Link had always been told what the klaxons meant. Zelda had told him when he was young. She told him he couldn't tell anyone that the seals on the Great Evil had been weakening for generations.
"They might break at any moment, really," she had said as they sat in the rose garden. "That's why we have to train so much. So we're ready if Ganondorf breaks free."
Link never asked what would happen if the seals broke and they weren't ready.
But it looked like he was going to find out.
"Impa's really happy with our progress," Zelda smiled as they took another break from training. "She talked with Father, and I think they might take you to fetch the Master Sword soon."
Link nodded from where he sat in the grass. As usual they were out in the rose garden, Zelda's favorite place in the castle.
"I wish I could go with you," she sighed. Link raised an eyebrow at her. "Father wants me to go visit the Shrines, which really means he doesn't want me to go with you." Zelda stood from her seat on the stone bench and sat on the grass next to Link. "They're so cautious with us. They always say we can never go anywhere together; it's too risky to allow both of us out. The kingdom couldn't survive if both of us were lost."
She looked over at him. Link shrugged.
"I know they're just being cautious," Zelda rolled her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I can't complain about it sometimes. It's irksome, not being allowed to go with my best friend on what might be the greatest journey of his life."
That caused Link to smile.
"We have to go now," Zelda cried as she pulled on his hand.
She was leading him out of the castle. Link shook his head when he realized this and started tugging Zelda in the direction of the armory. He'd be damned if they fled the castle without weapons.
"We don't have time," Zelda pleaded as she tugged back, pulling Link in the direction of the side gate that led to the stables. "We can't do anything now, Link. It's too late."
Tears were flowing silently from her eyes. Link didn't know quite what she meant, but warning flags were waving in his head; Zelda never cried. He immediately nodded and followed her out to the stables. The horse he had been training, the red mare he had privately named Epona, wasn't quite old enough to ride yet. Link rushed over to free her from her stall nonetheless. She would be smart enough to run far enough away to be safe. Then he rushed over to Zelda. She had already saddled and bridled a horse for herself and was working on one for Link. He took the tackle from her as Impa appeared with Royal and Sheikah Guards.
"My Lady," Impa bowed. "Everything is prepared. We must leave immediately."
Zelda turned to Link, and he nodded in response.
"Lead the way."
"How is your training with the Sheikah Slate?" Zelda asked him as they walked down the hall to the kitchen.
Link shrugged, "The Stasis Rune is tricky."
"I bet," Zelda laughed. "It's such new technology after all. I'm still struggling with some of the mid-level spells. Din's Fire is still too weak when I cast it."
Link only smiled sympathetically as he held the door to the kitchen open for her.
"But we'll get better," she smiled cheerfully. "I mean, how many weapons have you mastered so far?"
He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as a soft blush covered his cheeks. He waved his hand in a so-so gesture.
"You're always so modest," she chuckled as one of the cooks placed sandwiches in front of both of them. "Last I heard, Impa had you up to five weapons including an axe and then three different types of swords."
Link shook his head, looking down as he started eating his sandwich. It was true he was training to master a multitude of weapons should the worst of the worst occur.
"Have you started on any magical weapons yet?" Zelda asked as she started eating her own meal.
"The Fire Rod," Link answered quietly. "Very simple to use, but it breaks easily."
"Just wait 'til you get to the magic arrows," Zelda smirked slightly as she took another bite. "I even struggled to channel magic to those easily."
Link only smirked back and rolled his eyes. Zelda had always struggled with offensive and weapon based magic, something that came quite easily to Link.
"Don't laugh," Zelda exclaimed.
Link shook his head vigorously and suppressed his laughter by taking another bite of his sandwich.
"You may not talk much, but I know when you're laughing, Link," Zelda half-heartedly stared daggers at him.
Link only stuck his tongue out at her.
The horses' hooves pounded against the stone as they raced through Castletown.
"We're going to the Great Plateau," Zelda called over the noise. "To the Shrine of Resurrection near the Old Temple of Time."
Link nodded curtly and pulled his stead level with Zelda's.
"Link!" one of the Royal Guards called. Link turned, and the guard tossed him a bow and quiver of arrows. Link nodded his thanks and quickly strapped the quiver across his lower back.
"Be ready for enemy forces as soon as we leave the gates," Impa called. "Our highest priority is the safety of the Princess and the Hero. They must reach the Shrine of Resurrection. Do your duty to the Kingdom of Hyrule."
"Yes, ma'am," all the guards called.
They thundered through the main gates and out into Hyrule Field. It seemed as if they rode straight into a battle field. Bokoblins were everywhere; it was all the soldiers could do to keep them at bay.
"Impa, what orders did you give the General?" Zelda called as she scanned the battle surrounding them.
"Evacuate the citizens to the towns furthest from the Old Temple of Time," Impa replied. "Then protect the city for as long as they can."
"Are we the first to leave?" she glanced behind them at the now closed gates to Castletown.
"No, My Lady," Impa's mouth tightened into a thin line. "We are the last as per your request." It was obvious Impa disagreed with Zelda's demand.
"Then we talked about the Ancient Hylians," Zelda continued to babble about her studies. "And their legends about the Sky People and the First Chosen Hero. You know they revered a single Goddess, Hylia, before the Golden Goddesses. But then she became mortal, and here I am." Zelda laughed as if it was an inside joke. "My teacher said there's even a statue of Her in the Old Temple of Time. He said it was almost as ancient as the Temple itself, if not more so."
Link looked up from where he was sharpening the sword in front of him. He gave her a small, crooked smile.
"I would love to go out and see it," Zelda sighed wistfully, falling into the space on the bench beside him. "But Father says it's not safe anymore with how weak the seal's gotten. He and the monks think it's too dangerous for a Triforce bearer to get too close to the Old Temple."
Link nodded solemnly as he reached for the next sword.
"They keep saying it's only a matter of time now," Zelda continued much more quietly. "But I don't know if I'm ready."
He gave her a sympathetic, half smile, "I don't feel ready either." He paused in his sharpening. "But this might be one of those things you're never really are ready for."
"Maybe the seal will hold on for a couple more years," Zelda said hopefully. "Then we'll be a bit older. I'll be almost of age, eighteen, and you'll just be a year younger, yes?"
Link nodded with a bright smile, which Zelda echoed. But deep in his heart, Link, too, felt as if it might be only a matter of time before the Great Evil reemerged.
When they made it to the Great Plateau, their party had been reduced to just Link, Zelda, and Impa. The Royal Guards had fallen back to cover them from the Bokoblins that had broken away from the fight in front of Castletown to follow them. Then the Sheikah Guards left to deal with the Guardians, the great, powerful beam-shooting machines that had wreaked havoc across Hyrule the last time Ganondorf had full power. Only one, lucky shot from Link's arrow had disabled the beam on the Guardian pursuing them, causing it to fall back.
Link looked around to see the many Sheikah Towers scattered across the land sinking into the ground.
"Link!" Impa yelled. "Get ready to fire."
He whipped his head forward to see a horde of Bokoblins rushing toward them. Link readied an arrow, while Zelda began muttering a spell of some sort. They made it half way to the Shrine of Resurrection before Link ran out of arrows. Not two minutes later, Link's horse was shot down from underneath him. He tumbled to the ground and quickly attacked the nearest Bokoblin with his bow. A short scuffle ended with him taking the Bokoblin's crude spear and jumping up onto Zelda's horse when she turned around to pick him up.
"Hurry to the Shrine," Impa yelled. "I'll cover you."
"No!" Zelda screamed as she pulled on the reins to stop her horse. But Link's hands were there to stop her. "No, Link, please. Impa!"
"We have to keep moving forward," Link whispered into her ear.
Zelda passed the reins to him in response. Link steered them all the way to the cliff just under the Shrine, before the horse was taken down by Bokoblin archers.
"There's a path," Zelda pulled at Link's hand. "We just need to get inside, then we'll be safe."
They fought bitterly to reach the shrine. Link found it was easiest to just knock the Bokoblins off the side of the cliff with his spear.
"Link, use the Sheikah Slate to open the door," Zelda called when they finally reached the door to the Shrine. She cast Din's Fire to cover him.
Link made sure Zelda made it through the door first, then threw his spear to impale the nearest Bokoblin before following. The door closed behind him, instantly blocking the shrieks of the Bokoblins. He turned from the door directly into a tight hug from Zelda.
"I'm sorry, Link."
He returned her hug, moving his hands up and down her back in a reassuring manner.
"We never told you this plan, and I'm so sorry," Zelda sounded as if she was crying again. Link really didn't like it when Zelda cried.
"This was just the back-up plan," she released their hug. "The back-up of the back-ups really. But we never thought the Great Evil would be so strong when he broke free of the seals. There's no way we could have ever prepared enough."
Link stood shock still. He knew it was bad, but never did he imagine it was this bad.
"So the Sheikah outfitted this Shrine with a stasis chamber," she lead him deeper into the Shrine, through another door and into what must be the stasis chamber. There were a couple of storage chests and something Link dimly recognized as a stasis bed.
"But there's only one," Link whispered. He turned to Zelda, who had tears falling from her eyes once again. "No, Zelda, you need to be the one in here. The blood of the Goddess is more important to preserve. The spirit of the hero will be reborn; it's okay."
"But it won't be reborn safely," Zelda argued. "The Great Evil isn't just Ganondorf. It's, it's a Calamity, Link. He'll sniff out your reincarnation and kill him as a child."
"And your children will be any safer?" Link yelled. Both he and Zelda were shocked; Link honestly couldn't remember the last time he talked above a whisper, let alone yelled.
Zelda took a step forward, placing a hand on his cheek, "I'll be fine, Link. I'll take up a new name and live with my people, and all the Sheikah will be protecting me from the shadows."
"But, Zelda, I-" Link started.
"I know," Zelda smiled, but Link could see the sadness she was trying to hide. "So do this for me."
Link bowed to one knee, "It is my honor and privilege, my Princess."
So Link stripped down to his shorts (which wasn't awkward at all) and laid down in the stasis bed.
"Many years may pass before you are awaken," Zelda said as she worked the controls to start the stasis process. Link could feel a liquid start to fill the stasis bed. "Though you will age in stasis, it will be much slower than normal. The Sheikah Slate will be kept here for you when you awaken."
"Be safe, Zelda," he whispered to her before the liquid caused sleep to cloud his mind, and he fell into darkness. He could have sworn he heard her voice say, "I love you, too."
Images seemed to fly past his mind's eye, but they disappeared before he could fully grasp what they were.
"I love you, too."
Was that really what she had said? It was nice, such a soothing voice. But whose voice was it? Link couldn't remember if he had heard the woman speak before. Was she really saying 'I?' No, no now it sounded like 'eyes.'
Open your eyes, Link.
