Chapter 28
The Earth Sage
Dust caking his felt boots, Link stood on a circular platform.
Statues. Pillars of thick, otherworldly light. Large mirrors, glinting quicksilver.
A comforting weight pressed on his back and Medli's warm breaths brushed against his nape. The poor child, exhausted from scurrying behind him, succumbed to fatigue and fainted when a floor master prowled around her. Carrying her limp form, Link plodded through the temple, settling her in safe places when he fought monsters.
He finally set foot in the oblong chamber stretching as far as the eye could see. The room solidified through a pearly veil, there and yet, not quite there.
Sitting on the edge of the platform with Medli's head resting on his lap, the boy ate; working through a cheese sandwich and dividing the fruit between himself and the girl. The ponytail at the back of the her head looked painfully elaborate and he worked the ribbon free. Medli's shock of russet hair spilled over his lap, the tips sweeping the dusty floor. Link gently stroked it, thinking of the times he spent with Ilia at the edge of Ordona's spring.
Did she get her memory back?
Will she remember him or will the other boy wearing his face be the object of her affection?
He woke when Medli gingerly shook him. Yawning the vestiges of tiredness away, he pointed to the packed lunch and urged her to eat. The Rito shook her head and implored for the ribbon twisted between his fingers.
"No," Link sternly refused. "You will have your ribbon after you eat. I don't care if you feel like throwing up, the temple is long and difficult and you need energy to keep going." His irises sharpened. "Eat."
Nibbling on an apple she would rather throw across the room, Medli tried not to concentrate on the stifling silence between them. The chamber swirled with dust but curiously, the statues and mirrors were clean. At some point during her laborious eating, Link combed his cut laced fingers through her hair and she wanted to scoot away from him. The gesture unnerved her.
"Do you have a sister?" she asked and tied her hair back. Her lunch clawed for a way out of her stomach and Link shook his head. "A family?"
Another dismal shake of his head accompanied by a sad smile.
"Although, the whole village is my family, roughly speaking." The hero jumped to the floor, and popped his joints. "There are quite a few kids," he ticked off names, "and managing them all can be quite tiring." A beat of silence underlined his words. "I miss them terribly."
The two geared for work, hauling statues to proper places and shining light on the colossal mirrors. Silvery light weaved through a pillared structure in the middle and Link grunted, sweat blooming on his back as he pushed and pulled the pewter stone structures.
A crab-like statue sheared across the floor and panting heavily, Link rotated his wrist to ease pressure. Ancient text flowered across the bust, singing praise to the Earth God. He wondered who this 'Earth God' could be; since antiquity, people worshipped the Goddesses Hylia, Din, Nayru and Farore. Later on, tribal cultures mingled together and local deities sprang up. Lord Jabu-Jabu who reigned over the sea and here in this world, Lord Valoo whose domain of fire and volcanoes struck fear into the most sea hardy sailors. Taking a deep breath, Link resumed pushing, the crab clicked into place and Medli fluttered beside him, pointing to another pedestal needing mirror.
A golden mark on the wall pointed to something hidden and light bounced off the polished shield, revealing a mirror nestled in a curved alcove. The pearly quality of the room intensified as light constantly bloomed and waned in the periphery of Link's vision. Swallowing a gulp of water and soaking the front of his tunic, the boy fixed the mirror into its designated place, unearthed another treasure chart and stared at the co-ordinates, snarling in frustration.
"Maybe you need a break?" Medli timidly offered him an orange, he devoured it, growling angrily.
"I'm irritated." The scent of citrus clashed against the rocky undertones of stone. "I don't know the history behind this temple, or who it is dedicated to, or its significance. Who is this Earth God? Are these statues depicting him?" He pointed to the numerous shapes scattered through the room, his hand lingering at a majestic elephant-like being with short tusks and a long trunk. "What's with all the mirrors and light. Where does the light come from?"
The duo craned upwards, at the cavernous ceiling swimming in murky umbrae.
"The light is magic," the Rito informed and Link perked in understanding. "As for who the Earth God is...I don't really know...I mean, it's not important any more is it?"
Link looked at her like she grew a second set of wings. "Not important?" he echoed, scandalized. "Of course it's important! How do you preserve culture and relics if you don't know its history?" Shaking his head and mumbling dark threats, he stalked to a pillar of light and Medli scrambled after him. "We must get the light to bounce from one mirror to the other." Link nodded to a place and she took out her harp, reflecting light according to his orders. "Wait there." He stood a few meters from her and brought out his mirror shield.
Light struck, transforming the chamber into a sea of stars.
Dark stone lurked at the edges, the boarders of a cosmos. Transfixed by the ribbon of silver white winding across the room, Link forgot to breath. The Earth Temple seemed much more alive than a dead crypt harboring dust and animated skeletons. It teemed with life and magic.
Twin pillars of light struck the hollows of another idol's eyes and they flared like miniature suns. A hallway opened underneath and leaving the breathtaking chamber behind, Link followed the passage and encountered a darknut waiting patiently with a delegation of blue bubbles. The boomerang whizzed through the room, a yellow streak in the gloom. The bubbles fell one by one, skulls peppering the floor. Licking his lips in anticipation, Link drew his sword when the darknut charged.
The monster's horned head stared lifelessly and he kicked it away.
A trellis of long dead vines proved a treacherous surface to climb and hiking determinedly, Link flopped to the top, flexing his fingers. He held out an arm for Medli, her hair plastered on her scalp due to sweat; she collapsed next to him and gulped a large bottle of water. A chasm separated the two from another ledge containing a door. Behind it, Link felt ghostly energy, one of the few things alive in the temple.
He grinned and remembered Medli when she squeaked at the maniacal smile cutting his face.
"This is the end," Link intoned and brought out the Deku Leaf, he judged the space between one platform and the next and prayed he would make it. "The boss monster is behind the door, you won't be coming in with me," he announced and Medli opened her mouth to protest. "You should tell him," Link interjected and her brows knitted in confusion. "You should tell Link your feelings." Crimson flared in her cheeks. "Before it's too late. Before he changes into someone you don't know anymore."
Imparting these ominous words, the boy slung the Deku Leaf over his head and jumped, the magical leaf floated him across the chasm and Medli took to her feet, her stomach twisting at his retreating form.
What did he mean? She worried her harp. Link won't change, right?
Right?
Sacred symbols of the Triforce created a mosaic on the floor and Link ignored the ghostly presence drifting within the chamber to better scrutinize the pattern beneath his boots. The large poe, Jalhalla, the texts said, could not be harmed with any weapon in existence. How to defeat the poe remained in obscurity and pitch eyes rolling to the ceiling, he noted three holes cut into the clay roof.
An earthen column spiked into dangerous, tapered points, the product of corrupt magic. Jalhalla drifted aimlessly, its shadow outlined by the light flaring in sconces bolted along the crumbling walls. Circling underneath the indents in the roof, Link lunged when a pillar of light shone from above, his shield directed the light on the ghost and Jalhalla spasmed, turning into stone.
Before the hero sliced him into nothing, he took a moment to study the spirit's features. A white mask hid its face, bulging eyes conveyed hate. Jalhalla's limbs jerked and Link sliced, surprised when the sword rebounded. Regarding the conveniently placed pillar bristling with spikes, he slipped on the power bracelets, hefted the poe and punted it.
Instead of dying, the poe split into smaller versions of itself.
Tsk.
The sword reaped souls of the undead and he killed the smaller ghosts with frightening accuracy. Sighing in satisfaction, Link twirled the sword and sheathed it, tensing when the door opened to reveal Medli.
She peeked inside and stepped in, clapping graciously at the portal to the surface. Humoring her, Link performed a mock bow and she giggled lightly.
Amidst them, Sage Laruto appeared, smiling at her descendant. Without exchanging words, the two strummed their harps in unison, playing the Earth God's Lyric a final time, Link listened intently and on his back, the sword hummed, gradually filling with power.
The Earth God lyric petered to its last bars, the Temple shook and the spikes rimming the boss chamber receded, tamed by song.
Medli opened her eyes and watched Link, regarding the Triforce on the floor; she looked at her hands, unstained by blood and approached him.
He looked up and smiled. No more mocking and polite; but genuine and warm.
"I am going to stay here," Medli whispered and the gentle smile on his lips reformed into a displeased line, "Link, you have to go to the Wind Temple-"
"I know," he replied crisply, "and you are mistaken if you think I'm going to leave you here."
"...I must stay here and pray, your Master Sword is being sustained by prayer." He looked away guiltily and Medli continued, "I will be fine, once the sword is back to full power, I will return home. It's a promise."
Barely did Link clamber on the King of Red Lions when a question assaulted him.
"Where is Medli?" Zelda stood at the stern, clutching fistfuls of her silk gown; her dark eyes scanned Headstone Island for the Rito.
Stuffing the charts safely in a trunk and separating the waste and other spoils he found in the temple, Link examined the Master Sword, the edges sparkled too brightly under the sun and when he ran a finger to test the blade, a deep cut welled scarlet drops of blood.
"She's in the Earth Temple," he answered reluctantly, "Medli will stay, praying till the Master Sword is back to full power and till I have the Triforce of Courage."
Tucking the lengths of material flowing around her legs and making walk impossible, Tetra gaped at Link. "You left her there?" She gripped a dagger tucked into the jeweled band around her waist. "You left a child all alone in the Earth Temple? What will she eat? What if monsters got to her? Have you ever thought about that?" Zelda shrieked, "of course not, you only worry about yourself and defeating Ganondorf!"
"Perhaps you should take a lesson from her about responsibility," Link snapped, fists clenched. The boat rocked, sighing at the constant arguments between his passengers. "If we defeat Ganondorf, the Great Sea will be free from danger, there won't be monsters choking the waves," Link irritably drew her attention to the myriad of sharks swimming in the waters, "life will be easier for all of us."
Forcefully slamming the lid of a wooden chest to end the conversation, Link rubbed his throbbing temples. Zelda dragged her feet back to the deckhouse and shut the door with a loud bang and weary of their conflicting points of view, he slunk to the figurehead and wrapped his arms around the dragon.
Daphnes creaked, swinging his head to Link who gazed petulantly out at sea. "I believe we have to head to the Wind Temple next?" The boy nodded. "Do the books say anything?" the boat prompted.
Easing his weight off the figurehead, Link unrolled the map. "The island is situated directly north of Windfall Island, so its north east from here."
He gripped the WindWaker and played the Ballad of Gales, holding a palm to his mouth and stifling the urge to vomit. The water around the boat swelled into a peak, wind rushed from the surrounding environment, cajoling the peak into a towering twister. Unable to hold his nausea, Link shuffled to the rails and hung over as a column of water cycled beneath the boat. A gale howled around them, slicing the sea into patches of white foam. The cyclone gained moment and rushed across the ocean and moaning, he threw up.
Three days later, Link weakly picked a salt encrusted seashell of the side of his boat and trudged to the bow, rubbing the blue bags under his eyes. Gathering his equipment, he glanced at the closed door to the deckhouse. Daphnes urged him to apologize to Zelda, the princess had a point.
And Link wanted to apologize, if only she could leave the deckhouse for more than a few minutes and acknowledge his existence.
"I'll be going now," he said and the boat blinked indulgently. Smiling despite the ominous clouds gathering overhead, Link jumped on the pebbly beach and a violent gust of wind nearly knocked him back into the boat. Daphnes drifted further offshore and squinting at the vortex of wind, Link made out a weird, octorock statue as the source of the gale.
Gale Island, how fitting, he chuckled humorlessly to himself.
The iron boots slipped on the sand. Dry leaves careered past and palm trees hung low, bent double by the windstorm. Half crawling, half walking, Link climbed the incline and the wind shoved him back like a wall. Holding the skull hammer, he smashed the wind generating statue. The gale sputtered to an abrupt stop and as if sucked in, fallen leaves and sand came rushing back. Link sneezed at the grit wafting up his nostrils and dusting his cap free, he entered the tunnel, jammed with the remains of the gale statue.
Inside, the path ended at a stone tablet bearing the Wind God's Aria. The sad lament of an ocarina rung in his ears and Link whipped around, searching the source of the song. A young boy with a puff of bright blonde hair materialized out of thin air and bowing to him, Link waited for the symphony.
"I am called Fado," the Kokkiri child intoned and Link repeated the name under his breath.
Fado.
How did the rancher fare? Were the residents of Ordona surviving well? The present flickered like a dream and the background ocarina increased in volume, bursting Link's eardrums before leaving a silence filled with the bleats of goats. Bewildered, Link looked up from his book at Fado who shouted at him to get off his lazy butt and help with the hay. Pine trees cast dappled shadows and resin bled amber-gold in the trunks. Sighing dramatically, Link rose from the carpet of grass, reached for the pitchfork his employer threw at him and jerked when tool missed his outstretched hand and plunged into his foot.
He stared at the Kokkiri child waiting patiently for a response.
"I… have to find the Wind Sage, who uses a similar musical instrument as yours?" Link confirmed and Fado nodded carefully. "Makar." Link remembered the Korok child. "He uses a violin…like yours."
Sage Fado opened his eyes, a shocking blue. "Makar," he wistfully echoed. "I remember him, he was my friend."
Fireflies orbited in the cool night air of Forest Haven and disembarking on the pier, the hero distractedly waved the King of Red Lions goodbye and went where his boots took him. The flashes of the imagined past inside the Wind Temple distressed him. Fado sure called him to work, but he never threw the ranching tools and Link certainly never had a pitchfork plunging in his foot. Forcibly pushing unwanted thoughts to the back of his skull, he slashed a lunging bokoblin and grabbed a withered boko-stick, beating the grass to coax more fireflies to the air. Hauling up a ledge and following the stream, Link stopped at the rushing waterfall, it shone quicksilver under the moon.
A violin note flitted across the air, through the crashing waves and bewildered, Link paused in the twirling of his grappling hook and cocked his head. Another note sang past his ears and he pressed his ear against the ground. A beat later, an entire musical piece wafted from the direction of the waterfall and crossing to the top, Link hung his head and listened.
Mother played the viola. During summer, sunlight streamed into the wood paneled music room, illuminating the figure swaying at the casement windows with a viola tucked under the chin. Link ducked out of sight and listened, he was supposed to be studying history, not listening to music.
In the cave under the waterfall, Makar jumped when the forceful thump of boots sounded above his music. He turned, brandishing the violin bow at the intruder. No one is supposed to interrupt when he composed a new piece, the Korok knew to stay away. The music will be used for the next Ceremony and the harmony of instruments played a vital role to the growing of the next generation saplings. He was about to admonish the trespasser but when Link wrung water off his tunic and squeezed his hair dry, the harsh words in Makar's mouth evaporated into a gurgle.
It was him, the grinning demon hero who rescued Makar from Kalle Demos.
The human sauntered unapologetically, leaving muddy footprints on the floor. A circle of grass supported a low wooden table, set with a tiny cup and a plate of; Link examined the fruit, cherries. He lopped one in his mouth, scrutinized the mud walls and his pitch irises narrowed on a frame hung on the wall.
A dozen Kokkiri smiled from the faded painting, behind them, trees knit together. The Lost Woods.
"Can I help you?" Makar questioned, he did not like the way the human studied the painting. "I'm busy composing the next Ceremony song; I don't like to be interrup-"
"The Wind Sage is named Fado," Link interrupted and his probing gaze landed on the Korok. "He said he knew you."
Makar tuned his violin absentmindedly, of course he knew Fado, he knew everyone. The Kokkiri children did not age and tucked into one corner of Hyrule, they relinquished their grasp on current events when Link left the village. Their duty done, they silently whiled away their time, changing, shedding parts of their memory and reorganizing their minds to fit with the times. Even so, the imprint of what they once were remained deep in their veins. Makar loved music; he stopped playing the violin when the Wind God took Fado away.
Time and the necessity of a song for the Ceremony urged him to take it up again.
"You mentioned the Hero of Time." Makar waddled to his table, sighing at the two cherries remaining on his plate. "He was a lazy brat who slept most of his time and clashed against Mido. Saria...told Link to stay out of trouble, Navi constantly screamed at him to wake up in the morning."
Link frowned; he did not appreciate having his hero dissected like this.
"Link came to the village when he was a baby, Saria picked him up. She and Mido took turns being parents. Fado and I played music to calm him down...all in all, he was very high maintenance," Makar recalled pensively. "What is he to you?" the Korok questioned, "he isn't only a legacy, you care more about him than any other person I've encountered."
Wondering if Makar would mind if he ate the last pair of cherries, Link reached for them, offered one to the Korok who declined. Popping them in his mouth, he chewed thoughtfully and answered, "He is my maternal ancestor." Makar tilted his head in confusion. "In this timeline he has no successor, but the world I come from - don't ask questions-" Link warned, "I am a direct descendant," he stared at the framed portrait, "they say I resemble him."
The waterfall outside frothed endlessly. Spray dotted the entrance to the cave, moonbeams clawed through, splaying against wet mud in dazzling shapes.
Makar fiddled with his instrument. "What did you come here for? I don't think you stopped by to chat." At this Link grinned ferally. "Please stop doing that," the Korok squeaked, "you give me a heart attack...although I don't think I have one anymore," he muttered under his breath.
Ruminating on Korok biology, Link relented. "I'm here searching for a new Wind Sage, I need your help to traverse the Wind Temple."
Rising on his squatty feet, Makar shuffled to his notes strewn over the floor. A moment later, he felt heat emanating from the human peeking above his head; the Korok gathered the loose papers together and held them tightly.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I won't be going to the Wind Temple with you, find someone else."
XXXXX
Crown of destruction
Shoveling the last morsel of rice porridge in his mouth, Link roughly wiped his lips and placed the bowl in the sink. He will wash it later, he mentally confirmed and dashed out the door, climbing down the ladder to his house and jumping the last few rungs. Securing the leather belt running uncomfortably under his armpit, he bolted for the village, passing Sera with a cheerful wave, nodding at Hanch and shaking his head at Jaggle sitting vigil by a bee's nest for honey. The run across the village left him breathless and when he arrived at the porch to Rusl's house, he took a moment to even his breathing.
And to crush the guilt bubbling in his stomach.
Brushing his fringe to the side, he slowly sat next to Uli who beamed at him and rocked a wicker cradle. Lying on a cushion of cotton sheets, the baby slept peacefully and Link leaned in and kissed her tenderly on her cheek. She smelt of warm milk and inwardly melting, he picked her up, looking at Uli for permission.
Uli smiled gently and inclined her head.
The girl woke in his arms, mouth parting into a perfect oval. Link watched her carefully. She had denim blue eyes like Colin, her fine hair, like threads of corn silk, hung across her forehead. The baby squirmed and rocking her, he offered his thumb. She grasped it tightly with all of her five little fingers and her gaze rested on him. Link wondered what she saw, a coward?
Obviously.
Mid-morning sunshine crept across the porch and Link retreated to a rocking chair by the door.
A second later, Uli stood up, stretching and savoring the warmth. "I'm going to Sera's place," she announced and picked a basket, "I need to shop for groceries; Rusl will be home for dinner." A delicate frown formed between her blonde brows. "He and the Resistance Members are searching for a way inside the Castle." Her eyes took on a thunderous expression. "I understand he does not want to scare me, but I worry more when he doesn't tell me what's going on out there," she shook her head in the general direction of Castle Town, "it's worth knowing the danger to better prepare oneself."
"He's just trying to protect you," Link mumbled and squeezed the baby closer to his chest. He'd do the same for Aryll; he would never let his younger sister know of the terrible things out in the world. Nope. Things like monsters, blood and dark and deep desires were not for Aryll to witness. "Rusl is worried about you, that's why he doesn't want you or Colin or her," he bounced the baby, "to ever see what he does. It's not pleasant."
Grasping the basket's straw handle with both hands, Uli exhaled, "You are becoming more and more like him, I know Rusl is worried, but he should realize that I...we worry about him as well." She stepped on the path. "I'll be back before afternoon; will you be alright with her?"
Flashing confident grin, Link nodded exuberantly. "Of course, I'm a pro when it comes to babies."
"Hmm, I wonder when that happened," Uli trilled laughter and walked away.
Did Midna worry about him?
Link thought and stroked the baby's head, her eyelids drooped shut before snapping open and focusing on something or the other. Mostly, she focused on him, at the stubble on his jaw. When he rubbed his cheek against her, she protested, whining pathetically before calming at a kiss. Link wondered if it was okay to monopolize her like this. Uli or Rusl never complained when he hoarded the baby, but when Sera visited in the evenings, she complained all the affection and slobbering won't help the child grow.
Is that the reason Aryll was shorter than average?
She'll grow; Link placated himself and rocked to and fro. The baby in his arms slept serenely.
He could forget Ganondorf and stay in Ordon. Perhaps the war won't reach here.
Midna's words echoed like a gong in his head. The fighting will reach here, she insisted. It will come here, like it first came and tear everything you care about. The kids, Rusl, the new baby girl you so desperately want to call Aryll but you are too much of a weakling to name her.
Go ahead, he imagined her malicious smile, name her.
Call her Aryll, you want to, don't you Link?
"She's not Aryll," he hissed to no one in particular and the child jerked awake. "You will never be Aryll," he cooed and buried his face in her chest. "It's Colin's right to name you, not mine."
By evening, he closed the barn door, sweat caked the shirt to his body and he peeled the outer layers, dismally regarding the new hole a goat chewed in is pants. What did he find so endearing about goats anyway? They stank, refused to listen to his orders and constantly veered away from the barn when he attempted to coax them into its hay filled insides. The goats chewed endlessly, on stalks of dry grass, on his fingers when he fed the kids, on the wooden fence posts. One took an experimental bite of Epona's tail and Link guffawed when his horse kicked. The goat bleated balefully in return and fixed Link an acrimonious stare with its horizontal pupils.
Worst of all, they chewed on his clothes. Uli repaired them on a daily basis and Link entertained thoughts of slaughtering the perpetrator and having mutton stew. His mouth watered at the aroma of meat, vegetables and broth.
Unfortunately he had appearances to keep.
Wiping his salivating mouth, Link bid Fado farewell and headed to the village proper. He opened the ranch's gate and a hand clapped him on his shoulder. Spinning to face the rancher, Link waited for him to speak.
"Want to have dinner?" Fado asked, "I've got new cheese, you eat cheese don't you?" Link nodded absentmindedly, his attention pulling to the long shadow behind the giant man, did the shape move or were his eyes tricking him? "You can tell me stories about your journey; the kids are still in Kakariko aren't they?" Fado talked, but the words soared over the hero's head, he glanced fearfully at the contorting shadow and backtracked. "Oi-" Fado began, the shadow moved and Link screamed as it warped.
Midna is going to come out of it. He swallowed thickly. Her demon hand-hair will taper into a spear and stab him for his insolence. For daring to run away and not help her reclaim Twilight. He escaped when she needed him most. The Twilight Princess will not forgive such betrayal.
She throttled Zant to death.
He saw the shadow of a smile hovering beneath the surface of her face.
"Hey, hey! It's okay," Fado pacified and Link's chest heaved, he fought for breath. Air escaped his lungs and the world spun in dizzying circles. "Calm down, it just me, the goats are all in the barn."
At this, Link giggled hysterically. Goats? Did the idiot honestly think he was afraid of goats?
Checking the smear of black behind Fado, Link shut his eyes and opened them again. No wickedly grinning Midna emerged and he slumped on the floor. Fado squatted next to him and grateful for the silence, Link leaned against him and grimaced. Sniffing disgustedly at himself, he sat stiffly upright and Fado let out a long suffering sigh.
"Look, I understand I'm a stranger, but you should realize the village cares lot for you. You're stiffer than the Link I know and getting him to trust someone is like getting water from a stone."
"Water from a stone," Link snickered.
Fado half-smiled. "Exactly, lighten up."
The rich taste of home matured cheese lingered in Link's mouth as he strolled back to Rusl's house. He devoured an entire loaf of bread by himself and patted his stomach; Uli's stew held a special place in his heart and it would be a sin not to eat his share of it. He opened the door and stiffened when he saw Rusl, the man beckoned him kindly inside and blushing at the couple, he shuffled to the table, embarrassment vanishing at the sight of still steaming stew. Inhaling greedily, Link plucked the spoon laid next to the bowl and ate, huffing at the morsel burning his tongue.
"I'm leaving for the sacred grove tomorrow," he pronounced, convincing both himself and Rusl who took a seat opposite him. "I'm doing an experiment," Link related his theories to the older man who listened carefully. "I want to go back home."
Uli joined them. "What?" she queried confusedly. "Home...but this is-"
"It's not his home," Rusl cut in softly, "this isn't the Link we know, he is a child from another realm, a realm the Royal Family of Hyrule refuses to acknowledge."
The stew suddenly lost its flavor and Link lowered his eyes to his lap. Uli judged him no doubt; will she feel the same after knowing who he was? Will she entrust him with the baby he loved so much?
"Oh you poor thing!" she exclaimed and swept him in a warm hug. "Why did you keep quiet all this time?" She patted his cheek. "It must be hard for you."
It is hard for me. The hero smiled politely at the stew Uli ladled in his half empty bowl. They sympathized with him.
They loved him. Even if he wasn't the Link they knew.
"Are you really going to the sacred grove?" Uli sat at the table with the baby bundled in her arms. "You should rest more," she asserted.
"He can't," Rusl replied for Link, "the situation in Castle Town is dire, Ordona will be in danger soon, the curtain of Twilight will re-descend on Hyrule if he does not hurry."
Theory three: Places significant to both worlds.
The Tower of Gods and Temple of Time held similar energy vibes. Both contained an eternal timelessness within the greyish, ivory walls and gold plated columns. In the Temple of Time, Link found a doorway to get back and with this in mind, he found himself in Agitha's house.
What happened to not going to Castle Town? He galloped over fields smoking with embers, the sky tinted pewter, like the time when Twilight encroached upon Hyrule. Only the southern gate remained open, the other gates were sealed shut by the guards, who dwindled pathetically in the face of danger.
A giant pyramid of Twilight covered Hyrule Castle and infringed on the town. Saddled on Epona, Link studied the shimmering barrier, people passed by, some shot him dirty glances as he waited in the middle of the crowd with a horse. Others simply flowed away from him like water diverting from a stream. The residents of the Town were oblivious to the threat mere meters in front of them. How could they be so carefree? He wondered. Didn't they feel the changes in the atmosphere? The way the lake lapped furiously against the shores, the fear in the animals' eyes?
Steering Epona away from the pyramid and the malicious energy raging within, Link's eyes jumped from shadow to shadow. He held his breath at every moving pool of umbrae and gritted his teeth when people massed together, casting large black shapes on the cobblestone. Midna could be here, or there, she could warp over in an instant, if he stayed in one place too long, she will find him and end the experiments he so desperately conducted.
The streets seemed to taper towards Hyrule Castle, several times Link turned in circles, frowning in confusion. Packs of stray dogs and cats, a common sight in the backstreets of Castle Town, vanished to Valoo knew where. Garbage littered the pavements, windows barred shut. Locating the avenue leading to Agitha's house, he scowled at a street urchin trying to peep through the curtained windows and turned the doorknob. It opened soundlessly.
A mug of steaming hot chocolate warmed him from the inside and not in the mood for conversation; he scrutinized the cardstocks mounted on the walls. "I didn't hunt for new ones," he explained to Agitha; firelight flickered in her amethyst eyes, "I couldn't, the fields are choked with monsters and weird plants that bite when you get too close." A tray of fruit pies steamed on the table and he eagerly reached for one of them.
"Be careful," Agitha said when he quickly retracted his hands and blew on his burnt fingers, "they are hot."
"Who did you make them for?" Link asked and bit into one, sugar syrup and cinnamon wafted to the air and he inhaled. "Are there others visiting you?" He recalled the boy on the street; Agitha won't let a pervert inside her house. Who else would come here, in her fantastical kingdom of bugs where she reigned supreme? Although, the walls contained only vividly winged butterflies and oak book cases Link swore he never saw before. Her house felt cold, the chandelier above the table glinted pompously.
Crystal fireflies and ladybugs did not litter the table alongside her ceramic teapot.
Pushing the tray closer to Link, Agitha touched her tablecloth. No bioluminescencefrom crushed bugs stained it. "I made them in case you visit, Grasshopper knight," she replied enigmatically and Link greedily munched another pie, she smiled at the smear of jam across his cheeks. So untidy and straightforward. "Of course I have other people visiting me, Grandfather often joins me for tea, and he doesn't like the ants crawling up the side of the table."
At this, Link laughed.
"And my suitor decided I should read about things other than bugs. He says a bug kingdom does not exist." She tore a paper butterfly in her gloved hands.
Link choked on a piece of strawberry. "Your…what?" The room swirled, all the sugar surged to his head. "What's a suitor?" The pies he gobbled converged into a stone in his stomach. He hoped his assumption was wrong.
"My Grandfather found me a fiancé," Agitha responded tonelessly, "he is a nobleman who sits council at the Castle and says Entomology is a waste of time. Grandfather agreed." The mint green lamps above the mantelpiece vanished.
Pressing the center of a fruit pie till the filling spilled on the tray, Link licked his finger. He wanted to throw up. Visiting Agitha was a mistake. His hand sneaked into his pocket, fingertips brushing against the crystal firefly he took all those months ago.
Months...years, he couldn't tell anymore.
She looked at him, a pleading quality in her mauve irises. A log in the fireplace broke, hissing and releasing a cloud of orange sparks and still, Agitha's eyes did not move from him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't keep my promise about the picnic," Link mumbled.
"It's alright." Agitha scooped the ruined pie on a plate and retreated into the kitchen, her skirts rustling. "You don't have a promise to keep anymore."
When he left, she found a single crystal firefly balanced on the teapot lid.
Maybe the Goddess punished him for taking a wild detour on the destiny they laid out for him. They created a clear end goal and the only thing he wanted to do is wander off course. After the Goddesses used him to vanquish the great evil, will they take the Triforce? Or will he have the golden triangles forever on the back of his hand, shining bright even with six feet of earth above him?
The marble pedestal, magnificent sheath to the Master Sword, gleamed among the mist lying thickly in the Sacred Grove. Grass grew crazily, breaking through centuries old stone columns and flowers bloomed where once a town stood. Cleaning the pedestal, Link tried and failed to read the inscription on it and kissing his sword, he carefully lowered it into the block of stone.
In a whirl of light and shape, the Temple of Time materialized from thin air, it shimmered like a mirage just out of reach and nodding warily to the stone sentinels guarding each side of the crumbled arch, the hero stepped inside the suspended realm. Walls solidified and a staircase of light led to upper floors. Partially hypnotized by the ethereal presence and swallowing the fear overwhelming him, Link cautiously stalked up the staircase. Beneath his boots, the cavernous chasm plunged into a black so deep, it stole his breath away. Focusing on the window showing a glimpse of the past, Link clambered to the top and clasped his hands to stop them from shaking. He reached inside his tunic and his stomach contorted at the empty pockets.
He left the firefly and regret gnawed all the way to his throat.
The scales of justice gleamed bright and echoed his footsteps all the way to the City in the Sky; the hero flinched at the sound bouncing back from the walls. So loud! He examined his reflection, tilting his head to admire himself from all angles. As a child, he often twirled in front of the mirror, exhilarated at his handsome reflection doing silly things. Link prayed to grow up like the man in the mirror and now the same face smiled his smile, rotated his arms and opened his mouth, revealing too long incisors. He rubbed his teeth with a thumb.
Too sharp.
His gaze focused on things he normally would not look at, like the details embossed on the golden dishes, the metal stank. Like the blood he tastes as a wolf.
When the reflection on the scales refused to change to one of a young, pitch eyed boy, Link prowled through the rest of the Temple, searching for the Darknut chamber. There, he might find a remnant of the other Link. A clue to his return home. Perhaps he needed a near death experience in the Temple and Hyrule's Link must be present in the Tower of Gods for the route back home to activate?
"Argghhh!" Link pulled his hair, "why must everything be so complicated?"
The Mid-boss chamber unfolded like a dream. Darting through it like a frightened mouse, Link held his breath, waiting for a monster to come charging out of the darkness and lop his head off. Strangely, he did not fear Midna's reach here. A deathly silence lay in the room along with an undercurrent stench of a rotted corpse. Walking around perimeter, the hero slowly converged into the middle of the room and stifled a scream of horror at the thing lying on the floor.
Blood streaked armor pieces piled next to a mangled shape, bony fingers tangled around the hilt of a slim sword. A thick line of rust ran from a hole in the monster's chest. Dried blood stained the granite floor into a crimson puddle.
Retching at the flesh peeling off the darknut's face, Link's gaze pulled back to the corpse like a magnet. No other wounds, he noted, his eyes stinging. Only a single stab under the ribs, he touched his own chest, hand coming to a stop at his beating heart.
Hyrule's Link killed a darknut with a single stab to the heart.
"Whoa..." Disgust morphing into admiration, he cast one last look at the monster and with a sense of odd triumph, retraced his way back to the entrance. Only when he stepped outside, the dewy grass soaking his boots did it dawn on him. "There are no other monsters in the Temple. He killed them all."
He trembled from the cold. A phantom pain caressed his neck. The scar biting into his throat spilled under the collar, creeping across his chest. Streaks mapped his skin and every time he took off his tunic, Link stared at the constellation mapping his body. Orca compared scars to heroic medals but Link found them ugly.
Each mark contained a cloud of bad memories.
The forest leading to the sacred grove hummed, the tune hauntingly familiar. Fog coagulated to a milk-white screen and drained from jumping from one part of Hyrule to the other with no results to his questions, Link listened to the song. The hairs on his nape stood on edge and sunlight broke through, evaporating the tendrils of mist rising to the surface. Tree trunks threw twisted shadows on the ground.
And the shadows moved.
The humming increased, loud and clear and he rubbed his eyes. Yep, the shadows twisted, whirpooling into an eddy. Wracking his brains for the source of the familiar tune, Link braced, hand reaching for his bow. From the churning depths, a glowing, orange demon-hand emerged.
"It's nice to see you again," Midna sneered, "Hero of Twilight."
A/N: Midna finally finds Link. Will she spear him for his incompetence or will she take pity on the poor guy? Tune in to the next chapter to find out! To be honest, I missed writing her. She is so out of control. Though, Link is genuinely afraid of her, despite feeling safe in her company.
At James Birdsong: Thank you for your comment
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