Disclaimer: Any and all publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are properties of their respective owners.
Light
The headlight of the locomotive slowly faded away into the pitch-black blizzard. Darkness engulfed Link, only broken by the faint blue glow of Zelda's spirit beside him. The two sat in the train's cabin for a short period, not saying a word. Somewhere above them, beyond the dark blizzard and blackened night, stood the Snow Sanctuary. There, they would once again meet with the Lokomo, the great spirits of New Hyrule. There, they would banish the darkness that threatened to engulf the world.
With a small nod, Zelda vanished, leaving Link in the pitch black. Unable to put off leaving any longer, he opened the cabin door and stepped out into the storm. Chilling snow and biting winds clawed at Link through his heavy clothes and armor. Malicious flashes of white broke the darkness where stone-hard snowflakes pelted his eyes. The last bits of lingering warmth from the firebox left him as he climbed down onto the platform.
Loose, fine snow covered every space of every surface available. Link could barely hear hissing behind him as the snow came in contact with the rapidly cooling boiler. Link's snowshoes were the only things stopping him from sinking up to his waist in the powder. The snow was several feet deep; it had been the cause of hours of slow movement to get the Spirit Train to the station.
The wind buffeted him as he set off up the mountain, hoping to find cover in a forest. Within seconds, he lost sight of any distinct landmark, navigating only by the slow incline of the mountain. The space around him was black; even the snow that clawed at him from above seemed black.
Link trudged onward. He quickly lost feeling in his hands and feet, the numbness spreading toward his torso. His coat, having seemed thick and hot earlier, now provided almost no protection to the angry elements.
Slowly, though, the storm abated. The piercing lances of wind and snow became weaker and less frequent. Very faint light began to appear around him. As he climbed further, dark wood pines materialized as if from the thin air. Tiny icicles sent dazzling beams of white flashing through the night, some tainted a deep, rich green from the pine needles around them. Light brown pinecones littered the fluffy white snow.
Gradually, the storm was left behind. The wind ceased to howl, and the thick snowflakes fell lightly from billowy grey clouds above him. Link's body slowly warmed again, a mix of the hard snow climb and the lack of biting wind. Feeling returned to his fingers.
Out of the corner of his eye, Link caught a glimpse of a white snow wolf. The elegant creature slinked around him silently, blending in with the white snow and dark trees. Only the shallow paw prints showed sign of its passing.
In a flight of fancy, Link stuck out his tongue. A particularly large snowflake landed on it, giving him the pure taste that represented the entire nature of the forest around him. Frosty, friendly, and bright, it tasted of tranquil nights beyond the reach of any darkness.
Link inhaled deeply through his nose. The thin, fresh scent of warm sap, crisp mountain air, and sweet aromas from the pines gave him a bright and open greeting. Above him, the light grey clouds drew nearer. The rolling formations seemed thick enough to touch and feel. Perhaps he could take some and make it an heirloom; the fluffy bit of cloud from where the earth met the sky being passed from generation to generation.
Link entered the billowing folds of the cloud bed before him. Glittering flecks of light floated through the air around him. Some flitted away behind the trees, causing glowing rays of deep green and brown light to shine around him. Some gently floated behind him, following him toward the heavens. Many led him through the fog, causing the snow in front of him to form a dazzling road of light.
Leaving the fog behind, Link once again emerged into the open. The forest above him formed a protective barrier of branches and needles. The sky remained invisible; it seemed as if the trees wanted prevent Link from viewing the sight until its full majesty could be revealed in one great fanfare.
A deep throated hooting emanated from the branches above him. Faint echoes responded from all around him. A noble, dark brown owl dropped from above and flew up the mountain, leading Link onward. As he followed it, the ground leveled out until he found himself walking on a small plateau in the skies.
Shimmering waves of light appeared on the ground before him, shifting from deep reds to bright greens to blues that took on the hues of a sunset after the final rays of sunlight disappeared over the horizon. The trees slowly thinned as he approached the light until they suddenly stopped. Link gasped in awe as he stepped into the clearing.
In front of him was a small frozen lake, the glassy blue ice sheets reflecting the lights from the skies above. The night sky was alive with dancing waves of color, each different hue melding and mixing with the others in a constant and dazzling display of beauty. The deep, infinite blue of the heavens behind glittered with millions of twinkling stars, adding resonating harmonies to the aurora.
The peak of the mountain rose skyward from beyond the lake, and there, standing as a lone bridge between heaven and earth, was the silhouette of the Snow Sanctuary. The lights danced around it, embodying the spirits of all life that ever was.
Link began his final ascent, drawing nearer to the inviting glow of the spirits and stars. The trees around him blazed with the same glowing reds, flirted with the same deep blues, and danced with the same light greens as the skies above them. The icicles and snow dazzled with the glimmering shine of the stars. The constant piffs of his footfalls faded away, replaced by a crescendo of millions of twinkling particles of light. The music of light echoed across the skies, celebrating the eternal joy of life and the unity of all worlds on the very tower they danced around. Undertones of nostalgic melodies flowed through the music, bringing all time together into one pure song.
Link arrived at the tower, a monolith of glittering obsidian glass. A spiral staircase wound around the outside of the tower, open to the heavens and blissful light around it. Excited energy filled Link as he climbed to the top. Euphoric electricity crackled through the night.
Reaching the top of the tower, Link overlooked the seemingly endless worlds around him. Shining galaxies of gold and purple filled the heavens, and the entirety of New Hyrule and beyond came into view. The lush green forests, hot red mountains, and eternal blue ocean stretched out beneath him like a great map. Far in the ocean, he saw islands of all shapes and sizes; below him the warm lights of Anouki Village, where white smoke rose from the chimneys; above him the dancing aurora.
Driven by instinct, Link pulled the Spirit Flute to his lips and played along with the Song of the Spirits. The song grew on itself as more and more melodies and harmonies joined, weaving a single song that told a million stories. Columns of light appeared beneath the tower, their golden rays reaching the heavens. Driven by the flowing music, they dashed across the land beneath him. Bright white tracks appeared in their place, dispelling the darkness.
The columns all met at a great tower situated in the center of the world. Unified at last, they created a single beam so high and bright that it surpassed anything before it. The song came to a close, and the lights began to fade away. The aurora, the stars, the beam at the center of the world; all gave way to the rising sun.
Link brought down the Spirit Flute as the final notes echoed across the morning sky. Contentedness filled his heart; the world seemed whole once again. As the sun gradually grew brighter, Link glanced one last time at the heavens. Twinkling its goodbye, the last star faded into the golden rays of sun.
Author's Notes: Medwyn Goodall. Enough said.