A Hyrule Historian

by Morganasanguine

When Lazarie plays the mysteriously dangerous Eclipse Game and ends up in Hyrule, she's pretty sure it's a dream come true. You know, after she has a panic attack about it. But, with Hyrule's defenses completely obliterated by Calamity Ganon, their only hope at salvation lies lost through countless ages. Good thing the Goddess of Time plays favorites.[ A Modern Girl in Hyrule Fic]

1. The Eclipse Game

A Hyrule Historian

Chapter I

The Eclipse Game

Normally, I would consider myself a patient person. I think in order to be history major you have to be, and if I ever wanted to become an archaeologist it was a necessity. You cant be impatient when dealing with ancient artifacts after all, not unless you want to break a potentially sacred relic from a century long past, lost forever, that is. Unfortunately, I think it is basically impossible to be patient while looking at a countdown clock. Glancing back at the countdown to the totality of the eclipse on my phone and seeing that there was still more than 3 minutes until it began, I huffed and switched apps over to Reddit.

I might as well look over the rules, again. Hopefully it'll waste some of the 3 minutes and 35… 34… 33… 32 seconds that I still have until I can officially begin. Quickly scrolling up to the top of the thread I begin to read it for the umpteenth time in the week since it popped up on r/nosleep and subsequently r/threekings.

Have You Ever Heard of The Eclipse Game?

It was a simple enough ritual game with the function of "going to another dimension," though it is woefully vague as to what kind of dimension you are supposed to be going to. It does talk about this being a way to better yourself though so I'm vaguely sure it's not gonna be like the Lightless City or anything. The nerves of playing something potentially dangerous beat at my chest again, but was quickly replaced with embarrassment over getting so worked up about something that isn't gonna work. I may be a witch but even I don't think something like this would work. Physically traveling to a different dimension is just a fantasy. I felt reassured at the logic behind that thought and with reinforced nerves I turned back to my phone.

Scrolling past the normal disclaimer of Do Not Play This Game, I checked off the requirements in my head again.

Participants

One Principal

Requirements

A Windowless, or Completely Blacked Out Room

Sheets (Enough to cover any mirror in the room and push into the crack of the door)

A Single Candle and Matches

A Glass Half Full of Water

A Weapon (A kitchen knife or hammer will do)

An Item that Symbolizes an Obsession

An Eclipse

The bathroom in the dorm I was staying at was in the middle of the building so thankfully no windows needed to be covered. Check.

I already covered the mirrors with two bed sheets and another was balled up next to the inside of the door ready to be shoved into the crack to prevent any outside light from getting in. Check.

The candle, matchbox, glass of water, and kitchen knife were already set up in the middle of the floor as the helpful little diagram provided had shown. Check.

I strengthened my grip on the Clay Ocarina of Time replica in my left hand. Check.

I looked across the hall into the open doorway of the bathroom ahead of me, before scrolling down and re-reading the warnings at the end of the Before You Play section.

You must be completely set up and have exited the room before the beginning of the solar eclipse.

If anyone enters the room besides you, Do Not Proceed.

If the door to the room is closed, remember you left it open, Do Not Proceed.

If any of the items are missing or moved, Do Not Proceed.

Do Not Enter the room again after setting up and before the totality of the solar eclipse.

Once the totality begins do not let go of your Obsession for any reason, it is your safety net and guide home if you become lost.

If anything goes wrong in the set up stage, Do Not Proceed and Do Not Enter that room until the solar eclipse is over.

My heart beat just a little bit faster. Nothing had gone wrong in the set up and I have been staring at the doorway for the handful of hours since the eclipse began. I was ready. I was really doing this. I feel like I might throw up but also I don't have time for that.

I switched back over to the countdown.

56 seconds.

I can do this.

Just remember the first steps of the game, you're only gonna have 3 minutes and 33 seconds to do the first steps. You have to finish the first part within the totality and the solar eclipse website said that it's only going to last 3 minutes and 33 seconds.

47 seconds.

Step 1. Once the Totality begins, enter the room, close the door, and block out all light coming from the crack underneath.

39 seconds.

Step 2. Sit on the floor with your back to the door, the items you set up earlier should be in front of you.

33 seconds.

Step 3. Use the matches to light the candle; you must do this in complete darkness.

27 seconds.

Step 4. Pick up your weapon in your right hand, remember you Obsession is in your left and you cannot let go of your Obsession, and gently tap it against the glass of water three times.

15 seconds.

Step 5. Say aloud, "My Sun guide me. My Moon shield me. My Life and Sight align. I pledge the Past. I beg the Future. May Time reveal truth."

10 seconds.

Step 6. Gently tap the glass 3 more times.

5 seconds.

Step 7. Wait and Listen.

3…

2…

1.

I take a deep breath as I put my phone in the small star shaped purse at my waist. With anxious, jerky steps I walk through the doorway of the bathroom. No time to second guess myself any more I quickly close the door behind me, fall to my knees, and with shaking hands push the sheet up against the bottom of the door, enshrouding myself in total darkness.

I carefully turn around, sliding in a circle on my knees, I place myself in front of where I believe my little makeshift altar is located. Unable to see it in the dark and in fear of knocking something over, I gently pat the ground searching for the matchbox. There is a panic inducing second where I fear that something has gone wrong before I feel my fingers brush the top of the box. Carefully, bringing it over to my lap I slide the case open and extract a match.

Shit! How am I supposed to light this match and not let go of my "Obsession?"

Panic seeps into my bones as I quickly try and figure out a solution. Suddenly, I get the idea to hold the box, striking side up, between my knees. I rush to get everything in place and, hoping that I don't set my loose cotton pants on fire, I strike the match.

The small light in total darkness is both brighter and more comforting that I thought it would be. Able to see again, I locate the candle, one of those big jar candles from Yankee, and light the wick. It takes longer than I would have hoped due to the tremor in my arms.

Shit, how long has it been?

I franticly wave the match around to extinguish it once the wick catches fire.

That got a little too close to my fingers for comfort.

I try to steady my hand with mixed results as I pick up the kitchen knife with my right hand. It takes a few false starts before I can comfortably tap the glass with the knife and not fear breaking it.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

Taking a deep breath I begin the chant, "My Sun-" I startle myself, my voice louder to my ears than I had expected it to be, but I had to continue, "-guide me. My Moon shield me. My Life and Sight align. I pledge the Past. I beg the Future. May Time reveal truth." I finish shakily, panicking that I've forgot a word or phrase.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

I tap the glass again, and now the moment of truth.

I wait. I listen. And, just when dread starts creeping up my spine. I hear it.

Three short knocks upon the door behind me.

I scramble to pull my phone out of my purse and get back to the recipe for the ritual. Scrolling down I look for what to do next.

Step 8. There will come 3 knocks on the door.

If you hear them? Wait.

If you don't hear them. Do Not Proceed. Tap the glass 3 more times and blow out the candle. Leave the room. Do not enter the room again until the solar eclipse has completely ended.

Okay, okay. I must have done it right then? Yeah, what's next?

Step 9. Do Not turn to face the door. Listen carefully for noises from the door. If you hear:

Someone speak. Do Not Proceed. Blow out the candle and sit in the dark and wait until you hear Them walk away. Do Not Respond. Do Not make any noise. Sit and pray they leave you alone. Do not let them trick you into opening the door. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.

The door open. Do Not Proceed. Blow out the candle and quickly turn to face the door. Ready your weapon to strike. You will have to fight Them in the dark. You do not want to see their face. Do not try to fight with the candle lit. I'm so sorry. Try to fight them off the best you can. I'm so very sorry.

A deadbolt lock into place. You may proceed to step 10.

I am so frantic in reading the instructions that I almost miss it. The quiet sound of a deadbolt locking behind me.

My heart flutters. This is the bathroom in my dorm. It doesn't have a deadbolt, only a small twist lock on the handle.

The reality of the situation hits me suddenly. This may be more real than I originally thought.

God, what am I doing?

I look down to my phone for the next step.

Step 10. Put your weapon down next to the candle and pour the glass of water over the flame, emptying all of its contents. In the dark, stand up and open the door. If it:

Does not open. I'm so so sorry.

Opens to the same hallway you came from. Do Not Proceed. Close the door and wait for the solar eclipse to pass. Once it does you may leave the room and hope nothing has found it's way through your door.

If you see somewhere else entirely. Somewhere that shouldn't be. Proceed to step 11.

I was trembling so hard I nearly missed the candle entirely as I poured the water over it. Locking my phone so the light turned off, I stood and turned towards the door. Shakily, I grasp the handle, glad for once that it is a lever instead of a knob, if only because it meant that I could keep my phone in my right and open the door at the same time. After all, I can't use my left. Do not let go of your Obsession, and all that good stuff.

Here goes nothing I guess.

I hold my breath as I push down on the handle, a small sense of relief washing over me when it gives and the door unlatches from the frame just a tiny bit.

Well, at least I won't be stuck in this room. Maybe I just imagined those sounds? Maybe on the other side of this door is just my dorm and nothing bad is gonna happen?

The sense of dread creeping up my spine makes my thoughts ring hollow. I know there is only one thing to do at this point. I slowly pull the door open, my eyes squeezing shut as every muscle in my body pulls taught.

A cool breeze hits my face, on it the scent of grass, wildflowers, and hay. I can feel the panic send my limbs trembling. It's everything I can do not to collapse where I stand. This isn't the feeling of my AC unit doing it's best to combat the late summer heat. Nor is it the breeze of a small desert wind, tricking you into hoping for relief when all it will really do is steal any moisture from your skin it can touch. I had become so accustomed to those over these past 2 years at college that I almost forgot what a countryside smelled like. This almost felt like back home in Colmar.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes. In front of me was a sprawling, moonlit field. Lush green grass over rolling hills foretold of somewhere far from the Arizona desert I had just come from. The breeze bounced my short curls to and fro, making them tickle my cheekbones where they rested. Hills turned into mountains, but in the cool darkness of night it was difficult to see past that. The sounds of crickets and nocturnal birds slowly drowning out as the ringing in my ears grew louder and all encompassing. I try to force the panic out of my mind but I can feel the tell tale dizziness of a panic induced faint coming on.

Sucks to suck, I'm too familiar with fainting for it to happen.

I wobbly fall forwards to my knees into the tall grass in front of me. Bending over so my head was touching my knees I forced my breathing to slow and deepen. The grass gently brushed my over stimulated skin in a touch that was almost soothing but more so unnerving.

Too much to take in.

Why did I play this stupid game?

It took me an unfortunately long time to calm down enough that my ears weren't ringing anymore. It took me longer still to realize that the weight in my left hand was much heavier than it was before. With dawning dread I looked down to my little Ocarina of Time. The childhood birthday present I had to beg my parents for. The only constant friend in my life beside video games as I switched schools ten times before getting my GED and going off to College alone, and away from the instability of my parents.

But no longer was this the small painted clay ocarina. In my hand was a much larger ocarina, clearly made from some strange smooth blue stone. The golden band and engraved Triforce on it no longer painted, but clearly, visibly made of gold.

I could feel the panic bubble up again. I want to drop it, but…

Do Not let go of your Obsession.

Shit, the game! The rules! Right okay I'll just get up, go back to my bathroom, and read the next step. Right, it's going to be okay. All I have to do is follow the rules.

With a budding sense of hope unlock my phone as I stand, with minimal amounts of wobbling, and face the doorway to my bathroom.

Where's my bathroom?

I stare disbelieving at the field before me, behind me, and around me; but my bathroom was nowhere to be seen.

Oh god, it's gone! Panic flashed through my brain, overtaking any sense of reason. I spun in place; first clockwise, then counterclockwise, in hopes that may I was just missing it. Maybe I just got turned around and…I don't know lost sight of a random doorway that appeared out of nowhere in this field?

A small part of my brain was grateful that I seemed to be alone in this field, because I could faintly recognize that I was making a constant high pitched keening noise, similar to what might come out of a microwave or computer when you are doing something it doesn't enjoy.

Maybe, maybe this is just the next step? Yeah! Okay what did it say to do after the doorway appeared? Why can't I remember?

Quickly, franticly, nervously, I unlocked my phone again as it opened to the recipe where I had left off.

Step 11. Here is your last chance to abort the game, and I would heavily suggest you do so, for I cannot promise you will come back from this if you continue to play. So here you have 2 choices you can do:

If you want to quit the game and go home. Throw your Obsession away. (I know, I told you never to let go but that was to get to this point) You can sacrifice your Obsession and it will take your place in the new dimension. Hopefully, helping someone there who needs it. Proceed to step 12.

If you want to go to another dimension. Please don't do this. But, If you want to continue just take a step out of the room you were in and into the new Dimension. Proceed to step 13.

I found myself reading the words "last chance" and "cannot promise you will come back" again and again and again. But, no matter how many times I read them they wouldn't change. I read them until my vision became blurry from tears. I read them until my knees gave out and I crashed back to the ground. I finally stopped reading them one my phone went black from inactivity.

"What have I done?" I barely croaked out. My voice tired and cracked from crying. But, there was no response from the cool indifferent night around me.

Eventually, I ran out of tears. With nothing else to do I picked myself up off the ground and brushed off the various plants and dirt that had clung to the white fabric of my bifurcated skirt. The blades of grass the has snuck into the twist of my brown knitted cardigan having to be almost surgically removed with how stubborn they were.

Trying to gauge my surroundings better, I took a visual survey of the area. Definitely a field, but not one curated by people certainly. There were some sparse grouping of trees, maybe apple trees or dogwood, it is hard to tell in the dark. There was a large hill to the north of me, supposing that my internal compass was correct at the moment, that if I climbed up I could potentially have a much better view of the area. With no other idea or course of action to take I slowly pushed my post-panic attack slush of a body forward until I manages to crest the hill.

I was right in my thought. I did have a much better view of the valley that lay beyond the hill. The first thing I noticed was the large torch-lit tent-shaped building with a truly massive horse head seated atop of it. It seemed rather secure in the area surrounded by a large wooden fence. From atop the hill I could see the inside of the compound where several smaller building and a large oval horse track laid. I could feel my thoughts and heart racing at the mishmash of familiar features of the stable in front of me.

But if I thought that was a panic inducing sight than I was truly about to throw myself head long into the ocean of fear. For when, I lifted my eye just the slightest bit, more out of confusion than anything, I caught sight of a heart-stopping monument.

There, on the other side of the valley, was an unbelievably massive stone castle shrouded in darkness. Oily miasma dripped up into the sky only to be halted by a soft golden light dissipating anything that touches it. It created an almost lava lamp effect.

I looked back down to the ocarina in my left hand. There really wasn't much denying it now, too many facts adding up to one single truth. I'm in Hyrule. Holding the potentially incredibly powerful magic item in my hand just a little bit tighter, pressing it up against my chest hoping that it might keep it just a little bit safer.

In my awe I nearly missed it, the rattling of bones behind me.

Notes:

Hello! Thanks for reading the first chapter of A Hyrule Historian! So I've always been a big fan of the modern girl in such and such fandom here stories, and have even written quite a few in the past.

Now that I am older (and a slightly better writer) I really wanted to give this another go. Legend of Zelda has an incredible importance to my life and it was the obvious choice for the time and effort I would need to put in for this.

So some things I want to mention real quick:

Yes, I know that I didn't really introduce the main character. Yes, I did it on purpose. Since this is from her point of view, and not say a 3rd person or narrator, I just find it too unrealistic for her to go through exactly who she is and exactly what she looks like. People don't do that for themselves. I also think it is a lot more enjoyable to find out more about a person through the actual narrative, so don't worry, you will get info on her.

I am very obsessed with Zelda Lore and Zelda Theories. That is a basic foundation for this story. This is really a way for me to explore the Zelda Universe in a creative way. But you should be warned. If you are looking for a by the book Zelda retelling that is not what I am doing.

This isn't going to be according to the lore as seen in the Hyrule Historia or Hyrule Encyclopedia. (Though it might use some things or make reference to them.)

This is definitely not going to be follow the "Official Timeline" because I don't want to, and also Nintendo doesn't even follow it so why should I?

I will also be handling subjects surrounding mental health issues, because I have them and I refuse to write people who don't.

Also feel free to ask any questions in the reviews. I will do my best to answer any serious questions in the notes of the next update if I can.

Thanks again!