It has taken so long to get this up. I haven't beaten the game-but I watched the Let's Play of it. This sets up for the fic I intend to write, Endless Azure. Just wanted to have a bit of backstory explained. So this fic serves as a historia of sorts, and will get updated as I make progress on the story itself.
Enjoy and let me know what you think! Concrit, please.
-Nyx
At first, there was darkness. Then darkness became chaos. Three goddesses, beings of light, came from a distant nebula to that chaos. In the unending chaos, there was naught but emptiness.
So they created life.
Din, Goddess of Power, took hold of the chaos and shaped the land with strong, flaming arms. Hers was the earth and stone, the power to take shape where there was none. Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, created the laws with which to shape the spirit of chaos. Hers was the wisdom all earth was endowed with. Farore, Goddess of Courage, shaped the beings that would uphold the laws of creation. Hers was the will of justice.
When they finished shaping the world, they retreated to the heavens. The Triforce, their connection to the land they jointly created, remained within the Sacred Realm, the place from which they created the land.
This was the place that everything started.
And, for a time, there was peace.
Where there is light, there is darkness.
Demons came seeking the light of the goddesses. They could not directly influence their children, not so soon after their creation, and so they created a being that would enact their will.
Hylia, Guardian of the Triforce and Goddess of Time, came to life, born of Nayru's laws. She and those created to assist her, fought against the Demon King Demise. The land was stained with the blood of stone, forests, water, metal, and goddess. In the end, Hylia was able to seal away the demon king through mortal effort. Time, however, was not on her side.
The seal would break in time-Demise was powerful enough to rival a minor goddess. Hylia sent the land of the Triforce in the sky, separated from the rest of the land with a barrier of clouds.
To ensure she could continue protecting the Triforce, she made it so that she would be reborn among her worshippers. Then, she he prayed to the Goddesses.
Nayru, in her wisdom and love, bestowed Hylia with servants to protect her mortal incarnation. Thus the Sheikah were created, beings of magic and shadow to watch over the Hylia's incarnation. They would teach her the magics she needed to awaken. Farore, in her courage and justice, created a being to aid Hylia. Hylia was not able to defeat Demise alone. He would be just, and have the courage to face the any who dared vie for the Triforce. Thus, the Hero was born to fight at Hylia's side. Din, with her power, bestowed strength to the Hero. Many sought the Triforce, not just demons, and he would need it to bear the burden of being the Hero. Din gave him that alone, unwilling to give the Hero more than could be handled.
Hylia crafted the weapons and trials that would be needed for the Hero's power, wisdom, and courage to grow till he could defeat Demise.
Then, Hylia, the Guardian of the Triforce and Goddess of Time, died.
Hylia reincarnated alongside her promised Hero. For a time, Hylia enjoyed life as a mortal. Love was foreign to her, something that she hadn't experienced during her time as a goddess.
The Hero's name was Link.
She knew him by the glow of his soul and the brilliant ruby red of his Loftwing. When the first stirrings of the seal occured, she found herself resentful.
He was too relaxed. And the way he connected with his Loftwing-why did he have that when he was made for her?
So she waited. The plan was in place, after all. She would guide him, in time. He need not know beyond his purpose to be her Champion. All he needed to do was go through the trials, and defeat Demise.
In time, he'd look at her, and only her, that way.
Link was different from the rest. The other children laughed and played, dreaming of being knights and flying.
Link dreamed of being faced with a darkness so vast it swallowed light. A single light would shine above it, calling out for him to fight. Then the darkness would swallow that light, too. That same light would pierce the darkness.
He used to wake up screaming. Sometimes, he yearned for it to swallow him, too, if it meant he wouldn't feel the gaping hole in his chest.
Groose seemed to think it was since Link hadn't met his Loftwing yet. Everyone else had.
Groose got to meet Link's fist that day.
The Knight captain believed there was something different about Link, too. It was why he pushed him. Which was also why Link ended up spending the next fortnight with extra chores as punishment for instigating a fight.
Link couldn't figure it out.
Din watched Link quietly, noting the look Hylia's incarnation gave her sister's Hero. She was no stranger to greed-it was the offspring of unchecked power.
So, she and Nayru gave her sister's Hero one more gift.
The day he got his Loftwing was the best day in his life.
The nightmares worsened, sure, but he wasn't so alone anymore. His Loftwing was ruby-winged and proud, powerful among its kin. Their bond was fiery and warm, comfort against the cold of his nightmares.
Link didn't say anything about the cold he felt when he was near Zelda.
Just like he wouldn't say anything about his Loftwing being able to "talk" to him. He'd asked about it-indirectly, of course-but no one else seemed to have that kind of connection.
He knew something was wrong when his Loftwing didn't like her.
He felt a little less bad about not liking her himself.
She realized mortality made her powers weak when she was captured by Demise's forces. It was then she knew the taste of fear. Watching the Hero's-Link's-eyes widen as he screamed for her, reaching for her…
Hylia knew then that she wanted him for herself.
Link couldn't shake the heavy sense of destiny the day of the ceremony. He wasn't stupid. He saw Zelda's frustration, her distraction when he didn't do things just right, just as he saw her fear, her resentment when she'd glance down, to the clouds when she thought he wasn't looking.
Any other day, he wouldn't have cared.
But this wasn't any other day.
He couldn't feel his Loftwing near. At first, it had terrified him-theirs was a bond forged in red, red wings and the courage to soar the skies. Link could always feel his Loftwing; so, too, could the Loftwing. Which was why when he felt his Loftwing's anger, sharp and sulfurous, he immediately sought out Groose.
The distance brought a chill, a reminder of being broken and alone. His Loftwing's anger fueled his own fear, because that anger was tinged with bitter sparks of pain. That pain came from his Loftwing's wings, and that fueled wrath.
There was an image of darkness, of damp rocks and bats and-
And then Zelda pushed him.
Zelda's Loftwing, at least, felt cool, not cold. He could sense the concern and the care in the bird. That cooled his wrath somewhat. But he was angry that Zelda didn't listen to him.
That wrath found its target when he heard Groose had locked his Loftwing.
Link waited-after all, a warrior needed to know when to strike. He listened, let Zelda vent her frustrations on someone else, her strongest admirer, while he felt through what his Loftwing told him. She wouldn't let him search in peace, however, she had to help.
When Link found his beloved Loftwing, that wrath turned to rage. His Loftwing had been stuffed into a cage too small, and it damn near broke his wing. Link hissed his thanks to the Three, sliding onto its back as it soared.
His Loftwing craved flight, needed it. The elation, the ecstasy of feeling its wings cut through the air made the rage cool a bit.
Link smiled at his Loftwing's feral glee at the thought of outflying Groose.
There'd be plenty of time to repay the injustice later, in front of everyone. Unlike Groose's private pastime of bullying Link.
Farore watched her Hero with bated breath and no small amount of pride. He was loyal and strong, even with his will and power not yet forged. Still, there was some concern.
Nayru had provided him a guide, Fi, someone to show him the way to the trials. Link, her sister's Hero, had a warm heart but she saw the wrath that sparked whenever the ones he loved got hurt. It was no small irony that the Hero did not love Hylia.
She watched him struggle against his destiny, watched as he pressed on through Impa's disdain. She cried at his pain and rejoiced in his successes.
But even she tasted wrath when she watched her Hero's heart break as Fi begged Link to forge her spirit into the Goddess Sword. Din came to her then, and hugged her close.
Farore was grateful that Link's Loftwing could do the same for him.
Link was tired, and his heart, broken.
His Loftwing sent him a thought-image of the skies and the feeling on loneliness. He sent back a similar message, but filled it with as much hope as he could.
Zelda knew that he would have to kill Fi, and demanded him to. There was a better way, there had to be but, no, Zelda demanded that way.
Because in the end, it was the only way he could so that Fi's spirit would be preserved.
Zelda pushed him onward, demanding he continue his quest. He had to save the world, he had to defeat Demise.
Whatever it took to get him and anyone else he cared about as far from her as possible.
Which meant finding the pieces of the Hero's Song.
And finding a way to save Fi from her fate.
His Loftwing seethed in the skies.
Link found himself agreeing with the sentiment.
Farore watched as her Hero dragged himself towards the grounds Demise erupted from, watching him through her dragon's eyes. He looked at her, sizing up the dragon. She couldn't deny the sting of pain at his dark glare, but she felt a twinge of pride at how courageous he'd become.
She just wished it hadn't been born of agony, suffering, and wrath.
Link listened to the instructions silently, asking a few questions for clarification before diving into the water to follow the Parella set to test his courage.
Farore felt the tears pouring down her face when he surfaced, watching him gasp for breath and sob for the inevitable loss of Fi.
Zelda had to give him credit-her Hero was impossibly stubborn.
It made winning his affection that much more enticing.
But when she saw him lean against that same Loftwing after completing another trial, she felt her chest grow hot with rage.
He was hers, no one-nothing else's.
Impa was doing well to motivate him to improve, though. A Hero of hers could not be the same lazy, unmotivated boy that she'd grown up with. He had to be bold, fierce, and strong-a compliment to the Wisdom she bore.
And, of course, loyal to her.
Din watched him next, consoling her sister with gentle words and a strong embrace.
She had to admit that she admired the power that his emotions lent him. It didn't dim her concern for how he was driving his body or how it would fare in the heat of her dragon's domain. Eldin preferred the magma to keep out the ones seeking power for weak desires.
"This can't be necessary to protect the Triforce," Faron sobbed in her arms. "She didn't have to-"
"Strength is forged, dear sister," Din told her, running her hands through her sister's lengthy hair. "If he was given that strength as he was, it would have broken him. But-but, you are right. This could have been handled in a less destructive manner."
Din didn't have the heart to tell her the theory she and Nayru shared about Hylia's incarnation. Not yet. Instead she watched him, silently praying for him to find the strength she could only amplify.
A smile carved its way on her face when she saw Fi, Nayru's gift for her sister's Hero, chastise the Hero for his rash behavior. She listened to him yell at her, heard the rage plain in his voice at the fate of his best and, arguably, only friend on these travels.
The bond with his Loftwing was something well beyond friendship. Their souls were tied, beings whose very existence could only flourish alongside the other. It was a sign of Nayru's blessing, to ensure he would not have to bear the weight of saving the world from Hylia's folly alone.
Din had to admire her sister's wisdom.
People were, after all, stronger when they fought to protect what they loved.
The molten rock was not something Link was prepared for.
He also wasn't prepared to feel the corruption that literally ate away at Fi.
Which was why she was currently yelling-as much as she could, anyway-at him for being reckless as he rushed through the lava. He almost fell into a pool face first, and that was when she really tore into him.
Link! Stop this! If you die, this is all for naught! You are the Hero of yore, you must-
"I'm not a hero," the word slithered out of his mouth, "I'm a fucking idiot that got suckered into this destiny shit because I don't want to lose anyone else! Fuck being a Hero! I watched innocent people get killed, warped into these monsters and the best I can do for them is to put them out of their misery! And now the same is happening to you!"
To her credit, Fi stopped yelling at him. She floated till she was just in front of his face, bringing her sleeves to the sides of his face.
You're crying.
"With what water?" Link heard himself ask, falling to his knees as broken laughter warped into gut wrenching cries. "By the Three, I can't-I can't lose anyone else. You, my Loftwing...you two are the only ones, I can't-"
Rest, Link.
Later, he'd swear that he felt a cool gentle embrace of soothing water.
Eldin was gentle, quiet unlike the hungry flames and molten rock that lined his territory. This part of the song restored a bit of his spirit.
"Din...thank you."
Nayru watched Farore's-their Hero-make his way through the mines.
He was calmer, pensive.
But she didn't miss the way his eyes darkened when he saw the corruption slowly making its way towards Fi's core. Or the way that he clung to his Loftwing during the freezing nights, head tipped in silent, fervent prayer.
They all heard his prayers.
But only she heard these, kneeling beside him as his tears made silent pleas.
"Please, Nayru, Goddess of Love and Wisdom, please-protect my loved ones."
"Nayru, I don't know if you hear me, but, please-don't let Fi turn into a monster like the others."
"Let-let Zelda know I forgive her, even if she is a cruel bitch. Wait, is that-I, uh, didn't mean to offend you, I just...I can't be mad at her anymore. I don't-I'm tired. After all this, can we-can we fly somewhere that doesn't need a Hero?"
"Protect my Loftwing. He's-he's been here before everyone else. Don't let him become a monster, too."
Farore and Din saw his struggles, saw the scars the trials and challenges carved into his flesh.
She saw the scars they carved into his heart.
Link was stunned at the familiarity he felt when he found Lanayru.
Of all the dragons, this one had eyes that knew.
If it had been any other being, for any other goddess, at any other time, he would have been upset. Or scared. Instead, he felt comfort.
This part of the song was hopeful, the light in the dark, and somber.
But what stuck with him at this meeting were the words Lanaryu told him, and him alone:
"Nayru loves you, Link. Never think we do not hear you."
Ghirahim, Demise' right hand, caught her again-she'd sent Impa off on a mission-right when she was going to tell him that she loved him. It seemed appropriate, and with Ghirahim constantly trying to capture her-it wasn't like she had a lot of options for timing.
Ha, the Goddess of Time without the luxury of timing.
But she'd done what she could. He was hers, but even with the hatred she felt for the Loftwing she could not deny him the truth any longer. Not when he'd gone back and forth through time. Not when he'd seen for himself how she failed.
"I am sorry for using you, Link. The Imprisoned you've beaten back is only Demise's weakened form-you'll have to use the Triforce to destroy him so I can awaken in my time."
He just stared at her.
"Link," Zelda whispered, feeling tears pool in the corners of her eyes. "Say something. Please." She hadn't been able to see him except for the brief encounters and now-
Now it felt like she'd lost him forever.
"I'll destroy Demise. But what you did, what you've done-I'm not doing this for you, Zelda, not anymore. There are people who have suffered because of your-your oversight, your greed. You could have stopped this, before so many people died. Why didn't you?"
She tried to speak through the sealing crystal, feeling her heart sink as her body would not stir.
His eyes were cold as he left.
I wanted to be with you a little longer.
Link found great irony that he was trying to complete the "Song of the Hero" when he was anything but.
However, Levias, the whale of the sky, was acting strangely-probably possessed. Which meant getting help to make a vat of pumpkin soup to even attract him. He didn't have that many complaints. It gave him a moment to rest, to process.
For the first time in a while, Link slept in a bed.
And for the first time in an even longer while, it was a dreamless sleep.
Fighting Levias was both exhilarating and devastating.
He and his Loftwing fought as one, their combined joy at soaring through the skies together only fueling the adrenaline and, dare he say it, joy at being able to fight such a powerful opponent.
The devastation came at realizing just how much destruction was wrought by Levias' possession.
It was then, and only then, that Link found himself accepting the title of Hero.
If it meant protecting the world he loved so dearly, he'd put up with Zelda's machinations.
His Loftwing nudged him gently, staring at him with a great, golden eye.
He prayed that it would be enough.
When Skyloft sank, Link felt the sinewy curls of fear settle somewhere deep in his stomach.
His hand glowed with the Triforce, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Link took the moment to stare at it, frowning softly.
All the lives lost, all the deception, all of the suffering for this?
Link, Zelda is waking up.
"Let's go."
Link was glad that none of them could actually see them fighting. The snarl on his face, the anger that fueled his swings, the sheer glee at being able to finally rip into the creature that he was made to kill-
It almost made everything worth it. Almost.
"It pleases me greatly to see your misplaced valor, human."
There weren't words for the feeling he felt in his chest, but he felt words pouring out before he knew it.
Another swing, another backstep, there's the lightning and-
"It's not valor,"
-sidestep, watch for the slice, now!
"This is for everything I lost being forged to kill you."
Demise's eyes widened as the Goddess Blade ran him through.
"And for everyone that helped me get here."
The blood on his skin was thicker than his own. It was a slightly disturbing thought. The only thought more disturbing was the one that kept leaping at him while they fought.
"If we had met before this, before I was made to kill you," Link found himself continuing, pausing as he hesitated to speak it aloud, "you're fighting for something, too. Aren't you?"
It was the slack in his shoulders, the clarity in his eyes and the falter in his flames that gave Link his answer. He jumped back when those same flames raged back to life, but it was the way his face pinched, mouth curled into a grimace as he spat out the next few words.
"My hate...never perishes." he raised his free arm, pointing the claw at Link. "It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again. Those like you-" he paused as he drew a deep, steadying breath, "Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero… They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"
"If that's what it takes to atone for what turned you into this," Link's words carried across the stormy air strongly, "then so be it. But one day, Demise-one day, I'll be able to save you, too."
He watched as Demise's body fell away, the curse taking the physical form as the sword glowed. The swollen head started laughing, the sound growing in depth and volume as the spectre did until, like Demise himself, it faded away in the gust of wind.
Killing Demise and being cursed were the least of his worries.
Fi demanded he lock both Fi and the Demise's remains in the sword-so she could purify it. It was the only way to guarantee he could live.
"Don't be so reckless Fi," was all Link could find the energy to say. Somewhere out in the sky, he could feel his Loftwing's shared sorrow. Fi was light, flying heart, warmth.
And she was demanding he seal her away to die slowly, so she could save him.
"Please."
He turned to Zelda, searching her expression for any other options.
She turned away, burying her face in Groose's shoulder.
His Loftwing, out in the sky, cried out in agony.
Zelda was surprised to see Link so distraught at the death of the spirit. It was only a spirit, one of several tools shaped to help him grow in power to rival Demise. And yet, she saw his heart break before she heard the guttural cry of horror.
She took the brief, brief opportunity to look away, surveying the destruction wrought from the battle. There was blood on Link's tunic and the world was starting to unravel. He glowed with the power of the Goddess, her power, and the Triforce.
The guiding spirit was fading away a soft spray of lights.
It was the cold in his eyes that kept her from running to him.
Farore watched Link barely escape the past, his eyes vacant as they closed the gate. She watched as he realized the same Impa that insulted and demeaned him was the very same old woman Zelda bequeathed her bracelet to. She watched him leave as Zelda cried.
She watched him fall apart at the end of it all, and there was nothing she could do.
She cried, too.
Skyloft, now part of the land called Hyrule, slowly began to integrate. Zelda was called to lead them, as the reincarnated goddess. Link stood in the ceremony, smiling when people called for him, but stone-faced and cold any other time.
Some said they wrath in his eyes when Zelda called for him.
Groose stayed at Zelda's side.
Eventually, Link left. He vanished into the wilderness, determined to map out the world Fi had helped save with his Loftwing.
He couldn't stand seeing Zelda anymore, not when she was the reason for everything-
The skies were better.
After all, he'd be reincarnated the next time something threatened the Triforce.
Death found him and his Loftwing in the form of a storm-ironic, given that he used a very similar one to defeat Demise.
The wind battered them across the skies, but it was the scraggy rock face they slammed into that did them in. Link dragged his Loftwing into the cave they'd been aiming for, cursing that age had weakened him.
The soft cry of his Loftwing fueled him like nothing before.
Days? Hours? He didn't know how much time had passed. The last thing he knew was reaching the cave, and the jolt of horror at realizing his Loftwing had broken his wing.
He sat up slowly, wincing as he felt the folds of his tunic and armor dig into what had to be an infected wound. He'd gotten enough of those to know. Fi would always scold him for not being careful.
His Loftwing made a muted sound. Link winced as he felt the pain, the sting of infection. What brought tears to his eyes was the hollow realization that his Loftwing could no longer fly.
"I'm sorry."
Don't be.
He sat up, oblivious to the sticky blood that covered his hands and face, shocked. His Loftwing moved a bit, shifting itself-with Link's help-to where it could face him. It stared at him a moment.
"Ow!"
Together.
He rubbed his shoulder, dimly noticing how his blood mingled with his Loftwing's. It's eyes sparkled with love and amusement.
"I'm not-"
The words died on his lips.
Forever and always.
"Goddesses, please-Fi, my Loftwing, me-please let us be together in a better life."
Farore held Link's soul in hers. The creases of a smile cracked Din's stern demeanor.
"He will be reborn when the Triforce is in danger," Nayru explained softly, nodding slowly at the growing horror on Farore's face. "But, for now, he can rest in peace."
"You two gave him the soul in the shape of the Loftwing, didn't you?" she asked as her gaze flicked between her sisters'. "So he wouldn't crumple in the face of everything. So Hylia couldn't take him for herself."
"Well," Nayru began, faltering.
"Yes," Din admitted. She looked away, sighing. "She is the Goddess of Time, something that even we cannot trifle with without consequence. Time moves forward, without regard for god or demon. Hylians are born of Hylia, born of Time itself."
"Link was born to help her defeat Demise, but we realized that her arrogance is what caused this," Nayru explained. "The events set in motion cannot be changed by going back, only forward. However, Hylia has lost her divinity."
"So we can change the future," Farore breathed, clutching Link's soul to her chest. Nayru smiled.
"Yes," Nayru told her. "Link is the key. So we must help him. Demise's taint was born of madness that came from isolation; she denied him and his any right to a peaceful life by preventing them from sharing in the land we created. Link will fight that, time and again, just as Zelda will usher in that madness each time. But Link has the power, the courage, to break the cycle."
"But we have to help protect him from Hylia," Din warned her.
"She won't hurt him again," Farore whispered as her eyes glowed with wrath. "I won't let her destroy him, too."
"We won't," Nayru corrected.
Din just hugged them close.
Zelda sent out mission after mission to find them.
She knew something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what. Mortality did horrible things to divine powers, and she was getting up there in years. But when Groose came back, his face as red as his hair, she felt her breath stop.
He led her, protected by a contingent of knights, to a cave far, far in the wilderness.
She walked slowly, treading cautiously. There were few things more concerning than knowing you were being watched.
"This ground is sacred," Zelda whispered, laying a hand on Groose's arm when he reached to hack vines and flora away. Instead, she step forward pushing through them gently.
A small sprout stood tall in the ground, crimson bark with the brightest green leaves. A slight woman with shockingly blue hair knelt by it, tending it gently.
"Welcome, Hylia."
Zelda felt her breath catch.
"Tell your people the story of the Hero who saved you, of the one who stands against the tide of darkness when all is lost," the woman continued, not looking up. "Tell them of the sacrifices he made, of the horrors he faced."
The woman stood up then, and stared at her.
"Never forget who it is you wronged in your arrogance and greed. We gave him life to help you, not to be used by you. Not to become yours. He is ours."
"How dare you talk-" Groose erupted, stopping in his tracks in sudden silence. The rest of the knights froze, the sound of clattering armor echoing in the small cave.
"Demise's curse still lingers, Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom." Zelda knew better than to anger a goddess not bound by mortality. Especially when that goddess was of Wisdom, the very Triforce piece she now bore on her hand. "What will you have me do when it strikes again?"
"Link will stand again to face it, just as your incarnation will be there to usher in the chaos and help seal it closed," Nayru continued, smiling sharply. Zelda wondered if the cold fear trickling down her spine was how Link felt facing the monsters she heard him describe to the children. "Perhaps one of your incarnations will be able to properly atone for the wrongs you have caused."
Zelda nodded weakly, trying to keep her composure. It wasn't working.
"Treat them better than you treated him."
Zelda passed away peacefully, in old age.
The Goddesses were revered, and Hyrule prospered with the legends of Link to bolster their spirits in dark times.
Thus, the Age of the Sky drew to a close.
