The Goddess Trials
by Queenie Z

Chapter 4: The One True Hero

After the passing of his third trial, Link found himself imbued with an incredible energy and fierce determination; indeed, he felt nigh unstoppable. Neither the scorching flames of Eldin Volcano nor the devious tricks and traps of the Fire Sanctuary could slow his stride, and even the real Ghirahim, who had challenged him to battle a second time, failed to stop him in his quest to obtain the final sacred flame. How a softhearted little boy like him could have become such a formidable opponent in such a short amount of time utterly baffled the demon lord, but Link knew the answer all too well: it was all a result of the trials that had forged his character, and most of all, of the burning desire to see his beloved Zelda safe and sound once more.

After all of his efforts, after all of his long-suffering travels and ferocious battles, after claiming Din's Flame and finally, finally stepping through the Gate of Time, he expected his journey to reach its end, to be able to bring Zelda back home where she belonged... but his expectations couldn't have been further from the truth. His entire journey, he learned, was a part of an even greater battle between the Goddess, Hylia, and the sealed abomination known as Demise. He also realized that Hylia's great, cosmic plan to defeat the demon king had shaped not only his own destiny, but Zelda's as well. As the incarnate of the goddess, it was her role to act as a seal, one that would ward off Demise's great evil and buy her chosen one more time - and she had accepted that role, with dignity and with sorrow, placing herself in a deep slumber for thousands of years.

To watch the person he cherished the most slip through his fingers yet again, to see the guilt and heartbreak in her face as she made him promise to come and wake her when his work was done - it was almost unbearable for Link. For the first time since his quest began, he grieved, truly grieved, for his friend and for the piece of his soul that had fallen through the clouds with her. He knew, however, that his grief alone would not stop Demise; that his pain and loneliness would not free Zelda from her amber cage of sleep. So he pressed forward, exhausted but determined, eager to complete his final mission: obtaining the power of the gods, the Triforce, and using it to end Demise's tyranny once and for all.

Finding the path to the Triforce was not entirely unlike finding the paths to the sacred flames; according to Levias, the guardian of the skies, he needed to seek out one final song, the Song of the Hero, which would lead to one last trial. This time, however, the song had been split into four parts, three of which he had to learn personally from the dragons of the surface world; a long and arduous task, to be certain, but one that Link would eventually accomplish after much perseverance. Once each guardian spirit had acknowledged his worth, they joined their voices as one, singing verses of praise and exaltation to their mighty Hero of Legend and bestowing upon him the key to his fourth and final trial.

To his shock, the trial gate was located in the last place he ever would have expected - his very own hometown of Skyloft. How ironic, he thought, that he would wind up right back where he started. He figured that it probably wasn't a good idea to open the gate in the middle of the day when his fellow townsfolk were still out and about - it would have raised far too many questions that he didn't have the time to answer - so he opted to return at dusk, when the sun had sunk halfway into the sea of clouds and the plaza near the Light Tower had been completely abandoned. After he completed his final duet with Fi, after the last notes of the Song of the Hero had faded completely, Link cradled the Goddess Harp in his arms, shutting his eyes with a small frown.

"Master?"

For a moment, Link didn't respond to his partner as he attempted to gather his thoughts.

"...Master Link," repeated Fi, "it would be wise to enter the gate soon, before the sun sets completely."

He shook his head. "I thought that I would have brought her back here by now," he said quietly. "I thought that we'd be back in school, hanging out, laughing, carrying on..." He hugged the harp tighter against his chest. "...I thought that we'd be together again, just like before..."

Now it was Fi's turn to pause; she lifted her head to the sky in thought, searching for a response that would please her master. Before she could find one, however, Link spoke again.

"...Fi," he said, opening his eyes and looking towards her expectantly, "this... will be the last trial, won't it?"

Fi returned his gaze, then answered him with an air of certainty. "The probability that this will be your final trial in the Silent Realm is 99%. Once you have passed, the path to the Triforce will be opened to you - then, you will be able to fulfill your promise to Zelda."

Link nodded, his expression growing pensive and weary. He knew he only had a little further to go in his journey, only a little while longer before he could accomplish what he'd set out to do... but at the same time, he was beginning to grow tired of it. Why did he have keep going like this when he had traveled so far and suffered so much already? Why did he have to leave Zelda behind in the past, where she would doubtlessly be sad and lonely? Why did this destiny that the Goddess have in store for the both of them have to be so... so... painful...?

Hesitantly, he put away his harp, then drew the Master Sword. He hadn't wanted this, to be put through yet another trial and more hardship - but what other choice did he have? No matter how much he didn't want to do it, he had to; he repeated this to himself in his mind as he raised his holy blade.

"Please, Goddess," he muttered under his breath, "let this be over soon... I just want to see her again...!"

With a pained grunt, he thrust the Master Sword into the ground one final time.

"...nk... Link..."

From the edge of his consciousness, as though miles away, he thought he heard the faint echo of his name.

"...nestly... you'd... all day if... me..."

He could only make out a portion of the words. Who in the world could have been...

"Wake up, Link!"

He screamed as he felt a sharp tug on his ear, shooting his eyes open and flailing about madly. In his panic, he felt his legs become entangled in something; then, he toppled over sideways, falling face first into the cold, hard ground. Ow.

He calmed himself just enough to fumble his way to his hands and knees; he heart nearly stopped, however, when he heard a familiar voice giggling brightly at his antics.

"Oh, goodness! A-Are you okay, Link? Haha... you should have seen the look on your face...!"

He looked to his right, and his mouth hung open in shock. There she was - Zelda, dressed in the same clothes she had always worn, her face alight with laughter as it had always been.

"...Zel..." he stammered quietly, "Zel...da...?"

Zelda attempted to stifle her laughter with no avail. "Link, Link, Link... you're still not awake yet, are you?" She knelt down, reaching for something near his legs. "Gosh, you must have really been out of it! Here, let's get this off of your legs."

He stumbled to his bottom and looked in his lap, where a blanket - his blanket - had gotten itself wound around his legs. He also noticed that he was no longer wearing his uniform, but one of his old, everyday outfits. Though Zelda had begun to unravel the blanket for him, acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary, Link knew better. He glanced around in confusion - why was he in his room, of all places? Was this supposed to be the Silent Realm? If that was the case, where were the telltale glows? The eerie noises? The guardians with their fearsome weapons? In fact, if he hadn't known any better... he would have thought that he'd just woken up from a long, painful nightmare, back into his lazy, normal, everyday life.

His gaze fell back to Zelda, and for a moment, he simply stared. No, surely she couldn't have been real... could she?

"...Link?" asked Zelda with an expression of concern as she folded the blanket over her arm. "Are you okay?" She sat the blanket down and leaned forward, touching his face with her hand. "You look awfully pale... oh, no, you're not getting sick, are you?"

The touch of her hand made him tense slightly. However, in spite of himself, he quickly found himself relaxing into it. He had missed this - oh, how he had missed this, her soft, warm hands, her gentle care and concern... If this was supposed to be another trick of the Silent Realm, he thought, then it was a damn good one.

With shaky hands, he reached for hers; he held it tightly, almost afraid to let it go again. Illusion, reality - he wasn't sure he even cared anymore. Even if this really was just another delusion created by the Silent Realm, another elaborate fantasy created from the longing of his heart... perhaps he could allow himself to play along, if only for a moment.

He closed his eyes and held her hand close. Yes, he said to himself, he would indulge himself, if only for one brief, blissful moment...

"I..." he began, his words choked with emotion, "I dreamed I'd lost you... that you'd fallen through the clouds... that no matter where I went, no matter how hard I fought, I could never keep you by my side." He swallowed back a sob. "I was scared - I was so, so scared - I thought I would never get to see you again...!"

Zelda's face fell into an expression of pity. "Oh, Link..." She used her free hand to wipe away the tears that had beaded at the corners of his eyes. "I'm so sorry. What an awful nightmare you've had..." She smiled sweetly. "But it's all right now. I'm right here, Link - I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Link sniffled, his lips trembling as he attempted to smile. He nodded his head.

Satisfied, Zelda brushed his bangs affectionately with her fingertips. "Hey, come on," she said in her usual, teasing tone, "no more crying, okay? You'll spoil our day together."

He opened his eyes, confused. "...Our day together?"

She giggled. "Of course, silly!" She helped him to his feet, taking a hold of both of his hands. "You must have forgotten that today was a school holiday. But don't you worry - we're going to take full advantage of it!"

"Uh..." Link chuckled bashfully. "Y-Yeah, I... I guess I did forget..." He wasn't about to question her; not now, when he was still savoring this moment. He flashed her a labored grin. "So, uh, what exactly did you have planned for today, then?"

"Oh, plenty!" laughed Zelda. She began to walk backwards, pulling Link along as she always did. "But first, breakfast! You can't have fun on an empty stomach, you know!"

"W-Whoa!" Link cried as he stumbled a bit, his feet struggling to keep up with her energetic pace. After a moment, however, his smile brightened. This simple moment, this carefree life - this was the way it should be, the way it should have been all along... wasn't it?

Indeed, it was almost as though he had stepped back in time; as Zelda led him around to and fro, from the dining hall to the bazaar to the plaza and everywhere in between, Link noticed that his hometown looked exactly as it had before his journey. The beacon emanating from the Light Tower was nowhere to be seen, the pinwheel he remembered looking long and hard for was gone, and even Zelda's loftwing, which he had thought to be lost, could be seen lazily circling the skies above them. Everything looked so normal, so much like the Skyloft he had always known and loved, where everyone was happy, smiling, saying "hello" to him as though nothing was wrong... it was enough to begin convincing Link that, perhaps, his ordeal truly had been nothing more than a long, terrible dream.

As the day went on, he began to question the reality of his circumstances less and less, until eventually he had forgotten about his quest all together. In those few hours, there was no trial, no treachery, no Triforce to be found or demon king to be vanquished - there was only Zelda, his Zelda, the girl he had adored for as long as he could remember. As the sun fell towards the horizon, bathing the sky in a golden hue, he found himself resting alongside her, shaded by the leaves of a tree near the waterfall east of town.

Zelda hummed chipperly as she leaned against Link's shoulder; then, she glanced to her side, spotting a small, white flower and picking it. As she turned the flower over in her hands, she broke the silence. "...Say, Link?"

Link turned his head. "Yeah?"

"Have I..." She turned slightly bashful as she spoke. "Have I ever told you how much fun I have with you?"

He grinned lopsidedly. "Well, you don't make it much of a secret, if that's what you're asking."

"That's not what I - " She turned pink, lowering her gaze from the flower. "I mean, you and me, when we're together, hanging out like this..." She closed her eyes. "...Those kinds of days are the happiest of my whole life."

Link's eyes widened a little in surprised; he felt his own cheeks grow warm, and he looked away, embarrassed. "You - you really think so, Zelda?"

"Mm." She turned to face him once more. "What about you? You... feel the same way, right?"

He inhaled sharply at her question, the flush in his cheeks growing ever brighter. Of course he did, he knew, but - just what exactly was she trying to get at? He swallowed. "...Yeah," he muttered. "I do."

This seemed to please Zelda, and her eyes began to sparkle in delight. "You do?" She then shut her eyes once more, leaning her head against his shoulder and holding his arm affectionately. "...I'm glad."

Link said nothing, glancing awkwardly at his friend. What had gotten into her all of the sudden? ...Though, to be honest, he didn't mind it all that much; in fact, he felt a warmth in his chest, one he had come to realize that he only ever felt around her. As he began to ponder that feeling, as he allowed to sink in what it truly meant, he heard Zelda speak once more.

"Link... If... if you could spend every day like this... would you?"

He gulped. "W...What do you mean by that?"

"Here," she said sweetly, "with me. Playing together, laughing together, being together..." She looked back up at him, her face alight with happiness. "No more pain, no more loneliness; no more searching, or fighting, or trials..."

At that, Link gasped, his eyes growing wide and his face growing pale. "...T..." He looked at her in horror. "Trials...!?"

Zelda nodded. "That's what I said, isn't it?" She snuggled into him. "You don't need to worry anymore, Link... Won't you stay with me? I'll never leave your side again. I promise."

His heart began to race, and he was hit with a terrible realization. This happy moment, everything around him, even Zelda herself - it really was just a lie after all, a cruel, horrible lie concocted by the Silent Realm...!

"...I knew it..." he muttered fearfully, yanking his arm away from Zelda - no, this mockery of Zelda. "You - you lied to me...!"

Zelda's face fell, seemingly heartbroken. "Link...?"

Link stood, ready to storm off in his panic.

"No, Link! Wait!" She jumped to her feet and took his hand. "I'm not - I'm not lying to you! We really can be together here! Forever! I swear, I'm telling you the truth!"

"No!" He yanked his hand away, then, he turned, refusing to look at her. He grimaced in agony. "...Don't... Please, don't... don't torment me like this anymore...!"

Zelda lowered her hand, frozen in disbelief. "Link..."

With a pained grunt, Link clenched his hands into fists, and he began to run off.

"...How dare you."

He was stopped in his tracks by the sudden screech of phantoms, the blinding light of the blood red sky, and the wall of guardians - dozens of them - that had suddenly appeared before him. He recoiled in terror, realizing that the guardians hadn't just blocked his path; they had surrounded him completely in a circle, leaving him alone with the image of Zelda, whose tender face had twisted into an expression of abject rage.

"How dare you," she repeated, her voice lowered to a threatening growl, one he could never have imagined coming out of his best friend's mouth. "You've journeyed for so long... you've suffered so much... and yet you refuse me?" She shot him a glare that pierced through his heart and turned his blood cold. "I offer you an end to your pain, and yet you refuse me!?"

Link broke into a cold sweat at the sight - he looked around desperately for a way to escape, but all he could see were the steely, menacing gazes of the guardians.

"Is this not what you wanted, Link!? To see me again!? To bring me home!? To keep me by your side and never let me go for as long as you lived!?" Her enraged screams echoed throughout the realm, causing Link to cover his ears and double over in pain. "Was that not the very reason you chose this path!? The only reason!?"

Her angered accusations echoing through his brain, pounding within his head like a thousand hammers, Link fell to his knees. "Zel...da..."

"Answer me!" she screamed, reappearing suddenly in front of his crumpled form and causing the guardians to close in on him. "The reason you struggle, the reason you fight - is it not your love for the girl you call Zelda!?"

With a whimper, Link struggled to lift his head. His grief, his loneliness, his long, hard struggle to realize the truth about his feelings for her - they had all weighed on him for so long that they now threatened to crush him completely. All this time, his longing to be with Zelda again had driven him to accomplish impossible tasks, yet now that same desire was beginning to destroy him. Had he really allowed himself to lose sight of what was important, of the destiny he had been chosen to carry out? Had he truly forgotten about her, the real Zelda, the one who was waiting an eternity for him to free her from her slumber...?

His head throbbing and his heart aching, he reached out, grasping the hem of the dress worn by the vision before him.

"...It's true..." he said, his voice weak and laden with sorrow, "It's all true, I... I love her... I love her more than anything..." He began to weep, openly and completely, as he made his confession. "I left home, I left my life behind, I became the Hero, just like the Goddess wanted... I did it all so that I could bring her back to me...!"

The image of Zelda looked down upon him with a shocked expression as the harsh, crimson world around them began to dim.

"But now... now, that's not the the only reason," continued Link, his tearful eyes narrowing into an expression of determination. "Because I love her, because I love this world and everything in it, all of the wonderful people I've met along the way... I have to see this through to the very end. I have to keep my promise to her; I have to defeat Demise once and for all."

Zelda's eyes began to fill with tears, and one by one, the guardians began to disappear. At that, Link smiled, his own tears continuing to trickle down his face.

"I hope you can forgive me," he said. "When this is all over, I promise you - the real you - we'll never be apart again." He rose to one knee, taking her hand and bowing his head. "...I'll love you, the way you deserve to be loved."

When the Silent Realm had resumed its natural state, a sea of tranquil lights glowing throughout the image of Skyloft, Zelda smiled; then, she joined him on the ground, embracing him lovingly.

"...No, Link," she said, "you're not the one who should seek forgiveness." She stroked the back of his head. "As the will of the Goddess, the lingering feelings of the maiden, Zelda... I'm the one who needs to be forgiven." She sniffled. "I'm so sorry, Link, for putting you through all of this, for deceiving you..."

Link stared at her, dumbfounded. He had thought that she was simply another illusion, a projection of Zelda created by the Silent Realm to test him... was he wrong?

"She never wanted you to suffer so," she continued, "neither your Goddess nor your beloved... But it was necessary to mold you into the Hero who could stop Demise," she pulled away slightly, her hands resting on his arms, "the Hero you were always meant to be."

Before he could speak, he felt her open his palm, placing something hard and faceted inside. She used her other hand to hold his gingerly.

"Link, Hero of Legend," said the image of Zelda with a tearful smile, "you who have traveled many miles and defeated countless evils to get this far - your hardships are nearly at an end." She closed her eyes in a peaceful expression. "You have demonstrated the depths of your courage, wisdom, and power - but most of all, you have demonstrated your love, your compassion for this world and your most cherished person, and your willingness to sacrifice your own happiness for the greater good."

At her praise, Link smiled, reaching forward to touch her hand - however, he was startled to see that her form had begun to fade. He looked back up at her, stunned.

"Zelda..." he said, "Wait! Where are you...?"

"You'll see her again soon, Link," she said warmly. "Once you have claimed the Triforce and vanquished Demise - then the both you will finally be reunited." Finally, she disappeared entirely. "Now go forth, Hero, with the blessings of Hylia... and the love of your Zelda."

His heart sank when her visage faded away; he clenched his hands and lowered his head, sobbing quietly, not only in sadness at the loss of her smile, but also in relief and gratitude for the kindness of his Goddess.

"...Master."

His eyes shot open, and he was started to see himself back in the plaza, in the real world, beneath the shadow of the Light Tower. The sky was bathed in the pastel colors of early dawn, and the Master Sword still rested in the ground in front of him. He turned towards Fi, his vision still blurred with tears.

"Fi... I..."

"There is no need to explain, Master Link." The sword spirit looked upon him solemnly. "Given your current expression and the extensive length of time you were gone, I can assume that your trial was..." she paused, rechecking her calculations, "...particularly difficult."

He nodded. "...Yeah." He wiped his eyes with his glove; then, he glanced up at the sky. "Was I really gone all night?"

"Yes." Fi's gaze went to the Master Sword. "It was fortunate, then, that the Master Sword served as a protective barrier. The nocturnal monsters seemed afraid to approach it, perhaps as a result of its evil-repelling properties."

Link nodded once more, though he was not fully listening to her explanation. Instead, he found his mind drifting once more to Zelda's smiling face, their eventual reunion, the light that would shine upon their world without Demise's shadow over it... And then he opened his hand, looking at the his final sacred gift: a brilliant jewel, engraved with the Goddess' insignia.

Fi peered over his shoulder. "The Goddess Hylia's final gift to you," she said, "the Stone of Trials. It is given only to the one, true Hero who has been deemed worthy - it will open a path to the Golden Power you seek."

He smiled slightly at the stone, turning it in his hands. "I can't believe it," he said, "I'm almost there..." Then, he blinked, the symbol within the stone giving him an idea.

"Master Link?" asked Fi with a tilt of her head.

"I've seen this before," said Link in realization. He stood. "I've seen a stone just like this before, right here in Skyloft...!"

Fi watched as the young hero hurriedly took the Master Sword from the ground and began to run, headed towards the waterfall to the west. "Master, please wait!" she called, hurriedly gliding to catch up with him.

However, Link failed to notice her. His gaze was set straight ahead, fixated on the lone bird statue overlooking the pond, his path forward, his path to the Triforce - and most of all, his path to Zelda, as well as his path to the salvation of their world.