A Different Perspective
By The Mariner
The man walked slowly down the road, hunched over against the cold and a bag on his shoulder.
Wonder how much farther it is? he thought. Quite a while. I won't make it to any town tonight. Curses. What am I going to do? What'll I eat? What if I'm not accepted there? If my own hometown doesn't want me, who will? Stupid fools anyway. I never did anything wrong. I didn't start that fire. Stupid paranoia and jealousy. But just because I had an argument with Selkan the day before and his house caught on fire it's my fault. Whatever. I hate them. Can't they see that it was a coincidence? I'd never use my magic on my own people! But they had to kick me out of the town. For no reason other than the fact that Selkan wanted a scapegoat. The fire was probably from his own stupidity. He's as stupid and foolish as the rest of them. They hate me because they don't understand my magic. Pointless and cowardly fear. Hating what you don't understand. How pathetic. I'll show them. Once I truly obtain the higher realms of magic they'll beg me to come back. They'll be sorry then.
He sighed. Get a hold of yourself. It's over. The past is gone. Forget about them. They aren't important anyways. I've never liked them much. Their trust or acceptance is one thing I don't need. Only the magic matters. Only my studies. And finding someplace to rest for the night. How far away is this Hyrule anyways? I can't believe I'm lowering myself to this. Becoming a stranger, a lowly immigrant, to the Hylians? Their stupid arrogant race is more than I can bear. But it's the closest kingdom around. Maybe they won't notice that I'm Sheikah. They'll probably look down on me or feel sorry for me. Wonderful. Maybe I can scare them with my magic. Serve them right. The way they treat the other races is abysmal. Forget it, I can't do that. How will I know they will even accept me in? Aren't they having some horrible famine? Maybe I can use my weather altering magic to help them. That is, if it would ever work.
It had started to rain. Only lightly at first, so light that the man didn't notice it. But now it had turned into a downpour. The man hurried off the road and into the nearby woods, desperately looking for shelter. Figures. As if my day couldn't be any worse. Start talking about the weather and it turns on you. Maybe I can stop it. It's worth a try. Just got to concentrate... Silence. The man sat, unmoving. The rain continued to pour, but then it started lessening. Slowly, the rain started to fade. Concentrate. (but it's working!) Focus. (I'm doing it!) Concentr... The spell snapped. The rain returned, in all its fury. The man hung his head in defeat. Worthless. I can't do it. I can't do anything. Maybe they were right to banish me. The magic is worthless. Why did I ever try to study it? I can't do anything and now I have to try to make a life in a foreign place with a stupid race that thinks nothing of me. And I have nothing. No purpose. No point. All that's here is the cold and rain and hunger. Maybe I should just end it all. Stupid worthless life. I hate...
"Agahnim."
What...? "Who...Who's there?" And how did you know my name? Who said that?
"I am not 'there.' I am contacting you from a great distance."
What the... It sounds like it's coming from in my head! This is creepy. What's going on? "Who are you?"
"My name is Ganon." Ganon... sounds familiar. Of course! The name of the man who conquered Hyrule centuries ago. I heard stories about him. Supposedly some terrible tyrant. "I have been imprisoned in an alternate realm for many years. I need your help to escape."
This is ridiculous. I must be going crazy. Oh well... "Why should I help you? From what I hear you should stay imprisoned."
"I will teach you magic. I can give you great powers from across the void. Powerful spells, including those needed to help me escape." Empty promise if I ever heard one. "As proof to you, I will teach you to master the weather. This time you should do much better than your last failure. Try again to stop the rain." Oh well, why not? Concentrate... The rain slowed, then stopped completely. It worked! I can do it! Power... so much power. But it wasn't all coming from me. How? "Now do you believe me?"
"I...I suppose so. But why should I help you? I can learn magic on my own." But, what if there's more magic? What else can he teach me? No, forget it. He's a tyrant. I can't help him.
"There is more magic. Mind control. Summoning spells. Teleportation. Powerful bursts of energy. All this can be yours. I know you Agahnim. I have been observing you from afar. You hate the Hylians. I will not attack your country. What loyalty do you have for them?"
Ignore him. He... he must be kept imprisoned. (But what of the magic?) No, I can learn it by myself. (But what if I can't?) I can't unleash a tyrant. (Why not? I owe the Hylians nothing.) But where will I go? I need the Hylians' help. There. I can't help him. "N...no. I won't help you. I can't..." But his voice trailed off.
"Think of yourself Agahnim. Do you really want to humble yourself before the Hylians? With my magic, you can be their savior. Together, we can take this country as ours. And they will be better for it. I can stop this famine, but only through you. Will you be the cause of their suffering? Or save them, and be praised for it?"
He's trying to trick me. (No! He's right!) He must be truly evil to be imprisoned for so long. (How do I know? All I know about him are stories. Am I to believe Hylian propaganda?) He's conquered before (but maybe he didn't), and he must not be trustworthy (his magic worked though! He must be willing to help them) "But... but... it's wrong. You just want to conquer them. Right?"
"I want what is best for them. Why should you care? They are only Hylians. They have persecuted my race. As they have yours. They are uncontrollable and must be controlled. You know that, deep inside yourself. You hate the Hylians. I offer you liberation from them. I offer them liberation from themselves. And I offer you the chance to learn more magic than you have ever dreamed."
He's bribing me. Don't listen. (No! He's right. I must help him. The magic...) I refuse... (Why? On what grounds?) He's... he's lying. (No he's not. The Hylians lied.) I don't need him. (But I'd be nothing more than a beggar without him. Do I want that?) "I...I..." Accept! What should I do? (No! Don't listen to him!) I must accept (no!) I deserve this magic (no). He's right. It can't hurt. (I shouldn't be doing this.) What have I got to lose? (no...) Just accept (...).
The Sheikah spoke hesitantly, but forcefully. "What do I have to do?"
[Yes, this is the end of the story. If you've ever read the LttP manual, I'm sure you can fill in the rest.]
The man walked slowly down the road, hunched over against the cold and a bag on his shoulder.
Wonder how much farther it is? he thought. Quite a while. I won't make it to any town tonight. Curses. What am I going to do? What'll I eat? What if I'm not accepted there? If my own hometown doesn't want me, who will? Stupid fools anyway. I never did anything wrong. I didn't start that fire. Stupid paranoia and jealousy. But just because I had an argument with Selkan the day before and his house caught on fire it's my fault. Whatever. I hate them. Can't they see that it was a coincidence? I'd never use my magic on my own people! But they had to kick me out of the town. For no reason other than the fact that Selkan wanted a scapegoat. The fire was probably from his own stupidity. He's as stupid and foolish as the rest of them. They hate me because they don't understand my magic. Pointless and cowardly fear. Hating what you don't understand. How pathetic. I'll show them. Once I truly obtain the higher realms of magic they'll beg me to come back. They'll be sorry then.
He sighed. Get a hold of yourself. It's over. The past is gone. Forget about them. They aren't important anyways. I've never liked them much. Their trust or acceptance is one thing I don't need. Only the magic matters. Only my studies. And finding someplace to rest for the night. How far away is this Hyrule anyways? I can't believe I'm lowering myself to this. Becoming a stranger, a lowly immigrant, to the Hylians? Their stupid arrogant race is more than I can bear. But it's the closest kingdom around. Maybe they won't notice that I'm Sheikah. They'll probably look down on me or feel sorry for me. Wonderful. Maybe I can scare them with my magic. Serve them right. The way they treat the other races is abysmal. Forget it, I can't do that. How will I know they will even accept me in? Aren't they having some horrible famine? Maybe I can use my weather altering magic to help them. That is, if it would ever work.
It had started to rain. Only lightly at first, so light that the man didn't notice it. But now it had turned into a downpour. The man hurried off the road and into the nearby woods, desperately looking for shelter. Figures. As if my day couldn't be any worse. Start talking about the weather and it turns on you. Maybe I can stop it. It's worth a try. Just got to concentrate... Silence. The man sat, unmoving. The rain continued to pour, but then it started lessening. Slowly, the rain started to fade. Concentrate. (but it's working!) Focus. (I'm doing it!) Concentr... The spell snapped. The rain returned, in all its fury. The man hung his head in defeat. Worthless. I can't do it. I can't do anything. Maybe they were right to banish me. The magic is worthless. Why did I ever try to study it? I can't do anything and now I have to try to make a life in a foreign place with a stupid race that thinks nothing of me. And I have nothing. No purpose. No point. All that's here is the cold and rain and hunger. Maybe I should just end it all. Stupid worthless life. I hate...
"Agahnim."
What...? "Who...Who's there?" And how did you know my name? Who said that?
"I am not 'there.' I am contacting you from a great distance."
What the... It sounds like it's coming from in my head! This is creepy. What's going on? "Who are you?"
"My name is Ganon." Ganon... sounds familiar. Of course! The name of the man who conquered Hyrule centuries ago. I heard stories about him. Supposedly some terrible tyrant. "I have been imprisoned in an alternate realm for many years. I need your help to escape."
This is ridiculous. I must be going crazy. Oh well... "Why should I help you? From what I hear you should stay imprisoned."
"I will teach you magic. I can give you great powers from across the void. Powerful spells, including those needed to help me escape." Empty promise if I ever heard one. "As proof to you, I will teach you to master the weather. This time you should do much better than your last failure. Try again to stop the rain." Oh well, why not? Concentrate... The rain slowed, then stopped completely. It worked! I can do it! Power... so much power. But it wasn't all coming from me. How? "Now do you believe me?"
"I...I suppose so. But why should I help you? I can learn magic on my own." But, what if there's more magic? What else can he teach me? No, forget it. He's a tyrant. I can't help him.
"There is more magic. Mind control. Summoning spells. Teleportation. Powerful bursts of energy. All this can be yours. I know you Agahnim. I have been observing you from afar. You hate the Hylians. I will not attack your country. What loyalty do you have for them?"
Ignore him. He... he must be kept imprisoned. (But what of the magic?) No, I can learn it by myself. (But what if I can't?) I can't unleash a tyrant. (Why not? I owe the Hylians nothing.) But where will I go? I need the Hylians' help. There. I can't help him. "N...no. I won't help you. I can't..." But his voice trailed off.
"Think of yourself Agahnim. Do you really want to humble yourself before the Hylians? With my magic, you can be their savior. Together, we can take this country as ours. And they will be better for it. I can stop this famine, but only through you. Will you be the cause of their suffering? Or save them, and be praised for it?"
He's trying to trick me. (No! He's right!) He must be truly evil to be imprisoned for so long. (How do I know? All I know about him are stories. Am I to believe Hylian propaganda?) He's conquered before (but maybe he didn't), and he must not be trustworthy (his magic worked though! He must be willing to help them) "But... but... it's wrong. You just want to conquer them. Right?"
"I want what is best for them. Why should you care? They are only Hylians. They have persecuted my race. As they have yours. They are uncontrollable and must be controlled. You know that, deep inside yourself. You hate the Hylians. I offer you liberation from them. I offer them liberation from themselves. And I offer you the chance to learn more magic than you have ever dreamed."
He's bribing me. Don't listen. (No! He's right. I must help him. The magic...) I refuse... (Why? On what grounds?) He's... he's lying. (No he's not. The Hylians lied.) I don't need him. (But I'd be nothing more than a beggar without him. Do I want that?) "I...I..." Accept! What should I do? (No! Don't listen to him!) I must accept (no!) I deserve this magic (no). He's right. It can't hurt. (I shouldn't be doing this.) What have I got to lose? (no...) Just accept (...).
The Sheikah spoke hesitantly, but forcefully. "What do I have to do?"
[Yes, this is the end of the story. If you've ever read the LttP manual, I'm sure you can fill in the rest.]