Blood and Spirit

by MiniJen

From the darkest shadows of the surface, evil rebels arise, seeking the ultimate power of the Triforce. The goddess's incarnation strives to protect the land that is her charge to watch over. And the goddess's chosen hero fights to save them both while struggling against a corruption that seeks to destroy him from the inside out. Post SS. Book 1 of the Bound Destinies Trilogy.

36. The Flow of Time

Alright, so I know this is the first update this month, but allow me to explain a little. I'm a senior, which means this is my immensely busy season. With all of the projects that have been thrust upon me during this last month alone, I barely have time to remember to sleep, much less write. Not to mention the fact that this chapter is RIDICULOUSLY LONG (almost 14,000 words, but i digress) so it took me a while to get it all done. This is mostly a lore chapter, though there is a little action at the beginning so there's that. Now, thank you to Blade Assassin, Castillo, vxgpako, .5, and KromedSkorpion for following/favoring. Now onto the many MANY reviews! (thanks so much for the support guys!)

KromedSkorpion: Hahah, yeah that chapter made me cry (like a little baby) as I wrote it, so don't feel too bad! :)

CupcakePride101: Thanks! You kinda have to feel bad for Sheik in her plight. After all, its hard to be in love and not have it returned. And yeah, my paragraphs are a little long in some places, mostly because its hard for me to find good stopping points a lot of the time, but I'm glad you're enjoying it anyway! :D And yes, I do tend to go heavy on the details, as this chapter will certainly show! :D

LooneyCat55: Well, we'll just have to see how this will all turn out now, won't we? BTW, I LOVED your drawing! I noticed that it was so accurate to what happened in the last chapter and for that, you are AMAZING! :D (no joke, you're a really good artist!)

YueMelHamachi: Yeah, it was kinda unexpected, wasn't it...? But then again, most of this chapter is unexpected so... ;)

Nikrael: There are a few similarities between this and Romeo and Juliet, I suppose, even if they are unintentional. But there's no way I could just stop it there. There's still so much that needs to happen before the end! I had to tug on the ol heartstrings a little, since I just couldn't resist! and now, let it CONTINUE! :D

Vivi-ntvg: Its a little hard to explain why I decided to kill them both, but let's just say it has something to do with DRAMA! :D And will they meet again...? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. And as far as what happens with Sheik and Veress and the other conflict of the story, we're about to find out at the beginning here, so don't think I forgot about it!

Jarvis R. Yeriel: That quote was quite fitting to the last chapter, if I do say so myself! And yes, you are one of the few (if only other person besides myself) who knows what's about to happen, though there are going to be a few twists and turns along the way and I hope you enjoy them! :D

anon: Yes indeed! The reincarnation cycle is saved, but I wonder if that's the only thing that will saved... And yes, the repetition was one of my favorite parts of it all as well, though I will admit that this chapter also has a lot of lengthy dialogue too so... 0.O

TheJediAvenger: Oh, if that last chapter had u thinking about the meaning of life, this one REALLY will! And soon, you will understand everything... soon... mwahahahaha!

Pandora151: I do enjoy taking risks... and I'm certainly about to take another one with this chapter, so hopefully I will calm your shock perhaps. And as far as what's going to happen to the baby... we'll just have to wait and see, wont we? ;)

silverhawk88: Glad to see that I made a good comeback, one that this chapter will do as well! Whatever I have in store, I hope that I will not disappoint! :D

RandomButLoved: Oh yeah, I cried a ton too. The last chapter really messed me up emotionally so... :,( But yes, the entire climax came out in a sequence of certain events, and it slowly built up more and more and even still its building up into the final part of it all (which is to come in the next chapter!) I hope you enjoy this one!

MadlyPurple: Majora certainly doesn't mess around... o.0

Kai2: YES! (unfortunately)

ShadowNinja1011: Yeah, it made me cry a lot too so... :,(

Lovely girl 10: Majora certainly got what was coming to it, but I will agree that Link and Zelda's deaths were the epitome of tragic. And will I deliver a happy ending? Maybe... ;)

Nintendoman01: Yes indeed. Very bittersweet... as is this chapter... ;)

Alright, so that's it for the reviews this time around. Now without further ado, let's get started and see what is about to unfold!

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Chapter 35: The Flow of Time

"We will be together for all of our lifetimes, and we will never give up."
-Raava, Legend of Korra

Sheik clung onto her staff for dear life as she defended herself against another one of Veress's strikes. The Sheikah leader did her best to ignore the pressing pain coming from her multiple wounds as the rain poured down upon both of them in the midst of their duel. The Interloper leader had managed to land quite a few injuries upon her, the most dire by far being the deep gash she had taken to her shoulder a while ago, but Sheik was determined to continue fighting, no matter how much it hurt. But even so, she could feel fatigue starting to weigh on her as the battle continued to rage on for what seemed like hours. The Sheikah leader knew that eventually, she would tire out, but unfortunately, the Interloper leader, empowered by all of her dark magic, most likely never would. It was for this reason, that the exchange of harsh words between the two former friends had ended quite some time ago, as they both focused on trying to defeat the other above all else.

As Sheik narrowly avoided yet another one of Veress's bursts of dark flame, she happened to glance over to her right, in the direction of where the hero and the girl were lying together. In her struggle against the Interloper leader, the Sheikah leader barely had a moment to spare for the couple, much less how Zelda had somehow managed to apparently free Link from corruption, or so it had appeared. Several minutes had passed since them, though they had felt like hours to Sheik as she continued to fight, but nonetheless, even though she was still repelling Veress's moves, she allowed herself a moment to think about them now. As she looked over to them, she could see that neither of them were moving, something that immediately brought her worry. She wanted to rush over to the two of them and see if they were alright, but Veress certainly would not let her escape this fight in anyway except for death. However, as seconds dragged on into minutes and the couple still did not stir, Sheik's concern for Link and Zelda grew more and more. She prayed that the two of them were only resting and nothing else, but something inside of her feared for something much worse.

"Link! Zelda!" Sheik eventually called out loudly to the two of them after pushing Veress back once more. She bit her lip when neither of them responded to her whatsoever, but her attention was quickly drawn back into the heat of battle as the Interloper leader managed to knock the Sheikah leader to the ground with a blast of magic. Sheik cursed under her breath as she began to pick herself off the ground, frustrated with how distracted she had been, but nonetheless, she was still incredibly worried for the hero and the girl.

However, before she could try to rush over towards them, Veress used another strike of magic to keep Sheik pinned down to the ground, quickly moving to stand over her and hold her down so she could not escape. "Well, well…" the Interloper leader said with a dark smirk as she watched the Sheikah leader struggle against her magical bonds. "What do you know, Sheik? Looks like I'm about to beat you again, just like I always used to when we were kids. I'd like to think that the fact that I was stronger than you from the beginning was proof enough that I should have been chosen to be the leader of our tribe, but I guess that wasn't enough for Impa, now was it?"

"No," Sheik said firmly, glaring relentlessly at her foe. "You're wrong, Veress. You weren't picked to be the leader of our tribe because of the darkness of your own heart. If you had been allowed to succeed Impa, you would have only led our people towards your own goals and ambitions, rather than what was best for them. You never really cared about the Sheikah at all; you just wanted to dominate them, just like you did your own followers. They were right to abandon you before it was too late. Unlike you, they were able to see through the greed and hatred blinding them and think for themselves. But you can't do that anymore, can you, Veress? Because now, the dark power you think you control is controlling you!"

"Silence!" the Interloper leader hissed vengefully, pressing her knife against the Sheikah leader's already-bloodstained neck. "You know nothing, Sheik! You are weak! Your people are weak! They will all fall right along with you in the fires I will soon set to this worthless land! Darkness is the only thing the surface will know, now and forever! Don't you see? The light is quickly fading away, giving way to shadows that will encompass everything in their wake. And…" Veress's hateful gaze turned to the unmoving couple in the distance as a cruel grin crossed her lips. "It looks as though you are the only light I have left to extinguish, Sheik…"

Fueled with sudden anger, Sheik let out a furious shout as she summoned some of the Sheikah magic that Impa had taught her long ago. The Sheikah leader had always been hesitant in using magic, for, as the former matriarch had always told her, reliance on its might often led to disaster, advice that had been proven true in Veress's case. But nonetheless, Sheik, in her desperation to get to Link and Zelda, used some of her shadow magic to knock the Interloper leader back several feet, buying her a little time as she quickly rose to her feet and began to hurry towards the hero and the girl.

Sheik stopped in her tracks when she was still several feet away from them, her breath caught in her throat when she saw their respective conditions. Since Majora had healed Link of his former wounds when it had completely corrupted him, he looked relatively unharmed, save for the arrow protruding from his chest, surrounded by crimson blood. Sheik allowed herself only a moment to gaze upon the hero she loved as he lay next to his wife, one arm lazily wrapped around her, his eyes shut, but his expression peaceful, almost content even. All of the marks that the corruption had left upon him were gone, and for the first time since she first met him, the Sheikah leader was able to look upon the hero as he truly was and she found that he was even more handsome without the marks that had marred him before.

Taking a step closer, Sheik turned her gaze to Zelda, whose injuries were far more grave than Link's. The various cuts and gashes that Veress had landed upon her earlier were still bleeding, but by far, the worst of them all was the long, deep tear across her chest, a wound that was nothing less than fatal. The Sheikah leader placed her hand over her mouth as she choked out a small sob upon seeing the hands that both her and the hero had placed upon the girl's womb, realizing that an unborn, innocent child was held within it.

Or at least it had been…

Slowly, Sheik lowered herself to kneel down next to the couple, holding out a trembling hand to place against the hero's face and feeling no sense of warmth or life. With no hope at finding a pulse at all, she took his wrist and checked for a heartbeat, but as she had expected, she found none at all. She had the same result upon checking the girl and it was then, as she stared at both of them in absolute grief that she came to the bitter realization that Link and Zelda were dead. Unable to cope with this fact, the Sheikah leader simply shook her head in silent woe, not even caring about how this happened, but rather why.

She had already known that the hero's original fate was beyond cruel, but even upon being freed from it, there had still been no hope for him to survive at all. Though he died once before, now there was no corruption to revive him. Sheik felt her heart breaking as she realized that she had only had the privilege of knowing and loving Link for just a few weeks and now he was forever gone, leaving the same empty whole in her heart that had been there before they had met. But what made this loss even worse was the overwhelming sense of failure that the Sheikah leader felt upon knowing that she had failed the goddess she was tasked with protecting and even more than that, she had broken the promise she had made to the hero long ago to keep the girl safe from harm once he was corrupted. In her own desire to stop Veress and ensure that her people were kept safe, she had neglected the responsibility she had to both of them and she had never felt guiltier before. But now, there was no way she could make it up to them; they were both gone, and not only were they gone, but so was their baby, who had never had a chance to live in the first place. Sheik silently scorned fate once again for how it had carelessly played with the two of them and their child, not even caring if they lived or died and not even taking into account that the surface needed their strength in this dark hour above all else.

However, the Sheikah leader had little time to mourn as the Interloper leader re-gathered her bearings and rushed over towards her heartbroken foe, preparing to end this upon seeing how vulnerable she was in her grief. However, before she could land a sneak attack on the unsuspecting Sheikah leader, Veress simply stopped and looked upon Link and Zelda, already knowing they were both dead and deciding to make this revelation even harder for Sheik out of mere spite.

"So, it looks like I was right…" the Interloper leader mused coldly, standing a few feet behind Sheik as she continued to weep in silence. "They really are dead… It was to be expected though. After all, that's always the fate of star-crossed lovers. They live, they love for a while and then they die, right along with any offspring they could have had. But there's no need to mourn them, Sheik… After all, you're about to join them in death…"

Sheik could already feel her anger rising as she started to dry her tears, but she did not respond as Veress continued, her biting, hateful words stinging the Sheikah leader's guilt-filled heart, but not burning as she hoped they would. "Both of them were fools though," the Interloper leader said, dragging her monologue on and savoring every moment of it. "They both thought that they could save the other from this fate, but in the end it was pointless. No matter how hard they fought against it, their demise was inevitable. Their fall a sign… A sign that the light is almost gone and darkness is on the verge of claiming all! And what a pity it is, Sheik, that your hero will never get to know the true extent of your ridiculous feelings for him…"

That last sentence was just the motivation that Sheik needed to rise and fight once more. With a shout of rage, the Sheikah leader leapt to her feet and lashed out, managing to land a blow with her knife to the unsuspecting Interloper leader's arm. Veress growled in pain before parrying Sheik's next strike with her dual knives as the intense skirmish between the two former friends picked up once more. Though the Interloper leader fought fiercely, the Sheikah leader was fueled by both rage and grief, both of which kept her standing as she fought through her exhaustion and physical pain, even if the emotional pain she now knew would never truly go away. In light of Link and Zelda's deaths, Sheik knew she was the only one who could stand against Veress and her dark power now and so she would fight, either until the surface was safe, or until her last breath, whichever came first.

As Sheik and Veress continued to battle, neither of them paid any mind to Terminus, who could not even find it within herself to turn and glance back at the dead couple. She had known that both Link and Zelda were gone from the moment of their passing and as she continued to uphold her seal upon the Triforce, tears of grief poured down her cheeks as she realized that story of Hylia and her chosen hero was even more tragic than her own. The goddess of Termina let out a tearful sigh as she hung her head, knowing that without the goddess and the hero, there was little hope left for the surface. Terminus knew she would not be able to uphold the seal upon the Triforce forever and sooner or later, both her and Sheik would fall to Veress's power. Link and Zelda had been the only ones who could have possibly had the strength to defeat her, but, thanks to Majora's treachery, both of them were gone. The goddess of Terminus wished with all of her heart that there was something she could do to restore the fallen couple, as well as their innocent child, back to life, but her waning powers were not strong enough to even try. It was with utter hopelessness and sorrow that Terminus realized that was nothing that could bring them back now… Nothing… except for a miracle.

Terminus finally managed to cast a glance back towards Link and Zelda, seeing that, even in death, they still lovingly clung onto each other as they always had. Indeed, it would take a miracle to bring them back from death itself, and as far as she knew, there was only one source of miracles that could help in a situation this dire. However, she wasn't sure if asking them for their aid would even be worthwhile; after all, they were elusive and it was not often that they looked down from on high to aid simple humans in their plight. And even more than that, the goddess of Termina had already asked for their help on a number of occasions, specifically in helping to lead the girl and the hero to her land in the first place. But Terminus knew that this situation was quite different; she would not be asking them for her own want or need, but rather for the need of this land and all who dwelt within it. Furthermore, Hylia, just as she was, was still their sister, even if she was now mortal. Certainly, they would want to revive her and her hero based on that alone. But all the same, all Terminus could do was plead with them and hope with all of her heart that they would answer her one more time.

"Please," the goddess of Terminus began in a solemn whisper as she turned back towards the Triforce, closing her eyes and bowing her head in reverence. "I know that I have asked you for much. I realize that I am too bold with you, and that you must look upon me now in anger and aggravation. I also know that you do not like to interfere in the affairs of mortals, and that you have given them free reign over this land in your absence. But please… I pray that I may ask you for one last favor, my sisters… I do not ask for you to use your power to save this land, as that is their destiny. Rather, in your great mercy, I beg you… Please do not let their lives fade… Restore them, so that they may restore light to the land that you have created. Hylia is you sister, just as much as I am, and even if her soul now dwells in the body of a mortal, that fact has not changed… And her chosen hero… Even you have all chosen him as worthy to bear the mark of your golden power and he brought the demon king down from power… Certainly, you cannot stand by idly while the two of them pass away. I take responsibility for what has happened to them and you may punish me in any way you wish. I know that it is selfish to ask you to bring these two poor souls back into the land of the living after they have suffered so much, but now, they are the only ones who can banish the darkness that is settling over this land. If nothing else, then at least think of their unborn child, murdered before it had the chance to see the world with its own two eyes. Surely, you must have some pity on the tiny babe at the very least. So, please, my dear sisters, bring them back, so that they may rise to fight against this great evil once again. This land needs them, we need them… Please… before it's too late…"

With a heavy sigh, Terminus finished her prayer, glancing back towards the girl and the hero one last time. She believed in miracles, but like with any miracle, the only thing she could do now was wait and hope that her sisters on high would respond soon.

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As the war and storm raged on within the Sealed Grounds, three entities happened to be looking down upon the battlegrounds and listening to the goddess of Termina's prayer. The glanced between one another for a moment, not needing to exchange any words as they all simultaneously nodded in agreement that something had to be done about the situation. In their vast knowledge, they had been anticipating this moment for quite a while now, and so, it was that the trio departed from their Sacred Realm to go to the entrance of a place quite close to it: the Golden Realm. However, as they headed for the resting place of the dead of the mortals, one of their number secretly split away from her sisters with a mission of her own in mind.

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Nothingness.

That was all the Hero of the Skies knew. An immense, almost overwhelming sense of nothingness. The only thing he was really cognizant of was the fact that his eyes had somehow opened, but even then he was looking into nothing but a vast expanse of white before him. But even so, he simply stared off into it, unable to feel any sense of being, including relief, pain, sorrow or anything at all. All of his memories, including the most recent ones, seemed faded, distant and unimportant. His mind was completely blank of any thought or emotion and it felt as though he had never known such things in his life before at all.

Yet even so, the hero glanced around the emptiness he was in, not even questioning where he was or how he got there, until he looked to his side and noticed a small, young boy, about five years old, standing next to him, returning his empty, emotionless gaze. The boy was clothed in white and his eyes were contained no color; rather they were simply a dark black iris surrounded by white. Somehow, the hero knew that his own eyes and clothes looked the same, just as much as he knew that this boy was him, or at least he had been when he was much younger. But even so, the boy said nothing and neither did he as he turned his gaze to the next version of himself who had just appeared on his other side, this one around the age of thirteen. The colorless eyes and blank stares remained the same as the hero silently and thoughtlessly noticed that he was now surrounded by himself at different ages, ranging from infancy to much more recent. As the hero turned a full circle, he found that the last face he looked into was his current one, only rather than how it naturally looked, it was marred with the corruption that had once held onto him so tightly, his eyes completely white and empty, but his expression still vacant. The hero didn't react to the sight of his corrupted himself at all, but rather examined it carefully, not even thinking that this was what he had almost been forced to become for eternity. However, as he gazed at his own, near-mirror like reflection, he finally felt something: a small, gentle tap on the shoulder from behind him.

Still not showing any form of thought or emotion, the hero turned around to see that, instead of another reflection of himself, a beautiful young woman he had never seen before stood before him amidst all of his other ages. She looked to be about his age, though perhaps a little older, with a delicate, frame and bright, expressive, vibrant emerald eyes. Her hair was forest green and flowed all the way down to her feet, though some of was tied into two buns atop her head, adorned with blue and green flowers. She was garbed in a simple, light green, short-sleeved dress with a skirt that hung down to her feet, hemmed off at her feet with blue flower petals. From her golden belt hung a blue banner, bearing a mark that the hero had seen somewhere before, though he was unable to place where at the moment. The girl smiled kindly at him, though he did not respond to it as he simply looked at her emotionlessly, but nonetheless her smile did not fade.

"Greetings, Link," the girl said with a bright, harmonious, youthful voice. "Do you have any idea where you are?"

The hero tried to speak, but found that he had no voice whatsoever. The girl frowned knowingly, glancing away from him as if embarrassed. "Oh… that's right…" she said, folding her hands as she bit her lip. "I almost forgot…" She paused for a moment as she looked to him once more, smiling sadly this time. "I can't explain much at the moment, but I will try to explain everything I can. I cannot tell you were you are just yet or who I am, but I can tell you what has happened. But first… I think it would be easier if I were to give this to you…"

The girl held out her hands in front of her as a green glow began to form around them. The hero simply watched, still unable to say anything, as the glow shaped itself into a bright green orb, one that the girl held over her palms for a moment before looking to the hero once more. "Do you know what this is?" she asked, watching expectantly as he shook his head, but other than that, did not show any form of reaction. "This… is your spirit, Link…" the girl said, gazing at the orb with care. "The Spirit of the Hero… or at least its physical manifestation. Do you see how bright and pure it is? That is because my sisters and I created it to be a beacon of light and hope to the people of your world. The bearer of the Spirit of the Hero is meant to be the one who rises above all others, who does not fall to the same vices of hatred, selfishness and war as other men do, but instead pursues justice, peace and kindness. It is meant to be completely pure and untarnished, yet strong and unbreakable… However, the corruption of the demon Majora twisted its purpose to its own means, seeking to bend its might to serve its own evil ends. And in your relentless struggle, your spirit was finally broken by the demon, but it was not destroyed. When Hylia… or should I say, Zelda freed you from corruption, you were supposed to die right then and there, but my sisters and I temporarily restored your heart and mind to you to say one last goodbye to your wife, though we were still working on restoring your broken spirit. And… here it is…" With a small smile, the girl held the orb out to the hero for him to take. "Please… take it…" she said kindly. "Take it, and restore the proper order of the cycle as it is meant to be…"

Without any further offering, the hero looked down to his spirit, his mind still thoughtless as he reached out to take it. The moment he placed his hands upon it, its green light enveloped him as the girl smiled warmly, watching as he was truly restored. As the light faded and Link was reunited with his spirit, he felt as though he was waking up from a long, sedated slumber as a rush of many different emotions filled him at once, even if he was still unable to physically feel anything at all for some reason. The most prominent of these emotions was confusion as to where he was and what had happened, as well as where Zelda was in the aftermath of everything that had happened. The reflections of his past ages were now gone, but the mysterious girl was still standing before him, still smiling as brightly as ever.

Finding that his voice was with him again, the hero finally spoke up. "Where am I?" he asked with a frown. "And who are you?"

The girl's sly grin widened. "Ah… What did I tell you? I can't say just yet, but all will be revealed in due time, Link…" she said with a soft giggle. "But at the very least, know that you are safe. And, since I know you are worried about her, know that you will be reunited with Zelda soon, I promise. But first, there is more I must tell you before my sisters arrive. They'd certainly be upset with me if they found out that I was having such a meeting with you in private, but I could not resist… After all, Link, you and your kind are very dear to my heart… I am the one who created your spirit upon Hylia's request, centuries ago, when this land cried out for a hero… And though you may not know me in this life, you and your successors are bound to me throughout time. In the future, your descendants shall be known as heroes, just as you are, and they shall bear my crest as the Sons of my Courage. But even despite my aid and care, Majora shall attempt to corrupt the Spirit of the Hero again, relentlessly pursuing it until the end of time. That is something I cannot change, but do not fret. Your spirit is strong and as time goes on, the demon's power will begin to wane as your own power will only grow stronger. Such is the nature of the Spirit of the Hero; it shall last and be reborn into each new age, endlessly seeking peace and justice for this land, its inhabitants, and… its sovereign goddess…" Before the hero could even ponder upon everything that he had just been told, the girl nodded to a point behind him with an excited grin, motioning for him to turn around.

Link was so shocked, relieved and overjoyed to see the girl that he wasn't even able to call out her name as she stood with her back turned to him. However, no more than a moment after he turned around, Zelda glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of him, a huge smile claiming her beautiful face as she spun around to face him fully. Clasping her hands in delight, the girl looked upon her hero with nothing less than absolute bliss, completely forgetting her former confusion about where she was and why she was there. Compared to how he had looked when she last saw him, Link stood strong, firm and handsome, just as he always had, uncrippled by injury or corruption. For the first time in what seemed like forever, his eyes were no longer crimson red as Sheik had made them, rather they were the brilliant sky blue Zelda had always known, and their vibrancy was only radiated by the scarlet cape flowing down from his shoulders. For a moment, she simply stood still, gazing at him longingly and not even caring about how they were together again.

At the same time, Link also stood in place, taking in Zelda's shining beauty from afar. She was garbed in Hylia's pure white, flowing gown, the same one she had worn during their wedding. Her sunshine-colored hair ran down her back like spun gold and her dark azure eyes were bright and cheerful, just as they always were. Her warm smile was filled with sheer happiness, one that the hero emulated on his own face. And in that moment, as the two of them breathlessly began to race towards each other, they thought about nothing else except for how elated they were to be together again, even though they were certainly dead.

However, their reunion was not as perfect as it seemed to be. For right before they met in a strong, passionate embrace, they both simultaneously collided with what seemed to be an invisible pane of glass, separating the couple once more. The two of them could clearly hear them calling out each other's names perfectly as they both pounded against the glass roughly, desperate to be together and distraught over the fact that they still could not be, not even after all they had been through.

Both of them were almost to the point at which they were in sorrowful tears upon seeing that the surface between them would not yield, when a multicolored light filled the white expanse they were both in, filling it with a dim, golden glow as three figures materialized a few feet away from them. At first, all the girl and the hero could discern about them was their feminine figures as they were silhouetted in red, blue and green lights, however, their appearances became clearer as the glow faded, revealing three ethereal, incredibly beautiful women.

Link immediately recognized one of these women as the girl in green he had spoken to earlier, her bright smile still present as she stood alongside the two other women, most likely her "sisters" she had spoken of. The woman standing next to her had dark, caramel-tanned skin, her sharp, piercing eyes ruby red, much like a Sheikah's. Her long, fiery red hair was tied up into a high, thick ponytail and she wore a form-fitting, floor-length, sleeveless crimson dress, girded at the waist with a golden band from which a banner bearing a red mark hung. Her form was tall and strong, yet curvaceous and lithe, as if she was a skilled dancer. She smiled slyly at the couple, her arms crossed and her posture confident and firm. The woman on her other side looked much more calm and elegant, with soft, pretty eyes and long hair that flowed to her feet like a river both the color of a deep sapphire. Her azure gown matched them perfectly, as it was adorned with a ruffled skirt that bore yet another mark and sleeves that cut off at her elbows. This woman's expression was gentle and caring, as opposed to the respective cheerful and brash manners of her sisters, her hands folded as she looked upon the girl and the hero with compassion in her eyes and a small smile upon her pink lips.

"Greetings…" the woman in red said, her voice deep yet pleasant, almost like a roar of gentle thunder. "We welcome you, Hylia, and you too, chosen hero, to the entrance to the Golden Realm, a place that lies apart from the world you know. It is through this gateway that mortals pass from the world of the living into the land of eternal rest for the deceased. I'm certain that you can both imagine why you're here…"

"Din!" the woman in blue admonished her sarcastic sister, looking appalled by her statement. "Please, be considerate to them! After all, they have both been through much and they have known many hardships. The last thing they need right now is your condescension."

"Yeah, Nayru's right, Din!" the girl in green said with a spritely giggle. "I know you don't particularly like humans, but after all, Hylia is our sister and if neither of you do, then I like her chosen hero quite a bit."

The woman in red sighed in playful aggravation. "I suppose you're right, Farore…" she said, a sly smirk appearing on her dark red lips. "But remember, the only reason that they're here in the first place is because you wanted to be merciful and grant Terminus's request."

Zelda gasped to herself upon finally hearing all three of these women's names, knowing that they, along with their appearances, were overwhelming familiar to her. The women, knowing that she was trying to remembering them, all gazed her with inviting, warm smiles, waiting for her to catch on. And sure enough, she did. Din, Nayru and Farore. When she was Hylia, those names had held special meaning to her, just as Terminus's did. But even beyond that, Zelda knew that her and Link were standing in the presence of the very ones who had created the world and the Triforce itself. They were standing before the great Golden Goddesses of old.

Her eyes growing wide in shock, the girl immediately bowed before the three deities in front of her and the hero, still not sure of who they really were, did the same without question, knowing that if they were important enough for Zelda to revere then he should honor them as well. "Please, there is no need to bow before us…" the woman in blue said with kindness in her soft, melodious voice. "You have both found favor in our sight, which is why we have come to meet with you. Most mortals will never have the opportunity to look upon us, and even still, these human-like forms we now take are not our true essences, for those are beyond your mortal comprehension."

The goddesses were silent for a moment, allowing Link and Zelda to rise and exchange a wondering glance. The girl was the first to speak up, since she knew more about who these women were than the hero did. "Um… the three of you…" she began, her voice small and feeble. "You're… you're Hylia's… I mean, you're my sisters… right?"

"You older sisters, yes," the woman in red said. "To both you and Terminus. In a way, we're also like you mothers as well, but… well, it's a little difficult to explain in a way that you would understand." She paused for a moment so she could address both Link and Zelda at once. "I believe that, for your sake, hero, we would introduce ourselves, right ladies?"

The other two women smiled graciously and nodded, as the woman in red spoke again. "I am Din, the goddess of power," she said with a mysterious grin. "I am the one who formed the red earth of your land."

"I am Nayru, the goddess of wisdom," the woman in blue said politely. "I am the one who cast the laws of nature and order upon the land ages ago."

"And I'm Farore, the goddess of courage!" the girl in green said brightly. "I'm the one who breathed life into every living thing upon the land. And together, the three of us created both the land of Hylia and the land of Terminus long ago, as well as the golden power of the Triforce." She stopped for a moment to smile warmly at the hero, who was amazed at finding out that he stood before the ones who created the world themselves. "See, Link?" she asked with a light chuckle. "I told you everything would be revealed in time. And speaking of time…" she said, as a sad look appeared on her radiant face. "That is the real reason why we have decided to appear before the two of you. The flow of time is always cruel… Its speed seems different for each person, but none can change it… A thing that does not change with time is a memory of younger days…"

As soon as she said this, reflections of both the girl and the hero from throughout their lives appeared around them, from the time they were both very little to present day. However, there was one thing that was always constant between both of them as various scenes of their past played out before them and it was that, no matter what, they were always together.

"Time passes, people move…" Nayru said as the couple watched their lives play out in awe. "Like a river's flow, it never ends. A childish mind will turn to noble ambition… Young love will become deep affection… The clear water's surface reflects growth…"

"And so you have seen the days of your past…" Din said as the visions of the past faded away, her voice soft and gentle instead of bold as it had been before. "And now, the flow of time has stopped for both of you… But would you like to see a glimpse of the future?"

Link and Zelda looked to each other once more, this time in confusion. They understood what the goddess of power had meant in saying that time had stopped flowing for them. After all, according to the goddesses, both of them were dead, only existing as spirits standing on the border of the worlds of the living and the deceased. Why would they have any need to see the future now that they could do nothing to change it?

"I see that you are confused…" Din said, rolling her eyes good naturedly. "Very well then, we will just show you anyway… Behold…"

The three goddesses held their hands up as a new scene appeared before the pair, one that neither of them had hoped to never see. The surface was alight in violent flames, all of its natural beauty long-since destroyed and all of its inhabitants gone. And, reigning over the entire gruesome scene was none other than Veress herself, empowered by the immense might of both the Fused Shadow as well as the Triforce, which she had conquered for herself by striking both Sheik and Terminus down. Link and Zelda gazed at the display of death and destruction in horror, watching as the land that they had strived so hard and even died trying to protect was torn apart before their very eyes.

"Without your aid in defeating the threat that the leader of the Dark Interlopers poses, the Triforce and the surface will fall into her hands," Farore said with a sad frown. "With its strength, she will be able to make her dark dominion over the land last forever, casting it into eternal shadows and destroying all life within it."

"Do not doubt for even a moment that the Interloper leader is not strong enough to do such a thing, for, with her great dark magic, she is," Nayru said ominously. "And, with the way things currently stand, this terrible fate is what the land will certainly meet with if something does not change…"

Upon hearing this, the hero and the girl exchanged a worried glance, both of them wishing that they were able to touch each other so they could console one another over what they were seeing. However, as Zelda began to break down into tears of grief as she watched the land that it was her duty to care for fall, Link's immediate response was to comfort her somehow, unable to see her so distraught. "Don't worry, Zel," he said reassuringly, giving her a soft smile as he placed a hand against the clear surface separating them. "We'll stop her."

"How, Link?" Zelda asked between guilt-ridden sobs, her voice hopeless and full of disbelief. "We can't stop her now. We can't do anything. We… we're dead…"

The hero was unable to say anything to counter this true statement, knowing that she was unfortunately right. No matter how much they both wished otherwise, as the goddesses had said, they were both no longer apart of the world of the living. Their lives were now over, and even if they were somewhat together again, they could do absolutely nothing to aid the surface in its dire plight.

"Indeed, Hylia, you are right," Din said with melancholy in her tone. "Both of you have ceased living, and therefore, you no longer have any stock in what happens to your land. Which is why we now extend an offer to you both…"

"As we have said, you stand before the entrance to the Golden Realm, where the souls of the righteous may rest in eternal peace and comfort," Farore said, motioning to a golden light off in the distance, one that grew larger and closer as she spoke. "As far as the era you were born into goes, the two of you are by far the two most deserving of such a peaceful, blissful eternity, spent entirely together. Upon entering into the Golden Realm, the two of you will never have to worry about being torn apart again; you will know nothing of pain or sorrow or grief ever again. Love and happiness will be yours in light of all of the suffering both of you have endured throughout your lives and you will never need to worry about destruction or death again. And… that's not all…"

The goddess of courage smiled brightly once more, pointing to the entrance to the Golden Realm, which was now quite close to the couple. From their position, they were able to see a glimpse of the resting place of the dead, a place filled with glorious beauty unlike any the girl or the hero had ever seen before. Throughout its lush fields and sunshine filled meadows strolled many people, all of whom were now dead, yet content in their new eternity. And amongst them happened to be three people that Link and Zelda thought they would never get to see again.

Tears began to fall from Zelda's eyes once more upon seeing her mother smiling at her from afar, still looking as kind and as lovely as she had the day she died seven years ago. The older woman stood near the entrance to the Golden Realm, looking upon her daughter with love and compassion, extending a hand out to her as if to welcome her in joining her in rest and peace. In the same way, Link stared at both of his parents in awe as they also stood side-by-side, smiling at their son with warm pride and love and beckoning him to enter into the Golden Realm along with the girl.

Forgetting about the war raging on upon the surface, the hero and the girl both simultaneously began to step forward, wanting to be reunited not only with their parents, but also with each other. The thought of such a beautiful, perfect eternity sounded so much more appealing than returning to a world that was set ablaze in the fires of destruction and pain that it was as though there was no other choice for them. And yet, right before they passed through the threshold to meet their deceased loved ones once more, the goddesses exchanged a hasty, yet empathetic glance, knowing that what they were about to do to the couple was cruel and selfish of them, but necessary nonetheless.

"Wait a moment, please," Nayru said, stopping both Link and Zelda in their tracks as they glanced away from their waiting parents to look back to the trio of deities once more. "I… I am afraid that there is more we must tell you…"

"Inasmuch that the fate of the surface is sealed, it only can be sealed if the two of you resign yourselves to an eternity of rest within the Golden Realm," Din said cryptically. "And so it is, that in light of the disaster your land faces, we are obligated to offer you a choice. You may both decide to submit yourselves to death, forever eclipsed in each other's love and the love of those you have previously lost, but your land will certainly fall apart…"

"Or, you may choose to return to the land of the living and finish the fight against the Interloper leader, destroying her dark power and bringing an end to her reign before it can even begin," Farore said, her manner much more serious than it had been before. "However, if you decide to take this route, there is something that both of you must know: only one of you will be restored to life, while the other remains within the Golden Realm for eternity. Of course, the two of you will be together again someday, but there is a chance that your reunion could be postponed for quite some time, at least until the one who returns passes away…"

The goddesses were silent as they let the couple take this information in, and when the full implications of it hit them, they both gazed at each other sadly. They were being offered an impossible choice: to choose between being together for blissful eternity and letting the surface crumble to pieces, or be separated once more in order to save it. As much as they wanted to be together forever, never having to worry about the suffering they once knew ever again, they knew that to accept the goddess's invitation to the Golden Realm now would lead to the destruction of the surface and the deaths of hundreds innocent people. Though they had struggled much and finally had a chance to be united again, they knew that even if they took that chance, they would always be filled with guilt over selfishly allowing the land to fall into perpetual chaos. And without question, that was so heavy and unbearable a guilt that neither one of them would ever be able to shoulder it. And yet, how could either of them possibly consent to part ways again, especially after everything they had been through? Of course, it was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that one of them was going to return to aid in the fight against Veress, but how would they ever decide which one of them would live again and which one would stay dead? In the end though, they both knew that they would be miserable for however long they would have to be apart, whether they were in the everlasting beauty of the Golden Realm or living upon the lonely surface. Their every thought would always be upon each other and their postponed love, never fading until the two of them would finally be able to reunite in death once more.

"We can see that you have reached an impasse…" Din said, giving the couple an examining look. "I suppose that's understandable. After all, it's not an easy choice to make."

"If you need more time to discuss the matter, we could always-" Farore began to offer the two of them some privacy, but before she could say anything else, she was succinctly cut off.

"I'll go back," Link said, without even needing a moment to think it over any further. Zelda's eyes widened as she turned to look at him in complete shock, her mind still trying to accept the fact that the two of them would have to be separated again in the first place. The goddesses all turned to face the hero as well, all of them looking at him expectantly as if they were telling him to continue. "Somebody has to go back to the surface and stop her," he said firmly, looking to the girl as he said it and noticing the desperation already showing in her eyes. He hated this as much as she did, but nonetheless, he could not back down now, both for her sake and the sake of the surface. "It should be me. I can go back and fight her and win this war; you know I can, Zelda."

"Yes…" Zelda agreed hesitantly, averting his gaze as she fought back tears. "But, Link, I-"

"And besides, if you're here then I know you'll be safe and happy, which is all I've ever really wanted," the hero said, giving her a small, yet sad smile, wanting nothing more than to stay with her forever but knowing that for her own sake, he had to let her go. "It's not like we'll be apart for too long; after all, I'm bound to come back here again someday, right?"

The girl wanted to argue with him and purpose that she return to fight instead, knowing that he had already suffered so much already, but instead, all she could think about was how he was so ready to sacrifice his own happiness for her once more. "You… you'd be willing to spend the rest of your life alone… for me?" she asked in a small, quivering voice, taken aback by his immense selflessness again.

"I was willing to do it before, remember?" Link asked, placing his hand against the glass once more. "Besides, neither of us will really be alone. You'll have your mother again and I'll have Sheik and Fi. It'll be hard, of course, but I'll survive. After all, I've been through worse." He knew that his last statement had been a lie, for even despite the torture-some corruption he had been forced to go through, having to live his life without Zelda would be the most painful thing he'd ever have to endure. But if it meant that she would remain forever safe and the surface would not fall into darkness, it would be a sacrifice that he would make no matter how much it hurt him. "But if I do go," he continued, hoping that their time apart would not be too painful for her rather than him. "Then don't forget that I love you and that I always will, ok?"

Speechless, the girl simply nodded, gazing at her hero with longing and love, tears streaming down her face as she wished that she would embrace him once more. The very thought of having to be torn apart from him again, even if she would be reunited with her beloved mother, made the thought of eternal peace seem worthless to her. Any amount of time without him, be it a moment or forever, was too long in her eyes and she would have given anything to have him stay with her for as long as possible, even though she knew that his sacrifice would restore light to her dying land. And it was for that reason that, even though it broke her heart, she was willing to let him go one last time, holding onto the hope that he would not only save the land they had protected together, but return to her once again someday once and for all.

Upon seeing that the couple had come to a final, although painful resolve, the goddesses all nodded to one another before either Link or Zelda could confirm their choice and Farore stepped forward, a ghost of a smile appearing on her soft pink lips as she looked at the hero. "So, Link…" she said, holding her hands behind her back. "You wish to return to the world of the living, without Zelda, in order to restore justice and order to it and usher in an era of peace, yes?"

After casting one last, sorrowful glance at the girl, the hero sighed and nodded, determined to finish what needed to finally come to an end. "Yes," Link said with resolve, though he was hardly ready to leave the girl he loved more than anyone else once more. "And I will do it; no matter what it takes… I promise…" he kept his eyes on Zelda as he spoke, promising her more than anyone else that he would always strive to protect her and her land no matter what it faced.

Farore finally smiled fully, her green eyes alight with satisfaction. "Then, my hero, you have passed my test…" she said, her youthful voice pleased and joyful. Upon seeing the confused look on both Link and Zelda's faces, the goddess of courage simply giggled and both of her sisters grinned in amusement as well as she explained. "You see, Link," the goddess of courage said, her smile growing even wider. "Even though you have already been through so much, I found it necessary to put you through one final test so that you could prove your courage to me and my sisters. We have seen all of the many trials you have been through and how you conquered them all. In your first mission, you grew in power, wisdom and courage and it was for that reason that we deemed you worthy of possessing the crest of our golden power, knowing that you would not misuse its great might. However, for one who bears the Spirit of the Hero, even those things are not enough. As I told you earlier, the Spirit of the Hero is profoundly connected to both me and my Triforce of Courage and it always will be, now and forever. When your spirit began to be corrupted by Majora, I was moved with compassion for you and I wanted nothing more than to free you from it immediately, but my sisters would not allow it and even I knew that I could not interfere. I am sorry that you have suffered so much, Link… and you too, Zelda. It has all been because of my selfish need to test the Spirit of the Hero, so that it could grow and become even more unbreakable. And yet, through your many struggles, hero, I can say with pride that you have grown much, in power, in wisdom and in courage."

"In truth," Nayru spoke up, interrupting her sister. "We knew all along what would happen. We knew that you would not fall to corruption for eternity and we also knew that Hylia would use her golden arrows to free you. And it was by our own desire, as well as Terminus's prayer for you, that you both ended up here to begin with. We all owe you an apology for how we have used both of you to meet our own ends in keeping the land that we created safe and we hope that you will forgive for the pain that we had to put you both through."

Both Zelda and Link nodded in understanding, harboring no anger with the goddesses for their actions, but rather simply trying to take in everything that they were being told. "It was because of our foresight into what would happen that I knew I had to test both you and your spirit one last time, Link," Farore said penitently. "It is because you understand that there are so many ways to be brave in this world. Courage, in its very essence, lies in ordinary acts of bravery, in what drives one person to stand up for another. It is what allows a person to shout for those who can only whisper and defend those who cannot defend themselves. Courage is selfless and noble, seeking justice and peace no matter what the personal cost is to themselves. And yet, inasmuch as courage is bold, it is also patient. Courage is not the absence of fear; rather, is it being willing to face those fears for the sake of those you love. Sometimes, courage involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes, it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everything you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater. But sometimes… it doesn't. Sometimes, courage is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow, often difficult walk towards a better life. By choosing to let go of your love, you showed this kind of courage. Even though you knew that living the rest of your life without her would break your own heart, you were willing to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of countless others, including her. Such a noble choice was not made by the merit of your own heroic spirit alone, but rather by the courage and kindness of your own heart. And it is because of that courage that I will bless you and your descendants, so that they will always bear both my mark and my courage, now and forever."

"And…" Din said, a warm grin on her tanned face. "It is also in recognition of the power, wisdom and courage that both of you have showed throughout your trials that we have decided to allow you to return to defend your land together."

For a moment after hearing this, Link and Zelda simply turned and stared at each other in disbelief, unable to take in the fact that they really would get to be together again, even after everything that had happened. And when the news finally sunk in, neither of them could contain their overjoyed smiles. Simply knowing that they would not only get to return to rescue the surface that needed them so much, but that they would also get to do it together, filled them with unabridged happiness. At the same time, neither of them even had to ask the goddesses whether their unborn infant who had died along with them would be restored as well, for they knew that the goddesses, in all the immense kindness they were showing to both of them, would certainly pour their mercy upon all three of them. The couple was so excited by these thoughts that they completely forgot about the goddesses still standing by, watching their reaction. They forgot about the nearby entrance to the Golden Realm and their parents standing within it, waiting for them. The even forgot about the invisible wall dividing them as they began to bridge the gap between them, finding that it was finally gone somehow. For the first time in what seemed like ages, Link and Zelda were able to unite once more and they took full advantage of the opportunity. It had been so long since they had both been fully competent during a kiss, when their minds had not been muddled by corruption or pain or death and as their lips met, they both drew each other in slowly and passionately. They clung onto each other almost desperately for quite a long time, finding that they did not need to break for air since they were already dead anyway. However, after a while of watching them, Din interrupted them by clearing her throat somewhat impatiently.

"Excuse me, you two," the goddess of power said, amusement in her tone as the pair broke apart and blushed in embarrassment. "But there we still have quite a bit to tell the future king and queen of the surface before they return home…"

As the hero and the girl frowned in confusion upon hearing this, Nayru was quick to call her sister out. "Din!" the goddess of wisdom exclaimed warningly. "It is still too early for them to know that! Why don't we just start with the flow of time?"

"Oh yes!" Farore exclaimed in excitement as she turned to the couple. "You two are in for quite a privilege. You get to see something that no other mortals will get to see: the future of this land if you usher peace into it once more… Behold!"

All three goddesses held their hands up once more as Link and Zelda were surrounded by figures once more, but rather than themselves at different ages, they were flanked by people they had never seen before, despite the fact that they were all somehow familiar as they stood, unmoving as they lined up on either side of the two of them. Standing to their right was a couple that Zelda recognized from her dreams of the past as Hylia and her chosen hero as the goddess stood on one side of her while the first hero stood beside Link. However, neither of them were able to recognize any of the rest of them in either lines, though there were certain consistencies throughout. The line that Zelda was in was composed of only girls, ranging in age from as early as around nine or ten to only a little older than her, all of them giving off an air of royalty and regality, as if they were all princesses or queens. Link's line was made up on only boys and young men, each one matching in age to the girl adjacent to him and all of them wearing green garb similar to the hero's and bearing blades, a few of them even wielding the Master Sword. As the lines descended down to the right, both of them were able to see a point where they eventually split into three different lines, though for what reason, neither of them knew.

"Look and see the history of this land as it flows in an endless cycle," Din said as the goddesses took their place above both lines. "Past, present, future; all stand here, showing the fate of this land and what is destined to become of it. Here stands the hope of the surface and those who will stand by to defend it. But not only is this the history of the land; it is also the history of the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero."

"Zelda," Nayru addressed the girl, who was still gazing the young women standing throughout her line. "Alongside you stands all those who have the Blood of the Goddess flowing through their veins. They are your blood descendants, all of them imbued with the same essence of Hylia that dwells within you. The Blood of the Goddess is pure and sacred. It is filled with Hylia's love for this land, as well as her wisdom, which is why it is my pleasure to tell you that in the same way that Farore and those who bear the Spirit of the Hero are bound, so too will I be bound to you and your descendants, gifting them the crest of wisdom so that they may use it to guide this land to peace and prosperity…"

"And Link," Farore said with a soft grin. "Those who stand with you are the ones who bear the Spirit of the Hero, something that is not passed along through heritage like the Blood of the Goddess is, but rather through the merit of an unbreakable spirit. Many of them will bear the crest of courage, but nonetheless, all of them will fight to keep this land safe."

"Now, you both will see the most important chapters in the vast history of this land," Din said. "We must see this, for by all accounts, the surface belongs to the two of you, as well as your people. It is your birthright, the place where your kind is meant to dwell. To be able to properly care for it however, you must know its history, and see how the fruits of your long and heavy labor will help it to grow and thrive..." The goddess of power paused for a moment as she began to speak of the creation of the world. "In the ancient days before time began, we descended upon this world and brought it into existence. With my power, I created the red earth of the land and gave it form in the midst of the void of chaos it was in."

"In my wisdom, I brought order to the chaos and created law," Nayru said eloquently.

"And using my courage, I breathed life into all beings of the land," Farore said, continuing the tale. "Upon completing our work, we departed from the world we had created and left it in your care, Hylia, as you might remember. But we also left behind a symbol of our power, the Triforce."

"The Triforce was supposed to be used to maintain peace throughout the land," Nayru explained. "However, such a great power also had the capacity to cast it into darkness. The golden relic does not distinguish between right and wrong and it was for that reason that the demon king Demise rose up with his legion of demonic followers in an attempt to claim it as his own."

As the goddesses recounted this tale, the visions of Hylia and her chosen hero faced off against an apparition of Demise, showing the couple a visual history of the past so the goddesses would not have to explain everything. They watched as Hylia gave the Goddess Sword to her hero and how they used it to send the rest of the humans up to the sky, along with the Triforce. And then, they watched as the goddess and her hero embraced in a loving kiss, symbolizing their star-crossed love before they were cruelly torn apart as the hero was fatally struck down by the demon king in battle. In her immense grief, Hylia poured out her power upon Demise and sealed him away for a thousand years, ending the long war that had raged on the surface of years, before ultimately giving up her divinity to be reborn with her hero someday. This was a part of history that neither of them needed explained to them; after all, Zelda had lived it in another life and seeing it replayed before her eyes once more filled her heart with grief once again, just as much as it had when she had explained it to Link.

The goddesses remained silent as the visions of Hylia and her chosen hero vanished, replaced with visions of themselves instead, showing the next pair in the cycle. Link and Zelda watched and silently recalled every moment of their own struggle against Demise, including his eventual defeat and the restoration of peace to the surface. From there, time flowed on into their most recent trials, including both the Interloper War and the hero's struggle against corruption. As this went on, the goddesses spoke again, knowing that there were things that needed to be said.

"Upon his defeat, Demise cursed your kind, as I'm sure you both know," Din said with ire for the wicked demon king in her rumbling voice. "Under this curse, those with the Blood of the Goddess and those with the Spirit of the Hero will be reborn into this land again and again, forever followed by an incarnation of his hatred. That incarnation shall wage war against this land and your people and your blood and spirit will wage war against him in each and every age. Such is the cycle of this land and yet… it is not the only cycle that shall endure throughout time and history…"

"The Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero are eternally bound by fate," Farore said as the last scene of Link and Zelda dying played out right before their eyes before fading away. "In each and every lifetime, your destinies are united and your hearts are bonded in both a mutual love for this land and for each other. Your kinds will always be drawn to one another, but not because of anyone's design but your own. The two of you are not complete without one another; yours is a love that is so strong, it transcends even time itself. That is why you will never have to worry about being apart. Even when you are separated, know that you are never truly alone…"

Upon hearing these poetic words, Link and Zelda smiled at each other warmly and took each other's hands, knowing that what the goddess of courage had said was absolutely true. They needed each other and their deep love to survive and somehow, even through all of the trials they had faced, even through death itself, their love had endured it all and would live to survive another day.

"Long after your lives have naturally faded away, this land will have grown into a great nation, one that will prosper and know peace for many years," Nayru continued, diverting the couple's attention to the pair standing on the other side of them: a young girl with golden hair and dark blue eyes, garbed in elegant royal clothing and a boy with the same color hair and sky blue eyes, dressed in the green of the forest, both of them only about ten years old or so. "Centuries will pass, and your legacy will fade into the annals of history, and yet Demise's hatred will not. The incarnation of his kind shall arise and attempt to conquer the Triforce and the land as his own." As she said this, a large man with fiery red hair and dark green skin appeared, a malevolent look upon his face as he towered over the two children. "It will be in those days that the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Time shall appear to stop him in his tyranny. Using the Master Sword, the Hero of Time shall traverse the flow of time and face off against the self-proclaimed King of Thieves." As she said this, the two children instantaneously grew into young adults, around the same age as Link and Zelda, both of them uniting to stand against the evil king in battle. "As you can see from the three paths coming out of it, there are three possible outcomes to this deciding battle, each one different from the other."

"In one path, the Hero of Time will face the King of Thieves in battle and loose," Din said hesitantly, knowing from their worried reaction alone that this was something that the couple did not want to hear as they watched the evil king strike the hero down. "Without a hero to save her land, the Princess of Density will, in a desperate attempt, seal the evil king away with the Sacred Realm for a time, but the scars left upon the land will remain for a time. However, word of the Triforce and its might will spread throughout the kingdom and greed will fill the hearts of men as they wage war upon each other in order to claim it. Such a war will lead to the sealing of the Sacred Realm, but it will only remain so for a time. In the days when the seal begins to wane, the fated pair will arise and drive back the darkness threatening the land." As she said this, a new hero and a new princess, both of them around fourteen or fifteen, appeared, both of them fighting against the King of Thieves, who was now a large, violent beast rather than the man he had once been. "They will restore order to the land, bringing back the peace that was lost upon the Hero of Time's defeat. Twice more in this path shall the reincarnated trio do battle; once when two separate worlds converge for the first time and again once the kingdom has declined substantially. And yet, through all of the struggles that the land faces, one thing will always remain true: the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero will always return and strive to bring peace, even in the face of defeat."

As all of the princesses and heroes faded away from the first path, a new path unveiled itself, consisting of only one pair of young children, both about twelve years old. "In both of the other paths, the Hero of Time will defeat the King of Thieves. However, the adventure of the time-traveling hero will cause the chain of history to branch off in two different directions and the chronology of the land will diverge dramatically," Nayru said, picking up the story. "In both of these paths, peace is restored to Hyrule, and the Princess of Destiny will send the Hero of Time back to his original time. In this particular path, the story of the hero will fade into legend, though the land will be left without a hero for many centuries, allowing the King of Thieves, who was sealed away within the Sacred Realm, to return and cause chaos once more." Upon these words, the evil kin reappeared and began to wreak havoc upon the land once again, only this time, there was no hero or princess to stop him. "When the land is bereft of a hero, we shall send a deluge of water upon the earth, flooding it and creating a vast ocean so that the evil king will be stopped and the land can begin anew." Link and Zelda could not help but look on in horror as the goddesses sent a vast flood to cover the surface, sinking the kingdom that had been built there to the bottom of the sea and watching as the survivors of the flood began to rebuild civilizations upon the small islands above the deep waters. "Many centuries will pass, and the King of Thieves will rise up from the depths of the sea once more, only this time, the people will find salvation in the Hero of Winds and the Princess of the Sea. Once again, your reincarnations will do battle against the King of Thieves and triumph over him, though it is fate's design that the kingdom remain forever lost at the bottom of the sea. And so it will be that the Hero of Winds and the Princess of the Sea will find a new land for their people to call home, and from it, the kingdom that you both will create in your lifetimes will be born anew."

The hero and the girl smiled softly to each other, knowing that even though the land would face plenty of hardships, there would always be hope for it. "The final path of this land's history is by far the most important one when your most recent hardships are taken into account," Farore said as the final line came into view, encompassing two pairs, one of which was they young Hero of Time and Princess of Destiny. "In this path, the Hero of Time will still be returned to his original time, and he shall go to warn the Princess of Destiny of the King of Thieves' treachery before it's too late. With the land at peace once more, the hero shall depart from it and come across the land of Termina, where he will face the demon Majora and stop its wicked plans to destroy the land and its people." As Farore narrated this, the young hero used what both Link and Zelda recognized as the Fierce Deity's Mask to defeat Majora and bring peace to Termina, just as Terminus had predicted. "Returning home, the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny will reunite and grow in wisdom, courage and love." As the goddess of courage recounted all of this, the hero and the princess grew into adults once more, until a dark figure overshadowed them, symbolizing a coming darkness. "However, in those days, the Sorceress of Shadow, a descendant of the Dark Interlopers shall return to this land from the realm that they are being banished to, seeking both vengeance and the Triforce. The Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny will rise once more to stand against her and drive her darkness away using their light. However, their victory will not be an easy one. Once more, the Spirit of the Hero will face corruption by Majora and only the Hero of Time himself will be able to decide if he will overcome it." The girl and the hero were able to watch as their successors fought against an evil similar to the one they were now facing, and watched their great struggle against it with empathy. "And yet, if the fated pair manages to defeat the Sorceress of Shadows, then the land will know prosperity once more for a time, until the King of Thieves, as well as the descendants of the Interlopers, rise up once more. As a pall of darkness covers the land once more, another pair shall appear: the Hero of Twilight and the Princess of Light. Aided by one from the darkened realm, the hero will bring light to the land and defeat the King of Thieves once again." The Hero of Twilight and the Princess of Light both did battle against the King of Thieves with the help of a strange, impish creature, before a familiar darkness began to fall upon the land once more. "However, their trials shall not end there. As a descendant of the Sorceress of Shadows, known as the Queen of Shadows, will enter into the land, chaos will break forth once more and the bond of destiny that unites the one of the Blood of the Goddess and the one of the Spirit of the Hero will be tested, and if it is able to withstand this trial, then the land will be saved once more…. But if not…" Farore trailed off as both the Hero of Twilight and the Princess of Light fell and darkness enshrouded the land forever, ending the chronology of the surface on an ominous note of what could happen if they were to fail.

As all of the other couples faded away, Link and Zelda remained, both of them completely speechless and amazed at all they had just seen. Indeed, the surface's history was long and often grim, but they were both confident that so long as there was light to banish darkness, it would never extinguish the land's hope. "Now that the history of this land has been unveiled to you, you may now go forth to defend it with vision unclouded," Din said, starting to wrap their meeting up. "However, before we send you back to the world of the living, I'm afraid that there is a bit more knowledge that we must impart to you."

"The first of these things comes in the form of a gift for you, Hylia," Nayru said, holding up her hand as a golden glow surrounded it. No more than a second later, a beautiful golden tiara appeared on Zelda's head, along with a set of golden-shaped Triforce-shaped earrings and a necklace bearing the image of the golden relic as well. The tiara was finely crafted and elegant, its centerpiece being a pendant that contained another effigy of the Triforce, this one composed of a scarlet ruby for the Triforce of Power, an azure sapphire for the Triforce of Wisdom and a verdant emerald for the Triforce of Courage. The girl gazed at it's sacred beauty with admiration, knowing that this gift from her sisters, the goddesses themselves, was something she would be sure to always treasure.

"This tiara not only symbolizes your heritage as the goddess reborn," Nayru continued. "It also symbolizes the divine right and duty that you have to rule this land in benevolence. It is our hope and desire that you and your descendants always seek to lead your people in wisdom and in love."

"It is also our desire that you continue to protect our golden relic, now and forever," Din said firmly. "It cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of evil, lest the land be destroyed with its power. Remember what you once said when you were still immortal, Hylia: 'The Triforce is too great to leave in the grasp of man. Dependence on its might is an invitation to disaster. When it has served its purpose, it must be secreted away to lay dormant once again, the knowledge of its existence hidden from mortal history.' It is for this reason, that you both must understand how important it is that you find a way to seal the Triforce away, out of man's reach, until its power is needed to restore light to the land once more. To prevent a conflict such as the Interloper War from happening again, we ask that, upon your return, you seal the Triforce within our dwelling place, the Sacred Realm, where we may watch over it for a time."

"And finally," Farore said with a warm smile. "We ask that you not only defeat the Interloper leader, but in wake of this battle, enjoy your lives together. May you show your people the wonders of the surface world and together, may you build a kingdom that will last for generations to come. Be fruitful and bear many children and in doing so, begin the royal family of this land so that its start will be born of both the Blood of the Goddess and the Spirit of the Hero. The last thing we request is that you begin a tradition, one that will last so long as this land endures. As you have likely guessed, we will be restoring life to your unborn babe along with you. Know that you shall bear a daughter and we ask that you name your firstborn daughter, and every firstborn daughter born into your family line, Zelda, after the goddess Hylia reborn, so that your own history shall not be forgotten. Is this agreeable?"

The hero and the girl smiled and nodded compliantly without any hesitation, not even caring about what their child would be named and simply overjoyed that she would be born healthy and thriving. Knowing that the goddesses intended to send them home soon, the couple drew close one more, embracing, but refraining from kissing until it was appropriate to do so.

"Well, it seems as though the two of you are ready to return to the land of the living, yes?" Din said with a sultry laugh. "Well, we won't keep you any longer than. But before you go, you should both know that you have earned our approval, something that few mortals can claim to have obtained. By selflessly devoting your lives to both your land and each other, you have showed that your hearts are among the strongest of any who have ever lived."

"By deciding what is worth sacrificing for the greater good, you have proved your minds to be wiser than most who dwell upon the earth," Nayru said, nodding in approval.

"And by standing up for something greater than yourselves, you have proved that your spirits are filled with immense courage, unlike any ever known before," Farore said with a soft smile of pride.

"And so it is that we bestow our blessing upon both of you," Din said as she lifted her hands above her heads in preparation to restore the girl and the hero back to life. "May you both go forth in power!"

"In wisdom!" Nayru declared as she lifted her own hands up.

"And in courage!" Farore exclaimed, doing the same as a glow surrounded all three of them, as well as Link and Zelda. Knowing that they were about to return to life, the couple embraced even tighter, letting their lips meet once more as they forgot about both the goddesses they were departing from and the mission that was entrusted to them and instead, they simply remembered that, even after all they had been through and all they had faced, they were being given a second chance. A second chance to fight, a second chance to live and most of all, a second chance to love.

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Ok my friends! So, I have a lot to say about this lore chapter and its importance. Firstly, this chapter was needed as it sets up/foreshadows to a lot of stuff that will come along in both Wisdom and Courage and Light and Shadow. Also, for those of you who have read Wisdom and Courage (spoilers), it may seem as though I might be rehashing the whole meeting with the goddesses thing, but I can promise you that I am changing things up in the rewrites of W&C, so we'll have to see what comes of it there! Also, it may seem as though I missed quite a few games when I was recounting the Zelda timeline in this chapter, but once again, I have my reasons! I deliberately left out any game that was not immediately important to the Link/Zelda/Ganondorf (or Interlopers or Majora) conflict (henceforth, the Four Swords Games, Minish Cap, Link's Awakening, the Oracles games (even if Ganon is in them), Adventure of Link, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks). For those of you who didn't catch all the references, that means I did go over the Skyward Sword Prequel Manga, Skyward Sword itself, Blood and Spirit (of course), Ocarina of Time, A Link to the Past, A Link Between Worlds, Legend of Zelda, Wind Waker, Majora's Mask, Wisdom and Courage (no duh), Twilight Princess and Light and Shadow (Obviously). So I hope that clears everything up. Also, I'd like to cite my sources for a moment as say that I directly quoted not only Hyrule Historia in this chapter, but also Allegiant, by Veronica Roth (specifically, all that stuff Farore says about courage). So, what's coming up in the next chapter? Well finishing up the climax of course, which means LOTS of action, as well as a little drama and perhaps even some more tragedy... (bum bum BUM!) However, it might be a long time until I post it, since finals are next week and then I get to go to the beach for senior class trip followed by the weekend I've been waiting for for so very long: Graduation! Yay! XD So anyway, to keep you all informed...

Chapter 36: Lights in the Shadows
Chapter 37: Curse of the Interlopers
Chapter 38: Song of Time
Chapter 39: A New Era
Epilogue: Blood and Spirit

We're getting SO close to the end guys that I can TASTE IT! AHHHHHH So, as usual, don't forget to leave me a review! I'm just LOVING all of the support you guys are giving me! Makes me feel so good! So, until next time!