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Chapter Two Forgotten
Four years passed since that fateful day when Link realized he could no longer return home; that alone made it difficult for him to accept. Not only was it impossible to open that door, which had brought him into the Clock Tower, but she had mentioned that it had been sealed for thousands of years, and it had never opened; that was impossible. Link remembered passing through it, but after, it refused to open. The Great Fairy had even gone on to say that she never heard of Hyrule, but she was able to show him a vision of his homeland, since her magical abilities were limited to such, and he agreed, if only to see the faces of those he once knew one last time.
On that day, his life changed. He witnessed the events that passed him by, as if he were standing there, next to the people, though everything was in black and white.
During his absence, the citizens of Hyrule lived on, carefree and without worries. Ganondorf had been bind and sentenced to the Evil Realm soon after Link brought the news to Zelda on the day he departed from the land. During that time, Link remembered the shock she received when he stumbled into the castle court yard without going noticed, and she at first couldn't believe her eyes.
Zelda opened up to him, and she explained in a dream she had, that he was the light appearing out of the storm clouds, the darkness which threatened Hyrule. But because the future Zelda had sent him back in time to relive his childhood, the least he could do was warn her of the disasters to come when Ganondorf took control, and the news had startled her immensely. With her faithful nursemaid, Impa, the two had devised a way in which to trick him and to cause distrust amongst the Gerudos and Ganondorf, and soon after, the King banished him for all of eternity.
A happy ending? Yes…and no.
The land prospered, and stories were passed on from parent to child, but it was not a legend that Link felt pleased to hear, in fact, it dismayed him, angered him, and it hurt him deep inside.
After being sent back to relive his childhood, and after warning the Princess, there had been no reason to retrieve the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, and because of that, the legend did not speak of a hero rising up and quelling any kind of evil, simply because the evil had already been dealt with by the King. Therefore, his exploits were not seen.
If that wasn't bad enough, she managed to show him his alternate future, the one in which he had fought and slain Ganondorf before Link was sent back to relive his childhood, and because he had disappeared from the land so suddenly, Ganondorf had somehow escaped from his imprisonment and with it brought catastrophe. The people pleaded to the Goddesses for the Hero's return to save them once more, but the hero never returned; he had vanished, and a great evil descended upon Hyrule.
The fate of Hyrule was so clear to him, that he could hardly bring himself to look away. Evil minions, who had escaped from the Dark Realm ravaged the land, and a rein of darkness shrouded the land. All of the inhabitants succumbed to many disasters some natural and some not so. Zora Domain froze over; and the Gorons were trapped inside their village, except for a few survivors.
Water levels rose at an alarming rate from Lake Hylian, and in only a short amount of time, and the civilians were in such disorder that many tried in vain to flee by boats; many succeeded, braving the tides and dangerous oceans. Although the people continued to cry out for the hero, their pleas went unanswered, and soon after, the waters swallowed Hyrule.
The land, a barren ocean of a lost kingdom, with a forgotten legend was now forever buried and forgotten beneath the waves.
OOO
With his back to a lone tree, Link frowned at his reflection from the steel of his blade. While on his travels, he often pondered why the events that transpired in Hyrule happened after he entered in to Termina. Was it somehow planned out, or was it just a coincidence? There was no evidence that Ganondorf had escaped. So what was it? Was there even a reason?
Link remembered the first day he started out on his quest. At first he was naïve to a world he never knew existed. The vastness of the land intrigued the young hero, especially the village where so many people populated. While journeying across the land, still new to him, he found great excitement, that is, until he realized the sacrifices against him. For days on end, he practiced swordsmanship, archery, as well as his magic power which the Great Fairies granted to aid him on his quest. Clumsy at first, Link managed with what little he had, and it was enough to sustain him in harsh battles.
On his journey, he met friends, as well as allies, who expressed their concerns and secrets with him, and he in turn did the same. Unfortunately, they were gone, along with his missing fairy companion whom he never found. The memories of what he witnessed continued to haunt him, and at times, he was able to ignore them. Every night, when it came time to sleep, he found himself cringing at the nightmares regarding the death of his friends.
Every day, Link wondered why. Why was he given the title "Hero of Time?" How had he been a hero? If he was not destined to save Hyrule, then what was the point waiting seven long years in the Sacred Realm to defeat a man who would only die in the end? The title was nothing but a lie. Seven good years of his life were wasted, and he blamed the Goddesses. Were the Goddesses only toying with him? Did they think it was fun to mess with his life? Everyone he once knew was gone. In the end he was not a hero, he never was in the first place. Link was just another face, told that he was destined for great things. What was that? Well, apparently it was nothing.
Link's life was messed up enough without that information. He never knew his mother or father, though he wished he had. Maybe his life would have had some meaning, and maybe just maybe it would have been less complicated. If the past had been different, then perhaps there would have been some kind of meaning.
For a moment, he realized he had been glaring at his reflection. The youth's blue eyes were darkened with depression over the years; they were no longer full of innocence. This person staring back at him was not the carefree boy he remembered long ago. He was someone entirely different. Link had seen the evil of mankind, the cruelest of evil, and he was a survivor. Or was that part of himself already dead to the world?
Often, he wondered what it would be like to die. Would he finally be at peace? Over the past month, he attempted suicide, but he failed. Each time, he could not bring himself to do it. Every time, he felt a tightness grip at his heart, and the thoughts of life after death would penetrate his mind.
Currently, death sounded intriguing. Sure, maybe four years ago it would have frightened him, but after all that he experienced in his life up until now, all he wanted was to perish. What good was living anymore? He never had a regular childhood. He never had a real family. Link had always been alone.
The title he bore long ago was nothing but a forgotten memory. Back then, everyone used to cry, "Save me! Save me!", but what about him? No, Link was only known as the boy who would save the land. Why would a hero need help? Rather than waste his time saving others, Link embarked on his own quest; it was a quest in search of who he really was. But after four years, he still could not figure it out.
Absentmindedly, he lowered the blade upon his wrist, watching as a trickle of blood fell to the earth at his feet. The wound he inflicted was not severe, only a slight scratch. He wanted death to consume him, yet, at the same time he was fearful. A while back, he heard tales of those that committed terrible sins. Link committed a sin; he killed. Never once did he kill a human, only monsters for the safety of the people. Yet, he was doomed to an everlasting death in brimstone and fire. Was this the fate of someone such as him? Saving a land by spilling the blood of evil?
He accepted his fate. One day, he would suffer the consequences of his actions, and he would confront an everlasting terror that he had ever faced. Even though he risked all that he had for Hyrule and Termina, he would have to pay for his sins. Was it fair? He didn't think so, but so was the fate of the "Hero of Time."
Wiping the blood from his wrist, Link sighed. As he stared off in to the distance, he realized he never truly left the land of Termina. Honestly, where else was there? Far out beyond the ocean, the canyon and over the mountains there was another kingdom, right? Were they any different from the others? Or was this all there was?
A soft, but strange jingling noise resonated around him, breaking Link from his thoughts. This noise, such as the sound of a bell, echoed through the forest. With his keen sense of hearing, he was unable to determine its whereabouts. With his eyes searching each direction, he expected a monster the cause of his distraction, but he was sure he was wrong.
Unexpectedly, a bright blue light blinded the boy, and he shielded his face with his hands. The light engulfed the entire area within seconds. For a moment, he thought it was a sign from the Goddesses. Who else could cause such a light? The brightness intensified, and a grunt of protest escaped his lips.
All at once, the jingling stopped, and the light faded, leaving the woods completely. Removing his hands from his face, he looked around curiously and when he did, his eyes fell on a sight he never thought he'd encounter.
Lying upon the forest floor was a group of strange foreigners, each unconscious. They were a sight to behold, and with their unusual clothing, it made them stand out.
Almost hesitant, Link approached them, keeping his eyes open for any sign of movement. His eyes fell on one of the strangers, a tall man with short ebony hair. He seemed to be in his twenties, maybe his late teens? A long purple robe, similar to a monk's was draped over his slender form. There was something strange about him, and it wasn't just the fact that he and his friends appeared from the sudden light, but his ears; they were round, indicating that the monk was of Gerudo descent. Overlooking that trait for now, Link took notice of the beads covering his hand and a golden staff lying next to him.
Moving along to the next, this one seemed peculiar. Unlike the normal tunics Link was used to seeing, this man was dressed in a strange red cloth, which tied at his waist. The sleeves were rather long and wide, and overall, his clothes were loose on him. Unlike the other man, this guy was much younger in the face. It wasn't just the clothes that were odd, but the color of his hair. Long silvery hair cascaded along his back, a few strands over his shoulders. At first glance, one might mistake him for an elderly woman, but the masculine features told otherwise. Not only was his hair strange, but so were his ears. Different from his companion, this man had white canine ears atop his head, and they twitched every so often. As he peered closer, Link found the sight of him very intriguing. Not only was his ears a sight to behold, but so were his claws.
Perplexed, Link scrutinized the others before they awakened. As he inspected the remaining four, his noticed a small boy with chestnut hair pulled back in to a bun with a blue bow. The child muttered to himself, appearing quite restless. On further inspection, it was revealed that the child had pointed ears such as himself, and to top that he had a cream colored tail and fox feet. At first he thought that there was at least one of them that resembled a Terminan, but apparently not.
Movement, along with a soft sigh, perked the boy's attention immediately, and he nearly jumped thinking one of them had already woken up, but to his relief no one had. The cause of the sudden noise came from a young woman lying on her back. She was dressed in revealing garb, and although it was distasteful for women to show so much skin, the clothes did compliment her slender figure. As flattering as it was, Link could not look away.
A blush crept onto his face, and when he observed closer, he noticed her dress was a two piece. Long ebony locks fell in curls around her form, and dark lashes brushed across her rosy cheeks. What came as a surprise to Link was that her skin was pale and unblemished, but only royalty had such skin. Perhaps she was? The rise and fall of her breast tempted him, and it took all of his control not to reach out and touch her. To him, she resembled a goddess.
The woman moved slightly, shifting in a more comfortable position as she slept. In the process of doing so, her short green dress inched up slightly, revealing more of her thigh. This woman left nothing to the imagination, and he had to avert his gaze.
A second female, sleeping right next to the other caught his interest. She seemed older than the other girl. Chestnut hair was tied in a high ponytail about her shoulder which revealed her rounded ears. She wore a white and pink dress, much different from the kind here, though it clung to her figure nicely. Lying next to her was a giant boomerang, and next to that was a strange white fur ball. This fur ball was a cat of some sort with two tails.
Taking his eyes away from the oddly dressed foreigners, Link sheathed his sword quietly. They did not appear threatening, and so he turned and walked away, but he could not help but take one final glimpse of the young female dressed in green and white before continuing on. All the while he did not notice the golden eyes watching him.
OOO
A few hours later, Link took the time to pick berries from a shrub. He'd forgotten to eat breakfast hours ago, and it was nearing late evening. The sun was beginning to descend, casting the forest in a golden glow.
The memories from before were not tormenting him as they usually did, and for that he was thankful. Perhaps the reason for this was that his mind was elsewhere. The event that took place a while ago still filled his thoughts. He wondered who they were, those people, and not only that, but the light that brought them here. If he were anyone else, the very thought of that would have been unbelieving, but it didn't matter. Those people weren't of any concern to him.
A noise from behind startled him from his ponderings suddenly, and because of this, he dropped the berries. Nimbly, he moved away from the shrub just as an arrow flew by him. The arrow made impact to a tree a few distance away.
Standing ten or so feet from where Link stood was an average sized monster with deep scarlet eyes and green skin. Strange black markings covered its grotesque face, and a single horn stood erect upon its forehead. An arrow case was strapped to its back, and a battle axe was at his side, ready at any given time. In his iron clawed grip, he clenched a bow.
A cry escaped the beast and it suddenly charged. With its axe raised above its head, it swiped at him, but Link wasn't the least bit worried. At the last possible second, he dodged and the attack plummeted toward the ground. As he rolled away from the beast, he unsheathed his sword and slashed at the foul monster's open back. He learned this trick some time back on his traveling's.
Frustrated from the Hylian's attack, it turned and with an irate growl, struck at the boy repeatedly. Each attack was blocked by Link's shield bearing the mark of the Triforce. Of course with the repeated assault on his shield, Link was forced backwards. Annoyed and fed up, Link thrust his shield forward, effectively ramming the monster in the face which caused it to stagger back in pain.
Within a second, and before Link could deliver another blow, the monster leapt in to the air. From below, Link followed its movements with narrowed, calculating eyes. Clenching the axe, it suddenly threw the weapon at its target, but Link easily rolled away.
Returning to his feet, Link eyed the beast hovering above. Throwing away one's weapon was a foolish mistake, and Link already knew the outcome of this battle. Waiting for gravity to catch up to his enemy, he watched as it notched three arrows before taking aim. The arrows soared in toward Link, who remained standing. There was no point in moving, because if he did, then he would suffer severe injuries. One grazed his cheek, another his left leg, but the other one missed.
Finally gravity caught up with the feral beast, and the second it landed, the ground shook. At that moment, it ran to retrieve its weapon, and Link took that chance to charge forward. The moment he was in front of his enemy, he leapt in to the air and raised his sword.
"I'm sorry, my child." She noticed the brave youth frown upon her words. "I'm not sure what magic brought you to this land, but I'm afraid you're stuck here," she explained as several of her fairies gathered around her form.
"What do you mean? I can't return to Hyrule? I saved everyone in Termina. I thought the reason I was brought to this land was to save the people. Is there no other way?" he asked with his voice full of dread.
She nodded, watching his shoulders drop, and his eyes fall downcast as if in deep thought. "If you wish to know what became of Hyrule, I will answer, though…" she stopped midway with a sorrowful glance.
"What became of Hyrule?" he muttered to himself as he eyed the woman before him. "Do you mean after I saved it?" he asked.
Again she nodded, but her expression did not change, which baffled the lad further.
"Well, I'm sure the land is the same, just as it was when I left it." Thinking for a moment, a smile graced his lips. "I would like to know how my friends are, especially the princess." Link did wonder how his friends faired while in his absence.
A slight pause followed, and the fairies that gathered around their mother, dispersed into the fountain. The frown never left the Great Fairy's face, and she held her arms out like a bird beginning to take flight. "I shall show you the fate of your home land, Link." With that, a bright light enveloped the woman, and Link shielded his eyes from the intensity.
A picture formed in the light. A picture of what took place after Link began his quest. He saw his fellow Kokiri gathered in the small village playing, and he saw his best friend, Saria, playing her fairy ocarina in her secret spot. His red haired friend from Lon Lon Ranch was busy humming to her mother's song, as she sat next to some fouls in the grassy fenced area. Her music brought back fond memories, to when Link had first set foot on the ranch. On that day, he hadn't a clue what a horse was, after encountering Epona. The two had become fast friends, and each had expressed their longings. Malon had wanted a knight in shining armor to take her away, and he had wanted to see the world.
All the different species of Hyrule, the Gorons, Zoras, and the Kokiri, were thriving well. Ruto was betrothed to a fellow Zora and had willingly given her heart to the lucky guy. The Goron's were eating regularly, and they had an ample amount of rocks to tide them over for many years.
The scene changed, and Link's eyes widened at the sight. Leaning against the balcony of a beautiful white and blue roofed castle, stood the ravishing Princess Zelda. Her gaze settled upon the horizon longingly, and a single blond curl fell from her hat as the wind gently caressed her locks.
As Link watched her, he couldn't help but want to be there with her. In all honesty, Link had fallen for the princess, and he was sure she held some feelings in return. It took all of his control not to leave that day but he had. After Link saved the land, the princess was generous enough to take him back seven years into the past in order to relive his childhood. The two had tried their best to put an end to Ganondorf's rein in Hyrule, and they succeeded.
Suddenly, the light darkened and he struggled to understand the sudden changes taking place before his eyes. As soon as his eyes refocused, they widened in alarm. The scene played out quite fast, but it was enough for the youth to comprehend. Women and children fled for their lives from an unimaginable terror. Blood stained the ground, and lives were lost. Link witnessed the destruction of Hyrule.
End of Flashback.
