Although Link fulfilled the Hyrulian prophecy of the Legendary Hero and destroyed the evil tyrant Ganon, Hyrule enjoyed only a precarious peace. The restless citizens of this land constantly worried about what threats could arise from Ganon's ashes. Link, hearing these murmurings, decided to journey away from Hyrule on a quest for enlightenment, in search of wisdom that would make him better able to withstand the next threat to his homeland.

Months of difficult travel passed. After a long and fruitful voyage, Link breathed deeply the sea spray from the deck of his ship, glad to be returning home to Hyrule. However, Link's homecoming was not to be. A squall suddenly struck his ship, and though Link valiantly fought the waves, a lightning bolt reduced his ship to splinters. Link sank into the dark, turbulent water...

After drifting with the wreckage of his ship, Link awoke to a comforting voice that reminded him of home, the voice of Princess Zelda. Link heard the voice tell him that he was going to be all right, and he slowly opened his eyes.

However, the woman standing over him was not Princess Zelda, but a lady named Marin, who explained to Link that he had drifted to the shores of Koholint Island. This mysterious island was unique for the gigantic egg which crowned its central mountain. Marin had found Link on the Toronbo Shores, and had taken him home to her father Tarin. She suggested that Link try to salvage his gear from the beach, since a lot of it had washed ashore, but warned him that since he had shown up, monsters had appeared all over the place. Before he left for the beach, Link talked to Tarin, a large, mustached man, and to his surprise the man already knew Link's name! Tarin had found Link's shield, which had his name on the back of it, and now gave it back so Link could defend himself from the monsters.

Link followed the trail south to Toronbo Shores in search of his sword and other gear that might have washed up on the beach. As he stood in the surf with his recovered sword, a strange owl suddenly appeared. The owl understood why the monsters had been acting so violently - a courageous lad had come to wake the Wind Fish. It was said that this lad could not leave unless he woke the Wind Fish. Before Link could ask the owl what the Wind Fish was, it told Link to head north to the Mysterious Forest and flew off.