A 2007 story by TheHylia user Captain B, Zelda III: The Secret of Ganon was originally intended to be a quest made in Zelda Classic as an unofficial sequel to Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, but that plan got scrapped, and he instead ended up writing the adventure in text. While it proved popular on the forums due to its darker atmosphere, personification of Link, and successful isolation of timeline concerns (the story by and large avoids referencing the time periods of games set before Zelda 1), it sadly didn't spread far past them.
Set about two years after Zelda 2 on the NES, there are now two Zeldas living in Hyrule, one of whom acts as the queen. Together, they reach a decision that Hyrule would be much safer and more peaceful if the Triforce were secretly hidden outside of it, in the neighboring land of Calatia. Link, actually a native of this land, is sent with a secret mission to protect the hidden Triforce. However, many monsters somehow find out anyways, and when trouble arrives in Calatia, Link is given new orders to gather the Triforces of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and return to Hyrule. In order to do this, he must venture into multiple dungeons and catacombs, just like in the games, while attempting to uncover the leader behind the monsters.
There is a small twist, however: Ganon, who was the antagonist of the first game before being killed by Link, begins to haunt the hero's dreams, alongside a mysterious figure whom Link suddenly recalls as a member of his family. Although he is able to put these questions aside at first, they soon start to bother him enough that the viewer is left to decide whether or not he should ignore them. Either way, Link soon learns that just because Ganon is dead does not mean he is gone...
The story can be read here
, occasionally broken up with other posts.
Tropes Found in this fanfic include:
- Anachronism Stew: Candles are still a primary artificial light source in a world with a TRAIN.
- Artistic License: At one point, Link nearly freezes to death and rather than quickly try to heat him up, he is warmed slowly because "sweating even a little could cause him to freeze"
- Dark Fic: Not a particularly strong example, but some of Link's dreams and even the dungeons he enters verge towards Surreal Horror territory, especially if Ganon is involved.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Another Ganondorf is mentioned during the story, who was actually a very kind man, simply named "Ganondorf" because he was the Gerudo King at the time. He ends up being murdered for his throne by the Ganondorf we all know and love.
- Description Porn: Extremely prevalent in the fic. Often it is either used to paint an environment for the reader, or to explain why certain elements from the NES games worked the way they did.
- Exposition Fairy: Link's old teacher always seems to get the latest news about odd goings-on in Calatia, and they always seem to point Link towards his goals.
- Flashback Nightmare: Much of Link's past is told through his dreams, and helps set up some of the creepier nightmares he later has in the story.
- Infinity +1 Sword: Interestingly subverted. Link finds a sword in a pedestal out in the woods that, while stronger than the Magical Sword (his starting weapon), is not very interesting otherwise, until it is later revealed to be a hibernating Master Sword, awaiting a spell to reawaken it
- Long-Lost Relative: Link becomes convinced that the mysterious man he remembers from his infancy was his older brother. To this end, he sets out trying to find him.
- Shout-Out: One of movies playing in town is an adaptation of Super Mario Bros..
- What Measure Is a Mook?: Link talks a darknut knight out of attacking him, in order to get a guide through a dungeon. Justified in that the darknut (and is implied all others) is a human underneath.
