Ch. 9

Haeda and Zelda's eyes eventually left the ruined temple. When there focus was broadened to there surroundings, they noticed that the sun was setting. Warm golden beams slanted across the earth in a final effort to light it up. "How can it be sunset already?" Haeda asked, looking toward the sun with shaded eyes.

Zelda answered, standing up, "The Temple of Time works in mysterious ways."

Haeda nodded in agreement and stood up himself.

The sun seemed to hover for a moment, seeming to say farewell till sunrise, and then disappeared behind the foothills. The day was suddenly plunged into evening, but a light still lingered so that surroundings could still be easily seen.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Zelda repeated.

Haeda frowned. She is trying to believe that this was all over, that it is only a bad dream or that all will be peaceful again.

"You know Ganon's not dead." A voice said softly to the boy from behind.

Haeda was about to turn to find the source of the voice, when he felt an odd sensation. He felt like he was being pulled into another place, another world. He briefly saw himself next to Zelda, but his surroundings immediately changed to an inky blackness. He was standing on nothing, but yet he was standing on something.

His breath caught in his throat as a woman appeared in a brief flash of light. She was tall and beautiful. Her body was framed by an elegant green dress that flowed in an invisible breeze. Her laughing amber eyes gazed at him with authority but kindness as well. A gold circlet with an emerald set in it sat on her brow. Haeda immediately fell to his knees and finally gained enough senses to gasp, "Lady Farore!"

She kneeled down and touched a finger to his chin, turning his face to hers. "You know why I am here, do you not?" She asked. Her voice was soft as down feathers but strong as an oak tree.

Haeda stood up and nodded. "I just don't quite now how I'll do this." He replied.

Farore smiled assuringly. "If you did not have the qualities of power, wisdom, and courage that one would need to complete such a quest, you would not be here." As she spoke, she brought her open palms forward as if she was holding something out to him. A bright light appeared wavering above her palms. Within that orb of light was a golden triangle: the Triforce of Courage. "It is yours to bear. Do you accept your fate, Haeda?" She asked, gazing first at the sacred jewel and then directly into Haeda's sparkling eyes.

A tear of disbelief managed to run down his cheek. But his voice was strong and level. "Yes." As he said that single word, he heard a dozen voices almost identical to his echo him.

Farore smiled. "And so it has been your answer for hundreds of years." Without hesitation, she brought the Triforce closer and closer to Haeda. Then she faced her palms toward his chest, and pressed her hands to his heart. The Triforce melded into his body, and a hot surge of energy traveled through him. At first it felt like he was on fire, but then the heat subsided to a warm glow. Farore smiled, and all at once she and the black world vanished.

Haeda wobbled where he stood and blinked his eyes. His eyes felt like they were burning and he screwed them tightly shut. "Oh, thank the goddesses that you are okay! What happened?" A voice asked frantically.

After a moment's confusion, Haeda realized that Zelda was talking to him. He slowly opened his eyes. "W-what?"

Zelda huffed. "What do you mean, 'what?' All the sudden, you seemed to just freeze! You were staring into the distance and you wouldn't respond!" Her face had gone red, but it quickly receded and her expression became more worried again.

Haeda was looking at her, utterly confused, but realized what had happened. He had been pulled from his body when Farore had come to him, and so 'he' was left motionless!

He was about to explain it all when the princess gasped and stared at something. Her mouth dropped open and a hand flew to it. "Haeda…look!" She pointed with a gloved finger to his left hand.

Haeda followed her finger and sucked in his breath. On the back of his hand, the sign of the Triforce was shining golden and strong in the evening light. They marveled the sign for a few moments in total silence.

The silence was interrupted by a barely audible scrape of stone against stone, and then there was a scream of terror. "Zelda!" But before he knew what was happening, Haeda felt a pain on his forehead, and fell into a darkness blacker than the evening.