Zelda awakens to the sound of Links snores.
He never snored around her before the Calamity. He would always wake at the slightest noise, hand instinctively going toward his blade.
Now, whenever they were at his home in Hateno or staying at an inn, he sounded like a lumberjack's saw. And that's how she found him this morning, hacking away.
She slowly rises from her position next to him, feeling the joints pop and crack at the sudden movement.
Next to him?
Zelda rubs the sleep from her eyes, and begins to recall the previous night's events. Heat rises to her cheeks as she looks at her knight. Link's hair was sticking out at the most peculiar angles, and he had the slightest bit of drool leaking out of his mouth. She resists the urge to laugh, instead rising to her feet. Zelda walks to the smoldering fire and throws a log onto the embers. She pokes at it for a bit with a stick until it is properly burning, then strolls over to the ox. She realizes they haven't named the large beast, and she thinks it's time she gave him one.
After a moment of deliberation, she settles on Darbus, a legendary Goron chief. Quite appropriate.
She takes out a small wooden bow and a quiver of arrows from Darbus's saddle and pats him softly on the neck.
"Keep an eye on Link, okay Darbus?"
The Ox looks back at her, no expression readable.
Before setting out, she writes a note to Link on a piece of parchment.
Left to get breakfast. Back in 2 hours. If worried, I have medallion.
Zelda places the note on the ground next to the sword. She frowns for a moment at the hilt, then proceeds to leave the temple.
She had made it out of the canyon, and had continued down the road past the Serenne stable southwards. She worked her way around Salari Hill towards a small pond shaded by a single tree. The morning sun shimmered far in the distance, just beginning to show over the crest of the horizon.
Zelda crouched down in the grass, keeping an eye open for prey. She looked outwards towards the pond and saw a small group of boars drinking from the clear waters. Perfect! She slowly reached behind her for an arrow and knocked it to the bowstring, careful to not make any sudden movements.
She moved agonizingly closer to the boars, stopping after each step and observing their behavior. She was about twenty meters away when one lifted its head suddenly. She swore under her breath. In one fluid motion she rose slightly, drew the string back, gauged the trajectory, and with the bow still parallel to the ground let the string loose.
Zelda had of course been practicing archery her whole life. It was considered a noble art form, and many noble ladies practiced archery as a rule. She remembers when she was taught by one of the royal guards how to shoot a bow properly. How once a week she would be forced to wear tight dresses and stand in perfect form; head back, shoulders square, placing arrows over and over again into a hay bale. She hated it at first, and thinking about it now after the fact, she still did. It was only after watching Link for the first time did Zelda start to appreciate the skill.
They had only recently been assigned to one another and were traveling to Goron City to meet with Daruk. While on the road, they had spotted a lone traveller sprinting out from the forest, a bokoblin right on her heels. Before Zelda could shout an order, Link had reared his horse.
It was as if time had slowed, and she could see his movements moment by moment. He had used the momentum from the horse to leap high into the air. He began to arch his back and flip backwards when his hands drew his bow from his shoulder. He knocked an arrow and drew back in a single motion. As the arrow flew, she knew it would strike true, and the beast had fallen before Link had hit the ground. She saw him run into the treeline, and before long, he had returned. He knelt down to the traveller, spoke something to her, and she embraced him for a moment before running back into the forest.
He whistled for his horse and resettled his bow onto his back. As he remounted, he looked over at Zelda, before turning back around and scanning the treeline, making sure no more threats were present. He then urged his mount forward, and continued on the path north.
The entire encounter lasted 2 minutes and 10 seconds, and Zelda had counted each one.
She decided then she would continue training with the bow, and would slot in a few more hours in her already busy schedule for more range time.
After reawakening and defeating the Calamity, Zelda had asked Link to show her more unconventional means of using her bow, and he had been happy to oblige, even if he was uneasy with the idea of having her fight. She had been practicing almost every day, and while nowhere near as skilled as him, Zelda could now use her bow more practically than before, being able to hunt and hit the occasional switch if need be.
As she watches the boar fall, she lets out a small cry of joy and runs over to the beast as the others scatter away from their slain kin. She moves over to its prone form and sees that its chest is still rising slightly, and the beast lets out small whines as it struggles to move. Zelda grimaces as she kneels down besides it, looking at the arrow protruding from its side. She missed the heart by a few inches and the broadhead was sunk deep into the boar's shoulder muscle, clearly having severed a tendon rendering it immobile.
She withdrew a knife from her belt, and held it above the beast's heart. She hesitated a moment, then plunged the blade hilt-deep into its fur. It stopped struggling.
Zelda looks at the bow laying down near the tree, and remembers long ago when she and Link were taking a break between their travels in this exact spot. How she crawled through the grass with the slate, taking photos of various species of wildflower and insect, even coming across a frog she had Link taste to verify claims that they could provide additional stamina.
Zelda feels the breeze coming up from across Hyrule Field to the east. She felt a small sense of melancholy. She wishes she could go back and tell herself to enjoy those small moments while she could. While there was no longer the threat of the Calamity, she had changed. She was no longer the naive young woman who knew nothing of death and torment. She had fought for a hundred years to protect a land that had hated and ultimately forgot her.
The Calamity had robbed her of everything, and she was still trying to find what was stolen.
Zelda reached into her small pack and pulled out a length of rope to tie the legs of the boar together. While she could skin and clean the beast here, it would be easier with Link's help and cooking know-how. She walked over to the bow lying on the ground, picking it up and unstringing it with the help of her boot-heel. As she stood up straight, she saw her.
Standing at the base of the small tree was a woman in a light pink dress adorned with jewels and gold. Her back was turned to Zelda, and she was gazing out towards the ruined castle.
Zelda frowned and turned away. The woman spoke in a light but commanding tone.
"You can't keep ignoring us, child. We have spoken to you about this. We are a part of you, and you are a part of us."
Zelda turned back around.
"As you have mentioned countless times. And I am telling you that your assistance is no longer necessary."
The woman did not face her, instead sighing slightly and resting her gloved hand on the tree bark. Her silhouette was slightly glowing, however it was hard to tell due to the bright morning sun. Zelda could almost believe she was really there, basking in the peaceful surroundings. Her light brown hair rustled gently with the wind.
"I remember when my own castle was destroyed by him. It broke my heart. While the system and people inside were corrupt and cruel, they did not deserve their fates."
Zelda's mouth parted slightly. Her heart leapt into her mouth.
"Pardon?"
Finally the apparition turned and looked into her eyes. They were not the golden glow that she had seen before in her dreams and during her imprisonment. They were a deep, brilliant blue, shining with wisdom and cunning. Her sharp eyebrows raised, and her mouth tensed into a thin line.
"The goddess has taken many forms over the millenia. Even so far in the future, surely you know this at least?"
"I-,"
Zelda could not speak. Hylia spoke with a warm but distant tone. Her presence was welcoming but suffocating. Pleasing yet painful. She appeared in her dreams in many forms, sometimes as this woman, sometimes as a blonde girl not unlike herself, sometimes as her mother, and sometimes as herself looking in a mirror. She spoke through her statues (only after the events that occurred 100 years ago however, to her distaste), through the wind, through the light that shone down on her when she prayed. She had now started appearing in her waking life, trying to speak to her, edging her on to use her powers and embrace the union of their souls.
Zelda was becoming more and more distraught with her appearance. She did not want this power any longer, and she surely did not want to unite with the deity responsible for the death of her friends and family. She had completed her trial, she had suffered enough, and she was done being someone she was not. So she had begun ignoring her. She had stopped praying to her, stopped listening to her words when she appeared in her dreams, and tossed aside her appearance in her waking life. She had told Link that her power was waning, which while slightly weaker due to her rejection of Hylia, was not truly fading away. And so her vow of silence with the goddess had continued to this day, hoping that she could live her own life with nothing but the wild and her knight.
But she had never spoken to Zelda like this before.
"I know you are hesitant to speak to the goddess girl, but I am not her. Not now. She has asked us to speak to you, to guide you to her. You will listen. And you will speak."
Zelda frowned. She would not be cowed by some spirit sent by the goddess. However, the more she looked into her eyes, the more she began to feel a slight sense of fear. Whoever she was, she clearly had been royalty, or at least someone with a great deal of power under her palm. She had mentioned her own kingdom, and Zelda was curious. Just who was this woman? Why was the goddess sending her now? Could she tell her more about what was happening to her? And why did she feel a faint recognition when she looked at her?
"Who are y-?"
Just as she was beginning her line of questions, a blue light shone from the corner of her eye, and Zelda turned her head to look at the rapidly appearing form of Link. She turned her head back towards the spirit, but she was no longer there.
Of course she wasn't. Zelda's face formed a scowl. She didn't hide it quickly enough.
Link tapped her on the shoulder and looked at her questioningly. Zelda quickly hid her emotions behind a small sigh.
"Sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts."
Link raised an eyebrow but did not speak. If she wanted to speak about it she would. He never needed to press her for answers.
"I'm sorry Link, it's nothing you haven't heard before."
He sat down on the ground and pulled an apple out of his pouch. He munched quietly while staring off towards the dueling peaks. He leaned his back against the tree, and noted the slight smell of perfume. Had she put some on to go hunting? Royalty can be so strange sometimes, he thought.
Zelda looked down at him and smiled slightly at his boyish behavior. She loved seeing this side of him. He never showed it around her before the collapse, always stoic and perfectly neutral. Sure, bits of his true nature showed through at times, but they were rare, and when she brought them up he would return to his stonelike stature, shutting himself away. She knew from tales told by Mipha and his friends in the guard that he wasn't usually like that, that he was naturally curious and adventurous, that he loved climbing trees and buildings, exploring forests around his home and swimming with the Zora in their domain. Ever since defeating Ganon, it seemed he was more inclined to act himself around her. She admitted to herself sadly that it was likely due to his memory loss, but even as he gained more and more of his past knowledge and experience, he still acted more relaxed.
She straightened her tunic and sat down beside him, shoulders brushing as he scooted over. She pulled the slate from his waistband and began to scroll through it. She absentmindedly snatched the apple from his hands and took a bite. Link moaned at the loss of his precious snack. Zelda looked up from her musings, grinning and clicking her tongue.
"I know you have more in that pack of yours, you glutton, don't be so dramatic."
Link raised his eyebrows and put his hand on his chest in mock disgust at the accusation, but still reached into the pouch and pulled out another apple. Zelda covered her mouth with the stolen apple and giggled a bit. She took another bite then returned to the slate. They rested for a while, enjoying each other's company as the sun slowly rose to take its place high above them.
The wind picked up slightly and caused the tree's leaves above them to shimmer back and forth, creating a dazzle of light and shadow around them. They heard the birds moving throughout the tree branches, taking off and landing whenever they pleased. The sound of cicadas buzzed quietly in the distance, and butterflies floated about the groups of flowers dotting the field.
Spring was coming to its peak, and nature was responding in kind.
"What are you looking at?" Link asked when Zelda didn't speak after some time. She looked over at his face, which was now sticky and covered in apple juice. She let out a slight tisk as she grabbed his cloak from his shoulders, using it to wipe his face. He blushed slightly but did not move to stop her. He still wasn't used to being around people all the time, and no matter how many memories he had regained, his newfound habits didn't seem to die easily.
"I'm looking over the documents we had retrieved from the castle library. Luckily the slate seems to be able to record books and their contents quite quickly, storing images of each page and sorting by author and title. It then archives them like the compendium. It's quite frankly the most brilliant function I've found with the slate so far. I can carry almost the entire remaining content of the castle library with us at all times!"
Link thought of the many times he used the slate on his quest. He personally thought an archive wasn't the slate's most practical use, finding the infinite explosives and the ability to transport instantaneously to be far more brilliant than any sort of portable bookshelf. Then again, Link understood the value of past knowledge more than anyone, so he bit back his witty retort. Zelda continued, eyebrowings knitting together as she looked back down at the slate.
"I'm looking into the royal lineage, reviewing past members of our family. Our records date back hundreds, if not a few thousand years. I'm looking for any mention of previous rulers losing the kingdom, specifically the castle."
Link looked at her with concern.
"Why?"
Zelda glanced up into his gaze, and shrunk a bit. She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't keep hiding things from Link. He was the only one that could truly understand and relate to her. It was unfair to him, who had gone through so much for her and this world. He had a right to know, especially considering his own issues right now. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the inevitable.
"Link, what I'm about to tell you, it is extremely personal. Please know I've been meaning to tell you, but I was hoping it would be resolved before speaking with you."
"You know I'd never think any less of you."
Zelda sighed and grabbed his hand. Link was surprised with the tightness in which she held it, holding it as if she was going to fall if she let go.
"I know. I'm just worried about your reaction. You always worry about my safety and well being, and I don't want to stress you. You have already been through so much for my sake, and I don't want to put you through any more pain."
"Too late for that." He said with a smirk.
She punched him lightly with her free hand, but didn't smile.
"Don't joke about this. Promise me you won't overreact."
He shrugged but urged her to continue. She pouted a bit but she couldn't go back now.
Zelda told him everything.
She told him about her visions, her disregard for the goddess, her chat with the spirit that morning. She told him the truth about her powers. Her inner thoughts broke free about his recent episodes, how she thought that he was destined to meet the same fate as her, and that it terrified her. Her words flowed like a dam had burst. Zelda had spoken to him before about the guilt she faced about the death of Hyrule, but never about how scared she was about their divine fate.
"More than anything, what I'm most afraid of is losing ourselves. Hylia said that we must combine our souls as one. What does that mean though? Does it mean I'll lose myself in the process, become someone I'm not? Is that what's happening to you now? Why do we need to do this now? Didn't we defeat the Calamity? I know I sealed it away, and I know that the malice cannot escape. It does not reside in this world any longer, otherwise I would feel it. So why is the goddess still forcing me to use my power? Why are you seeing visions of things that never happened? Why for once in my life can I not just decide for myself what my future holds?!"
Zelda was sitting up at this point, hands clenched in fists to her breast. Her face was flushed, but she did not cry. Link could see her shaking slightly, and he felt anger radiating from her small form. Link put her hand to her shoulder and pulled her back to the tree. He said nothing for some time, his face contemplative. Zelda looked at him with a pleading gaze. Finally he spoke.
"I'm scared, Zelda."
She was silent, a baffled look painting her lips and eyebrows. He had never admitted fear, at least not to her. He didn't look fearful at all. He stared off at the distant peaks and he turned to her.
"You're always right, and knowing how much thought you've put into this I can only assume that you didn't come to these conclusions out of thin air. However, we're together on this, and that brings me comfort. If anyone can answer these questions, it's you. Just know that I'll be here for you, always."
He stopped talking and rested back up against the tree, not breaking his gaze with her.
Zelda knew that he probably had a lot more to say, but couldn't find the words to say them. He didn't need to say them at all. Her chest filled with both happiness and sorrow. She hated that he was worried about her, but her heart soared with his promise to stay. Her cheeks stayed red, but instead of anger it was something else that made them keep their hue. She leaned her head against his shoulder, still holding onto his hand tightly.
"Thank you, hero."
He stammered a bit with her physical closeness, but took it in stride. Zelda closed her eyes and hummed with satisfaction. They sat for a while longer, before she broke the silence.
"We need to talk about the sword."
Link opened his eyes, and before he could say anything, Zelda stood and brushed off the grass from her legs and rear. Link stared, then quickly averted his gaze before he got caught.
"Let's return to the temple and make a proper meal."
And so they rose, Link walking over to the boar and Zelda selecting the shrine from the map on the slate. They stood together and were quickly whisked away back to the temple.
"So you can hear the voice of the sword?"
Link had finished cleaning away their lunch and the pair were now sitting by the goddess statue. He never truly heard the voice, mainly the sword's desires. He could sense it, almost like an invisible rope was tugging him and filling his mind with images and emotions. He had seen it flash, and he knew that it was trying to communicate something to him. He thought he heard bells once when he completed his trials to reclaim its true power, but nothing more. It was almost like his relationship with his horse. Even though he couldn't talk with it, he could sense how it felt. Link smiled inwardly at the thought.
"Yes. It spoke to me when I returned it to the forest, and it spoke to me last night," Zelda spoke curtly, trying hard to ignore the feeling of fear bubbling in her stomach.
"It spoke to you as well. You were just, well…"
"Indisposed."
"Yes."
"What did it say?"
Zelda crawled over to his spot on the floor across from her. She took the sword from its scabbard. It looked almost comical in her delicate hands, but somehow correct as well. Her face fell, a shadow of sadness and a slight smile crossing her lips. Her fingers ran down the spine of the blade, as if comforting it.
"The first time it told me that hope was not yet lost. That its master would return and that you would rise to face evil as it had time and time again. It told me to bring it to its resting place in the forest, and that it would be waiting for us to return."
"And the second time?"
Zelda's smile turned to a small grimace.
"It told me it had to do this. It needs to prepare you."
Link felt a shiver shoot down his back and the hair on his arms raised. What the hell does that mean?
"I tried to speak to it more, but it just said it was time for you to know, that you would hold it again to the heavens and it would sing the song of ages."
Link didn't know what the song of ages was, but he didn't like the idea that he needed to prepare for something. Preparation meant danger. He turned to Zelda.
"Can you try speaking to it now?"
"I think it's time for you to speak to it. It seemed rather adamant that it was done speaking with me."
Link frowned and took the sword back from Zelda. He held it in his right hand and lifted the guard to his face. He heard Zelda giggle.
"If you cross your eyes like that they'll get stuck that way."
"Ha Ha."
Zelda stood up and put her hand on his wrist.
"The legends speak that the spirit in the sword is bound to the hero. Reach out with your heart, feel for it in your mind. What is it saying to you?"
He didn't know anything about reaching out with his heart, but he did sense something when he emptied his mind. He entered a meditative state, almost the same as the technique taught to him by the Sheikah long ago. He closed his eyes and stood square, facing the goddess statue. He tried speaking with his voice first, muttering questions like "Who are you?" and "What is it that you are trying to tell me?" but to no avail.
Zelda took a few steps away and stood at his back, watching as he stood motionless. It reminded her of herself when she prayed at the springs. She hoped he would have better luck than she did. It seemed like hours had passed in the space of a few moments.
Suddenly, the muscles in his thighs and arms tensed, and she stared as he lifted the sword from his side up into a parade rest position, then gasped as he lifted it skyward. The sounds inside the temple muted instantly. It felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room, like the world was waiting with bated breath.
She felt a small rumble emanate from the pedestal in front of the goddess statue, and from it floated a small effigy! It looked almost like a set of wings, and it settled itself directly in the path of Link. She nearly jumped from excitement. What did this mean? Floating statues? Wings? The sword? So many questions rose to her mind, but they stopped instantly when Link let out a roar and swung the sword down in a huge ark towards the statue. A beam of blue light shot from the sword and struck the effigy, which began to glow as well. The sword shone brilliantly, and Zelda took a step forward, eagerly absorbing all that she saw. The effigy began to spin at a rapid pace, when suddenly another burst of light broke from the sword. Both she and Link starred up, and were speechless.
Floating slightly above them was the form of a small woman, but she was unlike any being either of them had seen before. She seemed almost doll-like, her face a mask of blue glass. She wore a shawl of blue and indigo, and it flowed across her arms in the same pattern as the sword's crossguard. Her legs were wrapped in green leather, just like the handle, and directly in her chest lay the jewel that adorned the blade.
"Hello Master."
Link's jaw hung down, and Zelda couldn't help but let hers drop as well. Before either of them could speak, she glided across the gap between them, almost as if she was skating across the air. She lept over them, and the pair whirled around to watch the being twirl and pirouette around the chamber. She skated across the walls and ceiling, and began to speak to them again. Her voice sounded like wind chimes and tinkling bells, but also slightly unnatural, almost like the noises from the Sheikah slate.
"According to your social customs, I should provide you with my personal designation. Fi is the name I was given."
"You're the spirit in the sword?" Link asked, still perturbed that a woman had burst forth from his blade.
"Yes. I was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memory of your people. Though you have already completed it partially, I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry."
Link hesitated in answering, but before he could question what she meant by "partially", Zelda spoke instead.
"What do you mean by 'great destiny'? We have already sealed away the Calamity! Peace has returned, what is there for you to aid with?"
Fi stopped twirling and settled in front of them. She turned her head. Her empty eyes turned towards Zelda. She spoke, but her lips did not move.
"Hylia, Your Grace… Or perhaps you prefer 'Zelda'. It pleases me to know you are safe."
"I am not Hylia." Zelda spoke coldly, however her complexion had paled at Fi's words.
"My purpose has been served multiple times over the eons. I am to serve the spirit of the hero in defeating Demise and his reincarnations. I have seen time split and reunify. I have seen Hyrule fall and rise countless times. I have only appeared before the hero once before, but I have guided and aided his spirit according to your design. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, my reawakening has been called upon to obey your will. The Demon King has become once again a beast of pure malice. While you have sealed away his enraged form, his physical tie to this world has become broken and contorted, as it had been at the beginning of this universe."
"Due to this complication, I have been instructed to instill upon my Master the skills and knowledge of his past. Demise is too unstable for his ancient seal to hold any longer. However, due to the length of time he has been present in this degraded form, a unique opportunity has arisen. We will be able to annihilate Demise completely, and the world will no longer be plagued with his blight."
The pair turned to each other and they could both see in each other's eyes what the other was thinking. The only thing they saw was fear.
Before either could speak again, however, a voice chimed in from the base of the statue.
"Do not be afraid, my children. For we will guide you on this final quest. We will instill upon you the wisdom and courage of your predecessors. You will not be alone in this fight."
Zelda gasped surprisingly as she saw the woman in the white dress. Her long golden hair flowed like water across her shoulders. Hylia walked towards them and stood beside Fi.
"Hylia, Your Grace. It pleases me to see you again in this form."
Link let out a choked noise and knelt before the goddess. Zelda just scowled at her. The goddess laughed lightly and took Link's hand.
"My hero, you need not lower yourself before me. You of all people should know this."
Link quickly rose to his feet and assumed a parade rest stance. His face became stoic and neutral, just like how he used to be with Zelda. Zelda continued to glare at the goddess.
"So now you let him see you. Why is that?"
"There was no need before. But now I feel the need to present myself, to face my Hero as I send him on one final journey." She continued to smile her sad little smile, but turned now to face her.
"We are one and the same, you know. There is no need to be jealous. I love the hero just as much as you. I have loved him since I first appeared in this world."
Zelda's face flushed a deep red. Link remained stoic but he too began to blush.
"Why must you torture us! We have done all that you ask, yet here you are telling us of some other task we must complete! We have done nothing to deserve this! Answer me!"
Hylia did not stop smiling, but she did turn away from them to gaze at the statue of herself.
"I do not wish this burden on any of my children. You both have done so much for this world, and if there was any way I could stop this from happening I would. You have earned the right to happiness more than anyone alive now. But the goddesses and I have little control over the will of Demise, and we cannot stop him ourselves. The laws of the universe prevent this. I have seen your predecessors suffer time and time again, and I wish to see it no longer. You two are our greatest hope in stopping this from happening ever again."
Zelda did not have a reply to this.
Hylia turned to face them again, this time gesturing to Fi to speak.
"Master, you must embark on a great journey into the history of the hero's spirit. It is only through this journey that you can fulfill the mission set before you by my creator, the goddess. It is also the only method available for you to defeat Demise and stop the cycle of reincarnation to continue."
"Zelda, I too will guide you through your history as my reincarnation. You will receive more answers from your predecessors, and they will guide you into understanding our intertwined fate."
Fi floated above the pair and looked down at their faces.
"Master, Zelda, please prepare yourselves. The optimal position is lying prone to minimize head injury. Proper hydration is also recommended."
Link gapped at the floating spirit. "What-."
Hylia intervened before he could speak. "You will be viewing the memories of your past incarnations. It will render you immobile for a time as you enter your dreams. No harm will befall you physically, but it can cause you to collapse. Please, both of you lie down.
The pair stared at each other with worry and a slight bit of embarrassment, but they lowered themselves before the statue and laid on their backs. Fi hovered above them again and spoke one final time.
"I have recognized you as my master and so it is my duty to follow you wherever you may go. I reside within your sword and will accompany you on your travels. Your Grace, you may call upon yourself at any time. Please proceed with caution."
Zelda heard some very nasty words utter from Link's lips as they lay together, but before she could chastise him the world faded to black.