Farore's Gift
The pillars of white with vines spiraling upwards were only a taste of the view he bestowed. The grass was too soft to seem real, the spouting water from the fountain before him forming rippling circles over the glassy edge. The thin streams of water leaked out of the basin into the one below it, sinking into the marble surface.
His vision was blurred as he lay on his back, groaning slightly and blinking rapidly to regain his sight. The dark sea-blue of his irises sparkled with curiosity as he gazed at the courtyard.
The hero sat up slowly, his gauntleted hands feeling the fresh grass of the purest green below him. He narrowed his eyes, his brow crinkling in contemplation. There were no words to leave his lips.
At first glance, one would assume they were in the marvelous boundaries of the Sacred Realm, a sight Link had not pictured in years. He had always taken note to expected what one would not assume should happen, and continuously stayed to this theory. Only at age one and twenty did he face a task he was not expecting at the least.
Hyrule had fallen to the deathly-cold clutches of war. The welfare of the people was dropping drastically due to the restless months of fighting. Half of Castle Town had turned into bulky piles of rubble, the singed boulders still leaving their mark on the remains of stone buildings. Thankfully, Hyrule Castle, along with its economical staff, was unharmed. The princess had pleaded for him to lead the younger ranks into battle, something his anticipation had completely swerved around. He had seen the bloodshed of many wars, but had only been part of them in order to rid a country of monsters. Another difference was that he had never fought a war against other men.
The last thing Link remembered was that he had been in heated combat, weakened to the final breath of his existence. He felt he could not go on, determined that exhaustion would soon take hold of him. It was now that he awoke in a heavenly paradise.
"W…Where am I…?" the hero stated slowly, the forest-green cotton of his tunic flattening against his muscled chest as he straightened his back. The sound of whispering voices, jumbled together in an untranslatable way, brushed against his ears as if floating on the wind. He parted his lips, the voices growing louder and louder, overpowering his senses. He clapped his hands over his pointed ears in desperation, squeezing his eyes shut.
When his hands fell half-raised to his sides, he found that the only noise was the running water of the fountain. Link's eyes widened, then narrowed again in confusion, his gaze wandering until landing on the largely-sized marble structure before him. He pressed his hands to the ground, slowly steadying himself as he came to his feet; the gold chain mail underneath his attire rustled faintly.
His sandy-blonde locks swayed with the breeze as Link turned in a circle, looking completely around him. It seemed the edges of the courtyard were flanked by clouds, proving that he had to be dreaming. Link took a few steps forward, then stopped at the sudden whispering which had picked up again. It rang in his ears, then faded, afterwards violently pounding inside of his brain. In continued the tormenting madness for several repeating rounds, driving the hero insane.
"Speak no longer!" he roared, clutching the green cap on his head angrily. "If I am in the Sacred Realm, dream or not, then it must be for a reason. Show yourself, whoever has brought me here."
Then a shaft of golden light seemed to drop from the cloudy heavens above, forcing Link to shield his eyes with the back of his hand. He squinted and grunted slightly as the flash brightened, then quickly narrowed and vanished. As he lowered his hand, Link gasped, taking note of just how wide his eyes had gotten.
She stood before him, skin like porcelain, so fine you felt as if it would break if you were to touch it. Her eyes were of the brightest emerald, with long curls of green. Lips like a rose, cheeks of the faintest pink. She wore a white garb of cotton, gathered at her chest and revealing the slightest cleavage. There was a leather belt around her waist, and a slit up the right side of her dress to her mid-thigh, exposing one of her smooth legs. On her feet were laced sandals, on her wrists plated bracelets of gold, around her neck a large gem of opal hanging past her collar.
"Hero Chosen by the Goddesses," the woman spoke, her voice light and ringing like the melodic sound of bells. "I am Farore, the Goddess of Courage. Come to me."
Link's legs moved without being told to do so, until he stopped several feet away from her, his eyes never leaving hers. He dropped to one knee and bowed deeply, a hand against his heart as his bangs draped against the grass.
"I am not worthy of your presence…" he whispered, closing his eyes. He felt the softest hand cup his cheek, gently lifting his face to where their gazes met.
"You say you are not worthy, yet you are the hero I chose to do my bidding. Why do you deny my consent, my child?" she replied.
"I do not deny you," Link said softly, staring into the hypnotizing sparkle of the goddess's eyes. "I just do not understand the reason of my being here."
"Rise," Farore muttered with a smile, and he did so. "You face the burden of warfare," she continued. "I know this. I have observed it, as well as foreseen it."
"What am I to do? Our forces are weakening and the enemy is growing stronger. If Ganon's lust for power is dying out, then surely these men will reclaim it."
"The desire to have power in a kingdom as long been a virus to the world…we can only do what is in our power to stop it. Young hero, you show that you are afraid. Do you doubt your courage?"
"No…I doubt myself."
"Why is this?" Farore said quietly, her eyebrows furrowing. Link sighed.
"I have been losing confidence," he replied, barely a whisper. "Seeing Hyrule in such times of poverty has caused my soul to lose the joy it once had. I cannot bear to watch it become worse, yet I fear I will not have enough strength to reclaim my courage and turn the tables. If everything continues in this plummeting downfall…then Hyrule will…"
"Dear hero. I see your burden. Yet, Hyrule's welfare is Princess Zelda's burden, not yours. You say you cannot stand to see it grow worse, yet your strength is weakening greatly. I can feel it."
Farore squeezed his hand as if to make her point, and placed her other hand on his face.
"I understand what you seek. Your power has long strengthened your soul, but haunted it as well. I will bestow upon you my gift of courage, to help you reclaim your confidence – to face these challenges. Will you accept it?"
"Yes."
The goddess then bent slowly, her hair of silk sliding across her bare shoulders as her other hand came to his face as well. She kissed his hair ever so gently, then brought his lowered gaze to meet hers once more. With a small smile, she then kissed his lips – the softest, sweetest kiss he had ever experienced. Link's eyes widened, the seconds passing without a change of position. When Farore withdrew herself, Link felt as if he could accomplish anything in the world, his lips tingling even though there hadn't been the slightest hint of passion.
"Go, my child," Farore whispered, her hands falling to her sides. "Go and reclaim your strength."
"Yes, milady. I will."
And with a smile on his face, Link felt himself being washed away, as if everything were vanishing slowly, like a screen fading to black. The last things he saw was her sparkling emerald eyes and assuring smile before the scene was gone completely.
When his eyes snapped open, he bestowed the floppy ceiling of his tent. His body was refreshed, not the least bit of exhaustion in his veins. The previous bloodstains on his tunic were gone, his mind clear, and soul confident. He jumped up from his bed rolls and grabbed his sword, his lips twisting into a smile.
He knew what he had to do.
Author's Note:
I have always been wanting to do a short one-shot like this for a while now, and I finally got around to typing it. To clear up any confusion, the war occurring is between Hyrule and a neighboring land of humans, who want the power of the Triforce to strengthen their kingdom. Link had been injured multiple times and finally fell unconscious from exhaustion, where he awoke in the Sacred Realm. It was a short one-shot, not necessarily meant to show a paring between Link and Farore, but still having a little fluff. Hope you enjoyed it! Please remember to review!