Oh? What's this? Another lore chapter? Of course it is! But don't worry! This is the last really lore intensive one, as the next two and the epilogue are resolution, so horray! But yeah, let me just say that my writing schedule has been jacked lately because I don't really have a working internet connection at my house, so I'm uploading this chapter via public wifi… T_T stupid, I know? Anyway, let's get onto the reviews!
Ackbarfan5556: As so do I! :D
Lily: I'm very glad you like it, and feel free to review as much you like! I always welcome them! (And I'm not done with this quite yet, but I'm getting very close!)
ShadowRogue: I'm glad you're happy! I did sorta depict Din and Nayru from the Oracles games (same with Veran), and I absolutely love both of those mangas! Farore's design comes from both her in-game Oracles design (yeah, she's in the games but not the mangas), though with a lot of my own stuff added in there (like a more adult appearance and whatnot). When I'm done with the trilogy, I plan on actually writing more sequels for them, plus a few other ideas I have backlogged. As for Fire Emblem, I've never actually played it before… (pretty much my experience and expertise when it comes to games lies in Zelda only (lame, I know)), but who knows? I might try it some day
Jarvis R. Yeriel: Yeah, I know. Granted, I did write W&C before B&S, so in a way B&S kinda copied W&C (though I still think B&S is far superior, though L&S will blow them both out of the water and will have a MUCH different resolution). And as far as Zelda's choice goes, I think she also couldn't decide because she thought that the Spirit of the Hero (not just Link) wouldn't have been restored if she only chose to restore her kingdom, meaning that Hyrule would eventually be doomed without a proper protector anyway. But yeah, at this point, I'm kinda running out of steam with this story, but at least my hopes for L&S are still high!
Link The Hero of Light: Hahahah, well, I don't think it was really his fault ;D
RandomButLoved: Glad you liked it! And at the beginning, it wasn't just the separation of body and spirit so much as the spirit being totally destroyed! I really hadn't thought of there being a vibe to Frozen or Tangled in there, but now that you mentioned it, it really is there! I personally love writing the goddesses, so of course there will be a LOT more of them in L&S! :D And as for the L&S prophecy, it will come soon enough. After all, the last chapter of L&S certainly alluded to it, and this chapter will too. And let's hope that Zelda isn't forced into making such a choice again, though I can't necessarily guarantee it… ;) And thanks so much for your kind words! You really are an inspiration to me too, and if you look closely enough, you might notice a few nods to Ancient Roots in here (though they were unintentional at the time of me originally writing this, but I've noticed them since… ;)
Silverhawk88: It most certainly will be! If you think TP Link falling to dark intentions is hard to see now, just wait until what I have planned for L&S happens, because it will all make perfect sense soon enough… ;)
Well, that's it for now! Let's get started!
Chapter 37: The Life of a Hero
"I believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."
-Tris, Divergent
As Din, Nayru and Farore outpoured their powers of restoration across the land of Hyrule, two other goddesses worked to fulfill the Princess of Destiny's second wish. Two young women, who looked so similar that it was easy to tell that they were sisters, appeared within an ancient temple that existed only in the realms of the past, one of them standing on either side of an alter upon which the body of a young man lay prone before them. The twin goddesses exchanged a brief, solemn glance before turning their attention to the young man, whose appearance was a combination of that of both the Hero of Time's and the Fierce Deity's. Half of his face was marred with the markings of the Deity and his hair was both blonde and white. His eyes were shut, but both goddesses knew that if he could open them, one would be light blue and the other would be completely empty. Even his clothes were divided evenly in half, one side bearing the strong metal armor of the Deity, while the other half was still forest green.
The twin goddesses stared at him for the longest time, both of their expressions sad as they knew that his heart was not beating, as he was barely even alive anymore. His physical form bore no spirit at all, and yet the golden goddesses had instructed the two of them to watch over him, only stating that his soulless body had to be protected until further notice.
The black haired goddess finally glanced up from the young man to look at her blonde sister, seeing the clear grief in her dark blue eyes. "Hylia," the green-eyed goddess said with concern for her twin. "Are you alright?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you, Terminus," Hylia said with a sigh, still keeping her sights upon the young man. "It's just… He looks so much like him…"
Terminus frowned as she reached over and placed a consoling hand upon her sister's shoulder. "It has been many centuries since his soul has passed on into the Golden Realm…" she said gently. "And yet, even though our sisters said that you could pass on as well once your mortal life came to an end, you still chose not to. Why is this?"
"Because my work in this world was not yet finished," the goddess of Hyrule said, shaking her head slowly. "I foresaw this day even before my mortal death, Terminus; we both did. We knew that the Spirit of the Hero would face destruction once more, and I couldn't just stand by in the afterlife while such a thing happened. My blood is bound to that spirit; it always has been and it always will be."
"I understand how you feel…" Terminus said wistfully. "Even all this time after my own hero was corrupted, I still feel bound to him as much as I did the day we met… What a cruel twist of fate it was that both of these spirits that we hold so dear were destroyed together…"
"Majora's hatred knew no ends…" Hylia said with a hint of distain for the demon in her voice. "It is such a relief to know that its evil is finally gone from this world, and that it will no longer peruse either of the spirits."
"Even so, my hero is not free…" Terminus said morosely. "Often times I have asked our sisters to release him from his bondage, and yet I have never received an answer…"
"That is because we still have plans for him yet," a new voice said from behind the two goddesses. "Plans for both of the spirits…"
"Farore!" Hylia and Terminus both exclaimed in surprise as they turned to face the goddess of courage, bowing low before her with respect.
"Please, my sisters, be at ease," Farore said, her tone calm and benevolent. "I have a great favor to ask of you both."
"Anything you ask, dear sister, we will gladly do," Terminus said humbly.
The goddess of courage smiled as she stepped closer to the two of them, holding her hands out in front of her as an orb of green light, tinged with a hint of blue, appeared hovering above them. Hylia and Terminus both gasped upon seeing it, both of them instantly knowing what it was based upon the powerful aura emanating from it.
"You… you restored it?" Hylia asked tentatively.
"I restored both of them," Farore said with a nod. "Since the Spirits of the Hero and the Deity were destroyed simultaneously, I brought them both back into existence together. No longer will they be at war as they have been since they have been since your era, Hylia. Now, they shall be united, their strength combined and housed within the same body."
"But… Farore, both of them are incredibly powerful…" Terminus said with a frown. "To have them both inside of the same body… I don't think any mere mortal could handle such might."
"Ah, but you forget that my Son of Courage is not a mere mortal so long as he bears the Spirit of the Hero…" the goddess of courage said. "He was born of my very essence, and as such, he is only a little lower than divinity itself. And yet, he must dwell among the mortals as one of them, for his strength and courage will protect them now and forevermore."
The twin goddesses exchanged a glance upon hearing this, understanding just how powerful the Spirit of the Hero truly was and just how important it was to the world. And so, the two of them stepped out of Farore's path, allowing her to come to stand before the empty hero as they watched on expectantly.
The goddess of courage frowned as she placed her hand gently against the side of her dear hero's face, remembering the heartbreaking encounter that they recently had in which his spirit had broken in her very arms. And though she knew that he would forever be scarred from that, she was prepared to give him life once more. Still holding the combined spirits in her hands, Farore hovered it over his chest, bestowing one more silent blessing upon it before she slowly lowered it down into his heart. The hero's body shined a bright green for a moment or two before he returned to normal, still unconscious but finally breathing once more. Farore smiled slightly as she leaned down and gave him a small, loving kiss on his forehead, watching as most of the traces of the Fierce Deity's appearance, save for a single lock of white hair amidst blonde, faded away.
"You may finally arise, my son…" the goddess of courage whispered to him softly, her heart welling with joy over the fact that what was lost had finally been found again.
Farore turned from the hero to face the twin goddesses once more, who had both been watching her restore the hero with awe. "While he may now bear both spirits inside of him, the Spirit of the Hero will always be the dominant one," she informed them. "The Spirit of the Deity is too wild and unpredictable, therefore, it will remain hidden away within the Spirit of the Hero, until its power is once again needed."
Hylia and Terminus nodded in agreement with this, trusting the fair judgment of the goddess of courage. "Also, when he awakens, I want you two to tell him everything," she said succinctly.
"Everything?" Terminus asked with a frown, knowing well what she was talking about.
"Yes, everything," Farore nodded. "I have kept so many secrets from him for so long. I believe that it is finally time that he knows the truth, about it all."
"Even about the origins of his spirit?" Hylia asked worriedly.
"No, not that," the goddess of courage said. "That is something that only I must tell him alone, but I must save that knowledge for his next life. Let him know about everything else though, including the corruption. The past must be made known to him so that he can protect the future."
"Yes, sister," Hylia and Terminus both agreed with an obedient nod.
"One more thing," Farore said, stepping closer to Hylia as she placed a hand upon her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "My dearest sister, you have been away from your own beloved for far too long… Your heart has pined for him across the centuries and I know that not a day goes by within the Golden Realm that he does not wish for you to return to his side. Which is why I promise to you that once this vigil is completed, you will be at last reunited with him and the rest of your mortal family, and you shall be with them forevermore…"
Hylia let out a small, joyous gasp as her azure eyes began to fill up with tears. "Oh, Farore… Do you really mean it?" she asked, her tears finally falling as the goddess of courage gave her a small nod and smile of confirmation. "Thank you, my dear sister," she whispered blissfully as she embraced her older sister. "Thank you so much…
"You are quite welcome, my sister," Farore said kindly as their embrace broke. "For now, I must depart and join Din and Nayru in restoring both of your lands. He will awaken momentarily. I trust that you both know what to do after that."
Hylia and Terminus nodded once more, both of them completely willing to follow the command of their older sister. With one more kind smile, Farore enveloped herself in a green light as she prepared to take her leave. "Farewell, my dear sisters," she said a she began to disappear so that she could reunite with her other sisters. "Be sure to give my Son of Courage all of my love…"
Without another word, the goddess of courage vanished out of sight, leaving the twin goddesses alone once more. Slowly, they turned to face the still-unconscious hero once more, both of them knowing what to do in order to expedite his awakening.
Coming to stand before the hero again, the twin goddesses both held their hands out in front of them as bright light surrounded them. In Hylia's hands, a shimmering golden harp appeared, one that had been forged during ancient times and still sounded just as beautiful years later. In Terminus's hand, a flawless blue ocarina appeared, the mark of the Triforce shining upon its silver-banded mouthpiece.
Upon exchanging one more nod, Terminus began to play a somber, yet lovely tune, a song known as the Song of Healing upon the ocarina, its sweet, airy sound echoing throughout the temple. She knew that this melody would complete the restoration of the hero's broken soul, and so she let its final notes ring long and loud before lowering the Ocarina of Time and looking to her sister.
Hylia placed the Goddess's Harp on her hip, recalling every last note of the ancient ballad she had composed long ago, which had foretold of her own chosen hero, and even still foretold of the Hero of Time now.
"O youth," she began in her assonant voice, her eyes shut as she masterfully plucked the strings of the instrument. "Guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky... And bring light to the land..." She paused for a brief moment and opened her eyes to look down at the hero, who was finally starting to stir, before continuing with the song's new second verse. "O youth... Chosen one with the crest of courage, traverse the flow of time... And restore peace to the land..."
As Hylia sang the last words of her song, the hero's eyes finally opened slowly, his vision blurry at first and his mind completely blank. The twin goddesses gazed down at him with small, relieved smiles, though they only really lasted until the hero's eyes opened fully and he became more cognizant of his surroundings. Not recognizing the two almost identical women hovering over him, he let out a startled gasp and bolted upright upon the altar he had been lying on, looking around at his strange surroundings with wide eyes.
"W-what's going on?" he asked warily, giving the twin goddesses who had come to stand together before him a confused look. "Where am I? Who are you?"
"Please, be at ease," Hylia said reassuringly. "We mean you no harm, Hero of Time."
"Who?" he asked with a frown, knowing nothing of the title that he had just been referred to by.
The twin goddesses exchanged a brief, worried glance, before looking to the still-confused hero once more. "Do… do you know who you are?" Terminus asked him, looking into his eyes and seeing nothing but innocence and bewilderment in them, things that should not have been there in light of the circumstances.
"I… I…" the hero tried his best to come up with an answer to this simple question, but he could think of nothing. And so, instead, he looked at the twin goddesses silently for a moment, his eyes wide as he glanced down and shook his head. "I don't…" he said softly, wanting nothing more than to remember something, anything. The only memory that existed in his mind was this very moment alone, almost as if he had not even existed before it. If he had once had any life before this, he couldn't remember a single thing about it, not even his own name.
The twin goddesses both sighed in disappointment and looked down sadly. "It has sometimes been said that complete memory loss is an after effect of a restoration of the spirit," Terminus whispered to Hylia, both of them looking at the hero with pity as he tried in vain to conjure up any sort of memory of his past. "No wonder Farore told us to tell him everything…"
Hylia simply bit her lip anxiously as she met the hero's unknowing eyes, stepping forward a bit so that she could address him. "Tell me," she said patiently. "Is there anything that you can remember at all?"
The hero was silent for a long moment as he pondered this question, starting to shake his head before a sudden name finally filled his mind, the sole thing amidst utter emptiness. "Farore…" he said, his voice little more than a whisper.
Hylia nodded as she pressed for him to continue. "And do you know who Farore is?" she asked kindly.
The hero took in a deep breath, not knowing where these sudden memories were coming from, even as he spoke them aloud. "She's my… my mother…" he said, his tone somewhat uncertain even as he said it.
"In a manner of speaking, yes, she is," Hylia said with an understanding smile, knowing that his knowledge of the goddess of courage was something that was innately tied to his spirit of the deepest of levels, even moreso than his mortal memories from any life. She continued to smile warmly at him as she took her hands in his and helped him rise off of the altar to stand. "Would you like to know who you are?"
The hero simply nodded in response to this, allowing Hylia to guide him forward as Terminus took his other hand. The three of them left the back room of the temple to the main chamber, in which warm sunlight poured in through the long-broken ceiling. They soon came to a stop, with one goddess standing on either side of the hero, who simply looked between them both with confusion.
"If you want to know who you are, then close your eyes and listen to this," Terminus said as she positioned the Ocarina of Time to her lips as Hylia poised her the Goddesses Harp to play, as the hero, hoping that they could restore his lost memories, followed their instructions obediently. "Listen... to the Song of the Hero..."
Instead of their previous, separate songs, the twin goddesses began to craft an entirely new melody together, a duet that was bright and triumphant. As the hero listened to it, he felt himself being pulled away from the goddesses and the temple, to another place, or rather another time entirely.
As everything became more and more distant to the hero, the song suddenly moved from its upbeat and gallant tempo to a tense and dissonant one. The hero found himself in a foggy and distant memory, yet one that was undoubtedly his. Sheets of cold rain poured down from a black sky as a vaguely familiar woman carried him away from a burning, warring landscape to a safe and secluded forest. The tune became slow and solemn as the woman passed away, leaving him in the care of the guardian of the forest, who took him in and raised him as one of the forest children. As the song picked up and became youthful and lighthearted, he watched an innocent childhood, his innocent childhood, play out before his very eyes. Throughout it, the boy was an outcast because he did not have a guardian fairy to call his own, but one certain girl knew that he was different and befriended him regardless. The two of them shared many happy, carefree days together, that is, until the day his life changed forever.
The melody became forlorn as the forest guardian finally sent him a fairy companion, who guided him to the cursed tree. The boy lifted the curse, but his efforts were in vain, for the guardian died anyway, but not before revealing to him the tale of the land's creation at the hands of three ancient goddesses. The tree then sent him off on a quest: to leave the safety of the forest and meet with the kingdom's princess.
The song moved to a somewhat morose key as he bid farewell to his longtime friend, but then became bold once more as he adventured out into the vast land for the first time. But then, it slowed into a sweet, beautiful lullaby when he first met the princess herself. Almost instantly, he felt as though he had always been bonded to her, even if he didn't know how, and that he would be driven to do anything to protect her not matter what. She told him of an evil man from the desert that sought to claim her kingdom and its golden relic, and entrusted the young hero with the task of collecting the keys that could ensure its safety. The song emboldened once again as he agreed without a second thought and set off across the land, experiencing new sights and defeating daunting enemies. Along the way, he met many friends and allies: the princess' stern, yet level-headed guardian, the proud leader of the mountain-dwelling people, the young, extravagant princess of the water-dwelling race, and a kind farm girl with a melodious voice.
As it seemed that he was at the end of his quest and that he had accomplished the duty the princess had given to him, the music suddenly became treacherous and laced with oncoming danger. He returned to the princess only to find her fleeing for her life before coming face to face with the desert king himself, who was quick to chase after her. Knowing what he had to do to aid the princess, the young hero rushed to the ancient temple and drew the legendary blade of evil's bane, but what happened next, he never could have expected.
Seven years passed almost instantly, and he spent them in a deep slumber. The music was soft and sedated when he awakened, now fully grown from the child he had been into an adult. From there, another responsibility was thrust upon his shoulders: to awaken the sages and defeat the evil king once and for all. And so the hero set off, vowing to undo the unintentional mistake he had made by letting the evil king into the golden realm. The melody was triumphant and heroic once more as he traversed the conquered kingdom, awakening the sages with the aid of a mysterious warrior from the shadows. However, when this task was complete, that warrior revealed "himself" to be none other than the princess herself, who had hidden away so that she could help him in any way she could. Their long-awaited reunion was cut short however by the king of evil, who kidnapped the princess and challenged the hero to a duel for the fate of the land. The music rose in an intense crescendo as a fierce battle commenced, one which nearly cost the hero his life, but in the end, he triumphed. In her guilt for causing his many hardships, the princess sent him back to his original time to regain his lost childhood, as the lullaby flowed lightly and peacefully.
A child once more, the hero watched sadly as his loyal fairy companion left him, but he returned to the young princess nonetheless and warned her of what could happen if the desert king was not stopped immediately. The two children put an end to his evil ways and the desert king was imprisoned, ensuring that the land would see peace for quite some time. However, despite many happy days spent with the princess, the hero was not content with this peace. In time, he left the land he had saved twice, to search for his missing friend and loyal companion.
His search for the fairy led him to a dense wood, the mystery of it echoing in the song clearly. However, within its inky depths, he was assailed by a mask-wearing imp and was cursed into a diminutive form. He chased the troublemaking imp to a strange new world, which was in danger of being destroyed by a falling moon within three days' time. The music became ominous and fast paced with each passing second as the hero raced against time to regain his true form, and when he did, he resolved to save the doomed world out of the kindness of his heart. Traveling with a new, headstrong fairy companion, the young hero overcame many trails and helped many troubled souls in his quest. Calling upon the land's protector giants, he encountered the imp, possessed by the mask's dark power, and stopped the moon's descent. But the demon within the mask beckoned him to fight it, even giving him a strange and unnerving mask to make the battle more even. Knowing that his own strength was not great enough to defeat the wicked demon, the hero put the mask on, and was filled with its corrupting power and strength. He defeated the demon and restored peace to the land, though he barely managed to maintain enough control to take the mask off and return to normal in the end. The song grew calm and peaceful as he parted ways with the new land and his new friends, and returned to both his home land and its princess.
The lullaby resumed, only it was deeper and more flowing as the hero and the princess cultivated a strong, youthful bond. With each passing day, they spent more and more time together and eventually, they began to journey out across the land in all its splendor. Seven quiet, peaceful, blissful years passed, in which the two of them came to be the very best of friends, and perhaps, even more. As they grew up together, their various adventures took them far and wide across the kingdom and at one point, they even traveled to the other land that the hero had saved.
Their unexpected last few days of joy played out all too quickly as the song grew into one of ominous wickedness as a merciless sorceress captured them both, endlessly seeking the golden power that dwelled within both of them. From that moment on, the hero's memories became much more vivid and painful, giving him the impression that these events were quite recent. The sorceress bribed him into gathering four dark relics for her in exchange for the princess' life, placing a horrible death curse upon him to ensure that he would accomplish this task. However, it had all been a trick, for the music rose to a dangerous height as the sorceress used the relics to possess the princess, forcing the hero to fight his best friend, or rather, his true love. In the end, the sorceress triumphed over him in battle, nearly killing him as she stole the golden relic and ravaged the once beautiful land into utter devastation.
The melody became soft and doleful as he reunited with the princess, dressed in the guise of the warrior once more. The two of them fled to the desert and received instruction from the sages, who told them of their ultimate, cruel destiny. They were to follow in the footsteps of their ancient ancestors and defeat the powerful sorceress, restoring peace and light to the land, even if it cost them their lives. However, even in light of all that stood against them, they found hope together as they finally proclaimed their longstanding love for one another. Upon parting from the princess once more, the hero reclaimed the blade of evil's bane and met with the mysterious spirit that dwelled inside of it. However, the song took a tragic and heartbreaking turn as the farm girl, the hero's dear friend, died in his arms because he of his own inability to protect her when she needed it most. And yet, a small ray of hope returned in the form of the princess as the lullaby resumed in a gentle, romantic tone while they held onto each other and imagined an impossible world where they could live together in peace forever more.
But the hero knew that it was not to be. The only way to defeat the sorceress once and for all, or so he was told, was through the frightening power of the soul-corrupting mask that he had used to defeat the demon seven years prior. Though he was apprehensive about it, fearing that he would ultimately fall victim to its corruption, he had made a promise to both his beloved princess and the fallen farm girl that he would free the land from its darkened bondage. And so, the hero and the princess retreated to the land where it was hidden away, though the music became momentarily spritely as he reunited with his old fairy companion. He reclaimed the mask, but the song quickly turned dark and treacherous as the sorceress invaded the land in pursuit of the hero and the princess, destroying all she could and murdering hundreds of innocents without reason. With a firm resolve to stop the wicked woman, the hero put the mask on for a second time and was almost overwhelmed by its power. Though he chased the sorceress away, he almost lost himself to the mask's corruption, only to return to himself upon the gentle touch of the princess.
Knowing what they had to do, the couple left the destroyed land and returned home, only to find it in ruins. The song's rhythm picked up and turned into a determined march as the princess led her loyal troops into battle against the sorceress's shadowy army, though many casualties were sustained. But all the same, they broke through her barricade of darkness, and the hero and the princess moved forward to face the ultimate evil herself. In the final battle against the sorceress, the princess' life seemed to be lost, much to the great distress of the hero. An intense inner pain filled him as he gazed at her beautiful, unmoving form, and his very spirit seemed to be torn to shreds as the music slowed and eventually stopped altogether. Tempting voices had called out to him, encouraging him to fall into the mask's corruption and seeing that he had nothing left to live for with his only love gone, he finally did.
For quite some time, he saw nothing at all, as the sorceress held him under her tight control but it was as she commanded him to murder the princess, who had been restored to life by some unknown means that his seemingly broken spirit began to fight back. Within the confines of his spirit, he battled against the demon for his very existence, finding the strength to break free from both its control and that of the sorceress, and, using the full power of the blade of evil's bane, he destroyed the wicked woman once and for all. Yet throughout the battle, his spirit had been at war with another: the spirit of the mask itself. They dueled brutally for control over his physical form in a battle that was so intense and powerful that neither one could win in the end. As the music rose to a full, dramatic crescendo, both spirits were ultimately destroyed by the other, before the melody became soft and tragic as his spirit was shattered within the arms of the very one who had created it: the goddess of courage herself. And, at that moment, the music faded completely, and all was darkness.
With the last of his memories restored to him, the hero gasped in shock and his eyes flew open wide, finally breaking out of the sedated, dreamlike world that the music had kept him under. He once again stood within the temple, with the twin goddesses both staring at him intently. They placed their instruments aside and remained silent as he regained his lost breath and tried to cope with all of the intense things that he had seen and experienced. And, when he finally met eye contact with the goddesses again, they were clearly able to see that the former innocence in them was gone.
"Now," Hylia said calmly, though her voice was steady. "Do you know who you are?"
The hero's expression hardened as he stood up straight and looked her straight in the eyes, this time knowing the answer beyond a shadow of a doubt. "I'm Link," he said firmly, reflecting back on all of the memories of his life that he had just seen played out for him.
A ghost of a smile appeared on the lips of both goddesses as Terminus pressed him for the answer once again. "Who?" she asked inquisitively, clearly wanting more than just his name.
"Link," he repeated sternly, doing more than just confirming his identity as he embraced who had always been destined to be. "The Hero of Time."
The twin goddesses both smiled fully upon hearing this and nodded, glad to see that every part of him had finally been restored. "Indeed," Hylia said. "You are..." Her smile suddenly became sad as she sighed wistfully, he tone changing from gentle to reminiscent. "But you are not my Link..."
The hero looked at her curiously, his mind still full of many questions, but there was one that was the most pressing at the moment: the identity of these two young women, both of whom had appeared in his dreams on more than one occasion recently. "Who are you?" he asked them, knowing that they both felt familiar, but he still wasn't entirely sure of who they were.
The black haired girl was the first to respond, her smile soft and kind. "My name is Terminus," she said politely. "I am the sovereign goddess of the land of Termina. And this," she said, nodding to the blonde girl beside her. "Is my twin sister."
"Yes," the other girl said with a nod, her next words cryptic. "And in the same way, I am Zelda. But... I am not your Zelda. For the sake of simplicity, you may call me Hylia, for that is who I also am."
Link frowned at her, clearly confused by her statement, but he remembered that name from somewhere nonetheless. "Hylia?" he asked, recalling what the sages had told him and the princess some time ago. "Aren't you Princess Zelda's ancestor?"
"I am," Hylia nodded with a smile. "I'm the human incarnation of the ancient goddess, whose mortal name was also Zelda, and I was the first ruler of Hyrule. And I can tell by the look on your face that you fear for the fate of my descendant, Princess of Destiny. Well, you have no reason to fret, Hero of Time. She is safe and so is the land of Hyrule and all of its people. In fact, it is because of her that we are gathered here in the first place."
"What do you mean?" the hero asked, still not fully understanding what was going on.
Hylia took a long glance up at the sunlight flooding into the temple from above before she spoke. "As you might know, your soul and spirit were both destroyed alongside the Spirit of the Fierce Deity due to the great damage it sustained from Majora. Your memories and your very essence faded into nonexistence, and only your physical shell remained, completely empty of any life whatsoever. Your beloved was devastated over your loss, and knowing that both of you had suffered greatly, the golden goddesses sent the Triforce to her. She touched it, and wished for two things: the first was the restoration of all of the life lost throughout Hyrule during Veran's conquest. And the other was the restoration of both your soul and the Spirit of the Hero. In response to this second wish, Farore restored your spirit and brought it here to us, so that we could impart it back to you and explain everything that had occurred."
Link smiled as he heard this, knowing that he owed everything he had and everything he was to Zelda. After all, if it wasn't for her selfless wish, he would have been lost forever, without even knowing it. But now, he would be able to go home and live out his life with the princess like they had dreamed and thought was impossible. Against all the odds, hope and light had finally triumphed over evil; peace would finally reign. And that beautiful thought became even better when he realized that Hyrule would be restored to its former glory, even after all of the wrath that Veran had poured down upon it. The ravaged land would see the light that the two of them had fought so hard to achieve, that they had both been willing to die for. All at once, it seemed as though everything would finally be alright. Yet... one thing still bothered the hero amidst all of this good news, something that he needed to know.
"Wait," he said, his smile fading into a wary look. "What about the Fierce Deity?"
Terminus frowned upon hearing this and held her hand out. Out of nowhere, the soul-corrupting mask in question appeared floating above it as the goddess looked at it with sad emerald eyes. The mask's very presence unnerved Link, knowing that he had lost himself to it completely but had triumphed over it at the same time. "Since the Spirit of the Fierce Deity was destroyed alongside the Spirit of the Hero, the goddesses have brought them both back into existence together," she explained succinctly, hiding her inner pain well. "Now, in order for them to sustain one another, they both must dwell inside of the same body."
The hero frowned in surprised worry upon hearing this, unable make much sense of what the goddess had just said. "So… they're both inside of me now?" he asked, gently placing a hand over his heart, where he knew both spirits resided.
"Yes," Hylia confirmed with a nod. "But fear not. The Spirit of the Hero is able to prevail over any sort of influence the Spirit of the Deity might have upon you. Farore simply believed that it was better for both spirits if the conflict between the finally ended, and that the respective power of both would be combined."
"But why?" Link asked, still keeping his gaze locked on the mask, even though he knew that the frightful power that once filled it now permanently lived inside him. "I thought the Fierce Deity was evil... Why would Farore want it inside of me knowing how dangerous it is?"
Terminus gave him a stern look, pulling the mask a bit closer to her. "The Fierce Deity is not evil," she said firmly and defensively. "Its power is great, yes, and in the wrong hands it has the potential to be dangerous, but it's not malevolent. Hidden away within the purity of the Spirit of the Hero, it will be kept safe from misuse forevermore…" The goddess sighed as she stared at the Fierce Deity's Mask wistfully, going into its ancient origins. "The Spirit of the Deity was once one of my chosen hero… In ancient days, I called him out to stand with me against Majora, who had been terrorizing Termina for centuries. He defeated the demon and it was sealed away within the mask you know as Majora's Mask. And yet... my beloved hero was wounded in the battle. Majora's evil touch corrupted his spirit, granting him great power and twisting him into its soulless servant. Majora used the newly-created Fierce Deity to cause great destruction across Termina and in its hatred, it commanded him to hunt me down and slay me. Desperate to save myself and my frightened people, I begged the goddesses to send someone who could subdue my lost hero and, sure enough, they answered my prayers…"
"Din, Nayru and Farore guided my own hero and I to the plagued land," Hylia said, the look on her face just as sad as her sister's. "My hero and Terminus's hero fought each other in a fierce duel, one that ended in both triumph and turmoil. The Deity was defeated, but just barely. In an attempt to free him from Majora's control, Terminus and I created the Song of Healing to revive his soul... But it only partially achieved its purpose."
"We managed to free the Deity from Majora's wrath," Terminus said, shaking her head morosely. "But we could not restore him to his former self. He became a lost soul, one that carried only one sole purpose alone: to destroy anything that stood in its way. To ensure that the great power of the Fierce Deity would not be misused, I sealed his spirit away into a mask and hid it away from the grasp of mortals, until it would be needed to aid Termina once again."
"However, there was another, even more dire consequence came from the battle," Hylia said, her dark blue eyes shining with hidden tears. "Though I didn't find out until it was almost too late, my hero was wounded by the Deity and was also filled with Majora's corruption. Because of the strength of the Spirit of the Hero, he did not fall to it immediately, but rather gradually. But as the Dark Interlopers laid siege across the land and sought to take my life and the Triforce, they tried to destroy my hero, who was quickly starting to succumb to the overwhelming corruption filling his soul. And though he tried his best to fight against it, he eventually did loose himself to it… and the Spirit of my Hero was broken…" Hylia stopped short and kept her gaze focused on the ground at her feet, her face awash with pain at the awful memory that still haunted her. "I was able to purify him, but it cost us both of our lives… And yet the goddesses knew that we could not perish, for our land still needed to be rescued from the Interlopers, and so they restored us so that we could bring peace to the land once more."
"However," Terminus cut in. "Majora knew that the Spirit of the Hero had not fallen victim to its corruption and so it cursed it, vowing that it would one day be conquered and corrupted once and for all. From that moment on, the Spirit of the Hero and the Spirit of the Deity became forever connected to each other, intertwined by fate and destiny. Only one with the Spirit of the Hero has the strength of heart and soul to wield the incredible might of the Fierce Deity, but at the risk of losing his own soul to its power. It was only through the fortitude of your heart and spirit, and your enduring resolve that you were able to defeat the Sorceress of Shadows using its deadly might and drive Majora's influence away from your mind."
Link frowned as the goddesses finished up their tale. He knew he had indeed managed to fight off being eternally corrupted, but he could not help but feel ashamed of his choice to use the Fierce Deity's Mask in the first place. At first, it had been a choice brought about by the best intentions, and yet also from a deep fear that he would not be strong enough to defeat Veran when he needed to most. But in the end, only his despair and grief had driven him into putting it on, and in a way, he had done it to throw a life that he no longer wanted to live away. His supposedly "strong" spirit had done nothing for him at the most important moment and because of that, he had lost himself to its corruption. He had crumbled under all of the pressure and terror that he had been facing for so long, and he only had himself to blame for it. It was only because of Zelda's selfless wish that he had been restored from the brink of complete destruction at all. He had almost let her die because of his own physical and emotional vulnerability, and at the moment where all hope had seemed lost, he put the mask on as a form of escape from his great heartache. "No," the hero said solemnly and morosely, looking down in shame. "I wasn't strong. I was weak. I couldn't save Zelda and I let my love for her blind me from what was equally as important: saving Hyrule. That's why Veran and Majora were able to take control of me. Everything I cared about was nearly destroyed and it was all my fault…"
Both goddesses looked at him with deep pity, both of them understanding where his guilt was coming from. "Oh Link..." Hylia said compassionately, tears almost falling from her azure eyes as memories of her own hero filled her mind. "Do not ever think that love is a weakness. True love for another is perhaps the greatest strength one can have. It is greater than any physical power and it is wiser than any knowledge one could gain. It is the very essence of courage itself. True courage is not the absence of fear. Rather it is one's willingness to face those fears for the sake of those they love. That is why the Spirit of the Hero is such a great asset. So strong is its threshold of noble love for the land of Hyrule and for those with the Blood of the Goddess that it echoes across the ages and stands strong in each generation that needs it, tirelessly fighting for the sake of ensuring that they have a peaceful future."
Link listened to Hylia's comforting words and found truth in them. Perhaps more than anything else, he loved both Hyrule and its princess deeply, so much that he had vowed to do anything in his power to rescue them from darkness and death, including giving up everything he had: his soul, his spirit, his memories, even his very essence. And it was because of that willingness to do whatever it took to ensure their safety, that almost instinctual drive and determination, that he had found the strength that he thought he had lacked. Even despite his former doubt, he really had been strong enough all along. "Thank you," he said to Hylia with a small smile, sincerely grateful for her much needed words of encouragement.
"You're welcome," the goddess said with a warm smile. However, her kind grin gradually faded into a solemn frown before she continued. "And yet... even though the Spirit of the Hero is filled with the greatest strength and courage of the heart that one could hope to attain... it comes at a great price... Its power is beyond any that a usual mortal could hope to possess, and because of that, those who bear it often come to feel isolated from their fellow man, for more reasons than one…"
"The life of a hero is a very difficult one, filled with many challenges and much turmoil," Terminus said thoughtfully. "Any soul who takes up the mantle of the hero must have an unbreakable spirit. Those that do can accomplish their heroic destiny, but it does not mean that they will be free of consequence afterward. From the very moment a hero takes on his quest, his innocence is lost forever, no matter how old they are. In your case, your innocence died when you were still quite a young child, the very second you took up a blade and left the shelter of your childhood home. And from that day on you were never the same again."
"The weight of the world rests on the shoulders of those who have the Spirit of the Hero," Hylia continued poetically. "Countless lives depend on their success over the forces of darkness. Many heroes go through trials that would break a normal person almost instantly, physically, emotionally and mentally. Throughout their lives they endure untold suffering and struggles, but they persevere despite it because they know that they must.
"Fate is never kind to those with the Spirit of the Hero," Terminus went on. "Many heroes have love that is never returned and they die alone, embittered and ruined by their experiences. Some are hated by those they vow to protect, and never see any reward or glory for their selfless efforts as their names fade out of history."
"Many, such as was the case of my very first hero, experience turmoil that is meant to strengthen their will, yet they die in battle, never getting to reap the rewards of their great hardship," Hylia said with a remorseful sigh. "But perhaps the rarest type of heroes are the ones who do live to see happiness and love, who fulfill their destinies and are allowed to see the benefits of their struggles. But these are the heroes who suffer for the longest amount of time. For the duration of their lives, they are haunted by their dark and tarnished pasts, by the terrible things they have seen and done. And in the end, they die with regrets that they can never ease... And, at the end of your own life, Hero of Time, this will be the fate that you will face. I can promise you that you will have many happy days with your beloved, but even so, your dreams will be filled with horrors of the past, painful experiences from your journeys that will never leave you. And at the end of your days, you will be left with lingering regrets of things that you will never be able to change."
"However," Terminus said, trying to lighten the otherwise dark note. "Unlike most heroes who die in this manner, the goddesses have decided to make an exception for you because of both your great suffering and sacrifice for the land of Hyrule in this life. Indeed, you will still die with regrets, but you will be able to set them to ease in time. Centuries after you have physically passed away, your soul shall remain tethered to this world, and in time, Hyrule will once again face grave danger. A new hero will arise and your role will be to pass on the knowledge of combat that you will gain throughout your life to your successor. And in such a way, the Spirit of the Hero will extend across the reaches of time to ensure the safety of the land once more..."
Link was clearly taken aback by all that he was being told, especially since it was so much to take in. The truth about the facets of the Spirit of the Hero was extensive in and of itself, but the details of his posthumous destiny were both amazing and slightly daunting. Despite getting to live out his days with Zelda peacefully, he would still die with regrets that would keep him bound to life for centuries. From the way the twin goddesses spoke, he would be a restless soul forever, or at least until he could finally lay those regrets to rest. For the goddesses had decided to reward for all of his tribulation by giving him the chance to set them right in the distant future, knowing that he did not deserve to be alone forever. He was struck with awe by the very thought, but nonetheless he simply nodded, accepting whatever fate had in store for him for he knew that fighting it was futile.
Hylia returned his nod and smiled wistfully once more, Terminus joining her. Still holding the Fierce Deity's Mask over her palm, the black-haired goddess glanced over at it and changed the subject. "I believe that, since the Spirits of the Hero and the Deity are now one and the same, there is no reason for this to keep this around any longer," she said with a sigh as the mask vanished away completely. "The spirit of my hero may not be free, but at least I know that it will be kept safe and put to a noble use instead of being twisted into evil." Terminus gave Link a soft smile of gratitude, glad that his body and soul would protect the last remains of her lost, but still beloved hero.
"The Spirit of the Deity will remain bonded with the Spirit of the Hero even on into the future," Hylia said, her tone taking an ominous turn. "Your successor will certainly need its strength within him in order to combat the invasive darkness that will threaten him, darkness unlike any the Spirit of the Hero has ever faced before. And yet, unlike the past, this darkness will come about from the hero's own choosing, and it shall bloom in his heart by his own will. In those days, Hero of Time, when the descendant of the Sorceress of Shadows rises up to sow seeds of evil within him, you will be the one who will guide the future hero back to the light, lest he be lost to the shadows forever…"
Link frowned in both confusion and dismay upon hearing this, not understanding why anyone, much less a hero like himself, would willingly choose the path of evil. After all, he had seen its destructive effects firsthand thank to Veran and Majora both, and he knew just how much harm it could do on so many levels. But if it was his duty to convince the future hero of the error of his ways, then he would gladly do it, knowing that he could use his own brutal experiences and the wisdom he had gained from them well.
"However… those are worries for another era," Terminus said with a small grin, turning away from the worrisome topic. "For now, I believe that there is a princess who would very much like to see you again..."
The goddesses both giggled lightly up noticed the hero's clear, jubilant smile, knowing that he was more than eager to reunite with his beloved princess. "Come with us," Hylia said, turning around and heading through the large stone doorway once more. Link followed closely behind them as they led him back into the temple's back room, a serene place decorated with encroaching vines and ancient stone. Near the back of the room, behind the altar, was a pedestal where the blade of evil's bane itself was lodged, its pure metal glistening in the sunlight. The goddesses came to a stop behind it and they silently instructed Link to stand before it.
"Like the Spirit of the Deity, the Master Sword is a blade that has always been and always will be profoundly connected to the Spirit of the Hero," Hylia said contemplatively, looking down at the heavenly blade. "I created the foundation for this sword long ago, but only upon being forged in three Sacred Flames by my hero was it sanctified and gained the power to destroy evil. The spirit who lives inside of the sword, the being called Fi, ensures that the Master Sword keeps its sacred power throughout the ages. It is a blade born out of power, wisdom and courage, and so long as there is a hero pure enough to wield it, it will serve its master for all eternity…" the goddess smiled warmly at the hero, holding her hand out towards the Master Sword. "Link, Hero of Time..." she said firmly. "Draw this ancient blade one last time and return to the world of the living. Return to your home and return to your beloved." Hylia began to strum a new melody upon her harp, one which Terminus joined on the ocarina as the hero stepped forward to take the Master Sword. The duet that the pair was creating mixed the triumphant overtone of the Song of the Hero and the gentle flow of Zelda's Lullaby together in a song that spoke of great love, passion and romance. "Return to yourself!" Hylia commanded as light began to fill the already glowing temple even more.
As the goddesses relayed their final words, Link pulled the Master Sword out of its ancient pedestal and was enveloped in golden light as he was returned to Hyrule, ready to reunite with both the kingdom he would always fight for and the princess he would always love at long last.
"It's such a nice day..." Zelda said to Link as the two of them leisurely walked along the shore of Lake Hylia. Indeed it was; the late afternoon summer sun reflected spectacularly across the lake's glass-like surface and the clear blue sky seemed almost infinite above them, the perfect picture of a peaceful day.
"Yeah, it is..." the hero said casually before letting out a small yawn. "Kinda boring though..."
"Boring?" the princess raised an eyebrow at him. "I swear Link, you're always craving some kind of excitement! So tell me, what would make this day any more interesting?"
"Hm..." he thought for a moment before responding. "Well, a storm would certainly help."
"A storm?" Zelda scoffed, crossing her arms. "Come on. Just look up there!" She pointed to the pleasant blue atmosphere above their heads. "There isn't a cloud in the sky!"
Link gave her a sly grin as he took the Ocarina of Time out. "I can fix that," he said cleverly, catching a look of suspicion from the princess.
"What are you doing...?" she asked curiously as she watched him play a quick, bouncy melody known properly as the Song of Storms. As he was playing, the princess was surprised to see dark clouds forming out of nowhere in the skies above. But what bewildered her even more was when rain began to fall from those clouds, coupled with roaring thunder. In a matter of minutes, both of them were soaked, much to Zelda's derision.
Glaring at the hero crossly, she reached for the ocarina to get him to stop playing the rain-bringing song but he was quick to hold it up out of her reach. "Link!" she said, trying to act annoyed even though there was clear laughter in her tone. "You are just terrible!"
Before Link could even give her a retort, she pushed him so hard that he started to fall, but he managed to grab onto Zelda's wrist just in time so he could bring her down with him. Both of them tumbled off of the low Cliffside into Lake Hylia's crystal blue waters, getting them even wetter. When the two of them surfaced, the princess scowled at the hero for a minute, but both of them were quick to break out into gales of laughter.
"Well, I was right," Link said a moment later.
"Oh really?" Zelda said amidst the still falling rain. "About what?"
"That did make things more interesting," he laughed and she joined in after giving him a much deserved splash.
Well, that was a lore-filled, thought provoking chapter that seemed to repeat a lot of things that were in the last one, though I thought there were quite a few great references to both B&S and L&S in there! For next time, we're gonna get some resolution happy times, followed by some angsty stuff, because not everything can be perfect, can it? But for now, let's go through the rundown once more…
Chapter 38: Dawn of a New Day
Chapter 39: Ties of Eternity
Epilogue: Wisdom and Courage
Afterword
Wow! We're really getting down to it, aren't we! I am so glad that this is almost over though, because it means that I'll have more time to devote to both L&S and HW, which are my two main projects at the moment! Well, that's it for now. Don't forget to REVIEW! Until next time!