5.
He was falling.
On his journey, he had fallen many times.
Not like this.
The wind roared through his ears and kept rising in tone, a screaming cacophony of pure noise.
He was falling too fast to breathe, the air moving too fast over his face to allow it into his lungs. Good thing too, since he's pretty sure they would have exploded.
He tried to open his eyes, but every time his tears would sting like needles and force them closed.
He tried to flail his arms, but nearly dislocated his shoulder.
He kept falling.
In his last fleeting moments of consciousness, he wriggled his fingers to his side, and found that the slate was not at his hip.
Just as the last of his oxygen faded and he felt the grips of nothingness, he heard a piercing whistle over the howling.
He felt something grab his shoulder blades and dig hard into his chest.
The noise began to die down, his heart dropping into the pit of his bowels.
He heard the flap of wings, and for a moment thought that it was strange Kass was there.
He thought maybe he had died, since he was no longer moving.
He breathed deep, opened his eyes, and all thoughts of death left his brain.
Blue. Nothing but sky blue.
Link could not comprehend that vast expanse of sky stretching in all directions. He had been on Vah Medoh, but he hadn't been too far above the ground, all things considered. From this height, he could not distinguish the horizon.
If he looked to his feet, he could see thousands of feet below him large puffy clouds casting shadows on nothing but forest. He couldn't make out any details of the land, just occasion gaps where rivers stretched like veins across the green.
He then noticed a red feather float past him, being picked up by the constant flow of air, whisking it away from view.
Link became aware of the source of the feathers when a large avian head appeared a foot away from his face. He did nothing but stare into its eyes, too shocked from the past minute to register what was happening.
It screeched, and Link felt the digging on his chest become exponentially worse.
Danger receptors began firing all at once, but before he could attempt to reach behind him for his blade, a force pulled him up by his shirt collar and hoisted him up.
Link was now looking at himself.
Well, to be precise, someone who looked almost the same. Add a few years and about 50 lbs of muscle. Green instead of Blue. Hair slightly darker blonde, though he supposed his hair looked similar now that Zelda had cut it.
The man smiled and hoisted him further up onto the back of the crimson bird creature he was riding upon, and settled Link into a tandem position behind him.
Link did nothing. He probably should be saying something, but his brain was still trying to compute the sensory overload he had just experienced.
The man spoke, and he sounded just like Link, if not a bit slower and deeper.
"Hold on. My Loftwing can handle both of us, but I'd rather speak with you somewhere a bit more stable."
Link couldn't agree more.
The man urged his mount forwards and down slightly, and it gracefully opened its wings taut to glide. Link couldn't make out anything in front of him, and tried not to think of the implications of falling without access to his paraglider. While he had his items and weapons in his pouch, the glider was summoned through the slate, and without it he was left stranded.
After a few minutes, he felt the powerful muscles in the creature's back flex, and its wings tilted slightly up, lowering their airspeed. He saw a small patch of stone rising to meet them, and he didn't quite understand how that was possible, since the ground was still far below. The beast landed gracefully, barely jostling its two riders at all as it let out a cry.
Link watched as the man slid off its back, and moved to the front of the beast. Link mimicked his movements, and got a better view of the area he now stood on.
It was a small island, hovering above the earth, almost like it was suspended by ropes from the heavens.
There was a small pool of water with a trickle of water emerging from a stone at its edge. Lily Pads and lotus flowers dotted its surface, and Link could see a frog resting on top of them.
Zelda would have a field day trying to explain this, Link thought.
He turned back to the man, who was now stroking the large beak of the bird, almost like a horse. He cooed softly and whispered to it, watching its head bob up and down in satisfaction. At least Link thought it was satisfaction.
Link, now no longer under duress, observed the man more thoroughly. He wore a green tunic over what looked to be chainmail, with pouches lining his belt not unlike his own. A sheath hung from his back, a broadsword poking out from his shoulder. He had a green cap which hung loosely from behind his ears, and his hair poked out at random intervals across its brim. His ears were long and pointed, just like his own, and he too wore sapphire loops in each. He was more broad than Link, however not by much, and stood a few inches taller.
The man lifted his head, and grinned broadly.
"You do look just like me!"
Link said nothing, still slightly wary of the man. This was just too strange, and he had seen some very strange things.
The man didn't falter, continuing to grin. Link watched his face change, however, as his eyes slid directly over his shoulder. His eyes grew a bit misty, and his smile faltered.
"It's been so long since I last saw you Fi. It's so good to see you." he said.
Link's eyes widened as he recognized the spirit's name. He heard the sound of bells, and Fi appeared between them.
"Hello Master Link. I am happy to see you regardless of the circumstances."
Link looked at the man and balked. Link? His name was Link as well? The man also named Link let his smile return in full, and took a few steps towards the spirit.
"I miss you so much."
"I miss you as well Master Link. Though I have been watching over your spirit through the ages, I still consider the information corresponding to our time together among the most precious data I have on record."
Link watched the two, and felt a slight sense of sadness. He felt the connection between the pair as if his own heart had experienced the same melancholy that was on display.
The man then gestured to Link to come closer, and Link took a few cautious steps towards him. The man noticed his hesitancy, and lifted his hand and scratched his head.
"Come on, man. I don't bite, am I really that scary?"
Fi chimed in.
"Master Link, he has gone through many trials much like your own. He has experienced long forms of solitude, and as such has not yet accepted you as a non-threat."
Both men looked at Fi with raised brows. The man turned to Link again, this time analyzing the youth before him. Link felt his gaze comb over every facet and felt very exposed. He had no idea who this person was, he had no idea where he was, and yet the man before him seemed to know who he was and why he was here.
The man's eyes softened a bit after his period of staring was over.
The hero who stood before him had clearly been through more than he had anticipated.
Link spoke, not breaking his focus towards the man.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Link."
"So is mine."
"I know."
"How?"
The man continued to smile, but now instead of trying to approach, walked to the edge of the cliff. He sat down and let his legs dangle off the edge. He reached towards his pouch and Link quickly moved his hand to the hilt of the Master Sword.
"Master, I cannot harm you."
The man laughed slightly and pulled something out of the pouch.
"Don't worry, I don't think my playing is bad enough to kill you. At least, Zelda doesn't seem to think so."
Link paled at the mention of her name. How does he know Zelda? He continued to watch as the man fiddled with the golden object in his hand. Link recognized the object now. It was a small harp in the shape of a horse shoe, with wings adorning its twin necks. The man began to pluck at the strings, a small but uplifting melody shimmered through the air between them, and Link felt a slight recognition, but couldn't place the tune.
"You still haven't answered my question."
The man sighed and stopped playing.
"I wish Hylia would be a bit more transparent sometimes. It can lead to a bit of confusion."
Fi spoke again, this time hovering just off the ledge in front of the man.
"I apologize, Master. We had little time to go over the specificities of-"
"It's okay Fi. I know that you aren't the easiest person to understand."
The man turned his head and patted to the space next to him. Link still did not move.
"If it makes you feel any better, you can always push me off if you want."
Link didn't like that the same could apply to him as well, and that he didn't have a giant red bird to swoop in and save him. But he thought back to the words of the goddess, and assumed this was part of whatever plan she had in store for him and Zelda. So he joined the green-clad stranger on the side of the cliff.
The man yawned and laid his back to the ground, hands behind his head. The harp rested on his chest.
"Hylia spoke to me. She told me of your plights and how I 'needed to impart my courage and wisdom upon you'. Whatever that means. She's always pretty vague. But I'm not one to ignore her, especially with legs like-"
"How do you know Zelda."
The man tilted his head slightly, eyebrows cocked in questioning, before realizing what Link meant. He laughed.
"I don't know your Zelda. Well, I guess technically I do, but not really. Damn, this is a lot harder than I thought."
Link kept staring at the man, confusion now clouding his slight annoyance with his carefree attitude.
"How about we start from the beginning. I'm assuming I'm the first one you've met so far?"
"What?"
"You haven't met anyone else since you started your little spirit walk?
Link did not answer immediately, but slowly nodded his head after some time.
"That makes sense. Might as well start with the top if you're gonna finish it."
Link tilted his head, still not understanding what exactly was happening.
"Do you know how this world started? Where we all came from? Why the trees are green and the birds fly?"
Link hesitated, then answered.
"I don't really know."
Fi chimed in, floating parallel above her old master.
"Master, his time is far ahead of your own. He also suffered memory loss pertaining to most of his life, though he is slowly recovering. Please try and keep this in mind."
Link wanted to shout at the spirit. Why the hell are you telling him that!
"Jeez. I'm so sorry. What happened to you?"
Link did not answer. The man sighed and strummed carelessly at his harp.
"It's okay. You don't have to tell me now. Or at all. I don't mind either way. At least answer me this. Who do the people worship in your time?"
Link answered without a second thought, grateful to push past his lost memory.
"The Goddess."
"Okay, good. Do they speak about any sort of creation myth? Any sort of explanation for Hyrule's existence?"
"Not really."
The man lifted his hands towards the spirit still floating above him. "Did we really do that bad a job writing stuff down Fi?!"
"No Master. Your exploits along with those of the goddess were recorded in great accuracy and detail. These works survived for almost two thousand years, before succumbing to a fire in the castle. They passed through oral tradition, and are still heard through echoes amongst the people of Hyrule, though inaccurate and not always related."
"At least someone built a castle. That's pretty neat."
Link crossed his arms across his knees. What the actual hell was he supposed to be doing? This man had no idea how to explain anything, and although he was intrigued by a few things he and Fi had said so far, this was clearly going nowhere.
The man noticed his irritation, and spoke to him again.
"I'm sorry. I got off topic. This might help spark your interest. Fi, how old am I in relation to this guy?"
"You are approximately 67,486 years, 237 days, 4 hours, 36 seconds older than this reincarnation of the hero. My accuracy may be off slightly due to shifts in the planet's rotation and orbit, as well as shifts in the magnetic poles and temporal changes at multiple points. I apologize."
Link didn't fully comprehend what the sword just said until a few seconds later. Sixty-seven Thousand? The man perked up a bit.
"Wow. That's a pretty good chunk there. And how long had it been between the Goddess' creation of our world and my birth?"
"Error. I was not present during this time. My creation was approximately 24 years after the goddess first descended from the heavens to the realm of man according to Hylia, though I have no definitive answer. This was 967 years before your birth, Master Link."
"Fair enough. From what I hear your creation was pretty nasty."
"I cannot relate this emotion to my creation, but from past context clues I can say with 92% accuracy that this emotion describes the circumstances during the period."
Link couldn't really fathom what exactly Fi was talking about in the end, but he got the jist of her statements. This man was old. Extremely old. The man smirked at Link's baffled face.
"So when I say start from the top, I mean from the top."
"Okay I get it. Why am I speaking to you though? Why did the goddess start here and not from the beginning of time? And why do you look so much like me and have the same name?" Link was starting to piece things together, but he wanted confirmation.
"Ahhh, now we got you to open up a bit! I think I see now where Hylia's going with this based on your questions. To answer your last one, it's because the goddess definitely has a type. And you fit the bill nicely, if not a bit on the skinny side."
Link frowned at the man. "And the first two?"
The man sat up and sighed again.
"That's where this gets a little tricky."
"Please just try."
The man smiled at Fi, and bashfully rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well, I'm you, I guess. I'm the first reincarnation of the hero's spirit."
Fi began to twirl around the two, skating across the air above them both. She spoke in song. It matched the tone of the melody the man was playing earlier.
Oh youth
Guided by
The servant of the goddess
Untie earth and sky
Bring light to the land...
Hero of the Skies
Zelda's awakening was less dramatic than her counterpart, if not a slight bit more confusing.
She opened her eyes to see herself staring up at the goddess statue she had been looking at just moments before. It took her a moment to realize what was different. First off, the stone roof had been replaced by blue sky and small tufts of clouds. Instead of the damp and musty air and the comforting smell of Link, she now smelled the sweet fragrance of wildflowers and fresh-cut grass. The statue too was no longer a faded yellow, and was now a brilliant white, if not a bit rough around the edges. It emitted a golden light from its clamped hands, and she could not see the source of this light.
Zelda sat up quickly, and glanced at her side. Link was no longer there, and she immediately deduced that she was now in the vision world the goddess had mentioned before. She stood up and checked herself. She still wore her travelling clothes, and the slate rested comfortably at her side. She let out a small sigh of relief. She took it from her hip, only to be slightly disappointed when the map screen showed nothing but static. Interesting as this was, it was not particularly helpful. She tested the runes. All seemed to operate normally, aside from the camera, which still functioned but would not save images. She could still access images, and the compendium as well as the library were accessible.
She tried messing with the camera again, trying to take a picture of the statue before turning to view her immediate surroundings through the screen of the slate.
Zelda saw a small number of wooden homes built around the base of the statue. Further down the path, leading to a domed structure stood a worn stone structure, slightly smaller than the interior of the forgotten temple she was in just moments prior. Her scholar's mind quickly began noting similarities in the structure, and determined that this was a version of the forgotten temple, perhaps long before the final version was complete. She became slightly irritated with the loss of the camera function, so she switched to the scope to further investigate the structure.
Her mind was so engrossed in its deduction that she almost screamed when she felt something lightly tap her shoulder.
"Hello Zelda!"
Zelda whipped around quickly, pulling the slate closer to her breast in a reactionary need for self defense. Her eyes darted across the form of the woman standing across from her. She recognized her almost immediately, and her eyes narrowed.
Before her stood a form of Hylia. She was dressed in a dark pink dress that hugged her slim form. It was tinged with gold thread, and she wore a white shawl across her shoulders. On her waist a few simple ornamental belts hung, with a blue sash that looked awfully familiar. Her hair was done in two simple tails framing her face, with her bangs cut straight.
Her eyes were not gold, however.
"You are just as beautiful as she said!"
Zelda lowered her arms to her sides, her eyebrows still pointed with suspicion.
"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"
The girl smiled at her cheerfully. Before she could answer, Hylia's voice filled her head.
She is you, child, and you are her. Do not be hesitant to bear your heart to her. I will not interrupt you further unless you desire to speak to me once again.
Hylia's voice faded and Zelda wished she could be more forward for once. What does that mean? Isn't she another form the goddess takes to taunt her?
The girl answered after she noticed Zelda's irritated huff.
"She spoke to you, didn't she? She's not very helpful, right?"
"If only you knew." Zelda said before she could stop herself. The girl's words did register immediately until it was too late. She gasped and spoke again.
"Wait a moment, if you're not Hylia, but you know I can speak to her…"
"I'll give you a moment. She told me you are quite the thinker!"
Zelda began sorting through her thoughts at a mile a minute. She thought back to the form she had seen early that morning. She sorted through Hylia and Fi's words to her and Link. Deduced from her surroundings. The golden light from high above, the buildings, her familiarity, the blue sash…
"You're another princess. Another being with the power to seal the darkness. This isn't my Hyrule, at least not yet. We are viewing the past, or maybe I travelled through time? I'm not too sure, but judging from the statue and the state of the temple I assume some form of time manipulation has occurred. You know me because the goddess once inhabited you, or maybe will in habit? Currently inhabiting? Either way that is why I am speaking to you now, because the goddess wills me to speak to myself in a very convoluted manner."
The girl smiled broadly and clapped.
"Amazing! You definitely nailed most of what's happening! She wasn't wrong, you definitely possess wisdom to a great extent. You've only been here for 2 minutes!"
Zelda returned her smile with a small one of her own. She liked how this girl seemed different from Hylia. Her joy was infectious, and it lifted her spirits ever so slightly.
"Forgive me for my earlier caution. I am not particularly fond of the goddess at the moment. She often takes your form to speak to me."
The girl's smile saddens, and Zelda feels a tad bit guilty.
"She mentioned that. I suppose we'll need to talk about that at some point. But for now why don't we walk a bit. It's a beautiful day on the surface today, and I'd like to hear all about you. It's very rare for someone to speak to their future relatives, and while I'm here I'm going to take full advantage of our 'great' goddess's gift!"
Zelda laughed at the emphasis put on great. She could sense that while this girl respected and loved the goddess, she too had a few qualms with her. The girl took her arm and led her towards the base of the statue before walking around it and through a hole in the stone wall surrounding it. They began to walk through the forest together, and before Zelda could speak again the girl began to hum before spinning around and holding out her hand.
"My name is Zelda by the way. But that is going to get very confusing very quickly, so you can just call me Zel. That's what Link calls me! Well, my Link anyway. And I apologize, before you said that I was a princess, and I did not correct you. I am not royalty, so there's no need to address me as such. I'm just a 'small town girl' I guess you could say." Zel smiled at Zelda.
Zelda just stood there for a moment basking in the rapid fire pace in which she talked. Finally, a companion that could speak in more than a few sentences! She had a few questions, but they could wait for a moment. She took her hand in her own and held it for a moment.
"It is wonderful to meet you Zel. I have so many things I would like to ask you, but I have a feeling we are going to be here a while, and what you said about it being a beautiful day, I cannot agree more."
The two walked for a while, Zel asking question after question about Zelda's life. Little things, like what she ate for breakfast, what she did for fun, what her favorite bird was, what the Slate was and how it functioned, what color was Link's hair, did he snore, did either of them play any instruments, what she wore to balls and festivals. Zelda indulged each one with an anecdote and a thoughtful reflection. It was nice to have a little girl talk after spending a hundred years with an evil pig monster and more recently with the quiet but welcoming presence of her knight.
Zel asked larger questions as well, such as the state of Hyrule in Zelda's time. What were her people like? Did they live in peace, or had Ganon made their suffering long and painful. Did she have any plans for her future once her task was complete? What did she fear? How does she feel about Link? Zelda was more hesitant to answer a few of these questions, and sometimes she outright refused to answer. Zel took no offense, smiling at each denial and showing compassion when it became too painful to continue speaking.
By the time she was done Zelda had gone through an emotional roller coaster, but had felt relieved somehow. She was able to release everything that she had been holding deep inside her to some extent, and Zel proved to be on par and in some cases a better audience than her knight. They had returned to the statue a few hours prior, and were resting underneath its palms as the sun hung low in the sky behind them.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company. Finally, after the sun began to dip below the horizon, Zel rose and turned to look up at the goddess statue. Her face once again held a sad smile, and Zelda rose to join her.
"I know there is much you wish to ask me about my time as Hylia. About how we as her avatar live with her constant presence. If we lose ourselves to her, or if we can maintain our personality after accepting her."
Zelda said nothing, sensing that there was more she had to say.
"I will be more than happy to share my experience with these matters. However first there is something you should know about the power that you wield. Where it truly comes from."
Zelda leaned in closer and followed her gaze upwards. She finally focused on the light that was coming from the palms of the statue, and she felt a warmth she had felt many times before. The light was familiar, but the power she felt emanating from above was far stronger than what she felt in her own body. Whatever was up there, it was related to her sealing magic. Her heart began to race.
"Please, Zelda, follow me. There is something you must see."
Zel led her around to the back of the statue, where a ladder leading to the top of the statue was placed into the stone. Zel climbed up first, with Zelda on her heels. They reached the top, and when she turned around the head of the statue she halted.
There, floating above the palms, were three golden pyramids. Her hands began to shine with light, as if they were responding to whatever this thing was. Zel reached over and twisted her arm though towards hers, and held it firmly.
"This is the power left behind by the Goddess' that created everything. It is holy. It is power in its raw, physical form. It bows to none, yet can be taken by all."
It is the Triforce, and it is our greatest creation. It is our greatest failure.
It is the Triforce, and it is our greatest creation. It is our greatest failure.
It is the Triforce, and it is our greatest creation. It is our greatest failure.