Chapter Two: Those Left Behind in History
Mystique sat on the balcony above Luriken's shoes. Lumina floated beside Mystique as she watched passerbys drift by on the street like a current. She sighed, her hand placed on her cheek, as the broom rested against the balcony door.
"Man, what an exciting life you live," Lumina said. "All you do is not listen to your mom and get grounded."
"I had more important things to do besides clean." Mystique grumbled.
"Yeah, from what I remember you running around Castle Town was so much more important than something she asked you to do multiple times."
"Hey." Mystique glared over at Lumina. "I thought you were my friend, why are you taking my mother's side."
"Because," Lumina floated near Mystique. "She's right. That, and if I stay on her good side she'll keep letting me live here."
"I'm surprised she's let you stay for a month," Mystique agreed.
"If you know how to please adults, anything is possible," Lumina replied, confidence and snark rang out from her voice.
Mystique pondered as she continued to watch more Hylians as they traveled by. A man with a large sack and combed back hair struggled through the crowds as if he were a Goron. "Hey," she started to ask. "Since you're a fairy, do you have any special magical powers?"
"You're asking me because you want me to make your cleaning duties easier aren't you." Lumina scoffed.
"Yeah, duh." Mystique turned her attention towards Lumina. "Well, can you?"
"Only thing I can do is this kid," Lumina replied.
"Do… what?" Mystique asked as Lumina floated closer to her. Slight, small sparks erupted from the fairy, and before Mystique had the opportunity to move, Lumina charged full force into Mystique. She felt the sting of needles against her skin followed by the inability to move her muscles. "What did you do?!" Mystique said, fear climbed into her voice.
"You asked what I could do, and that's what I did, kid. It's called paralysis. You'll be free to move in a bit." Lumina floated off of the balcony. "For now, I'm going to go take a look around Castle Town. I'll be back in a bit okay?"
Lumina drifted away from the balcony and down into the streets of Castle Town. After getting knocked around by several busy Hylians who rushed without care, Lumina decided to float just above the crowd. She bobbed slowly, and took her time to observe the types of people who collected themselves within the walls of the city. She quickly noted that while Hylians smelled nicer than any bokoblin, there were a variety of scents that ranged from flowery to garbage.
As she turned down another street, she noticed a tiny stall with flowers which spilled out of the baskets and onto the street. Lumina flew close to the flowers and rested on a petal. The girl who ran the shop seemed to be a caricature of a flower itself. She wore a long slim green dress which clung tightly to her body. Her hair sprung out like petals themselves, and her hands were like thorns as she swiped Lumina off of her merchandise.
Not sure where to go next, Lumina drifted along the paths of the crowds until it led her to a square with a fountain. She had already seen the fountain several times, every day in fact. But the sight of the sages decorated around the hero and the princess left Lumina in awe. It had been rumored, back in an old legend, that fairies used to help the hero who destroyed the darkness. Navi was her name if Lumina remembered correctly. Lumina noted that there was no fairy near the statue of the hero and floated away, down another street.
Where Lumina ended up next was her curiosity to follow the sounds of voices. She had ended up weaving into the crowd when all of a sudden she heard a voice scream "Link!" somewhere in the distance. Going against the current, Lumina followed the screams for Link until she arrived at one of the few alleyways squished between houses. There in the narrow street, beside some boxes, were four kids. Lumina hid behind a box as she listened in.
In the center of the alley two boys stood face to face with wooden swords. The shorter one panted, with a burning confidence and courage in his eyes. His red hair clung to his face under a green handkerchief. He raised his wooden sword towards the taller boy.
"Do you really think that you can defeat me, hero?" The taller boy shouted. He had scruffy blonde hair and a larger sword. The red haired boy just stared at him. "I'm surprised that you even made it this far hero. It's a shame that you took out my lieutenant."
Over on one of the boxes sat a girl with long flowing hair. She wore a crown of flowers around her head. "Link can easily defeat you, you monster," she cupped her hands around her mouth as she shouted towards the taller boy. "It's his purpose in life to show up to defeat monsters like you. There's a reason he defeated all of your henchmen so easily."
The blonde boy laughed, a big evil laugh. "He won all those matches only by luck, Princess Zelda."
The girl stuck out her tongue, "Well I believe in Link and he's going to destroy you just like he always has throughout history."
The blonde boy glared at the girl, "You really aren't a wise princess. Do you even see the boy before you? Your hero can barely even lift his sword. Even in this weak body that I possess I can and will easily destroy your hero. For I have the triforce of power, and any attempt to destroy me for hundreds of years have failed. What makes this attempt any different? I am the king of darkness, and for every light in this land a shadow shall consume it. I shall—"
Next to the girl with the flower crown, a boy sat on the other box. "Roul this is getting boring just fight Link already."
Roul rolled his eyes, "Oh for Din's sake Hudde way to interrupt my epic monologue."
"He's right you know," the red haired boy piped in. "You always go too long on your monologues."
"Well what do you expect the lord of darkness to do Link?" Roul pointed his wooden sword at the red haired boy.
"Guys this game is getting boring," Hudde interrupted again. "Can I play someone else next game. I'm sick of playing the lieutenant and dying so early in the game, I'd even play Princess Zelda over the lieutenant."
"You know the rules, Hudde," the girl said.
"That's no fair Fiona." Hudde whined.
"Rules are rules," Fiona answered. "We all play parts closest to who we'd be in the story, and you resemble the lieutenant the most."
Lumina fluttered out from behind the crate and towards Fiona and Hudde. "I don't see your Link having a fairy sidekick so how accurate is your game really?"
At the sight of Lumina, Fiona screamed. She shot up from her crate and ran over into the arms of Roul. "Bug!" She howled. "Kill it Hudde! Kill it!"
"I am not a bug!" Lumina screamed. "How dare you even think that about me."
"Aren't you the fairy that started following Mystique around?" Hudde asked while Fiona continued to sob and scream.
"Good memory kid." Lumina answered.
"You should tell her to come play with us again sometime. It's always nice to have her play as Meegan. It's a lot less lonely sitting on the boxes when she's here." Hudde smiled, several of his teeth were missing.
"I'll let her know," Lumina replied. "And I bet she'll come to play so long as she doesn't get grounded again."
"Why's she grounded?" Hudde asked.
"For the same reason she usually is. She doesn't listen." Lumina floated up and darted down the alleyway. She zig-zaged through the crowds until she landed right on the little railing of the balcony above Luriken's Shoes.
Mystique shuddered and glared at Lumina, her eyes looked like war. "What did you do that for Lumina!" She screamed.
Lumina chuckled, "you asked what type of magic I could do, and that's your answer kid."
Mystique stomped her foot, "well it wasn't funny. I couldn't move for what felt like forever."
"It was probably only five minutes." Lumina sighed and floated close to Mystique's face. She noticed that Mystique got her fiery eyes from her mother. "By the way, some kids in an alley told me to tell you to go play with them as Meegan."
"Ugh," Mystique replied as she turned away from the fairy. Lumina darted around to stare directly at Mystique's face again. "I don't want to play with Roul, Fiona, Link, and Hudde." Mystique pouted.
"Why not kid?"
"Roul and Link are absolute jerks to Nivan. They never let him join in the games." Mystique leaned over the railing, "so since they won't let Nivan play, I won't play either."
"Jeez, that's rough," Lumina bobbled about in the air before she landed on Mystique's head. "Say, why don't we go find Nivan and see what he's up to."
"I'm grounded, remember?"
"I'm sure your parents would be fine with you fetching Nivan." Lumina pulled at a few of Mystique's hairs, "now come on let's go."
When Mystique entered the house and went downstairs. Her father was at his workstation, fixing a pair of boots with splatters of blood on them. She stood in front of his desk for a few moments before he finally looked away from his work.
"I'm off to go get Nivan if that's okay?" Mystique said.
"Okay, be back by dinner," Mr. Luriken replied, already dissolving back into his current project.
Without another word, Mystique slipped out of Luriken's Shoes and into the busy streets of Castle Town. Lumina held on tightly to Mystique's head as she darted and weaved seamlessly between the crowds and to where both of them knew Nivan would be.
When Mystique and Lumina arrived in the washing square, Nivan sat under the tree. He brushed some dirt off of his gloves and seemed to be off in his own little world.
"Are you going to do your magic trick on Nivan?" Mystique whispered.
"Nah, I have a better idea." Lumina carefully floated off of Mystique's head and towards Nivan. As she drifted towards his ear, she jingled her entire body and sounded like a reckless windchime.
Nivan jumped up from the tree and spun himself around to face Lumina. When he recognized who was there, he frowned. "I wish we hadn't rescued you sometimes," he said.
"You know," Lumina drifted closer to Nivan. He took a step back as her wings flapped against his face. "For a boy who practices sword fighting with no one you sure have a lot of guts."
Nivan took a step forward and slightly nudged Lumina away from his face. "That's because I don't have anyone to practice with."
"I'm sure there's someone in this giant city that would be willing. How many young Hylians want to be a part of the knights of Hyrule after all?" Lumina started to fly circles slowly around Nivan.
He watched the fairy with his eyes, "you think I haven't looked? Not many people like me here."
"Yeah Mystique hinted at that earlier," Lumina sneered. "But don't worry, I have an idea to improve your practice."
"And what's that fairy?" Nivan sneered back.
"If you two follow me, you'll find out." Lumina, without waiting for an answer, floated out of the square and back into the busy streets. Mystique glanced at Nivan as he walked over to the tree and picked up his sword. Without another word the two of them followed Lumina.
Lumina led the group to the eastern gate. The gate was smaller than the southern gate, with less foot traffic. On the other side of the moat a tiny terraced garden rested before the path to Hyrule field began. Several women in billowed dresses and decorative hats sat on the garden's benches and chatted. Lumina floated by casually with Mystique and Nivan in tow.
"Where are we going?" Mystique asked.
"Just, keep following," Lumina replied. The three of them had now started to walk on the stoned path on Hyrule field.
Mystique looked up towards Death Mountain as it loomed higher in the sky. Something large, she noticed, circled around the plume of smoke. She blinked a few times before she focused back on the path. Lumina flew off the path and followed a dirt road until the group stopped in front of a tiny farm.
"Why is this farm by itself? Shouldn't it be with Lonlon of Tilton?" Mystique asked as Lumina floated over the gate. Gently, Mystique pushed it open to find out that it was unlocked.
Hesitantly, Nivan and Mystique followed Lumina until she stopped in a little fenced yard behind the farm house. There was a small patch of vegetables growing uncontrollably and a lone cucco pecking at the dirt.
"Okay Nivan, fight the cucco." Lumina said.
"You want me to fight the cucco?!" Nivan said, flabbergasted. "You took us all the way to this little farm to fight a cucco when we could've found one in Castle Town."
"Stop talking and just fight it." Lumina said.
"How did you know there'd be a cucco here?" Mystique asked.
"I was hoping that there'd be a bokoblin here in the field or something," Lumina replied. "But it seems that this little farm will have to do." Lumina turned towards Nivan. "Now, fight the cucco."
Nivan unsheathed his sword and walked slowly towards the cucco. It seemed innocent and carefree as it pecked mindlessly at the dirt. The cucco did not care when Nivan lifted his sword and swung it towards the perfect white feathers on its back. Nivan stopped his sword just short of slicing the cucco in half and looked at it with pity.
"This seems unfair," said Nivan. "Of course I can mindlessly slaughter a cucco like a farmer. This isn't what a knight would fight."
"Why don't we give the little guy a fighting chance then?" Lumina said as she bobbed over to the cucco. She let little sparks leave her body as she tackled the cucco.
The cucco shuddered and cracked its head towards the sky. It opened its beak like a gateway to hell as a loud screeching, "kwaaaaaaaaaaaaak" erupted into the air. Suddenly, there were cuccos everywhere. They emerged from the overgrown vegetable garden, from the tiny trees just outside the fence, and from the very sky itself.
"Whoops," Lumina muttered. "Come on kids, let's go hide in the house!" Lumina, without looking back, raced towards the little farmhouse and flew inside it through a broken window.
Nivan stared frozen at the wall of enraged cuccos as it drew nearer to him. Mystique grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the farm house's door. She opened the door and slammed it shut behind both of them before any cucco could even attempt to enter the home. Several loud thwacks hit against the door. Not knowing what else to do, Nivan pushed an old dusty table against the door to hold it shut.
Inside the house there was only dust and cobwebs. Mystique and Nivan entered the kitchen to find Lumina as she drifted around the room. There was a round table with a basket of moldy bread and several towels with holes eaten out of them. Wilted and decayed flowers sat in a vase by the broken window.
"Do you think a cucco can make it through the window?" Mystique asked.
"I barely fit through that hole, so they better not be able to." Lumina answered. She floated out of the kitchen and back into the main room. Mystique and Nivan followed her as she drifted into the bedroom. "I bet this was a cute place to live," Lumina muttered.
"Whoever lived here is long gone." Nivan said as he walked over to the dresser. On top of it were several frames with photographs inside. He picked one up and wiped away the dust to see a picture of a happy couple standing in front of the farm house.
"It seems like it's only been abandoned for a few years… I think," Lumina replied. She rested on the bed in the center of the room.
"How can you tell?" Nivan picked up another frame and wiped away the dust to reveal the couple in the garden. This time the woman is pregnant.
"I'm just guessing kid," Lumina sighed. "Hey, do either of you know about Meegan?"
"Yeah that's the character that Roul and Fiona always made me be," Mystique answered. "Did Hudde tell you about her?"
"What do you remember about her?" Lumina asked.
"It's been awhile since I've played with them," Mystique said.
"Misty's very bad at history," Nivan answered. He picked up the last frame and wiped off the dust to reveal the couple holding onto a bundle of blankets and looking down at it. "What do you want to know about Meegan Lumina?"
"Whatever you can tell me kid," Lumina replied.
"In the stories I heard growing up," Nivan started, "Meegan was known as the queen of all poes. She also earned the title Mistress of Shadows after seducing a figure known as the lieutenant, the right hand man to the king of darkness himself."
"Do you think she's still around?" Lumina floated towards the other door in the bedroom.
"If she really existed then probably," Nivan answered. "Poes don't usually go away that easily."
"Doesn't Hyrule have poe hunters for that." Lumina replied from the other room. Mystique and Nivan followed her into a room with a tiny cradle inside it. Inside the cradle a stuffed cucco rested, dusty and worn.
"I'm sure we do." Nivan said.
All three of them stood in silence as they stared at the cradle. Nivan rubbed his left arm while Mystique played with her hair.
"It sounds like the cuccos stopped attacking," Lumina broke the silence. "We should head back to Castle Town."
Silently, the three of them exited the abandoned farmhouse and walked back towards Castle Town. As Mystique looked up into the sky, she noticed the yellow and orange glow of sunset, and began to quicken her pace. Soon Nivan ran after her, and all three dashed towards the gates of Castle Town. As the gate appeared on the horizon a loud cranking noise erupted into the air and Mystique ran even faster. She had reached the garden terrace when the gate had fully closed for the knight. Horrified, she turned around to Nivan who clutched his sword tighter as the last bits of sunlight disappeared under the horizon.
"This isn't good." Mystique whispered.
"Why are you whispering kid?" Lumina shouted.
"Shhhhhhh," Mystique answered. She put her finger to her lips and looked around the terrace. "Every Hylian knows how dangerous the field is at night."
"Well, then Nivan gets to get some real practice now," Lumina said. "Though, we are so close to the gate that I'm sure no monster will come too close to us."
The three of them sat on one of the benches on the terrace and stared off into the darkness of the field. Off in the distance, Death Mountain glowed warm red embers and the faintest lights from Kakariko danced in the night sky.
"Most cities have some sort of protection from the field," Nivan whispered. "While most places like Kakariko, Lonlon, and Jetier have gates. Castle Town has the luxury of the drawbridge moats."
"This doesn't feel like a luxury," Lumina spoke back.
"It's extra safety for the people of Castle Town. Harder for the monsters to break it down compared to a metal gate." Nivan replied. "I wonder how that little farmhouse survived the nights on the field."
"Clearly they left for someplace else," Lumina replied.
"Hey… guys," Mystique whispered. Her hand pointed out to the bottom of the staircase, her fingers shaking.
A hand slowly pushed itself out from underneath the dirt of the field followed by another. All three of them watched in silence as several more hands erupted from the earth and into the night. Skulls tore their way out from the dirt, chomping their maws and rattling their teeth. The first creature to free itself from the ground looked up towards Mystique and began to slowly drag itself up the stairs.
"It's your time to shine kid," Lumina said as she shoved Nivan towards the skeletons.
Nivan held out his sword, and stood with his feet positioned apart. He waited as the skeleton came closer to the group. When it was within reach of his sword, Nivan swung and chopped the skeleton in half. A loud scream echoed into the night as the skeleton shriveled and squirmed against the stone terrace. Several more skeletons made their way towards Nivan and he continued to swing his sword at them. For every skeleton Nivan seemed to slay, five more replaced it. They all wobbled and dragged themselves mindlessly towards Nivan, teeth clattering and bones hissing and creaking.
"There's too many of them." Nivan shouted. He turned around and looked at Mystique with only fear in his eyes.
"We should hide." Mystique yelled back. She grabbed Nivan's arm and pulled him away as more skeletons hobbled up onto the terrace. She leapt over the terrace hedges and onto a thick stone railing and crouched behind it. "Hopefully they won't notice us over here," she whispered.
"Kid, we only traveled a few feet, they can't be blind." Lumina replied. She sunk herself as close to the ground as possible.
After several moments of silence, Nivan peaked his head out from behind the hedge. "They aren't following us," he whispered.
"What are they doing?" Mystique whispered back.
"Take a look for yourself," Nivan answered.
Mystique peered out from behind the hedges and watched as the horde of skeletons slowly made their way towards the gate. She watched as the first few to reach where the bridge should have been fell helplessly into the water. None of the other skeletons noticed and wave after wave of skeletons fell into the moat. A low moan emitted into the air as more skeletons filled the moat. Mystique shuddered as she listened and watched.
Eventually, she noticed, the moat filled in with enough skeletons that some of them crossed over to the gate. The skeletons that reached the gate scrapped and banged on the large wooden doors, they whined into air and hissed as their fists helplessly knocked against the door. Soon, like the moat, wave after wave of skeletons pushed themselves against the door.
"Can you hear what they're saying?" Lumina whispered.
"No."
"Let us in." Lumina replied.
One of the skeletons, who clawed at other skeletons, turned around and stared at the field. It yelped and pushed itself desperately against the others, not caring how the other skeletons reacted to it. Curious, other skeletons turned their attention away from the door and towards the field. They all had the same reaction as the first. It didn't click with Mystique what had changed until the first skeleton horse stopped outside of the terrace.
When the rider disembarked from its horse, the first thing Mystique noticed was how much bigger the skeleton was compared to those clawing at the door. As it walked effortlessly up the stairs, followed by several other large skeletons, she saw the rusty armor that hung against their bones. She didn't recognize any of the symbols on the armor before Nivan pulled her down below the hedges and out of sight from the armored skeletons.
Mystique looked confused at Nivan as he gestured for her to stay quiet. As she opened her mouth to speak, dozens of skeletons cried out into the night. The sound was the same sound that came from the ones Nivan had slain, except instead of one cry it was a chorus of terror. Mystique squeezed her eyes shut as the sound of shrieking skeletons filled the air. That was the last thing she remembered before she fell asleep.
In the pink haze of the morning, the eastern gate drawbridge creaked loudly as it opened. Mystique woke up startled, and almost fell off of the stone railing and onto the grass below. Nivan caught her, she looked up at his bloodshot eyes matched with dark circles under them. He smiled at her before a yawn took over his entire face.
"Good morning Misty," Nivan said. "We should probably head home."
Mystique furrowed her brows at Nivan and nodded. Effortlessly she hopped over the railing to the terrace while Nivan carefully crawled over. As the three of them walked towards the gate, several women in funny hats walked towards the terrace. One of them held a cage with a bug inside of it.
When Mystique, Nivan, and Lumina arrived in front of Lurkien's Shoes, the door was still locked. Nivan banged against the door several times before the door swung open. On the other side, Mr. Luriken stared wide eyed, his face puffy and red. Before anyone could say anything, he pulled Mystique and Nivan into a large hug.
Inside the house Mr. Luriken scrambled several cucco eggs while Mystique and Nivan sat at the kitchen table. Nivan's head bobbed back and forth as he struggled to stay awake, and on the basket on the center of the table Lumina snored. Mr. Luriken placed several plates of scrambled eggs onto the table with slices of toast and smiled.
"Are we in trouble?" Mystique asked as she poked her breakfast.
"Of course you are," Mr. Luriken smiled at his daughter. "Your mother and I were up all night searching for you three."
"Where is mother?"
"She should be back soon," he replied.
As if on cue, the door to Luriken's shoes opened and closed. Within a minute, Mrs. Luriken entered the kitchen, her hair done up in a tight bun and a grey scarf wrapped around her face. Mystique could not tell what expression rested on her mother's face as they locked eyes.
"I already told her that they're all grounded dear," Mr. Lurkien said as he got up and embraced his wife. "Come sit down and have some breakfast."
"Let me change first," Mrs. Luriken replied. She left the dining room silently.
"What was mother wearing?" Mystique asked with toast in her mouth.
"That's her work uniform," Mystique's father replied as he set up another plate of eggs and toast on the table. He walked over to the stove and put a kettle on.
When Mystique's mother came back into the kitchen, her hair fell down in its usual loose braid and she wore her usual light green dress and apron. As Mrs. Luriken sat down at the kitchen table. Mystique thought she saw red on her mother's face.
"Where were you three." Mystique's mother asked, clearly tired.
Mystique glanced over at Lumina and Nivan who were both asleep. "We were outside Castle Town mother." She answered.
Mrs. Luriken dropped her fork onto the floor. The kettle hissed and shrieked as she bent down to pick it up off of the floor. When she stared again at Mystique, there was an unknown emotion etched across her face. "Where outside."
"On the field."
"At night?!" Mystique's mother screeched. Mr. Luriken tried to hide his worry as he poured two cups of tea by the stove.
"We just missed the gate and didn't know where to go."
"Why were you even on the field so late." Mrs. Luriken balled her fists on the table. Her husband placed a cup of tea next to her.
Mystique took a bite from her toast. She stared at Lumina fast asleep in the basket of bread on the table, and then over to Nivan who started to drool onto his plate. "We, I mean I thought it would be a good idea for Nivan to try and fight something to make him a better swordsman." Mystique answered.
Mrs. Luriken sighed into her tea. She watched as Mystique glanced between her plate of food and the sleeping fairy. "It was the fairy's idea wasn't it."
"No," Mystique answered immediately. "It was all my idea. We went out to the field and found a cucco to fight and then—"
"It's okay Mystique." Mrs. Luriken interrupted her daughter. "Your father and I are just glad that you are all safe and in one piece." She took a sip of her tea, "just promise to never do that again."
Mystique thought back to the night on the terrace, to the skeletons that pushed against the gates and the noises they made as they fell. She shuddered. "Yes mother, I promise to never do something like that ever again."
Mrs. Luriken smiled at her daughter and relief washed over her face. "Good," she paused. "You father and I have been talking recently, and we both think it would be good to have you deliver more shoes in town to customers. After you're done being grounded you can start if you'd like."
A smile cracked across Mystique's face, bits of egg stuck in her teeth. "Of course!" She answers.
Within Hyrule Castle it is rumored that there is a garden in the sky. On one of the many towers that pierce the heavens, a little balcony filled with plants from all over Hyrule exists. Ivy tangled itself over the railings and back into the tower where dozens of other plants grow and cling to the stone walls. On the balcony, a thin girl with straight brunette hair watched over Castle Town. She adjusted the necklace, gold and filled with jewels, around her neck, and caught her skirt as it danced in the wind. The tiara on her head looked large, and the pair of heels she should have been wearing were at the entrance to the balcony.
"Excuse me, Princess," a tiny voice chirped from inside the tower.
The princess turned around and smiled. "You can come out onto the balcony Paige."
"Thank you Princess Zelda," Paige bounced onto the balcony. Her blonde hair curled in numerous directions and made her head look almost circular. She picked up the pair of heels and handed them to Princess Zelda. "You should probably be wearing these."
"I hate those heels," Princess Zelda replied. "I'll wear them when I leave the tower and I'm in front of more people than just you."
"I'm honored that you can act so casually around me Princess," Paige responded.
"Paige, we've known each other since almost birth," Zelda said, slightly irritated.
"I am your servant Princess Zelda." Paige bowed.
"Yes, you are, and I've told you that you don't need to be formal with me." Zelda tapped her fingers against her necklace. "What brings you to the garden tower anyways."
"I was looking for you Princess."
"And who summoned me. Hopefully not father," Zelda mumbled the last part.
"Your mother, the Queen, has requested to see you in the royal library." Paige said as she cheerfully ignored what Zelda mumbled.
Zelda directed her gaze below at the cramped buildings of Castle Town. From the tower she saw the fountain in the southern square, large and elegant as it stood as a barrier between the southern gate and the castle courtyard. Dozens of people, as small as ants, shuffled back and forth around the fountain. Zelda sighed and glided across the balcony and into the tower.
Paige, like a little bird, hopped behind Zelda as she walked down the tower's stairs. Ivy draped down along the cracks of the walls and around the light fixtures. Plants with bright flowers bloomed from their vases perched on the window sills. In-between levels, the circular rooms hosted plants for each section of Hyrule and beyond. Zelda paused in front of the icy-cold room which represented Zora's domain, a fountain filled with floating algae and plants that took up most of the space. Above the fountain, several jellyfish looking lights swayed.
Paige leaned over Zelda's shoulder. "Did something catch your eye Princess?"
"Not really, I just needed a moment to catch my breath."
"We're going downstairs Princess." Paige rested her chin on Zelda's shoulder.
Zelda shook off Paige and proceeded to go back down the stairs. At the base of the tower a small space filled with test tubes and scattered remains of plants spread across a large round table. A sheikah laid sprawled against the table clearly asleep. The girls walked past, careful as to not wake the asleep scientist and continued on their way.
The inside of Hyrule Castle sprawled out with long decorative hallways and high ceilings with chandeliers that dangled on polished chains. Artwork hung against the walls which depicted centuries of history within the Hyrule royal family. Occasionally, Zelda had always noticed that whenever a hero appeared in Hyrule, he was included within the portrait. Near the center of the castle interiors, a rather large portrait hung which illustrated the hero holding the royal family's ocarina next to a Princess Zelda. No one had seen the ocarina since that painting, but no one had bothered looking for it last time Zelda had checked. She turned down a small intimate hallway and opened a shabby looking door which opened up to the great library of Hyrule Castle.
Like the rest of the Castle, the library sprawled out farther and higher than any single Hylian could ever have imagined. Several large tables rested in the center of the room surrounded by rows of bookcases that needed ladders to reach the highest shelf. At one of the tables the Queen of Hyrule sat, her nose deep in a manuscript and dozens of books opened and scattered around her. Zelda cleared her throat.
The Queen looked up from her papers and smiled, "Good morning Zelda dear."
"It's afternoon, mother," Zelda corrected the Queen.
"Is it?" The Queen scratched her blonde head, her gloves covered in book dust. "I must have lost track of the time."
Zelda leaned on the table and rested her chin on her hand. "What did you summon me here for mother?"
The Queen smiled, "I think I have gotten deeper into my research on the darkness and how we can prevent it."
"You're still on that?" Zelda huffed. "Mother, father says that there won't be any darkness or dark lord any time soon. The last hero slayed him to bits and pieces."
"That's what the stories say every time." The Queen said. "And I, Queen Kasandra Tacita of Hyrule do not believe them."
Zelda rolled her eyes, "And why not."
Queen Kasandra walked over to a book and flipped through its pages. After a moment, she stopped on a page and slammed it on the table in front of her daughter. On the page, an image of a Zelda with the triforce of wisdom rested. "You're named Zelda," Queen Kasandra began, "I did not name you that name out of coincidence like the dozens of Links which run around Castle Town."
"We've been over this story, mother," Zelda replied.
"And yet you don't believe in your destiny. That the goddess Hylia herself came from the heavens while I was pregnant with you and told me to give you this name. For, every Zelda in our timeline has resulted in the resurrection of the darkness."
"Then you should have named me something else if you didn't want the darkness to arrive," Zelda replied.
Queen Kasandra glared at her daughter. "I could not go against a prophecy to name you what I did."
Paige watched as Zelda looked away from the Queen. "And, Queen Kasandra Tacita of Hyrule, how do we stop the darkness?" Paige asked.
Queen Kasandra Tacita of Hyrule's eyes lit up. She glided over to another book and flipped it open to a specific page. There were no images on it, just text. "From what I've read, there is no true way to prevent darkness, there are only ways to strengthen our forces to ward off evil. In order to do that, the next hero, as well as the sages, need to be found."
"Those are fairy tales mother," Zelda tapped her foot.
Queen Kasandra Tacita of Hyrule flipped her hair back and turned her attention towards another book. "Each sage has the ability to assist the hero and give him the power to slay the king of darkness. In some versions this is a medallion, sometimes it is through prayer, a few through music, and in an instance the sages physically assisted the hero. If we find them it will help prepare us for the inevitable."
"And how are you going to do that?" Both Paige and Zelda looked towards the Queen with various expressions of curiosity, worry, and anger.
"I don't know yet girls," the Queen replied. "I've contacted Queen Rutamina, but I've yet to hear back." Queen Kasandra Tacita of Hyrule walked over to where both Paige and Princess Zelda stood. Without a word, she embraced both of them in a hug. "I just want to let you both know how much I care for you, you're both like daughters to me."
"Thank you my Queen," Paige replied.
As Queen Kasandra left the hug, she admired both girls. "I can't believe in a few years we'll have to find Zelda a prince to marry," she said. "He'll be a lucky man."
Princess Zelda blushed as she adjusted her tiara. "Is there anything else that you'd like to discuss mother?"
Queen Kasandra of Hyrule clasped her hands together. "No, that is all. You may both leave."
Zelda silently glided out of the library with Paige right behind her. As the girls shut the door Queen Kasandra sat down in front of the manuscripts. Next to her sat a tiny leather journal. She opened it and flipped through pages of notes until she found a blank page. She began to write:
It is early in the summer season as I write these notes. Within the last few weeks, I have received reports from Impa the increase of darkness dreams witnessed by citizens of Castle Town. Each dream varies, Impa noted, but all revolve around a similar theme. There is a black figure with red eyes searching for the hero of Hyrule. Neither myself, Impa, or anyone on her team have yet to witness the encounter with the figure of darkness. The first report of this dream occurred on Zelda's fifth birthday. It has been almost ten years of reports on this dream. I have kept these notes secret from my husband, King Suehprom Patroclus of Hyrule in fear that he may burn all I discovered. Zelda and her servant have also yet to report any dreams or prophecies to me or Impa about the upcoming situation. I do not know when the darkness will strike us, but it will be soon. I pray that I find leads on where the hero and the sages are before the darkness finds them and curses us to eternal darkness.
Queen Kasandra closed her notebook and glanced back at the manuscripts on the table. She held up her arm to her face as she coughed. When she looked at the sleeve of her glove, there was blood.