Chapter Ten: Seven Years' Toll
Title: Legend of Zelda - The True Force
Chapter: 10
Author: Hikari no Vikki
Genre: Action/Adventure
Disclaimer: How many people are reading this exactly? (checks story stats) Oh, right. That many. Well, for those of you who are still here, you already know I don't own this.
Description: A modern Hyrule is in chaos. After reconstruction from the receding sea, the New Hyrule is literally built from the ashes of the Old Kingdom. However, history is destined, or rather, determined to repeat itself.
Author's Notes-
(hears footsteps - looks up from playing Phantom Hourglass) Oh, hello. Perhaps you're lost? I think you took a wrong turn at the crossover section. Here, let me direct you back to the main desk… wait, what?
You really meant to be here? Well now, that's odd. I could have sworn nobody cared about this story… well, go on. It'll at least appreciate the attention since no one but myself and my friend Writer seem to know this place exists. Oh, and when you're done, perhaps you can figure out how the blue link at the bottom of each page works… careful, though. It's a bit dusty.
What…?
"Heh, excellent work, kid. It was nice of you to hold the door open for me…"
What happened to me?
"Leading me to the gates was a nice touch, too… I owe it all to you, Link."
Ganondorf…? Hey, wait!
.oOo.
Light spilled across a circular marble floor through a giant transparisteel window that revealed a wide panoramic view of the city. A tall, dark-skinned bald man stood frowning at the massive communications holotable in the center of the Situation Room that belonged to the Tranquility Spire of the Jedi Temple. His clothing consisted of light brown robes and a dark brown cloak, which only partly obscured the silver rings etched into a cylindrical object attached to his waist.
The man leaned over the large, sunken dais in which the holotable rested and drummed his fingers rapidly on a part of rim as he carefully read through a piece of text that scrolled slowly up a holochart. Upon reading a few sentences in particular the man leaned back, surprise briefly flashing across his features. He reached for a button that would open a communication channel to the Archives and pressed it.
"Madame Nu?" The man said slowly. A few seconds passed before the channel crackled with static and another voice replied to him through the speakers at his section of the holotable.
"Yes, Master Windu? What can I do for you?" The voice on the other side of the line was the feminine, but elderly clip of the Chief Librarian.
"Can you tell me when this message was sent and where it was sent from? I am unfamiliar with the origin codes of this particular planet, though I can make out that it was received only recently."
There was a pause on the other side of the line before Madame Nu finally replied to his request. "Sir, parts of the coding is missing, probably because of some user error or the more likely scenario of damages to the sending terminal, since this is an emergency beacon. But, from what I can tell, this particular message says that it was sent almost seven years ago."
Master Windu's body stiffened. "Did you say almost seven years ago?" There was another pause, and then a reluctant, "Yes, Master Windu."
Now it was Master Windu's turn to pause for a response. He could sense that this message was something that needed to be dealt with for sure, but he needed one last piece of information to make sure he knew who to take it to for examination.
"And what planet was it sent from?"
"It says it's from Kodasta, which is in the Darpa sector of the Core Worlds. However, most of the people on the planet call it… Hyrule."
Master Windu's eyebrows rose. Master Yoda had visited that planet almost seven years ago… and through the planet's senatorial representative wasn't due to arrive for another three years, he had a feeling that their representative wouldn't be returning in time for the next session. He nodded to himself as he made his decision.
"Thank you for your help, Madame Nu."
"You're welcome, Master Windu."
Master Windu listened as the static of the channel faded into silence. He stood back from the holotable, watching the text of the message automatically scroll back to the beginning and through the message again. He folded his arms and frowned, knowing he ought to move soon. But something about the message bothered him. The arrival time, for one, and the fact that the message was sent only a day after Yoda had returned with Obi-Wan and his padawan bothered him also.
After a moments thought, he straightened. Yoda. He should show the message to Yoda. Of course, Yoda would what to do about it and who to send. With a swish of fabric and the swift click of boots on the floor, Master Windu exited the Situation Room and headed for the Council chambers.
.oOo.
Obi-Wan's eyes watched the door of the refresher slide open and again as he turned around to see it closed. It was a habit of his to behave as if the automatic doors were like real ones, but he suspected it had something to do with wanting to know what was behind him.
He sighed and looked at a digital clock on the table beside his bed, noting the time. It was half past ten, and his padawan was late. As usual.
And, knowing his padawan, Obi-Wan guessed that it would still be another five minutes or so before the young man was even at his door, never mind ready for another day of training. So he simply walked out into the central room of his living quarters and selected the right side of his sofa to sink into and wait for Anakin.
Anakin. Though he would have to make sure to appear terribly angry at his padawan for being late, he did have to admit the young man more than made up for it with his skill and determination. Since the day he was first granted permission to train the boy, Obi-Wan watched Anakin's training proceed at a rapid pace. While certain parts of his character still leaved something to be desired (such as his reluctance to get out of bed and show up for training on time) the boy from Tatooine was nearly ready for knighting.
A faint smile snuck its way onto Obi-Wan's lips as he remembered Anakin saying something yesterday about never becoming a Knight.
If only he knew…
Obi-Wan's head jerked a little as the doorbell chimed softly, alerting him to the presence of someone outside his door. He almost frowned and wondered why Anakin hadn't just come in, since that was what he usually did, though he thought the better of it when he pressed a button on the side of the right side of the door to open it and saw exactly who was on the other side.
Anakin was indeed standing in front of his door. Since beginning his training with Obi-Wan, Anakin – now just seventeen – had grown to stand at a particularly tall six feet and his hair had darkened a little from the blond it had been as a child to a gentle light brown.
The young adult in question was glancing at the other man who Obi-Wan had not been expecting to show up at his door with a mixed expression of skepticism and worry.
"Hello, Master Windu," Obi-Wan greeted the Jedi, one eyebrow raised. "Is… ah, Anakin in… trouble?" Anakin let his head hang slightly lower as he muttered, "I was kind of wondering the same thing," under his breath. Obi-Wan had to prevent himself from smiling even though the comment had been out of turn.
Master Windu shook his head, stoic as ever, though his eyes did twinkle slightly with amusement. "No, not this time. I encountered Padawan Anakin on the way here and decided to accompany him here, since the message I am delivering concerns to both of you."
Anakin's head snapped up as Master and Padawan shared a quick glance before Obi-Wan looked back to Master Windu.
"And this message is…?" Obi-Wan began, waiting for Windu's answer.
"That I'm to bring you to the High Council Room immediately. Master Yoda wishes to see you about a mission." Obi-Wan frowned, but nodded slowly as Windu began to walk in the direction of the council room, and he and Anakin followed.
There was a period of silence before Anakin finally tapped Obi-Wan on the shoulder. He knew the young man would have done so eventually, though he had to give him credit for waiting as long as he did.
"Yes, Anakin?"
"Does this mean that all training for today is suspended?" He had the nerve to look hopeful. Obi-Wan gave him a look. "Padawan, don't even try. If you ask that again, whenever the day of your knighting ceremony finally arrives, I will personally ask Master Yoda to push it back another day for any one of the days you have managed to wriggle out of training, which includes today. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master." Anakin said quietly, blanching at the thought.
Up ahead, Master Windu was smiling to himself and once again wondering if he should seriously consider taking on another apprentice…
.oOo.
A young woman's hands sifted through a patch of gardenias set in a long line of rectangular gardens full of flowers and produce. Her long elf-like ears twitched at a sound, and she looked up, her sharp gray eyes combing the shadows of the greenhouse.
She waited a few moments, her ears twitching in the silence, but when no footsteps echoed through the tunnel that led down into this place, or no one spoke suddenly from behind her, she shrugged and went back to work.
The white flowers she was tending had begun to turn a sickly brown at the edges of their petals, and some were approaching death. Such was the trouble with gardenias. It was awfully hard to keep them alive outside, much less in an interior garden such as hers. But she had help in keeping them alive.
Centering herself, she breathed in, clearing her mind in a manner similar to the way she did before she sparred with her guardian. She took a few more deep breaths before she found the presence of what her guardian called the Force, and called it to her, asking it to help her. It came, and leapt to her fingers, flowing through them with her direction towards the wilting plants. Slowly, since she could only direct a little of the healing power at her age, the flowers began to lose their brown coloring and wrinkles.
After a few minutes, she smiled down at the healed gardenias that were at last the soft, velvety white they were meant to be. She brushed away a few strands of her long black hair out of her face and admired her handiwork.
Then her ears twitched again. She stood up, going through the list of weapons in the room and where they were hidden so she could at least call them to her through the Force if she needed (not counting the dagger she had up her left sleeve). The footsteps were light and steady. Recognizable, but she shouldn't trust recognition. She tried to take a slow breath and use her Force sight, but it only went so far as to tell her whether they were a danger or not.
She scowled. If this was a test, she was so not in the mood for it. Nonetheless, she called up certain powers that might be useful like force blinding or flash, deflection or a protection bubble.
But when the person arrived, after quickly unlatching the door and closing it behind them, it didn't seem to be a test. The man that had entered was tall, sporting short black hair streaked with a little gray that was cut just above his shoulders, and gray eyes that were a few shades lighter than her own.
"It's all right, Ashei," said the man as he straightened out his dark orange robes, "this isn't a test." He sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead with his middle and index fingers while his thumb rested on his cheek.
"I'm afraid this time, it's very, very real."
Ashei blinked, still standing there tense and waiting. "What do you mean, Auru?" She was confused, since the feelings emanating from Auru weren't ones she recognized and those she did weren't making a whole lot of sense to her. Auru looked up and met her eyes.
"I mean that help is coming, and the seven year wait that the Master Sword placed on the Hero of Time is coming to and end in a few hours. I need you ready to explain our situation to whoever is coming, and then you will meet the Hero as soon as he is released from the Sacred Realm. You will guide him and guard him when and where both actions are needed, whether he wants your help or not. I will go and wait for the reinforcements. I expect you to be at least close to ready when I arrive back, because soon this place will be closed to you until your tasks are complete."
He bowed slightly to Ashei and exited through the way he'd come.
This was… real?
Ashei shook herself. She looked around the inside of the greenhouse, silently morning the momentary loss of her only companions besides Auru. Well, she'd been prepared for this ever since the bloody coup that had played out between the Desert King and the King of Hyrule seven years ago. This was what she was meant to do for her country and her people.
It was time to finish her preparations and ready herself for the battles ahead.
.oOo.
"Remember visiting the planet Kodasta, do you?"
Master Yoda, a small, greenish reptilian creature with long elf-like ears, sat in his council room chair as he held a small audience in the council chamber. The wide panoramic windows that framed the circular room let the morning sun gleam across the granite floor.
"I remember it, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan said quietly, Anakin standing off to his right with a confused look on his face as he tried to recall the planet he'd supposedly visited.
"But why did you summon us here to talk about it? Is something wrong?"
Master Yoda inclined his head. "Indeed wrong, something is. Master Windu, please show them the message, would you?" Master Windu pressed a button on his own chair directly to the left of Master Yoda's, and a holochart appeared in the space between Master Yoda and the two standing before him.
Obi-Wan frowned as he scanned the contents while it scrolled by.
"This can't be right," he muttered, "the sending and receiving dates are too far apart!" Anakin looked over his shoulder to read the message also. "Looks like a whole seven years apart," he said to no one in particular.
Master Windu nodded. "That's what I thought when I first came across the message this morning. But I checked it through our Chief Librarian, Madame Nu, and she said that the dates were correct. For whatever reason, that message was sent the day you and Anakin arrived back at Coruscant after checking with their senatorial representative and it did indeed only arrive just this morning."
"Will of the Force this is, I think," Master Yoda said, "but also trouble on Kodasta, I sense there is."
He paused, and then tilted his head as if listening to the secrets of the universe that only he could hear. Finally he let his head rest on level with the rest of himself as he looked into the eyes of both men. "Go to Kodasta and deal with the trouble there, you will. But be careful, here I sense the dark side. Tempt you, it will. Give in to it, do not."
"Of course, Master Yoda," said both Anakin and Obi-Wan.
"Your instructions now are to go pack the things you need and be ready at your usual hanger in an hour. A two-person fighter jet will be assigned to you and will be pre-programmed with Kodasta's coordinates, so you should have no trouble locating the planet." Master Windu instructed them.
"You are dismissed."
Both Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed their thanks and turned to exit the council chambers to begin packing for their mission. Once he was certain they were out of earshot of Windu and Yoda, Anakin leaned next to his master and whispered quietly, "And this time, I get to fly."
Obi-Wan stopped to splutter as Anakin kept walking with a grin on his face.
"This time? Oh, no you don't. Last time you flew you almost crashed us into an asteroid!" Anakin grinned wider as Obi-Wan finally figured out how his legs worked again and began to walk faster. "If I recall correctly Master, you were the one distracting me with your incessant backseat flying." Anakin laughed. "I was not!" Obi-wan said, scowling. Anakin simply chuckled and walked a little faster in the direction of his quarters.
"Now, Anakin…. Anakin, come back here!"
.oOo.
There was a place in the city that had once been used as a secondary shipyard for transports and visiting fighter jets to stock up on fuel and supplies when the primary shipyard was unavailable to house them. Since Auru knew for a fact that the primary shipyard that had once existed as Hyrule Castle's main courtyard was no longer in operation, this one would have to do.
Auru had set up a landing beacon that would label the location as place safe to land. Though Auru knew that it was far from safe in the shipyard, it was (at least to a certain extent) an operational landing site.
He'd restored both power and function to the centermost dock of the shipyard since he knew that was all that was to be needed, besides leaning against a wall cloaked in the shadows where the dead creatures that now roamed city might not look for him.
That is, if he actually had a body worth looking for.
Auru's body had died the day of coup, and he'd known that the instant he'd woken up in the Chamber of the Sages. But because Impa had told him that training his daughter in whatever ways necessary was crucial to Hyrule's survival, the only way that was now possible was to use his remaining life force to fashion a physical image of himself to continue her education.
It was a wonder she hadn't sensed his particular use of the Force, but then again she was only seventeen, even though she was certainly one of the most brilliant Force adepts he'd ever encountered.
But he was running out of time. He couldn't keep up such power outputs for long, seeing as how his solid-seeming form was beginning to lose its sharpness along the contours of his shape, as well as fade to transparency along the hem of what appeared to be his battle robes from the day he died.
Auru was very glad he didn't need much time. Help had arrived.
High above the atmosphere of the planet, the starfighter carrying Anakin (who had still somehow managed to secure the pilot's seat) and Obi-Wan orbited the planet, the latter of the two pointing out the landing sites that were safe to land on according to the ships readings.
"Master, what did I tell you about backseat flying? You don't want to almost crash into an asteroid again, do you?" Obi-Wan sighed. "Anakin, just bear with me. It seems the primary shipyard that we used before is either full or no longer in operation. But, the secondary shipyard in the city has one dock open for us." Anakin frowned.
"Kind of makes me wonder who's still operating it, if the message said the city had been overtaken by that Desert King… what was his name again?"
"Ganondorf," said Obi-Wan quietly. "And I suppose it might be the same person that sent the emergency message beacon. Some people can be awfully devoted to a cause if they think it'll save them." Anakin nodded. "So, we head there?" Obi-Wan sighed.
"It doesn't look like we have much of a choice. Just be careful."
Anakin grinned. "Yes, Master."
He carefully guided the starfighter through the planet's atmosphere and circled around the stratosphere for a bit so the ship could adjust to the planet's chemical composition. Once the procedure was complete, Anakin pressed it forward through the troposphere and finally just several kilometers above the soil of the planet, braking when appropriate so as to land in the proper place in the shipyard that the sensors had located.
The cockpit doors opened and Anakin and Obi-Wan exited their starfighter with their gear, completely unprepared for what they would see next.
Obi-Wan was the first to notice it as he turned away from his closing door to look at their surroundings. "Force, Anakin… look at this place." Finally, Anakin turned around to look as well while his door clicked in place behind him. "Whoa… um, wasn't this place cleaner? And didn't it have… people?" When Obi-Wan had spoken to Anakin on the way there, he'd cleared up any confusion he'd had about the planet they were going to. His memory of their visit here was a little fuzzy, but he was certain it hadn't looked at all like this. It actually... disturbed him a little to see such a great city in such a state of disrepair. Obi-Wan frowned beside Anakin, his forehead crinkling in worry. "There really was an attack… I wonder how many of the people made it out safely," he murmured, studying the crumbling, soot-stained buildings.
"Most of the civilians did," said a voice from the shadows, "though most of the Mage Knights and palace guards died keeping Ganondorf's monsters away long enough for them to escape." Both Obi-Wan and Anakin turned, their hands flying to their lightsabers as they watched a man emerge from the shadows of a nearby rounded overpass the led into the shipyard.
"Easy, easy," said the man, holding out his palms in a gesture of submission.
"Trust me, I'm not here to kill you. I've been waiting for you far too long to go and do something so foolish as that."
Obi-Wan studied the man. He was tall, dark haired, with bright gray eyes and wore brown boots and orange robes. "I think… I think I've met you before." He frowned, squinting his eyes in concentration until a name and a title came to his mind. "You were the High Priest Auru... right?"
Auru inclined his head to them with a bitter smile. "Yes, I was. Obviously I'm not anymore." Anakin stood back behind Obi-Wan's left side, for once strangely content to let him take the floor.
"And you're still alive? Mace Windu, the leader of the Jedi Council, seemed to think you wouldn't be." Auru frowned, and then shook his head, sighing. "That's because… I'm not really alive in the sense that the two of you are." Anakin blinked, and his desire to stay silent and gone as quickly as it had come. "Really? I don't mean to be rude, but… you look pretty alive to me." Auru chuckled. "Do I? Take another look, Padawan."
Anakin frowned, but found that when he looked closer, the outline of the man was sort of… blurry, and parts of him were actually transparent.
"So… what are you?" Anakin asked.
Auru looked at Obi-Wan when he spoke, though he answered Anakin's question. "I am something like what you would call a Force ghost. A close friend of mine asked me to fulfill a request that I couldn't do while dead. So I've been using this physical construct to train the young woman who is to be your guide, and the guide of the Hero who is to be the one who will slay the Evil King and bring peace to this land. With your permission, I would direct you to her, so that I may return to the Sacred Realm and do what must be done there."
Obi-Wan nodded solemnly. "Of course, Auru. Please, lead the way." Then he turned to Anakin and said, "Don't forget to set the shield to repel so it will still be here when we arrive back."
"If we arrive back," Anakin countered, holding up an index finger.
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Yes, ifwe arrive back. But you know, with our luck, it's entirely possible."
"Which is the reason why I mentioned it Master," Anakin said as he pressed a button on a remote keychain that he attached to his belt, the ship's repelling shield clicking twice to signal it was activated. The two followed Auru out of the shipyard and through the city ruins, both Master and Padawan wondering exactly where they were going and why they had to take the back roads to actually get there.
"Two reasons," said Auru when they asked him, "the first being that the main roads aren't safe. The second is the reason why. Derelict creatures called ReDeads swarmed the city after most of the people had escaped, and are now its sole occupants. They don't appear to need food, but they will attempt to eat you if they see you."
"Are they particularly fast?" Obi-Wan asked in response to Auru's explanation. Auru shook his head. "No, but they make up for it but releasing a screech calibrated to a certain frequency that momentarily paralyzes warm-blooded flesh and gives them the time they need to catch up to their prey. And while I am not affected by this particular anomaly, I figured that you might be." He finished with a smug smile. "I also figured you might also want to remain alive while completing your task here."
Obi-Wan hummed shortly in agreement. "I believe my padawan mentioned the same thing just moments ago…" Anakin grinned.
Finally the group rounded a corner and entered what had once been the beautiful Temple Garden. Now, after seven years of neglect and decay, the flowers had died and crumbled to dust, along with the grass, the trees retreated into themselves and even the outside of the Temple of Time was crumbling and only contained a shadow of its former shine.
Auru led them along the side of the Temple and towards the far wall where some of the trees at least still had leaves (even if they weren't entirely green) and searched for the latch that would open the entrance to the underground greenhouse and its outlying tunnels.
Once he found the latch he threw it open and gestured for Anakin and Obi-Wan to proceed down into the darkness. They complied after a moment's hesitation, and Auru followed them, listening for the latch's locking mechanism before calling up a flame between his fingers and lighting a torch he'd hung in the wall, taking the lead position and leading them down the stairs to the door of the complex.
Auru opened the door and showed them inside, Obi-Wan's eyebrows raising almost to his hairline as his eyes caught the rows and rows of flowers, produce, and even the trees on the side of the large room.
"This is certainly something I didn't expect to see, Auru," he said to the former Priest, "may I ask how it is all maintained?"
"The young woman I told you about," Auru answered, "She has been working on this since she knew how to think and walk. It is her life's work. I feel almost guilty for taking her from it and barring her way back here once she leaves, but Ganondorf must be slain, and she is the only one who can help the Hero of Time fulfill that task. I've told her as much since the King and most of the Royal Family were murdered seven years ago."
Auru frowned. "I also thought I told her to be almost ready by the time I got back…" He paused, and then took a deep breath so that his voice would be able to reverberate through the tunnels to wherever the girl was.
"Ashei! Where are you?"
Ashei's voice came from one of the nearby tunnels on the right side of the greenhouse.
"I'm almost ready, Auru! I just need to make sure I have everything!"
Auru sighed. "That girl… well, I did ask her be almost ready. And I suppose she did just that." He frowned after a few moments and tilted his head. He needed to be in the Realm and soon, otherwise the boy would be waking up now: alone. That wasn't good.
"Ashei! I have to go! The Jedi are waiting for you at the door, so don't waste any time. You need to meet the Hero right as he exits the Temple, not a moment later, do you understand?" It was crucial that she did. "Yes, Auru!" Ashei's voice called back, a little impatience filtering through even though she was probably holding most of it back. There was a pause, and just as Auru turned to leave, she called to him again.
"Auru! Will… will my flowers be all right? The gardenias… well, you know how they are." Auru smiled a little. "Yes, child. They'll be taken care of."
"Thank you, Auru," she said, her voice almost a whisper.
Obi-Wan gave him a look. "You're not staying with us?" Auru shook his head. "Much as I would like to, I have business elsewhere. That, and I also cannot maintain this form outside of the Sacred Realm for much longer. If things are to go according to plan, I must return to the realm and stay there. May the Force be with you, my friend." He started to leave, but paused after a few steps. "Oh, and Ashei is quite the Force adept, so do not be surprised if she does things you wouldn't expect of her." And with that, he nodded to Obi-Wan and Anakin and left the tunnels to return to the Temple and the Sacred Realm.
Anakin turned to Obi-Wan. "So… this is it?" Obi-Wan nodded. "So it appears. I see no other option other than to aid these people. Master Yoda said to deal with the trouble here, but not how to deal with it."
"Besides avoiding the dark side?" Anakin asked blithely.
"Yes," Obi-Wan murmured, not appearing to notice Anakin's light tone.
For a while it was only the silence, the light scuffling of things being stuffed into something, and the clink of metal. Finally, the other sounds stopped, and were replaced with the sound of footsteps approaching the main room. The two men looked up and around until they finally saw a young woman approaching them from the tunnel entrance across from theirs.
She was tall, with slightly tan skin and a long feminine face that harbored several sharp features. These included her solidly gray eyes and jet-black hair that was curled into two bun-like spirals and left two tightly bound ponytails that hung behind her shoulders. She wore a golden set of shoulder plates with spiraling designs over a dark leather jerkin that cut off on both sides at the lower edges of the shoulder plates, and dark blue pants that were tucked into a pair of dark calf-high leather boots.
Her accessories included a pair of stiff leather armguards that also doubled as half gloves with no covering for the fingers, a pair of crossed, black leather belts that had little packs attached to one of them, a bow and quiver, and an intricate white sword that rested in a gray sheath decorated with Hylian writing that was attached to one of the belts on her left side.
"I am assuming you are Ashei?" Obi-Wan asked her once she paused in front of them. She nodded.
"Yes, I am. May I ask who you are?"
She was polite, but to the point. "I am Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this is my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. You may call me Obi-Wan." She nodded to them both, and shot a curious look at Anakin. "And you?" He blinked. "I'm sorry?" She scoffed lightly and shook her head.
"What may I call you?"
Anakin grinned. "Well, normally I would ask you to call me awesome, but since my Master is here I think just my name would be preferable."
Ashei grinned back slightly. "Well, now that introductions are over with, I think we should head for the Temple entrance to wait. There's nothing more that I can do here." The two men nodded and proceeded to follow her back through the tunnel and the surface to the remains of the Temple Garden.
.oOo.
"Link…"
Huh? Who's there..?
"Link!"
What do you want? Go away…
"Awaken, Link, the chosen one!"
Who are you talking about?
Blue. That was the first thing he could see. It sort of shimmered, like water did. It reminded him of the way the water had shimmered in the Great Fairy Fountains. But this was… softer. Gentler. It was kind of hard to focus, since it felt like his eyes hadn't opened in years. He sort of looked around, turning his head languidly from one side to the other, and while he did so, beams of white light shone down from the darkness where a ceiling should have been.
Was he outside? No, it didn't feel like outside.
He saw floating pools of water shimmering inside some of the beams of light, and those made him even more confused. Once he caught sight of a green pedestal with a swirling symbol etched into it, his eyes began to really focus, and he could see more water going over an edge and into… nothingness?
Something was… not right. He sat up, still staring at the platform.
He turned his head to the left, the motion being much faster than he remembered it, and caught sight of a yellow platform, and… a person.
A person he recognized.
"You!" Link coughed, the word catching in his throat as if it hadn't been used in years either. He stood up, and the world spun around him, but he managed to keep his footing. Something was not right here, either. The ground was… too far away. But that wasn't pressing enough. The man in front of him was.
"You, I…" Link paused, and frowned. Something wasn't right with his voice.
But the man in front of him with his black hair, gray eyes, and orange robes began to speak, and distracted Link from the strangeness of his awakening.
"Young man, my name is Auru. Please forgive me for not giving my name to you when last we met, but I was…" he frowned, paused, and shook his head before continuing.
"Anyway, I am one of the sages that has guarded the Temple of Time through the centuries and secured the path to the Sacred Realm. My body is already gone, but here in the Chamber of Sages I am able to speak with you, since it is located in the Temple of Light and is a part of the Realm."
Link frowned. "What… what happened to me?" He whispered this, but even his whisper voice sounded different, which made him even more confused.
"What happened to you," Auru began to explain, "was an unfortunate side-effect that was caused when you drew the Master Sword. You see, that Master Sword is the holy blade that those with evil hearts can never touch. Only those qualified to become the 'Hero of Time' can remove it from its pedestal. However," – here Auru hesitated – "you were still too young to be the Hero of Time. So… your soul slept here for… seven years."
Time stopped. Link blinked. Did he just say…
"Seven… years?"
Auru nodded, cringing slightly. "Yes… Link, don't be alarmed, but…look at yourself!" He gestured for Link to do so, which Link was only too happy to comply with his request. Until he saw what Auru was talking about.
He was… taller. He had muscles. Then the pieces fell into place: the faster reaction times, the way he perceived distance, his voice… he was…
"Link, you've become an adult! You've grown up!"
Link practically melted when he heard the familiar voice of his guardian fairy, Navi. "Navi, I… I don't understand." Navi stopped bouncing around and phased into her human form. She hadn't changed, at least. She looked up at him with a knowing expression. What… did she know that he didn't?
But she said nothing.
He shook his head and nodded meekly at Auru to let him know he could continue explaining.
"I must tell you something else. Something… you not want to believe. You see, though you may have entered this realm in the name of peace, Ganondorf the Gerudo King used it to invade the Sacred Realm and take the Triforce for himself." Link gasped. "No! That's not… the Princess, she…" Auru held up a hand. "Wait. You see, the one good part about it is that he only got a piece of it: the Triforce of Power. Yet, even with only that one piece, he has been wreaking terrible havoc on the Hyrule you once knew for seven years."
Before Link could stop himself, he found his hands clenching themselves into fists, and upon realizing this; he also found that he was wearing gauntlets in addition to an adult version of the Kokiri's Tunic, hat, and boots.
"But… if he's so powerful… what can I do about it?" Link still couldn't believe it. Ganondorf… he couldn't have… had Hyrule really… changed?
"There is a way to win," Auru told him, "you must break the seals on the five other temples and awaken their sages. If the sages and the Hero of Time combine their powers, the evil can surely be sealed away!"
And I'm… the Hero of Time?
"Link, let me give you what's left of my power," Auru said to him, and held out his hands. Link recognized the gesture and resigned himself to figure things out as he went. He too held out his hands and waited for the power to come to them.
It was… faster than he remembered. The power came to him in such a whoosh that it nearly knocked him off his feet and once he was finally able to see again he found a small gold medallion in his hands.
The Light Medallion, something inside him said. That's what this was.
After some moments, he allowed it to join with his power like Din's Fire and Farore's Wind had, and it flooded him with a light so powerful it left him magically blind-sighted for a few moments. Then he caught Auru smiling sadly at him, and Link frowned.
"What is it?" he asked. Auru just shook his head. "Nothing. Good luck to you, Hero." Link frowned again. He didn't… like that for some reason.
Being called 'Hero' instead of Link, anyway.
Suddenly, the world began to fade to white as it had when Link had drawn the sword and he knew somehow that he was returning back to the Temple.
Find the other Sages… Auru's voice came to him in his mind.
Find them and save Hyrule! And, don't worry… a guide will be waiting for you as soon as you exit the temple. She will help you on your journey…
When Auru's voice drifted off and the light began to fade away, Link found himself standing back inside the Temple of Time in front of an empty pedestal. He could feel the sword's power pulsing at his back as he looked around, and nothing really felt different. Except his body. Even parts of his own mind were… different than he remembered them being. The feeling was… lonely. And terrifying. It was Navi who saved him from drowning in his own dark, consuming thoughts.
"Link…we're back in the Temple of Time… but have seven years really passed?" He shot Navi a look and gestured to himself. "Um, hello? I'm an adult? Something I shouldn't be, by the way." He frowned, and his deeper voice suddenly took on a melancholy sound. "I thought I was a Kokiri…"
She frowned at him. "Magic?" she offered. He frowned at her.
"Navi, magic can't really be the answer to everything, can it?" She didn't reply to his question, but instead stayed silent for a few moments until she realized something. "Hey, Link?" He looked at her. "What?" She seemed perplexed, but continued through with a reply.
"It looks like you won't be able to use some of the weapons you found as a kid anymore…" Link pulled off his hat and rummaged through it, frowning at it. "Hey, some of those items I don't even have anymore… that's just…" He shook his head. "We should get out of here. We have a job to do."
He turned on his heel and began walking down the steps toward the exit, but something flashed across his senses that he couldn't identify. Next thing he knew, he was drawing the Master Sword and turning around to face…
Someone. This time it was someone Link didn't recognize.
It looked like a young man wearing a traditional garb of some sort that, for whatever reason, included a white cowl that covered all but a bit of the man's bright blond hair, a single red eye (the other one was obscured by his hair), and his nose. Well, Link supposed he had to breathe somehow. But how had he gotten there? He'd only been standing there, staring at the spot for… how long?
"I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time…"
Link frowned. Auru said that someone would be waiting for him outside the Temple, and that they'd be female. So who was this young man with a velvety voice that claimed he'd been waiting for him?
"When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples."
Link raised an eyebrow, but didn't let go of his sword. Who was this guy?
"One in a deep forest... One on a high mountain... One under a vast lake... One within the house of the dead... One inside a goddess of the sand..." The strange young man looked Link straight in the eye, who was becoming more and more confused by the minute. Maybe he was talking about the temples?
"Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world..."
Okay, right. He was talking about the temples.
"This is the legend of the temples passed down by my people, the Sheikah. I am Sheik. Survivor of the Sheikah..." Link's eyebrows shot up. Not only did he finally have a name for the man, but also there was a word he recognized.
"Sheikah, as in… the protectors of the Royal Family?"
Sheik seemed surprised that he knew that particular bit. "Yes, yes indeed. Well, as I see you standing there holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time..." Link shot him a look. "Oh, really? That's nice." He could almost sense the young man's smile from behind his cowl.
"I must tell you, Hero, if you believe the legend you have no choice. You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages."
"And… if I don't believe?" Sheik's single visible eye narrowed.
"You must believe, Hero. Well, what if I told you that one Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. This Sage is a boy I am sure you know very well."
Makar?
"Because of the evil power in the temple, he cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm. Only you can break the seal and awaken his power, Hero!" Link scowled at Sheik. "Okay, okay, I get it! And stop calling me that! I have a name…" The young man raised one fine, blond eyebrow.
"And what might that be?" Sheik asked lightly. "Link…" Link spat quietly.
Sheik seemed to pause a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately, equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter temple... but if you believe what I'm saying, you should head to Kakariko Village... do you understand, Link?" Link raised a blond eyebrow of his own. "Could you be a little more specific?" Sheik chuckled.
"Try poking around in the graveyard. I've heard interesting things happen when you push the gravestones around… but do you understand?"
"I understand. And I think if you're done here, I'm going to head out."
He didn't even give Sheik the chance to reply before (in several strides that would have taken him twice the time as a child to cover) he was across the threshold of the Pedestal Chamber, the steps, the red carpet, and finally… pressing his hands against the fine wood of the large double doors and exiting the Temple of Time into the Temple Garden.
Phew, dang! I'm really sorry I didn't update last week guys! I had a Calculus summer camp and I kept falling asleep as soon as I got home. Wow… another long chapter. Well, things are starting to come together now, and things will begin rolling along with the Adult Saga as they should be.
And I might have to draw Ashei for you guys if you can't visualize her clothing real well in your mind but you guys need to LET ME KNOW if you're having trouble, okay? And, FYI, the Ashei in this story looks totally different from the Ashei in Twilight Princess. Her clothing and hairstyle during travel is slightly based on that Ashei, but other than that she is pretty much an OC that just happens to share her name. Hope that clears things up.
Oh, and she has bangs. Not that weird… thing that the other Ashei has. Although Ashei's hair in Twilight Princess didn't bother me so much as the Postman did… I mean dang. Short shorts look great on some guys, but on that Postman it was just creepy. Sheesh. (shudders)
Well, I'm outta here. It's late and I'll upload this in this morning or after church if I'm lazy. Bye-bye people.