Chapter 4
"Have I mentioned yet that I think this is a bad plan?" Rodney said to John and Daniel as they stood on the threshold of the Temple of Time.
"Yes, you have, Rodney. At least three times since we got off the train." Daniel replied.
"Well it is." Rodney said again, as John retrieved a silver flute from his coat pocket and began to play the seven notes which would open the doorway. As in the first and only other time Rodney had been there, the symbols on the door frame lit up and a shimmering blue field of energy formed across it.
"Bad plan or not, the alternative, Dr. McKay, is Hylian spilling Hylian blood. I would rather die than see that happen." John said, and then disappeared through the portal.
"Come on." Rodney said in defeat, and then followed him in. Daniel trailed after him.
The inside of the temple was much as Rodney remembered it. Of course it would be. The interior of the temple existed outside the normal flow of time. It was all gold, marble, and obsidian décor bathed in a soft golden light. Rodney still hadn't worked out where the light source was coming from. For a moment he expected to be greeted by the annoyingly endearing old lady, Impa who had knowingly trapped him and his team there in Hyrule for six years several years ago. Yes, it was done with the best of intentions, and it all worked out in the end, but it still annoyed him nonetheless. But then he remembered Impa had died and ascended. So then who was the new guardian? He wondered.
"So who's the new Sage of Time?" Rodney asked John hopefully. "And when do we get to meet her, or him as the case may be?"
"New Sage?" John returned, his eyes scanning the expansive room in front of him. "I don't know of any new Sage of Time since her grace was murdered when I was a boy." He then added after a minute, "When the time is right, one will be awakened and take her place."
Rodney's facial expression then turned to one of sheer panic. "No Sage?" He asked again, hoping he had heard wrong.
"No, why?" John responded.
"Why?! I'll tell you why! Because the stargate is retracted into the floor, that's why!" Rodney raised his voice in disgust. "You could have told us that while we were still at Castle Town, it would have at least saved us the trip!"
"You didn't ask." John said, not turning to face them. "You didn't enjoy the train ride across Hyrule? I thought it was very pleasant." He said, a little too flippantly.
"Rodney, calm down." Daniel spoke up. "There's got to be other ways home from here."
"Hello! Hyrule to Danny-boy! No stargate, no time portal. No time portal, even if we could find the linking book in the library here, it would put us back on Earth thirty years or more in our future! And before you say there's got to be another way again, save it! There isn't! I know! I looked for one for six years!"
"Yes, my father used to tell us stories of his adventures with you before he died. We always found them quite humorous." John said sadly, missing his mother's laugh and the story telling times with his whole family. Sometimes, even his aunt would come and fill in some details in their private chambers. His heart ached at the memory.
"Is there anyone else who knows how to operate the, um... portal of time?" Daniel asked John calmly.
"No. Only the Sage of Time and the goddess herself that I know of. Perhaps she might be willing to assist if you would offer her a prayer?" John offered.
Rodney's face went red, but before he could explode, Daniel intervened. "So then why hasn't a new Sage been appointed?"
"Because the goddess has not awakened one. I believe I already said that." John returned.
"So then Sages aren't chosen by some elective process?" Daniel asked, not familiar with Hylian customs and intrigued.
"No, they must be awakened by the god or goddess whom they represent. In ancient times, this was also known as the Temple of Hylia. It is Hylia who must awaken her Sage, and she has not yet chosen her new Sage that I am aware of." John responded.
"That almost sounds like the Priors of the Ori." Daniel responded concerned.
"They're similar, but without the 'convert or die' rhetoric." Rodney told him, trying to come to grips with his severe miscalculation. "They usually just hang out in their temples praying, meditating, or whatever they do unless they have to go somewhere on goddess business. They pretty much stay out of the way of everyday life except for the really important stuff like coronations, royal succession, or the end of the world."
"I see." Daniel said. "And there's one Sage for every temple?" He asked.
"Yes, each temple represents a primal element governed by one of the goddesses or gods," John answered, "Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, Spirit, Light, Time, Earth, and Wind. Forest as well as courage is governed by Farore, fire and power by Din, and water and wisdom by Nayru. Hylia governs the primal element of Time and is also the ancient progenitor and guardian of the Hylian royal family."
"Hylia?" Daniel asked. "Wasn't she also..?"
"Zelda." Rodney answered, still flustered. "Zelda was Hylia's mortal incarnation."
"In every age of Hyrule's existence yes. My aunt returned to us again and again to lead her people and protect us with her wisdom in our darkest times." John said, his eyes finally fixed on what they had been seeking."
Daniel tried to process that. "So, just as Link was reborn time and again, so was Zelda?"
"Yes. My father was continuously reborn as well through the will of Farore to fight the Demon King and keep him contained." John said, beginning his reverent approach to the pedestal where his father's sword slept peacefully. "The goddesses continuously returned them to us to deliver us in our times of need against the oppression and enslavement of the Demon King."
"They continuously ascended and retook human form after they died," Daniel said, putting the pieces together in his head, "for thousands of years because only they could use the lamna clavia to keep the Demon King contained."
"Except it wasn't Link's choice." Rodney added to Daniel's train of thought. "Or if it was, he didn't remember any of it until the crap hit the fan. I'm not sure Zelda did either."
"So someone else continuously sent them back, with or without their consent? Who?" Daniel asked.
"Knowing Link and Zelda, I don't think it was without their consent. They could both be pretty stubborn when they needed to be." Rodney told him, his eyes moving back and forth across the chamber trying, and failing, to work up a plan to raise and operate the stargate himself. "Useless." He kept saying. "No, that won't work. Dammit."
"What?" Daniel asked.
"Even if I could get the stargate raised, I would still need to know the extra coordinates to put us on Atlantis and in the right time zone, so to speak. Not to mention the power requirements. The last time Impa did this, she had the Triforce of Power."
At this Daniel pursed his lips and stayed silent, thinking of the pendant hanging around his neck.
Rodney continued, "We could use it to go back in time thirty years ago and then find the linking book, but I don't know how to make it do that, and there's no computer consoles for me to find out how! Not even my own tablet!" He was fuming. Rodney was powerless in a way he hadn't been for a long time, and his fate was literally in the hands of gods he didn't believe in much less trust.
John hadn't been listening to this last part of their argument. Instead he had, humbly and with much reverence, gone to stand before the Master Sword embedded in its stone pedestal. He had then dropped to one knee, bent his head low and offered a prayer to his goddesses.
"Great goddesses of Hyrule," He began, "Din, Nayru, and grandmother Farore, hear me, please. Lady Hylia, ancestor and aunt lend me your ear, I humbly implore you. Hyrule is in danger once more from within. If nothing is done, all that you have worked for, your sacrifices, my father's sacrifice, will have been for nothing. I am in need of your power, your wisdom, and your courage to fight this evil. My queen mother has been poisoned and she sleeps a deathly sleep. The healers of our land have no cure for it. As I speak, my traitorous brother moves to invade our land, destroy your temples, murder your Sages, and usurp the throne which I would have given him freely and gladly. But it wasn't my will, but your will that I be named heir. I am not my father, the great Hero who became our savior time and time again, but to fight this evil, I must try and become him for all of our sakes. I humbly ask your blessing as I go to take up his sword in your names to fight this evil, or die in the attempt."
Then, standing up, he strode with purpose towards the pedestal. It was then that Rodney came out of his despair long enough to notice what the prince was doing and he panicked once again, knowing full well what the consequences of the younger man's actions could be.
"Wait, John." Rodney tried to stop him. "Only your father or your aunt could safely touch that sword. It's the reason why they kept coming back. If you try it, it could roast you." He let that last sentence hang in the air. Daniel stayed silent, taking the scene in. He then realized that this was a fate, a destiny, which John had to find the courage to accept on his own.
"I am not my father," John said, standing over the sapphire hilt of the sword in the pedestal, "but I am still my father's son." And he gripped the hilt of the Master Sword with both hands, risking his certain death, and began to pull upwards.
Rodney covered his eyes with his hands saying, "Oh I can't look!"
The sword resisted his pull at first, and then, "Recognition accepted," came a strange female voice, "Master..." The voice trailed off, uncertain. There was a pause, then the voice said, "Error in recognition, both gene sets recognized. Situation impossible. Identity of Master unknown." John's fingers began to tingle painfully as hot energy began to build up in the hilt, preparing to be released.
"I am John, son of Link and Malon; grandson of Gaepora, king of Hyrule; nephew of Zelda; Crown Prince of Hyrule." John said with definitive purpose and authority, determined to be master over his father's sword or die in the attempt.
The intelligence within the sword seemed to pause as she considered this new information. Then after a minute the painful burning in John's hands faded away. "Identity accepted, Master John, Crown Prince of Hyrule." The sword finally conceded, and John finally exhaled as he realized he hadn't taken a breath since he grasped the sword. John then pulled upward with all of his strength and the sword slid free of its ancient stone sheath.
"I don't believe it." Rodney said, unshielding his eyes to look at the scene in front of him, so reminiscent of a scene he encountered many years before with another young hero he had known, and he was filled with a slight spark of... kinship with the young man in front of him. Yeah, if Rodney had to put a name to the feeling, it would have been kinship, just as Link had become something like family to him in the same way Shepherd, Teyla, and even Ronan had. "That shouldn't have happened. The genome has to be precise, I've seen the blueprints!"
The form of a strange blue and silver young woman emerged. "I am Fi." The young woman said. "I am the spirit of the Master Sword. Why have I been awoken like this?" She demanded an answer from the prince holding her real form.
"Great spirit of the sword of swords, we have need of your might once more. Hyrule faces a great darkness once again." John said with reverent awe.
"Yeah, when doesn't it?" Rodney whispered to Daniel. Daniel, who had been standing with his arms crossed put his finger to his lips to signal him to be quiet.
"I understand. I had been informed that the Demon King was dead by Master Link. This is highly unusual Master John." Fi responded.
"It isn't the Demon King that threatens Hyrule, Fi." John said, "But my own brother. Nothing is the same as it was." His voice dripped with bitter anger and sorrow at the betrayal he felt. "My brother Talon means to take Hyrule away from our mother, Queen Malon."
"I am not meant to be used to settle family disputes, Master!" Fi said indignantly.
"Great sword, this is no mere family argument." Daniel spoke up, addressing Fi. "Prince Talon has come under the influence of an evil sorcerer and he is not himself. We humbly ask you to help us reawaken the spirit of his father which has fallen dormant within him. We ask you to help us restore the faith of Hyrule's ancestral Hero to her people."
Fi considered this silently. "How?" She asked.
"Be our symbol, Lady Fi. Be the symbol of the hope which my father and aunt represented to our people. Let us show the people together that though their legend may have been brought to an end, their spirit and memory live on in us; all of us." John said. "If we can stir the hearts of our people then maybe we can avoid having brother spilling brother's blood."
"A worthy goal, but I calculate only an eleven percent chance of success at our mission." Fi reported.
"Then we still have some chance." John said. "Will you fight this battle with me as you fought with my father?"
"I am at your service, Master John." Fi replied resolutely.
The dark clothed figure seemed to just materialize out of the shadows of wooden crates waiting to be loaded onto a ferry the next morning at the shipping docks of Westport. It was the middle of the night, and there was no one else around. The old, silver haired and bearded man had been expecting him.
"Were you followed?" The old man asked, suspiciously.
"Can a shadow be followed? I was out of Castle Town before the queen hit the floor." The dark clothed figure replied. "No one sees me. No one ever will. Do you have my payment?"
"Are you certain there's no way for the queen to recover from the poison?" The old man asked, ignoring the question for the moment. "I've seen what kinds of miracles water of life can do."
"Not with this special recipe." The dark one said. "They'd have to be feeding it to her constantly, and even then the medicine can only keep a person alive for so long. The Sheikah know their poisons very well, adviser. She will be dead within the week, as will her ministers."
"You missed the crown prince." Grima said matter of factly. "He was supposed to fall with his mother, and the Sages take the blame for it. I had to improvise with the prince regent. Now instead of a bloodless coup and a mourning puppet king, I have an invasion and a civil war to manage. You have complicated my plans with your mistake."
"I can't be held responsible if the little crown prince isn't hungry and doesn't drink his tea!" The Sheikah assassin whispered loudly. He then returned to a calmer voice. "It is of little concern. He is nothing. He sleeps late, plays with his sword, and takes nothing seriously. The Sages were fools to name the weakling heir. He will be no threat. The Western soldiers will follow the prince they most respect. Once they see the prince regent on the field, they will gladly join him." He then stretched out his hand. "Now, give me what we agreed adviser." The assassin's tone turned deadly.
"Of course." Grima said, "your payment." He then stretched out his hand palm facing the assassin, and spoke unintelligible words.
"What are you...? Arrrrgh!" The assassin dropped to the ground and convulsed several times, his eyes rolling back up into his head. Blood began to dribble from his nostrils, and then the dark figure lay still.
"Disposing of a useless tool." Grima said, lowering his hand. He then made a sweeping motion with his hand, as if he were swatting the air and the lifeless body threw itself as though swept off the dock and into the water. Grima whispered more words, and the corpse sank to the bottom.
He then calmly strode away from the docks as though nothing unusual had occurred, his mind buried deep in his thoughts. It had been easy enough to influence Talon. The pride and ambition were already there in their seed forms, he only needed to water and feed them with fear and a "righteous" justification. He was easier to control than Grima first believed him to be. Talon would see to it that his only real threats, Hyrule's Sages, were taken care of. He had never met Talon's brother, or his mother. From what he had learned of this world, he could not take the chance of them discovering who or what he was, so he had always remained behind to "look after things" while Talon had gone home for his little get togethers with the family. He had expected the assassin to remove them from the equation. As for Hyrule's "goddesses," they would do nothing he was certain. The Others never do unless it might threaten their own plane of existence. The Hylians foolishly put their faith in the wrong beings. Everything had been planned out. Nothing should have been left to chance. Except the assassin wasn't as efficient as he had been told, and now he would have to orchestrate a military coup instead of a bloodless one. It was a nuisance he could have done without.
He returned quickly to his tent next to the prince-regent's so as not to be missed.
"I hate horses." Rodney said to no one in particular. After a night spent camped in the guardsman's barracks and a day's worth of riding, Daniel didn't blame him, but it was the only mode of transportation they had since they had been notified after they left the temple by the guardsmen in the Sacred Grove that Oliver had suspended all train service in Hyrule until further notice.
"It was either this or walk, Rodney." Daniel said, for the third time since they left the Faron woods. The road south and east towards Mido Town had been strangely empty of any traffic save a few horse-carts headed north towards Rauru Town.
"I am sure they are none too fond of you either." John quipped. Since the short time he had begun to know the strange men who were now his traveling companions, he wondered whatever endeared Rodney McKay to his father. The man seemed to complain constantly. Granted, his father did say that in his stories, but when he told the stories about him, it made everyone laugh. Now, John was mostly irritated by it. "You did not have to come with me." He reminded him.
"And let you go off and commit suicide by yourself, no, I don't think so. Someone needs to be using their brains with this 'plan' of yours." Rodney said derisively.
"I still haven't heard you suggest a better one." John retorted.
"I'm still working on one." Rodney said. "One that doesn't involve all three of us being used as target practice by a thousand soldiers."
"That won't happen." John said confidently.
"Not to take Rodney's side on this," Daniel said, to which he got a dirty look from Rodney, "but why are you so certain that this will work?"
"Hylians are a people of faith, Doctor Jackson." John told him. "It is that faith which sustains us and gives us the wisdom, power, and courage to fight our way through the darkest of times. After the princess Zelda, my aunt, and my father, the Hero left us, my mother ordered that all of what was known of their wisdom and courage would be written down and shared with all the people as a perpetual legacy for all of Hyrule. Thanks to my mother's efforts every Hylian today knows the 'legend of Zelda' and the stories of our goddesses and their battles against the chaos that repeatedly threatened our world. The faith of the Triforce, once almost unknown to all but the Sages and the royal family, has become an inspiration to us all, and there isn't a man in our military force who hasn't been told the stories of my father's courage throughout the ages in order to inspire them to feats of courage. There are few Hylians today who would not recognize my father's sword and what it means that I would carry it."
"So your mother, her majesty, built a religion around your father and your aunt?" Daniel asked, intrigued and a little disturbed.
John phrased his answer carefully. "I would say that my mother gave back to our people the truth which had been kept from them for eons. And it is a truth which honors the gifts the goddesses of creation gave all of us as well as the sacrifices made by the Princess and the Hero. Din, Nayru, and Farore have always been our goddesses, and my aunt and my father have been working together to preserve Hyrule since the very beginnings of our civilization. Would you continue to hide the people's own history from them?"
"No, I suppose not." Daniel said, considering his words.
"Yeah well I find the whole thing disturbing, and I think if Link and Zelda were here, they'd think so too." Rodney chimed in. "Maybe there was a good reason for Zelda or Hylia keeping the whole thing to herself for millennia. Religions have a way of turning into the exact opposite of what their founders intended."
"Rodney does have a point," Daniel said. "Even the most peaceful religions in our world have been twisted to justify some pretty horrific atrocities. What happens when people start to demand that everyone venerates the Hero and the Princess? What happens to those people who just see them as inspiring stories but nothing more? Maybe Zelda kept it a secret because, in the middle of everything else that was happening, she didn't want Hyrule to be torn apart by competing faiths or ideologies."
"Why would any rational person commit an atrocity in the name of a peaceful divinity?" John asked. "That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard."
"Yeah well it happens more often that we'd like." Rodney answered him. "The Ancients, your ancestors, had a rule that said they wouldn't interfere with people's free will, their ability to make their own choices. It was their most important rule. Making a religion out of them kind of skews that sideways, don't you think?"
"That is a good rule." John agreed, "No one is forcing anyone to follow or believe in the goddesses, the Triforce, or the Princess and the Hero, Doctor McKay. But perhaps, if we all survive this, I should ensure that no one ever does. Perhaps we can learn from my aunt's wisdom yet again."
"So, how much farther to Mido? It seemed a lot shorter of a distance by train." Daniel asked.
"Not much farther. We'll have to either find an inn along the road, or make camp somewhere tonight. After that we should reach the coast by mid-day if we can start out again in the morning by sunrise." John said.
"I vote for the inn." Rodney said. "And a hot meal."
"It's been a while, but I think there used to be one not much farther up ahead." John told him, pointing down the road east. "We'll see if they've got rooms for the night."