THE SPIRIT REBORN
He gazed through the window into the old world from the spirit realm, watching seasons pass, friends grow old and die, the land change. Many things he saw saddened him, though he no longer had any tears to shed.
He sensed rather than saw the evil begin to stir. His longtime foe was moving once again in the world, but he was forced to wait, though it chafed him. The time was not yet right.
Rains flooded the land as he watched. Though it hurt to see his homeland buried beneath an ocean, it gladdened his heart to see his descendents escape safely to the top of the mountains. There they would be safe, though far apart from the other peoples of Hyrule. His line would be safe.
But then another group caught his attention; family of an old friend whose spirit came to join him by the window to the world. She had come here after he had, though her voyage was more natural. Together they watched her descendents board a ship to save themselves.
They watched the water rise and form into a great ocean, making the mountain peaks into islands. They watched the people grow accustomed to a seafaring life. His line was very isolated from the other islands, but they were happy. They paid tribute to his memory in an island tradition where the young boys would don green clothing for their birthday once they reached a certain age. Then they could start to learn the skills of the warrior from a man in the village. As peace progressed, the warrior arts were forgotten, except by a few.
His friend's line took a very different route. They remained at sea, roaming from one isle to another by ship. He noticed that though they called themselves pirates, they only stole from the unjust. Their leader was always a woman.
Though they could pass long days watching the rebirth of a world, his old foe was chief on his mind. After having felt the growing presence of stirring evil, he could not forget the danger Hyrule faced the last time his foe had roamed free. He was quiet, too quiet. Years were passing uneventfully until a dark castle seemed to rise out of the sea. His foe was there waiting for him and his friend.
Full of concern for his bloodline, he found his attention drawn back to his descendents. He focused on a man and his beloved walking along the beach. They were holding hands and talking, just talking.
"The time will soon come," He whispered.
"I know, my old friend," She replied.
Even the spirits waited and waited. Each focused on a couple from their line. The day arrived when both couples were wed in marriage.
"Very soon…." The descendant's voice filled with suppressed excitement.
"Yes," she sighed." Not much longer."
The spirits waited eagerly as their whole attention was fixed on the two couples. Soon their chance would come as well. The dark realm where they waited began to fill with the light of three different colors. The two spirits turned toward the three golden forms.
"The time has come, Child of wisdom." The three goddesses spoke in unison as they beckoned his friend to them.
She smiled back at him.
"I'll be waiting, Link," she said.
"I know, Zelda," he said.
Link watched her step towards the goddesses. The light of the three goddesses formed into a single column of pure white light. Zelda entered it with a smile.
As she vanished in the light, he whispered, "Soon I shall return, as well."
And so the Hero waited for his chance to be reborn.