We try to stay away from reporting on rumors, but it\'s occasionally fun to delve into the speculative when some juicy theory works its way up the ranks.

There\'s an interesting article up on TheHylia.com suggesting that Link\'s days may be numbered; Twilight Princess may end with our favorite hero\'s death. Though based on pretty circumstantial evidence, the article argues that Nintendo and Miyamoto might be conspiring to take the new Zelda title towards a legitimately depressing end.

Most of the speculation seems to come from statements by the development team during E3 2005 that Twilight Princess takes place between Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker. Yet in its introduction, Wind Waker indicates that everything pretty much went to crap after Ocarina of Time, when no hero appeared to defeat the evil and the Gods were forced to release the floods.

The only conclusion is that the floods have not come yet in Twilight Princess, and that Link is the hero that fails to appear. If Twilight Princess really takes place between the two titles, then we know for a fact that things don\'t end well; Hyrule ends up being overrun by evil.

[color=\"yellow\"]\"Didn\'t The Wind Waker clearly state that after Ocarina of Time, the Hero of Time vanished and Ganon came back? And because of this, the people were helpless and the gods were forced to flood the land of Hyrule? How could any game take place between these two games...especially if Hyrule is flooded and no hero appeared?\"[/color]

From: Twilight Requiem

The other solution, of course, is that Twilight Princess takes place entirely before the events described in Wind Waker; he is born, fights evil, and dies of old age long before the evil that destroys Hyrule rises. In which case, it\'s the next Link that doesn\'t show up, not related to Twilight Princess at all. Still, it\'s an interesting thought.

The Hylia article goes into greater detail, including a brief mention of Twilight Princess\' E3 2005 trailer. It\'s interesting to think about, and we like things that make us think. Check it out.