Weee are getting to the end! Two more chapters to go, and I can assure you that you'll like the first half of the next chapter! Or at least, I hope you do.
Enjoy!
Central Eclipse
A solar eclipse in which the central axis of the Moon's shadow cone traverses Earth thereby producing a central line in the eclipse track. The umbra or antumbra falls entirely upon Earth so the ground track has both a northern and southern limit. Central solar eclipses can be either total, annular or hybrid.
They did not really return after Zelda led the way to their chambers. Link held her until she could no longer cry and carried her over to the bed, tenderly unlacing her boots and trying to get her as comfortable as possible without having to undress her. He unbuttoned most of the buttons on her back, and by the time he had untangled her legs from her skirts, she was fast asleep. With a towel soaked in warm water, he cleaned her face and hands, setting her long black gloves on the bedside table and hoping it would be enough for now. In the morning after, she locked herself in the bathroom, a less than ideal place to talk to the Goddesses, but in desperate need of guidance as she was, they could not afford to go to Lake Hylia. The washing basin would have to do.
No one said anything about their absence.
Zelda's eyes were swollen and red, but thankfully not enough that it would attract too much attention. Not that anyone would point it out, anyway, considering everything she had to deal with since returning from Twilight in what was supposed to be a brief visit. It was the first time he saw the long dining table occupied to its maximum capacity, and yet breakfast was a quiet affair in which no one spoke more than necessary. Ralis, sitting at the head of the table, looked like he hardly wanted to get out of bed this morning, but did so anyway.
Breakfast ended quickly and right after that, the young Zora prince was sitting on his throne, far from elated to be there occupying his mother's place. The visitors formed a line to bid him their farewells, and Link noticed how the Gorons and Ordonians waited for them at the exit of the throne room.
"My deepest apologies for yesterday's casualties, Prince Ralis." Zelda's voice was unwavering as ever, as if she never had cried and bared herself to Link the night before. "I am afraid I can no longer stay here to help you adjust to your new position."
"I hope he gets the punishment he deserves." For the first time in days, Ralis smiled, quiet, barely noticeable. "I appreciate all you have done for me. I am sure... My mother – she is thankful too."
Zelda inclined her head, pensive, and looked at Robyn standing a little ways behind the throne. "Would you mind if Robyn stayed? It would be nice to have a friend with you now."
"Of course not." Robyn stepped forward as Ralis spoke, within Zelda's range.
She crouched down to look the Twili in the eye. Casually, her fingers worked to adjust the scarf around his head. "I cannot let you go through the Mirror by yourself. Once King Ardian and his family comes to witness the coronation, you can leave with them."
"But I don't want to go back," he whispered dejectedly. "I want to stay here."
"I know you do," was her quiet reply. "But you need permission from your family. If they allow that, I can get you a room in the castle. Okay?"
Robyn nodded slowly and Zelda rose to her feet. "Thank you, Link." Prince Ralis said as he approached his wife. "You were of great help, too."
Link dipped his head silently, slipped the mask down over his face and offered his arm to Zelda. With a last look at Ralis and Robyn, they walked out of the room and into the bright morning sun. Advisor Thomas waited for them outside, his crisp outfit ironed perfectly and barely crinkling as he bowed at them again.
"Your Highness, I request your permission to go ahead to Hyrule Castle to prepare everything for your arrival."
"Of course." Her fingers brushed along Link's arm, feather light. "Thank you for your assistance, Thomas."
"Anything for you, Princess Zelda." He gave her a smile, a less formal, more familiar one, and set his green eyes on Link. "I hope you enjoy the rest of Hyrule, Prince Link. We will see each other in Hyrule Castle soon."
Excusing himself, Thomas headed down the path towards the northern portion of Hyrule Field, guards flanking him. Zelda shared a silent glance with Darbus and he led the way after the advisor. Link did not ask anything, only followed Zelda's clues and silently entered a rickety carriage waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. He did not mind its worn out state or the way the old wheels squeaked as they rolled on lush grass. Sitting by her side with Bo and Renado, he recalled, he paid attention to his surroundings as the trio shared a quiet conversation. Dabus and the other Goron that accompanied him, whose name Link could not remember no matter how hard he tried, followed the carriage, rolling slowly like boulders down a gentle slope.
He did not know where they were going, nor did he know what to expect when they got there. He could only think of how the horses were tired after walking so long, and once they stopped by a small body of water in the field, he was struck with the realization that there was still a long way to go.
After sharing a few words with Zelda, he decided to join Rusl outside. He controlled the speed of the horses, whistling a tune to himself that Link only half-paid attention to as the grass gave way to stone and tall rocks surrounded them from all sides. The sun would not shine so hard in this portion were it not midday, but the prince was too enthralled by the scenery of his wife's home country to be bothered by the sun burning his scalp through his cloak or the beads of sweat that rolled down his back.
They crossed a long stone bridge, set so high up that he could hardly see the bottom, and soon the wheels were rolling on grass again.
Some minutes more and they crossed open gates. The carriage stopped, the door opened and Zelda stood there to bid the Gorons goodbye. With a gruff salute from their leader and a more polished one from his companion, they parted ways, heading for the tallest mountain Link had ever seen. Smoke congregated at the top, swirling away in the breeze, only to be replaced by more.
Protected between two highl rock walls, blue tiled houses lined the main road, part of the few splashes of color that painted an otherwise brown setting. Whatever vegetation that grew was leafless and few and far in between. The few people that were out whispered as they passed, walking alongside the pace of the horses as more inhabitants of the little village emerged from their houses and joined them. His Hylian reading was rusty, but Link managed to read some of the signs on the doors or nailed to sturdy walls. An inn, a bomb shop, a market, a clothing shop, and more. They stopped outside a round house by the end of the street, different from all the others. The ceiling was broken and faded red triangles were painted around the base. Link insisted he could climb down the carriage without help and rushed over to help Zelda once Rusl had the door open.
She smiled gratefully at him, fingers squeezing his hand, and turned to take in the village and its people that stood speechless staring at them. "This is so sad," she confided to Renado as he approached them. "Kakariko is falling apart."
Link discreetly analyzed the buildings they had just passed. They were not in good shape, but they were not ruined either. For Zelda to have said that it was falling apart, then it must have seen much better days.
"Sadly, Your Highness." His long robes and hair moved gently in the wind. "We can talk about that another time, however. Please, Princess, consider having a meal and getting some rest before you resume your trip."
There was a restaurant somewhere along the road. Unguarded as she was, Link half expected the people to run up and crowd around them, but they did not. They came close, but not enough to touch, save for some children, and the other three men that accompanied them did a good job in keeping the inhabitants at bay. The interior of the building was cool and the food was less refined than what is served in castles, but it was hearty and made him think of the few meals he had in Ordon and Telma's bar.
Their stay in Kakariko was brief as they left early in the morning. Zelda promised the population she would restore the village, and silently promised Link they would return so he could explore it further. She disappeared into the carriage followed by Bo, and Link resumed his spot beside Rusl, who maneuvered the cart away from a beautiful spring not too far from Renado's Sanctuary.
Another gate and they were out in the field again. The bridge they crossed this time was made of wood and everything around them was livelier due to the different shades of greens seen on trees and the ground. He could see Hyrule Castle in the distance, but by now, he knew that was not where they were headed. His best guess, that came to a near confirmation when he saw a familiar path lined with tall trees, was that they were headed for Ordon. The sun had dipped low enough, but Link could not see much of the fabled colorful sky during sunset as the canopy blocked most of his vision. It was darker now and the usual noises that accompanied nocturnal animals sounded from within the forest.
The carriage stopped at a fork in the road. Bo took Rusl's place and went ahead to Ordon, and Rusl led them in the opposite direction into a tunnel Link had crossed before when he first arrived. He lit a torch and led the way, a hand hovering by the hilt of his sword at all times, waving the flame to destroy spider webs and scare some bats away. Link was not very eager to know they were close to the path that could take him back to Gerudo Desert, but the woods had been a fantastic sight to see once he had emerged from the hole in the ground.
He had never been this deep into the forest. Surprisingly, a temple stood tall among the trees at the end of a road, a red symbol painted on the front door. Rusl told them to be careful after he had rolled it open and stayed behind as they headed inside. Vines crawled up the walls and twisted around the wood staircase and railings. Torches illuminated the place, their flames flickering. The quiet atmosphere was eerie and unsettling, and he considered speaking a handful of times, but decided against it.
Link let Zelda do the navigation and concentrated on listening to their surroundings. Temple or not, there could be something hiding here. She brushed her fingertips on doors and they opened at her will. They passed by a room with a pool of water at the bottom and crossed an open space where the wind whipped around, roaring in his ears. A darker, smaller room followed, and then a bigger one with a hanging bridge that had both of them hesitating to cross.
On the other side of the last door laid another spring. It was not as beautiful as the one he has seen in Kakariko or Ordon, or even the one somewhere in this forest, the prettiest in his eyes, but it had waterfalls falling from the sides, and it was peaceful all the same.
"Zelda?" He asked finally. He could hardly remember when the last time he spoke was, to her or anyone. "Why are we here?"
She smiled at him and walked closer to the water. "I need to speak to the Goddesses, but not here."
That did little to answer all the questions he had, but Link once again chose to trust her. Her hands moved, arms outstretched, and she would look every bit like a sorceress if she had been dressed in the same way described in fantasy books or like the one back in Twilight. The funny, or scary, thing was that Link thought her hands were glowing, but dismissed it entirely until the water began to glow too. With a jolt, he approached but did not disrupt her, and watched as triangles shone golden on the rippling surface of the spring. The ripples grew, the water parted, and the lined path revealed led to a door at the bottom across from them.
This door was different. The double door kind, intricately carved, the symbol of the Triforce imprinted on each fold. It parted, soundless, as they approached. Link was sure there was nothing on the other side, yet he could see stains of green and grey behind a thin layer of... Something. Something that could only be described as liquid glass, translucent and undulating. Zelda gave him an encouraging smile and stepped forward, the surface moving to accommodate her body as it traversed to the other side. Taking a deep breath, Link followed suit.
He emerged alone.
His brain first registered her absence. Not only he could not see her, but also could not hear another set of heartbeat of breathing pattern nowhere nearby. Instead, his ears caught the sounds of crickets, the rustling of leaves, the wind. His nose was assaulted with pure fresh air and damp earth, a contrast from the musty air of the temple. Moss covered stones beneath his leather boots. Trees towered over him, surrounded the ruined structure in which the prince found himself. It had been a huge place, he realized, sparing a second to analyze a broken pillar before moving along down a broken staircase.
Most of the wall here was gone, and yet a door stood tall, easily twice his size. Link touched it, careful, and decided not to try to open it in case it broke under his hand. He walked around it instead, mindful of the broken railings and the collapsed staircase that led to the floor below, a spacious area with another doorway at the end of it and two massive statues stood by it as if keeping watch. This place looked like it belonged in Faron Woods, yet he knew it was somewhere behind him.
"Zelda?" He called, but his ears met no answer, not even an echo of his own voice.
Link picked his way down the stairs, dusted himself off as he reached the bottom and slowly crept further into the place. Even with all the vegetation spreading around the place, a near perfect circle sat in the middle of what once had been a room, and judging by the Triforce on the ground, it had been an important place. Warily, he eyed the statues as he walked past them, somewhat expecting them to spring to life and try to block his path, but they remained motionless. Lifeless.
Through the doorway he went, up a set of stairs that was impressively in peak condition. At the top, he stopped. More broken pillars and fallen walls, but what caught his attention was the slight elevated floor across from him. Link looked around once, ever mindful of this strange, foreign place and his separation from his wife, and approached it with slow steps. The closer he got, the more he was under the impression the place was shining, and then he could finally see something placed vertically in its middle.
A sword, unlike any other he had ever seen in his life. Link did not dare come upon the pedestal, much less touch the weapon, but observed it from a distance with a faint, mixed sense of wonder and dread. Wonder because it was beautiful, somewhat magical, sitting in a mysterious place like this without supervision.
Dread because he was sure it was calling out for him.
When Zelda crossed the threshold, she found herself in a place that reminded her of the setting she met with the Goddesses. Black and gold, as usual, were the ruling colors of the Goddesses' astral planes. The ground was smooth and firm beneath her feet, and five steps ahead began a long staircase she would have to climb to her goal. More trees, as expected of this area of Hyrule, occupied the space. Their coppery trunks stretched upwards, marked with glowing swirling patterns. The glimmering gold canopy reminded her of coins under the sun.
She took a step, and then another, and slowly but surely, she closed the distance between herself and the body of water at the top. The liquid fell from around the ledge, slipping down along the smooth surface of dark rocks, the faint, calming sound they made the only thing she could hear. It was a long track, one that certainly felt endless, but she pushed through the burning of her thighs and calves, determined on reaching the end.
To distract herself, Zelda thought of Link, wondered how he was fairing by himself and where the Goddesses had sent him to. She knew they would end up in different destinations, and knew that, wherever it was that he ended up in, it would give him some insight. As soon as she got what she came here for, the Goddesses would take her to him, and she would guide them back to the temple.
Zelda shielded her eyes when she got to the top. Golden water fell from the leaves overhead, spiraling down in ribbons and pooling at the base in a mass of blinding light. She stepped into the water, walking deeper until she was waist deep into it. It did not wet her clothes, yet she could manipulate it in her hands as if it were just regular water. An impressive place, breathtaking, but Zelda had little time to explore it and take the time to appreciate the sight for more than a second.
She drew the outline of the Triforce on her forehead and then on her bosom, lacing her fingers together and reciting an ancient prayer to herself. Taking in a deep breath and keeping the air in her lungs, Zelda disappeared beneath the surface.
His perception of time was flawed here compared to when in Twilight and not for the first time he caught himself wondering if mere minutes or long hours had passed since his arrival in this ancient, abandoned place. Most of the time here was spent trying to find a way out, but all he had found were blocked exits that, if walked around somehow, were paths that led to foreign places. By the end of the ordeal, he chose to stay by the archway, shoulder leaned onto the stones, arms folded over his chest.
The sword, so innocently resting in its pedestal, sunlight dancing on it through the canopy in a scenic fashion, had a heavy aura. Its presence was so palpable that Link did not feel alone and worst, felt like every move he made was being scrutinized by an inanimate object. He felt foolish to stare at it as if he could make it back down and stop, and maybe this place was getting to him because he could hear-
Link breathed in deeply to steel his nerves. Zelda would not leave him alone, she would come for him, of that he was sure.
Pushing away from the archway, he approached it for the first time, letting the sword's insistent beconning pull him closer. If he had bothered to learn more about Hyrule years back, he would probably know why a sword was being kept this far from civilization, apparently in a place that only few could reach. Too late for that now, he mused and crouched as close to it as possible without having to touch the stone pedestal. For something sitting unattended in a forgotten place, it was in peak conditions. The blade was still sharp, gleaming, a yellow gem encrusted on the purple hilt. The voice - Fierce Deity, he was truly listening to it - got louder, clearer, although he still could not understand the old dialect.
"Link?"
He jumped to his feet, suppressing a startled gasp. The sword had captured all of his attention. Had Zelda been someone else, he could be lying in a pool of his own blood right now. She smiled apologetically, closing the distance between them as he willed his heartbeat to slow and kept his hands firmly by his sides. Seeing her was enough, there was no way that this was a work of his imagination. She was here with him now, and he followed her gaze to the sword when her eyes dropped.
"According to legend, Goddess Hylia created a weapon known as the Goddess Sword to aid her Chosen Hero." She recited, so sure of her words as if she had memorized it and done this before. "Inside it inhabited a spirit that was meant to guide him. The Hero fell from his perch on the sky and took the Goddess Sword in hand, ventured through the surface, tempered the sword in three sacred flames and, with the blessings of the reincarnated Goddess Hylia of his time, it became the Master Sword." Zelda swept her hand towards the weapon and he nodded along to her explanation. "That was millenia ago, so long that we cannot exactly pinpoint the year. The last Chosen Hero to wield it was the Hero of Time years before he crossed the Mirror of Twilight. No one unworthy can wield this blade."
Together, they stared at the Master Sword. The history behind it explained why it looked so brand new for something placed among ruins and trees. It also explained why his head was full of gibberish he could not decipher for the life of him.
"It also says that if one of the people tied to the Triforce is born, then the other two are sure to follow." Zelda traced her fingertips across the back of her gloved right hand. "I fear... What might befall Hyrule."
Right, she was one of the Chosen. This was a good time as any to voice his latest worry, seeing as he had nothing to comment on the previous topic. "Zelda. About the Spirit of the Sword," she looked back at him, patient. His hands curled tightly behind his back. "Can anyone hear it?"
Her eyes return to the sword briefly. "Yes. Sometimes the Reincarnation of the Goddess can hear it, but mostly it's just the Chosen Hero."
"Can you hear it right now?"
She took her time to answer, observing his body language. "It's a distant voice in my head, but yes. Why do you ask?"
A million curses made their way through his mind, and a few successful ones touched the tip of his tongue before he swallowed them back. "I…" He looked away, focused on the trees, could not stand to look at the sword or return Zelda's stare. "I can hear it." An admission in the form of a whisper. "It's loud, deafening. I can hardly hear my own thoughts."
Surprise flitted across her features, lips parting in a quiet gasp. Saying it aloud put a lot of things in perspective, but knowing that only the Chosen Hero could listen to the voice clearly only confirmed that old tale from Twilight. The hero that crossed the Mirror, the Sacred beast reincarnated. Link and him shared the same spirit and the proof was right here under his nose, so close all he had to do was stretch his arm and he could touch it.
Zelda recovered quickly, probably came to the same conclusions as he had, and touched a hand to his bicep. "We can talk about it later if you want, but it doesn't change who you are." He placed his hand above hers, chanced to meet her eyes. "I'm glad I got to meet the Chosen Hero before anything can happen, but above all else, I'm glad it's you."
When she put it like that, he supposed it was a good thing, however that was not something he wished for. Having the Chosen Hero's spirit was yet another weight to carry on his shoulders, another responsibility, and he would be expected to do something great when the time came. What could he even do? Unless the Spirit of the Sword would come to aid him again.
Not wanting to dwell on it and knowing it would keep him awake at night, he changed the topic of conversation. "Where were you?"
She blinked, seemingly just remembering the reason why they had gone through that temple. Zelda opened one of her hands, one that had been fisted the entire time, and presented him with a vial filled with shimmering amber liquid. "The Goddesses said I would find something to help you here. Well, not exactly here. You were brought to this place to learn about yourself. I went elsewhere."
He took the vial gingerly, brought it up to eye level to analyze it, turning the glass around two fingers. "What is it for?"
"It's for you to withstand the sun." She certainly saw something on his face, incredulity perhaps, because she smothered down laughter and nodded twice more. "I'm serious. The Goddesses wouldn't take me there and grant me this if it didn't work."
Link was never one to believe in Gods and Goddesses despite how many times he said Fierce Deity's name, but Zelda was right, and if she believed Them, then this was safe. He pulled the cork away and sniffed it: it smelled of nothing. It tasted like nothing, too, leaving no sensation on his tongue as he gulped it down in one shot. There was no texture, it was like regular water, obvious differences aside. He waited to see if he would feel something different, but nothing changed. Their eyes met, faint worry lines creasing her forehead as he tugged at his gloves and slowly stretched his arm towards a sliver of light that cut through the canopy. Link held his breath. Zelda might have done the same, too.
Nothing happened.
She deflated in relief by his side, palm to her chest, and he waved the glove at her. "I thought you were sure this was safe?"
This time, she laughed a little. "I have complete faith in the Goddesses, but couldn't help but worry that something could happen to you."
He answered to that with a pathetic noise and focused on taking off the remaining glove and some other pieces of clothing, allowing the hood to fall backwards and the mask to hang around his neck. The outfit was stuffy and it was good to feel some fresh air on his skin.
Zelda smiled and let her eyes linger on the sword one last time before she turned to leave. He followed her closely, looking over his shoulder at the weapon a few more times. The voice diminished the more the distance between them grew and once he crossed the broken doorway and found himself in the temple again, his head was completely silent.
a/n
The place Zelda visits can be found in Hyrule Historia page 201