I don't think the legend of the fairy points to a linear timeline, as you suggest it could. If it was meant to be the same encounter as in MM then they wouldn't refer to Link as the hero of time.
What would they refer to the Hero of Time as (which has already been referred to many times as the Hero of Time), then?
Also, no where does it say in that legend that they were in a different dimension. In fact, the only relevance this legend has with MM is that Tingle made maps and hung from a balloon, everything else has absolutely no match up with MM, so it's possible that this is just some random legend handed down that may not even be true.
Umm... I'll point out the things that match up:
"It is said that the "Hero of Time" met this fairy in the midst of his journey. When he lost sight of the road, it gave the fairy a reason to show its figure in front of the hero. By a mysterious art it was floating in the air, it is said that the balloon burst with a sound just like with a snap, and it is said that it fell and danced." Hell I shouldn't even have to explain this. All of this stuff happened in MM.
"The fairy handed a map to the lost hero and it is said that it flew away. The fairy proceeded to dangerous places earlier than the hero, created maps and handed them over. The legend goes on, the Hero of Time was saved by the courageous one, the plump figure, whenever he proceeded." The first half is exactly what happened in MM. Tingle went to the areas before the HoT and made maps for him there. The HoT being saved by him... ehhh that doesn't fit.
"Fairies live for a time of thousands of years, but this mysterious fairy was a bit different. The mysterious fairy was born near a lake, when he met the Hero of Time he was only 35 years young. Today, people knowing such a fairy have become sparse." Tingle was 35 years old in MM IIRC.
"Now, there are few people knowing the legend of the mysterious fairy. However, on a certain island the 35th birthday is still celebrated with green clothes and red pants. And they pray to become like the fairy of the legend, "Tincle"." There ya go, exactly the same. His name is (or was. I'm not completely sure. They may have only changed it to Tingle in the NoA version, but he most definitely was Tincle in the Japanese version) Tincle/Tingle.
That fits in every single way except for one. It is DEFINITELY talking about the events of MM.
You could say it may not even be true, but every single thing in that story happened in MM (except, maybe, Tingle saving Link. Which, arguably, may have happened in Tingle's eyes if he sees maps as a neccesity).
Also, how would this legend be passed down after the flood? The legend contradicts itself more than it contradicts a split timeline.
How could the story of the HoT be passed down, or the other legends mentioned in TWW?
You have a developer quote by a developer who didn't have anything to do with either game he was referencing, although he could have been told that the towns were named after the Sages,
Considering he's the current director for Zelda, and he's the one who actually cares about the timeline and is the only one who could release a canon official timeline, I'd say his statements to any of the games matter, as he's the one who chooses where they go.
You can't just pick and choose this and that and say well this part works but the other part that makes it not work doesn't matter, when all parts are of equal value. In this case, all the towns in AoL are of equal value, and two of them do not match up to Aonuma's quote.
Does it matter when 2 of them aren't perfect when the other 5 match up and are only named because of the sages which ONLY happened on the AT, according to the only person who could release a canon timeline?
I have the Triforce in Hyrule Castle in OoX (clearly sets up for the AoL BS where the King would rule with the Triforce).
So how can the sleeping Zelda be first generation, then?
And explain why you see the Triforce flying AWAY from Hyrule at the end of OoX?
I have a location in WW named specifically after a location in LoZ (both locations even look similar from above), which Aonuma DID take part in making (WW).
Aonuma never said that that was significant in the slightest. Whereas he said that AoL takes place after the events of OoT (the majority, if not all, of the events in OoT happened on the AT) and that the towns were named after the sages (they were ONLY sages on the AT. Sure they could have been important people on the CT (I doubt Nabooru, however. I can't imagine that a member of a theif organisation whose leader was executed for invading Hyrule), but they were only SAGES on the AT). And I have the fact that the towns in AoL could have just as well been named after people of importance in Hyrule, and not just the Sages. I'd say that a guess on that part has value considering Aonuma didn't write or help make OoT or AoL. I could say that the towns make more sense to have been named after various leaders of the tribes of Hyrule at a point in time, and it would work. [/quote] Too bad Aonuma, the only person who could really create an official canon timeline, disagrees with you.
So you don't have more evidence. You just believe your evidence of one quote is better than all the things that would make AoL come on the CT.
Aonuma disagrees with you. That's enough evidence.