A True Knight of Hyrule
In A Link to the Past, there is a soldier standing on top of Hyrule Castle at the beginning of the game, lamenting how all the other soldiers have fallen to Agahnim's control. This oneshot expands on his musings.
5/16/13: Author's note added at the end.
I am alone. I stare out at the rainy night, standing at my post on top of Hyrule Castle. Ever since Agahnim took over, I've been doing that a lot. He's ordered us soldiers always to be on guard, doubling our shifts. I haven't seen my family in weeks, now.
And the thing is, no one else seem to mind. They just accept Agahnim's order. Sometimes, I think I'm going mad. Even the most vocal soldiers do not complain about the extended work hours. When I confront them about it, they just say, "A true Knight of Hyrule must do whatever is necessary to protect his kingdom."
Indeed, the friendships that I have built over the years with the other soldiers quickly deteriorated after Agahnim took over. When I greet another knight, the best response I'll get is a gruff hello. Sometimes, the response is a swear. Even the knights who used to be as caring as the Golden Goddesses now ignore each other, as if they are all mortal enemies of each other. The halls of Hyrule Castle have fallen silent except for the cold sound of clanking armor, devoid of the friendly banter that used to fill them.
The only thing keeping me sane is knowing that I'm not the only one who finds the new atmosphere in the castle frightening. There are still a few of us who have kept their old personalities. But we keep to ourselves. Whenever anyone voices any concern over any problem in the castle, he is called in by Agahnim, and we find him the next day, like the rest of the masses, completely changed. So we remain silent, hiding among the rest of the soldiers.
Even Princess Zelda has been affected by Agahnim. She used to visit the guards on duty almost daily, praising us and conversing with us to make our jobs less tedious. She has a wonderful way of making us feel so much better about ourselves. She would make a good queen. She protested Agahnim's appointment as Royal Sorcerer, but when the King finally turned control over to him, she disappeared altogether. I can do nothing but pray that she and her father are safe from harm and from Agahnim's influence.
A noise from behind me catches my attention. An unfamiliar footstep, one that is almost silent. I quickly turn around, brandishing my shield and sword.
It's a boy, dressed in green, sneaking around fearfully. When he sees me, his eyes widen slightly, but he does not falter in his step. He keeps his eyes glued on me as he quickens his pace toward the door into the castle.
I advance towards him. I have orders to capture any intruders—or kill them, if they will not come peacefully. I am rather disappointed, therefore, when he draws a sword and shield from his back as he realizes that he cannot reach the castle door in time. I do not wish to kill someone as young as he is.
He spares a nervous glance back at the door, and in that split second, his foot slips on a stone that is slick from the rain. I watch him fall, sword and shield clattering on the walkway as he lets go of them to break his fall.
He looks pitiful, outstretched on the castle roof in the rain. I cannot help but feel bad for him—though at the same time, glad that he can no longer offer resistance. I grab his arm and pull him to his feet.
He glares at me silently for a moment. I don't move, locked by the intense stare of the boy. It's not one of fear, but it's not one of defiance, either. It's disappointment. He's disappointed in himself, for failing to get into the castle.
A part of my mind is telling me to follow Agahnim's orders: just get the boy to the dungeons and report him to Agahnim. He is trespassing on castle grounds, and therefore is dangerous to the safety of Hyrule. But staring into those disappointed eyes of the boy, I start to realize that I myself am disappointed.
A true Knight of Hyrule must do whatever is necessary to protect his kingdom. But is following the orders of Agahnim truly the best thing for Hyrule? After he took over, everything seem to go wrong. I do not feel that his intentions are to keep Hyrule prosperous. Is Agahnim … evil?
Stop. My rational half of my brain tells me to stop. Thinking that way about the Royal Sorcerer is downright treasonous. I shake my head to clear it of these thoughts, and my eyes fall to the sword and shield of the boy that lie on the ground, being pelted by raindrops.
The golden Triforce-and-eagle design on the shield is the standard design for most shields, but something about it stops me. I bend down to it, careful not to let the boy reach his weapons.
As I study it, the bottom-left triangle suddenly glows a bright blue. An image of Princess Zelda flashes before my mind. She is chained to the wall in the dungeons. A soldier—I cannot recognize him under the heavy armor—paces back and forth in front of the cell, brandishing a mace. The vision blurs for a moment, and when it refocuses, I see the guard on the ground, motionless—whether unconscious or dead, I cannot tell. Next to him stands a nervous-looking boy, clad in green. I recognized the boy immediately as the one standing next to me, outside of my vision. I watch as the boy in my vision turns towards the princess and unlocks the cell door. The princess stands up gratefully and—
The vision stops abruptly. The shield lies on the wet stones, absolutely still, as if nothing happened. Next to me, the boy is still staring at me stoically as I kneel on the ground, panting.
The boy… he saved the princess in my vision. Princess Zelda, the future queen of Hyrule. And I'm holding his arm, about to shut him in the dungeons, and turn him over to Agahnim, the evil sorcerer who took over the castle.
That is not how to protect the kingdom.
With that thought, it is as if a fog was lifted from my confused mind. I stand up and look at the boy in the eyes. He looks back at me with a curious expression.
"After Agahnim took over, everyone began to act strangely," I tell him. "I suppose it's only a matter of time before I'm affected, too." I pick up his sword and shield and I hand them to him. He takes them cautiously, in surprise. I turn away from him, looking back out into the rain. "Go. Save Hyrule."
He doesn't move for a few moments. Then, I hear the sound of soft footsteps retreating towards the castle door. It opens, and then quietly closes shut.
There, I did it. I disobeyed the orders of the acting ruler of Hyrule. But it was to protect my kingdom, was it not?
I sigh and return to staring into the blackness of the night and listening to the raindrops splatter down.
At the next flash of lightning, I see a robed figure off to the side. I quickly turn towards it and find the Royal Sorcerer Agahnim approach me. My stomach drops. Did he see the exchange between me and the boy?
He approaches me silently, not even his footsteps making a noise. He says nothing, but merely places a withered hand on my shoulder.
I try to move away from him, but my back hits a wall. I can feel his dark magic rushing into me, clouding my thoughts. I struggle against the sorcerer, but I feel sluggish against his magic.
I fall into a sitting position as treasonous thoughts run through my mind. Agahnim is the true ruler. The supposed king and princess of Hyrule were merely imposters, and have been disposed of. Ganon, the monster sealed in the Dark Realm, is the ultimate king that I should bow down to. The beloved Princess is evil; her apparent kindness to us soldiers was a ruse. My family is just a tool to use to serve Agahnim. Agahnim is the true ruler. Agahnim is the true ruler…
No. I fight these thoughts, but my foggy mind provides little resistance. As my will is drained away, I desperately try instead to hold onto hopeful thoughts. I helped the boy, who would save Princess Zelda, who, along with her father, was the very representation of Hyrule. I did what I could to defend my kingdom. And if being brainwashed is necessary to do so, so be it.
That is my duty as a true Knight of Hyrule.
Author's Note:
This story is a complement to "The Kokiri Violinist," and "From the Postman," two of my other Legend of Zelda oneshots. However, they can also each be read as stand-alone oneshots. For more information about this, please see the Author's Note at the end of "The Kokiri Violinist."
One of the ways that these stories are connected is that they represent a different aspect of the Triforce—this one represents Power.
This underlying theme in this oneshot is the use and abuse of power. Agahnim is shown as one who seems to crave absolute power, one who controls everyone directly. His magic is used to brainwash the soldiers, and at the end of the story, the Knight himself.
Contrarily, the Knight is more benevolent in his use of power. Link is completely inexperienced at this stage in his journey, so the Knight can practically do anything he wants with Link; Link cannot effectively resist. However, the Knight does not abuse this power—he lets Link go. The Knight understands that power over others should not be used in a totalitarian way, but rather as a method for a common goal—to protect his country. In contrast to Agahnim's abuse of power, the Knight uses his power as constructive force.
Published March 30, 2013
Author's Note added May 16, 2013