~~Zelda~~
The Surface is a lot scarier than I thought it would be.
Skyview Temple was hard enough to get to without catching the attention of the monsters swarming the place, but now that I'm actually inside its somehow even scarier. The darkness of this place is foreboding, and I repress shudders as I walk past bioluminescent mushrooms.
There are tons of bats in this place like the one I saw in the Waterfall Cave with Link, and while most of them are asleep I still feel uneasy. The only thing I have to defend myself with right now is a hefty branch I picked up earlier and the harp, which is still tucked into my belt.
Peeking around the corner of the stairs I see a larger area with more monsters, and closing my eyes I rack my brain for ideas of how to pass by.
How would Link get around this?
I shake my head; he wouldn't ever go around, he would just go straight through. As much as I'd like to do the same, I have no sword and I don't have half the strength Link does. It seems like I have no choice but to keep thinking around the problem.
With a sigh, I sink to my feet.
I'm tired.
I've been wandering around the woods, avoiding monsters and Goddess knows what, and now I'm stuck in this gloomy temple wondering how to stay alive all while searching for a purpose I'm unsure of.
When I open my eyes I see a small crack in a nearby wall, and crawling forward I notice that it appears to be deeper than I first suspected. As I shimmy in, I feel reasonably safe. At least, safe enough to take a quick breather.
Closing my eyes, I rest my head against the cold stone of the temple.
"Napping on the job?" I can almost hear Link's voice. "Don't tell me I've influenced you to that point?"
"Shut up, Link," I mumble to myself. "I'm tired. I've been through a lot today and I'm not even finished yet."
"Well just take a break then. I'll keep lookout for you."
"You're not even here!" I sigh, before rubbing my forehead.
Now I'm REALLY going delusional.
If this is really some plot all set into motion by Hylia, why isn't she helping me? Why is she just leaving me to figure this out on my own?
As if she can hear my thoughts, I suddenly feel my head pounding; it's the tell-tale feeling of a vision coming on, and I grit my teeth, hoping to ride out whatever new is in store for me now.
I'm standing in the middle of Faron Woods under a large tree. No, that's not right.
It's not really ME who's standing-it's as if I'm a passenger in someone else's body, just along for the ride for whatever's in store whether it be this person's emotions or actions.
As I take a deep breath and smell the earth, I hear a chuckle behind me and turn my head slightly to see a man.
This is clearly the man from the previous visions; I feel a sense of ease with him. His hair is a light blond, and his eyes are the same blue as Link's.
Wait...wasn't this man's name also Link?
He watches me with curious eyes before asking, "So you're a traveler? What made you decide to come here?"
The voice that comes from my throat is not my own, but again it's Hylia's.
"Oh...no particular reason. I had always heard the Land of Hylia was beautiful and filled with wonderful people. I was named after this land after all. I thought I should see it at least once."
Hylia says this last part hurriedly, like she's trying to hide something.
Link doesn't seem to notice she's lying-he just laughs, this time sounding a little colder than before.
"Who told you that we have such wonderful people here?" he asks bitterly, and I frown at his tone. "This land is far more corrupt than you would think, given that we're supposedly watched by a Goddess."
This news surprises me; with a confused blink I turn to face him completely before asking, "You don't believe in the Goddess?"
"Oh, I believe in her," Link reassures me. "I just don't know if she really is doing much to watch out for the good of humanity. There's some wealthy people out here who don't take kindly to anyone more powerful than them."
"But you're a knight, correct? Don't they WANT their knights to be more powerful?"
He looks at me strangely. "Would you want to be overthrown by someone who was supposed to be 'under your thumb'?"
I feel shame wash over me, and then Hylia says, "Don't blame the Goddess for that! She's not the one who made humans!"
"Oh? What is her job then?"
"Well...the other gods made everything...I think Hylia was a Goddess who was created by the others to watch over the people and whatever else the gods left behind."
He smiles at the indignant look on my face and sends a fluttery feeling through my stomach.
"Do you want to stay here in the forest for a few more minutes or head back to the town?" Link asks, diverting the conversation easily.
"Stay here," I reply, flopping down next to him. I hesitate, then scoot just a little closer to him. "What about you?"
He looks over at me warmly before lying back against the tree and closing his eyes, resting his hands on his stomach. That look is all the permission I need; edging just close enough to touch him, I lean against the tree with him. My arm brushes against his and I shiver with an excitement I can't explain before I close my eyes and soak in the cool of the afternoon.
I open my eyes quickly, my heart still pounding furiously at the proximity of the Link from my vision. He was so different from my childhood friend; still, I felt like I was just spending time with a very old friend.
Trying to shake off the weird feeling this is giving me, I sigh and crawl back out of my hiding spot to see the status of the monsters in the bigger room. Much to my surprise, they've disappeared.
It must be that they're finally patrolling a different area of the temple. I don't stop for too long-something's bound to come back soon. Moving quickly I dash through the temple until I reach a large golden door. It appears to have some sort of intricate keyhole and for a minute I worry about how I'll get in when I feel the harp in my belt calling to me.
Hesitantly, I pull it out only to find that it's glowing.
I know what to do.
Raising the harp to play, I softly begin to strum. As my fingers pass over the strings, a familiar tune rises into the air and I hum along lightly. The same blue light that the old woman used emits from my feet, and when I glance down I see a ring of light has materialized at my feet. It sways in time to my music, before gathering into one ray of light that pushes open the doors for me.
Putting the harp up, I walk into a small empty room. At the other end there's a smaller door, and as I approach it I hear the large doors I entered through close behind me.
I ignore the ominous sound, approaching the next door only to see a familiar pattern greet me. It's the same crest I embroidered on my sailcloth, only in the middle there's a curious pattern of three small triangles.
"I wonder what those are," I say aloud, before raising a hand to the door.
The crest glows and I touch it gently. I'm not surprised that this door opens, but when I walk through to a beautiful spring I find myself in a wonderful place.
Large pillars line a stone walkway as small waterfalls pour on either side of me into the water that leads to the spring. As I approach the stairs carefully and climb them, I find myself looking at a beautiful fountain.
Is this what the old woman meant by a spring?
I try to recall exactly what she said to me. Although she told me I'd know what to do when I got here, nothing is coming to mind. Still racking my brain for ideas, I step forward towards where the last platform waits.
As I hop across the stones and reach the small statue of the Goddess, I stop to stare up at her.
The Hylia that I'm beginning to know from my visions sounds far friendlier than her statue depicts her. She came down from the clouds eons ago to save her people...but was that the only reason she approached them?
And the hero she chose...that man...did she approach him to test his worthiness, or was there something else there?
I feel something tugging me closer to the altar before me, and on instinct I step closer before pulling out the harp.
A circle of light appears at my feet like before, and the melody and song seem to come to my mind like a memory I've just gotten back.
"Guided by the hand of fate,
Spirit Maiden rise,
Take back your voice once more and bring light back to this land."
"You who sing this song,
Be ever mindful of the path you take
My strength is yours
Awaken to your destiny."
As the last words of my prayer leave my lips, I feel another vision coming on. Rather than feeling afraid I feel safe, and closing my eyes I await the memory that is sure to occur.
I'm in front of the altar, although when I look at the statue of the Goddess I feel a strange sense of disgust. There's a pain in my left side that immediately reminds me of the vision I witnessed in the Sealed Temple.
The Link I've come to see in these visions is nowhere to be found, but instead there is a handsome young woman at my side. Tall and lanky, her short blond hair seems to glow in the darkness that surrounds us, and as I look skyward I feel a hot tear slip down my cheek.
"Your Grace? Have your wounds opened up again? Are you in pain?" the woman asks anxiously, stepping closer.
"I will be in pain until I pass on," Hylia answers easily. "My people still live under the threat that Demise could come back at any moment, and Link has already passed on without me. I want to join him but I must attend to this task first. This is our only hope of seeing each other again."
I raise my hands to the sky.
Hylia's voice leaves my body, speaking a language so ancient and powerful I feel tremors running down my spine.
The spring and woman with us begin to grow hazy, then fade out entirely.
Suddenly I seem to be cleaved from the body of Hylia, and when I look up I finally see her.
It's Hylia.
Her hair is longer than mine, reaching far down her backside with the same golden color of my own. Her eyes reflect mine, but there's a knowledge in there I don't quite have yet. When she smiles at me, I feel shaky.
"Welcome, Spirit have made it to Skyview Spring and prayed."
I fall to my knees before the Goddess when I feel a hand on my chin. Raising my head, Hylia shakes her head and smiles at me.
"Spirit Maiden, why do you bow? You would not bow to yourself, would you?"
"Myself?" I feign ignorance, wanting to push off what I've suspected since I entered the temple. "Hylia...I mean, Your Grace-"
"I am you," Hylia says simply. "You are me, and I am you. Surely this is not news to you by now."
When I say nothing, Hylia smiles again.
"Our new name. What is it?"
"...it's Zelda. My-our name. It's Zelda."
"Zelda." Hylia closes her eyes, a pleased look on her face.
"Um...how exactly…"
"This is an ancient magic, the power of a goddess. Although I came to the Surface, I am still a currently a goddess and possess powers enough to create this purification chamber of my own essence. I understand this may be confusing."
"No, it's just...there's much to take in." I reply. "I understand. I understand now. You no longer exist as Hylia, you exist as me. This is merely an imprint...a vision you left behind to remind yourself. To remind me."
"I'm glad to see my vast wisdom has been retained even as a mortal. Zelda. You must remember who you truly are. Merely having this knowledge that you are the goddess reborn is not enough. I will not speak to you again, but I have left the rest of our memories at the other spring. Travel to the Earth Temple and complete your memory."
"I wish…"
"I know," Hylia replies. "I wish I had more time to explain as well, but I do not. My power is fading and I must use the rest of it to seal our memories in the Earth Temple. I only appeared before you this way to force you to acknowledge who you are. This is not a destiny many would take on willingly. Return now to your time, to your vision."
I blink; she's gone again, and I'm back in her body.
No.
I'm back in MY body.
"Your Grace?" the woman at my side asks. Turning, I raise my chin and say, "The first message has been left. We must make haste to leave the second message."
As the two of us walk towards the door, I look up. The once blue sky that I shared with Link is now covered by a mass of clouds.
We'll see that blue sky again together.
I promise, Link.
I won't fail you, and I refuse to let us stay torn apart.
Okay apologies first; getting internet again took WAY longer than I expected it to. That being said, at least here's another chapter? Hopefully it's just as enjoyable as the last one was!
Hylia is a goddess so I feel like anything is really within the realms of possibility for her. I mean, Hylia and Zelda are the same spirit but both of them are different people which I think makes for a very interesting dynamic. Zelda is her own person but at the same time the world is demanding she remember a past life and relive it in some senses. I think that alone would be hard for any person to acknowledge, especially knowing that the past you're remembering is filled with all sort of terrible things.
Once again I'm sorry for taking so long with the update and I hope to see you all on the next one! Thank you!