Chapter 9-Resolve
"An institution or reform movement that is not selfish, must originate in the recognition of some evil that is adding to the sum of human suffering, or diminishing the sum of happiness." -Clara Barton
I just stood there in shock after Impa's sudden departure. She had just knocked me out and hadn't even bothered to explain what she was doing. But it was a mystery to be contemplated later. Link was the number one priority.
"Fi, can you please explain to me how to heal Link," I asked, eager to get started. I was sure it was like how I'd done it at Skyview, but I wasn't sure what she wanted me to do.
Fi appeared out of the sword.
"Another message from the Goddesses has awakened within my memory banks," Fi said. "Let me translate for you and Friend Karane."
Fi rose high into the air, and created once again the cloud that had immersed her at the Skyview Spring.
"Whooo...," Karane said, amazed. "It's...beautiful."
"That's only the start of what she's about to do," I said. "Watch."
Fi began to move around the spring in her signature 'dance'. She rose into the air, spun a couple of times, then came back down and skidded on the surface of the spring.
"My Sister, from the edge of time I guide you, the One destined to carry out the Goddess's Mission. The Hero who descended from the clouds has passed through the Earth Spring and makes his way to a fated place. The parched desert of Lanayru... That is where the Chosen will pass through the Gate of Time into a distant world.
"My Sister, many questions I know you have. All your answers will come in these words, listen closely; those of destiny find what they seek in our own reflections."
Fi settled back down and skirted the top of the spring, floating until she was hovering in front of us.
"Spirit Maiden, please kneel in the sacred waters and pray to the Goddess," Fi said. "Friend Karane, your prayers will help also."
"Okay," we said together.
Both Karane and I kneeled in the spring. Despite having done this before, I was very nervous, mindful of what had happened the last time I'd tried this. As I knelt and began to pray, the same thing happened (here we go again!). Except this time it was twice as painful as a new deluge of images forced their way into my brain, adding themselves to my own memories. My head felt like it was going to explode. I gripped my forehead as darkness closed in all around me. I fell to the earth and blacked out...
I saw the top of a large hill overlooking a large city. The Goddess Hylia stood on this overlook with a sad expression on her majestic face. She looked upwards as a majestic blue bird flew down from the heavens, and landed at Hylia's feet.
"Her Grace, you called," it said, bowing deeply.
A pale hand reached out and brushed the Loftwing's head.
"I have a mission for you," Hylia said.
"I am at your command," the Loftwing said, bowing so deep that it's beak touched the ground.
"I need you to assist the Spirit Maiden, Vella."
"As I wished," the blue Loftwing said. "How will you do it? You know she'll live many years into the future, beyond my lifesspan."
"Your spirit will be bound to hers," Hylia said, still stroking the Loftwing. "When she comes forth, so will you."
Vella cawed with great joy.
"There will be conditions. You will not remember who you are until she awakens for her journey. Be there for her, and help guide her."
"I will," Vella said.
The scenery changed to the temple I'd seen in my first vision. A woman, walked into the temple. She was wearing a green gown decorated with many different symbols, and a sash that hung off of her waits, that had a coat of arms on it. On her forehead was a crown that was woven into her brown hair, which shade perfectly matched her brown eyes. She walked over to Hylia who was standing by a window, looking up into the sky. Hylia turned to face her. She gave the Queen a gentle gaze, and a comforting smile made it's way onto her lips.
"Good morning Sarah," Hylia said.
The Queen gasped and, her regal facade dropped.
"No one has called me that since my parents died," Queen Saria said. "No one. I had forbade it. It brought back too many painful memories of my past."
Hylia approached the shorter woman and placed her hands on the Queen's shoulders.
"You've been through so much, but you'll still have to go through a lot more with your people," she said.
"Hylia, can't you just end it?" Saria asked, starting to lose her compsoure. "You are a goddess, not a mortal unlike me. One who allowed herself to be hoodwinked by a nefarious lord and let him run her country into the ground before I realized my mistake. And luckily, I still have a son and a daughter to cherish."
Hylia brought the broken Queen into an embrace. Saria lost her composure and began to bawl into Hylia's shoulder.
"I just can't watch more of my people slain," she whimpered. "It's too much for me to bear."
Hylia rubbed the Queen's back and cooed a lullaby. Saria felt a feeling of hope leak into her chest as Hylia's soft voice washed over her, displacing some of the sadness that still remained.
"I'm going to be blunt Saria," Hylia said. "I can't defeat him."
Saria let out a horrified gasp and tears began to flow afresh. The Queen nuzzled deeper into Hylia's embrace, seeking more comfort from her patron Goddess.
"You...you...can't...but...what..."
"I just realized that. I already had a plan in place and it stays in place. I'm going to send you and our people to the Sky."
"You've already told us that," Saria said, still sobbing. "How will you do it?"
"Tell everyone to gather at the castle tomorrow morning. I'll rend the earth and send you to the heavens, safely above the chaos."
"Is the Land of Hylia beyond saving?" Saria asked, finally breaking the embrace and looking at Hylia with a pleading look in her tear stained eyes.
"Saria, the love for the land and your people has made you the finest ruler of our people that I've seen," Hylia said.
"Thanks, but not many share your opinion of me."
"Do their opinions matter?" Hylia asked bluntly.
"Well, if my subjects don't like me, how will I be able to help them?"
"It's up to them if they'll accept what you are willing to do for them," Hylia said. "Humans have their agency. The only thing you need to care about is what I think.""
Queen Saria nodded.
"You are aware I told them when I first came down from the heavens that I will send you and our people to the Sky."
"Yes."
"It's time to set it into process. Link has finished preparing the Master Sword and the Surface tribes have arisen to our aid. Send a proclamation telling everyone to gather at the castle near the temple in the morning, and go there yourself. I will rend the ground with the Master Sword and send you high, even above the clouds, with enough provisions and land to serve your descendants for thousands of years."
"Sounds like it's still going to be close," Saria said, a hint of doubt in her voice.
"It'll happen and you will be safe," Hylia said. "Stay strong. You will have to lead our people through the early years. The new life will be rough, and you must teach them to have your strength. You have my blessing upon you and your descendents who will follow you."
"Thank you Hylia," Saria said, throwing her arms around the White Goddess.
As Hylia returned the embrace, Saria aired one more nagging doubt that had been gnawing away at her.
"But if you can't defeat Demise...I've seen his power. Will he still reach us?"
"Calm your fears Saria," Hylia said. "Leave Demise for me and Link to deal with."
"Yes Your Grace," Saria said, still not completely convinced.
Hylia walked up to the queen, and pulled her into an another embrace.
"Stay strong and be of good courage," Hylia whispered into Saria's ear, wiping away the Queen's tears. Where she touched, the blotchy redness the tears had created vanished. "And guard the sacred relics I will leave you. Let no one know of them except a select few that you trust. Pass them down through your descendants."
When Hylia withdrew from the embrace, Saria saw that the Goddess had left a harp in her hands.
"Wait Hylia, I can't take this. This is one of your most valued possessions."
"Keep the harp and pass it down. It'll help safeguard your people."
"Thanks Hylia," Saria said, resolute. "I will guard it with my life."
"No bowing. We are equals."
Saria gave Hylia another hug then left the temple at top speed to send out the proclamation. Hylia turned to leave, but she didn't. She walked down a dark stone passageway, then down another until she was under the magnificent statue that her people had erected hundreds of years before.
She raised her arms and let her power seep out into the surrounding rock. Slowly the rock cleared away effortlessly until a series of chambers and rooms emerged. Hylia opened her hands and a three golden triangle symbol emerged, the Ultimate Power. Hylia walked through the newly-carved caverns, splitting the triangles into three pieces, and hiding each one in a separate room. After she had finished and ascended back toward her temple, she used her powers to carve out one final room that looked exactly like the Chamber of the Sword.
She created a small stone imprint like the one that had held the Goddess Sword. Then the Goddess left, sealing the cavern behind her. She walked out of the temple and looked around. Behind her stood an impressive army of Kikwis, Ancient Robots, Mogmas, Gorons, and Parellas, along with a few remaining humans dotting their ranks, stood ready. The Gorons in particular were roaring an impressive battle cry, carring hammers and rocks and swinging their enormous fists.
She was joined by a male figure, who looked exactly like Link, except he was older and had a few scars on his arms and wrists. He wore a green uniform like the one we were supposed to have received, gauntlets on his wrists, brown pants along with chainmail that was part of his uniform. He had a red scarf tied about his neck and he held a magnificent sword that looked like the Goddess Sword at his side. Hylia stood next to him, and his voice boomed out.
"Creatures of the world below. Your prayers from afar won't vanquish the demons. The Humans have been at war, and vast numbers of them have fallen. Do not let their deaths be in vain. Now, you must go to their aid..."
"Zelda, Zelda," someone said, shaking me.
My eyes flickered open to reveal Karane's concerned face above me. I was on the platform in the center of the spring, and the sun was setting in the sky, indicating that I'd been out for a while.
"How have I been out?" I queried.
"About two hours," Karane said. "You were mumbling while you were out. Something about a Queen Saria, Link, and Hylia. What happened? You were just fine, until you crashed into the water after about a minute of praying."
I pondered for a moment before giving her an answer.
"I can't explain it really," I said. "Each time I do this, I get memories of what happened during the Great War. I can't explain why, but they must serve some purpose."
We looked at each other when it hit us.
"LINK!" we said together.
Together, we raced up to the platform and I pulled up Link's shirt. The scar was gone. I'd done it. He was healed! Hopefully he'd wake up...
"Not again," I moaned, as both of up rose up into the air, immobilized by a painfully familiar sensation. "Impa, please stop this."
It lifted us into the air. Impa appeared in front of us.
"I must confess myself disappointed in you Zelda," Impa said.
"What do you mean by that?" I retorted. "When you did something to me that knocked me out."
Impa ignored us, instead turning to where Link was lying in front of the mini Goddess Statue. He was beginning so stir, slowly his eyelids flickered open and strength returned to his limbs. His eyes roved over Impa, Karane, and then to me.
"What happened? Zelda...Impa?"
I wanted to call out to him, but every one of my muscles had been paralyzed.
"Link, you need to move on," Impa told him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "And learn of your new mission."
"But Zelda...the mission?" Link protested. "My job was to get the Goddess Sword."
His eyes locked onto me and Karane, still frozen solid. His eyes scanned me, causing me to blush slightly. His eyes latched onto the sword at my waist. A look of horror washed over his face as he realized what it meant.
"Has been changed," Impa said. "The Goddess Sword has bonded with Zelda. Her mission is now yours."
She waved her hand, and created a pillar of blue light behind her in the spring.
"You must do it Link, or no one will survive what is to come," Impa told him.
With a nod and very reluctantly, Link turned and walked into the blue light she had created, giving us a pained expression as he left. My heart ached as he disappeared I'd accomplished my goal of healing him and, but I'd lost him for the third time.
"Spirit Maiden, muster up some of your courage and discover your true identity, only then will you be able to help the Hero."
She walked into the light and it vanished. The holds on me and Karane vanished, letting us crash back into the clear waters of the spring.
"Why that..." Karane began.
The door blasted open and in came the last person I wanted to see.
"It's Ghirahim," I said without a shade of doubt in my voice.
We both drew our swords and shields to defend ourselves as the late Demon Lord made his appearance. He looked around the spring and his gaze focused on us.
"Well if it isn't the clumsy girl and her friend, I was so close," he said, gripping one fist as he walked into the spring, holding his black blade. "Looks like I have an audience, and I will vent to you."
Karane and I looked at each other nervously.
"Only if that servant dog of the Goddess hadn't got there," he said.
Anger began to permeate my body and both of us assume battle stances.
""No matter. I sense that his presence has faded from this place," he said. "But I will find him. Mark my words. Consider yourselves lucky that I didn't have to let my friend deal with you."
With that he vanished, leaving both of us confused and dazed. Why hadn't he attacked? But I wasn't focused on that. I felt shame, and the sense of failure. I dropped to my knees.
"Zelda, what's wrong?" Karane asked.
"We...I failed," I said.
The guilt tore a huge hole in my heart and tears began to streak from my eyes, but I wiped them away. I was also angry; why had Impa done what she did? What would've it've accomplished? I'd let her have it if she was still here, but she was gone with Link. I had to get to Lanayru as quickly as possible.
"We must hurry to wherever we need to go next," I told Karane. "We need to return to the sky pronto."
"My Mistress," Fi said, appearing out of the sword. "You were in the Fire Sanctuary for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Strike the crest with a Skyward Strike in front of me."
She moved out of the way to reveal the crest resting in front of the Statue. I raised the Goddess Sword to the sky and felt its vibrant reaction to the energy that flowed into the blade. I swung it down and the beam of light hit the crest. Karane let out a gasp of amazement as the crest spun into the air and began to glow.
Another old fragment of stone appeared, this one with a golden spot on it. It glowed then flew across the spring, landing in my arms.
"Thanks Fi," I said.
"Can I hold it?" Karane asked.
"Sure."
I handed the old tablet over to her. She turned it over in her hands a couple of times, feeling the worn surface of the rock.
"So, what does it do?" she asked.
"It opens a hole in the clouds to another area on the Surface," I said.
"Yes My Mistress and Friend Karane," Fi confirmed. "I'll take it for safekeeping."
Karane handed the old tablet to her and it disappeared.
"Yes My Mistress," she said.
Fi vanished back into the sword.
"Time to head back to Skyloft," I said to Karane. "We need to get to this Lanaryru as quickly as possible."
"How?" Karane asked.
"This way," I said, leading her to a worn-down bird statue at the edge of the spring.
"Uh, Zelda, this is a statue," Karane said as I came to a stop in front of it. "How will it get us up there?"
"Pull out your Sailcloth, and hold onto it tight."
I pulled out my Sailcloth and so did Karane. The Statue glowed and we shot up into the sky, with Karane screaming all the way. It was actually a little fun now that I'd done it before. We shot above the clouds, and went into free fall. Both of us whistled and Vella and Needa caught each of their respective riders. Vella took off towards Skyloft with Needa following.
Vella landed next to the Statue of the Goddess and lowered herself to allow me to get off easily. Meanwhile, Needa followed us and landed roughly on the ground nearby. Karane had to clamber off of her, then both our Loftwings flew off into the sky.
"When has Vella started doing that?" Karane said shocked.
"What?" I asked.
"Letting you off easily?" she asked.
"It's a recent development," I conceded, not eager to disclose more.
Now we had our next challenge; sneaking into the Knight Academy without facing a barrage of questions. Now that Link and I had been gone two days, not just one, and Link's disappearance would now be widely known. The Wing Ceremony festivities were also about to come to a close, with the Closing Ceremony Dinner Dance tonight.
"So, how we do it? Get in," Karane asked. "Without getting indundated."
"Well," I said biting my lip. "We are going to face questions sooner or later. We'll need to talk with my father to decide what to say."
"Should we just go for it?" Karane asked.
"I know of a way we can get in, but we will have to just run for it for the first part."
We both ran down the stairs, and aside from my customary trip on the bottom stair, we did just fine. We ran to the Academy without being seen by anyone. I ran to some wooden boxes piled off to the side, near the Sparring Hall, and began to climb.
"Zelda, what are you doing?" Karane said as I ascended the boxes.
"There is a secret way Link and I used to get out of the Knight Academy, we can use it to get in," I said.
"So that's how you two managed to completely vanish for hours on end," Karane said.
"Yes it is," I confirmed.
We clambered up the side of the Academy and to a small air vent located right on top of the roof.
"Here," I said, pulling up the grate.
I dropped my stuff down into the passageway and went into it, followed by Karane and her pack. Slowly we wended our way down the small passageway until we reached another grate, which I kicked out. We dropped down from it into my room. It was nice to be home after another hour's long escapade on the Surface, except for the absence of my best friend.
"Now what?" Karane said, hoisting her bag back onto her back.
"Visit my Father," I said.
We both went to the door and peered out into the corridor. Nobody was there, and I just carried the Goddess Sword, concealed within my pack to my Father's office. We burst in, to find him buried in an ancient volume.
"Father, we're back," I squealed as we burst in.
My father was up on his feet in an instant.
"Zelda."
I leapt into his arms and felt some of the chasm in my chest filled. After our reunion, Karane gave him a curtsy and I pulled out the Goddess Sword.
"Did you find Link?"
"Yes and no," I said, perplexed. "I think Fi can tell you better than we can. It's quite the tale."
"I'll be glad to hear about it," Father said. "The Surface is very fascinating and I'm glad you are part of the Goddess Mission."
"There is another problem," I said. "Link's disappearance, and mine will become common knowledge. Questions are going to be asked. What should we tell them?"
My father thought over it for a minute.
"I think you should tell them that Link has been lost," my Father said. "It's the best we can do. We can't really tell them anything else. When he makes it back, then we'll worry about what we will tell them then. But keep the knowledge of the Surface to yourselves, or the select few that you implicitly trust to keep a major secret. And one more thing, you will have to face the Academy and Skyloft."
A look of horror splashed across my face.
"Zelda, I'd liked to protect you and isolate you, but that's just not an option," my father explained to me. "We must stop any rumors from spreading. Tell them we are searching, as is what we do when we are looking for someone who has fallen off."
"You two are dismissed."
Both of us left my Father's office, leaving the sword behind so Fi could tell Father about our recent ventures.
"Are you sure you will be able to face them?" Karane asked me.
"It'll be hard but I'll cope," I said, heading towards my room.
Over the next three hours I bathed, rested, and washed the dress and sandals Fi had provided me. The dress itself was amazing; the dirt came right off and yet the cloth remained as intact as the day I'd received them.
I dressed in a light blue skirt, top, and headband before laying down on my bed again, just staring up at the ceiling, pondering on what had happened today and reviewing the new batch of memories. They'd verified most of the legends that had been passed down among our people for eons, but they had also added many new details. What was the Ultimate Power? I knew that the Demon King, or Demise, had been after it, but what was so great about it to drive such a Great War?
And Queen Saria presented the biggest enigma of all. Pass this down through your descendants...the Harp had come down from my mother's line and it looked exactly like the one entrusted to Queen Saria by Hylia. Could it be the same Harp? But the biggest question...Could I be a descendent of the Queen, of Royal Blood? There was no way to prove it, except for the Harp's existence throughout my ancestral line. Yet another question I added to the list I would have to ask the Old Woman in the Sealed Grounds when I returned.
After about an hour of this, the door opened, and Karane entered, her hair in its signature two braided style and dressed in an outfit similar to mine.
"Zelda, I think we should go down to the Bazaar and pack up on supplies for tomorrow," she said.
I mulled it over for a minute. Already being ready would ensure a quick and ready departure for tomorrow, something that would be beneficial to us avoiding the onslaught of questions that would surely come.
"Okay," I said, getting up from the bed.
I followed Karane out of my room and down the stairs. We went outside of the doors past the Sparring Hall, which was abuzz with the chattering of hundreds of people and down to the Bazaar, which was surrounded by people. I gritted my teeth and followed Karane into the crowd.
The next chapter is about the culture of Skyloft. I wanted to explore that area more because we don't see much of it in the video game. Big loss in my opinion. If you want the story to just keep going, you can skip the next chapter. It has nothing of importance to the main plotline.
