wouldn't this topic fit better in the Storyline subforum?

[Potato_King]

Thanks, and yes after I posted it realised it would do better there. I'll probably repost it there later, unless anyone can move it for me.

The only reason I suggested the Oocca would ask Link to hide the Dominion Rod was to try to explain why the it would be there if Link was involved in constructing the second Temple. I expect if my theory was correct, Link wouldn't do everything himself, there would be others helping him but noone would remember them because Link was the famous one.

[Eralk Fang]

I imagine the Sages would be involved in construction of another Temple of Time as well, and while only the Ocarina of Time Sages are "famous" on their own (the stained glass windows in the Castle in Wind Waker), the Sages as a particular group are well known. In fact, the Sages of the time period when Link I would be building the second Temple would be the Sages from Ocarina of Time or their immediate successors.

Among the legends of my clan, there is a story from the time the Oocca still maintained contact with the royal family. Yes, it is said that a mysterious rod was handed down from the people of the sky, and it was called the Dominion Rod... The rod was only to be carried by the messenger to the heavens when the royal family needed to communicate with the Oocca.

-Impaz, Twilight Princess

According to Impaz, the Oocca gave the Dominion Rod as a gift to the Hyrulean Royal Family. I think this disproves the idea the Oocca specifically asked Link to hide it in the second Temple. I have two ideas concerning how it would end up there.

1. The Royal Family asks him to, not wanting anything so powerful, especially from the supposedly mythical people of the sky, to fall into the wrong hands.

2. Perhaps the Seventh Sage is always connected with the Royal Family, or is even the messenger to the heavens themselves (Link of Twilight Princess filling in as there are no Sages at that time). Either way, they are connected with the Dominion Rod. The Dominion Rod becomes a symbol of the power of the Seventh Sage (like the medallions of the other Sages), explaining the mural in the Temple of Time in Twilight Princess. Link I builds the second Temple, Zelda (as the Seventh Sage of that time period) or her successor asks him to put the Dominion Rod in the Temple for whatever reason.

[Fairy penguin]

There are sages still alive in Twilight, they just don't do anything. But I like to think this happens at the end of the timeline, where this is a 2nd Ganon. And I also go with a split timeline.

[xarlote]

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[xarlote]

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