Chapter 4: Schism
When he opens his eyes, he finds himself still alive. His chest burns with too fiercely for him to be in the afterlife. Of course, that's assuming beings like him have an afterlife.
He floats, unable to move his body. The outside world is tinted blue, distorted lightly in shape. Below him, he recognizes the familiar floor of the Temple of Time. He's locked within a crystal, suspended in the air. He squints, but cannot turn his head enough to make out more distinguishable shapes.
Trapped... he is the Sage's prisoner...
Perhaps banishing him is a complicated process. His fists tighten at the thought. Is this how it ends? There has to be some means of escape... The Sages can't just erase him now that their hero is back...
"Do you desire my assistance, hero?" A vaguely familiar voice rings in his head.
"Who... who's..." He tries to speak, but his voice is muffled, and it's hard to concentrate.
Magical energy condenses outside the crystal. In front of him, a human figure forms. He floats above the ground, level with the crystal and its occupant. The crystal's lens makes this newcomer blue, matching the surrounding world. But he does feel a bit familiar...
"I am the wind sorcerer, Vaati," he introduces himself. "And I am no friend of the Sages."
Vaati places one hand against the crystal's exterior. The gem snaps loudly beneath his touch, long cracks running through the prison. In just a few seconds, the cracks have overcome the entire crystal. It shatters loudly, the pieces falling far to the ground below. Before the prisoner can follow, Vaati catches him.
The world's color has returned to normal. He lays limply in Vaati's arms, still unable to do more than twitch. His chest still burns fiercely, and the pain flares at Vaati's contact.
"You are hurt," Vaati says, as if realizing the extent of the other's pain only now. "Sleep, and we will talk another time."
Vaati places a hand on the other's forehead. Immediately a drowsiness seeps into his being. It numbs the pain and the rest of the world. His eyes flicker shut, darkness claiming him once more...
He awakens in a soft bed, wrapped warmly within its covers. His body aches, but his condition has improved considerably since the last time he was conscious. He's not sure where he is, or what events have transpired while unconscious.
"Link!"
He hears a voice he never thought he'd hear again. A small hand places itself upon his own hand. He lifts his head to its source, seeing familiar green hair.
"Saria...?" He stares at her, unsure if this is reality or a dream.
She smiles, tears running down her face silently. She hugs him lightly, her small frame only able to cover a portion of himself in the bed. "Thank goodness!" Saria sniffles, trying not to drip on him. "You're awake, and alive! It's been so long since I've seen you, you have no idea how worried I was, Link..." She pulls back from his bed, only so she can bawl. She wipes her eyes, but the tears come out shamelessly.
The nearby door opens. Rauru enters in a hurry, perhaps summoned by Saria's cries. His nose has been bandaged thoroughly, already the bones set back in place. Behind him, Princess Zelda also enters. She holds her dress up lightly; she too, had run as soon as she heard Saria's cries.
"Link!" Zelda takes the other side of the bed, crouching to his level, uncaring of her royalty status. Right now, she is on his level. "How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?" Her hand lightly touches his chest, hidden by the covers.
Link's body feels terrible. His entire frame is wracked with pain, tired of the tortures it received from Ganondorf. However... the warm bed and his friends' concern is enough to make him smile. "I haven't felt this good in a while," he answers, although his voice is raspy. It is the truth.
Saria continues bawling, and tears spring into Zelda's eyes. "Ruto, Saria, and myself unified our power and performed a healing spell upon you," she explains. "But I did not expect the effects to manifest so quickly. You have a strong will, as always, Link."
"Strong will, indeed," Rauru agrees, his voice nasally from his injury. "The Triforce of Courage still lays in your possession."
Link's gaze drifts to his left hand. The golden force still glows faintly beneath his skin.
"Rauru!" Saria yells between tears, still clearly emotional. "How can you even think of that right now!Link's back, and that's all that matters!"
"He's being pragmatic, Saria," Zelda tries to get the other Sage to calm herself. But in all honesty, her thoughts had only been with Link's well-being. Returning to Hyrule's strategy so quickly makes her a little sad.
"That is what Ganondorf was after, right?" Rauru presses, looking to Link. The other two Sages fall silent.
"Yes," Link agrees quietly. He suffocates the memories threatening to surface. He can re-live his terrors another time. "I'll never give up the Triforce willingly, least of all to him."
Zelda's own hand tightens, her eyes falling upon her own Triforce. "It cannot pass to another unless we give it up freely," Zelda says. If she was in Link's position, she would have done the same. "Ganondorf underestimated your will. And now, he has lost not only the opportunity of the Triforce of Courage. He's lost his hold on you. Hyrule can stand against him boldly again."
"But rest first," Saria adds, as if to remind everyone. She looks sternly at both Zelda and Rauru.
Zelda smiles in agreement.
"Princess, I wish to speak to you about a different matter, but in private," Rauru strokes his beard.
Zelda nods, rising to her feet. "Very well," she agrees. "Link, let us know if you need anything. It is good to have you back. Saria can take good care of you."
They both smile at her words. Link is sleepy already; the conversation took more out of him than he anticipated.
Rauru leaves first, Zelda behind him. The door closes lightly. They are within Hyrule Castle, in its top floor. Zelda walks with Rauru through its grand halls, the only other company an occasional guard or two.
"What matter concerns you, Rauru?" Zelda asks when they are a few steps away from Link's room. "I wonder, does it have to do with your new injury?" She had noticed the wound earlier, but paid it no mind while in the presence of Link.
"Princess," Rauru speaks gravely. "I have bad news. It's about our Shadow..."
Zelda stops. Her mind flashes to her last conversation with him, in the courtyard. "What of him?" She can't quite hide her concern. He had seemed perturbed the last time they spoke.
"It's gone berserk," Rauru says bluntly, turning to face Zelda. Her blood freezes. "It attacked me when I tried speaking. Fortunately, Sages Darunia and Nabooru were with me. We managed to contain it within a crystal."
Zelda is speechless momentarily. Although the Shadow had seemed distressed, she had thought him still reasonable. He was too human-like for her to treat him as anything else. "That's..." Her mind can't quite wrap around it. "...Surprising. I would like to speak with him, perhaps there has been a misunderstanding."
"Surprising?" Rauru repeats skeptically. "It was created by Ganon. We were fortunate that it listened to us when we recalled it, even if only for a few days. It was only a matter of time before it returned to its dark nature."
"Although given form by Ganon, it is still a part of Link, regardless," Zelda shakes her head, unwilling to believe in the Shadow's inherent evil. "I will speak with him. Where is he?"
"Within the Temple of Time," Rauru answers. "But, Princess. If I might be so bold. I believe that this would be the perfect time to return its being to Link. The Shadow borrows too much of its host's energy. And trapped as it is, it would be unable to stop our returning ritual."
Maybe she's been too naive. In her mind, she had hoped the Shadow would agree to return to Link's side willingly. Even if she goes to talk to him now, he will not trust her. Whatever events transpired between Rauru and the Shadow, the Shadow no longer trusts the Sages.
"Perhaps," Zelda says after a moment. "But I wish to speak with him first. You are not to start the ritual until I have made my mind."
Rauru bows his head, but Zelda can practically feel his disapproval. Rauru wants the Shadow gone.
Zelda hurries away from the Light Sage. Rather than head straight to the Temple of Time, she instead goes to her room. Her room is large and decorated lavishly, reflecting her status as royalty. She goes to her dresser, opening a secret compartment between her clothes. There within lies the garbs of a sheikah.
Quickly she changes, her dress falling off, replaced by the traditional sheikah clothes. She will see the Shadow not as a Princess, leader of the Sages. She will talk to him first as Sheik, the partner of his previous mission.
He awakens in a soft bed, wrapped warmly within its covers. His body aches, but his condition has improved considerably since the last time he was conscious. He's not sure where he is, or what events have transpired while unconscious...
He sits up halfway, wincing lightly. Bandages are wrapped around his ribs. He looks around. The room is a bedroom of some sort, adorned with expensive decorations. Almost everything is a dark purple, the color of royalty. And the bed he uses is too big for just one person.
Where is he...? He remembers fighting the Sages, and then...
He grits his teeth, the anger returning instantly. Before he can seethe further, the door opens.
Vaati strides inside. When he sees the other awake, Vaati grins widely. He opens his arms out, as if to welcome the injured man.
"Welcome, Hero, to the humble abode of Lord Vaati," he sings happily, although his house is anything but humble.
He flinches at the title. 'Hero.' "I'm not a hero," he says sullenly. Although he wants to disbelieve Rauru's words, he knows they are true. Denial won't help him. "And I'm not Link. You've mistaken me for someone else." Maybe Vaati only helped him because he meant to help the Hero of Time...
"There's no mistake," Vaati becomes more serious. He walks closer, to meet eye level with the one he saved. "I know who you are. Although you are not Link, you are still a hero."
His gaze flickers up to meet Vaati's. He doesn't want to hope, but it seems like Vaati cares little for who he truly is. Although, he still dislikes the title 'hero.' "I don't even know who I am. I don't even have a name."
Vaati frowns a little, thinking. "Then perhaps you should think of what to call yourself."
He doesn't answer. His mouth is a thin line. Although Vaati saved him, he can't bring himself to be happy about it. Right now, it feels like nothing matters. And it's not like he expects charity. This Vaati probably saved him only to use him. Just like the Sages.
"So. What do you want?" He asks. Maybe the other thinks he's indebted to him for saving his life. Well, he didn't ask to be saved. If Vaati wants something in return, he is out of luck.
Vaati seems to read the sentiment. "There is something, but it's not important. It can wait. I followed you and the Sages to the Temple of Time – I saw everything. I have long suspected the Sages' treachery in leading Hyrule. And they have dealt with you in the same manner as how they deal with this country."
His gaze flickers to meet Vaati's again, before dropping. So the other doesn't like the Sages. So what? Are they supposed to team up now because of a common enemy?
Vaati sighs at the other's silence. "I can see you need some time to yourself. Perhaps we can continue talk-"
A bell from outside rings frantically. The chimes echo loudly, like a warning. Vaati stops mid-sentence, rushing to the window. He pauses momentarily. Then abruptly, he runs to the door. "Apologies, I must leave, but we will talk later. Stay here," Vaati orders, closing the door.
The Shadow watches curiously. He pulls himself from the bed, finding his feet surprisingly steady. He looks outside the window, the same one that Vaati used.
The sun is setting, covering the hills of Hyrule in beautiful golden hues. He is some distance above the ground, as if looking out of a castle. Below him is a town, filled with small houses and farms. People run below frantically, shouting words to each other. Some point to the horizon.
He raises his eyes to where they point. In front of the sun, a dark cloud descends from the hill. It is a familiar sight. Monsters, Ganon's army, are rushing down. They head straight toward the town. Even from this distance, he can see it clearly. Leading the army of monsters, at the very back, watching with a smug smirk...
...is the King of All Evil, Ganondorf.