"What—" Loft signed slowly, hands trembling, "—did you do to me?"
Wʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ THINK I ᴅɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ, ʜᴇʀᴏ? The statue asked smugly. Wʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ɪᴛ ɪs, I ᴄᴀɴ ᴀssᴜʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ, ɪᴛ's ᴡʀᴏɴɢ.
Loft's head spun, everything clicking into place and not making sense at the same time. Timeshift interference, the start of his timeline..the weird accents people had and the lack of clouds in the sky.
He didn't want to believe it.
"Send me back," he signed.
I ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ.
"Why not?!" He grit his teeth, furious tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "You brought me here, send me back!"
"Lofty...?"
He whirled around around. His companions were staring at him, looking concerned and...wary. "Calm down," Symin said softly, taking a step forward with his arms outstretched. "There's nobody here. You're alright."
Loft looked between them and the statue, eyes wide with disbelief. "You can't hear it?" he asked incredulously.
"The...statue?"
He gave a frantic nod. "It's talking to me. It knows why I'm here, it knows SOMETHING."
The two Sheikah exchanged a glance. "...Let me run some tests," Purah suggested after a moment. "My scanner can pick up on any people or technology in the area; if the statue's alive, we'll know it. Okay?"
"...You don't believe me."
"We want to," Symin said. "Believe me, we'd love to know more about this mystery. But you're...talking to a rock." He sighed. "Just let us make sure. Alright?"
Loft looked back at the statue, the stone's chiseled eyes staring right back through him. He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I'm going to the water-sand," he signed, pointing in the direction of the ocean. "Come get me if you find out what you're looking for." Before either of them could say anything, he stormed off, leaving the situation before he could actually snap.
If his hunch was right, then he'd been taken away from Zelda. Possibly for good.
"The truth of it is that you were late. You were late, and you failed to protect her."
He reached up, wiping the tears from his eyes before they could fall. The woman in black...she'd been right.
He'd failed.
The place where the sand met the water was calming. It was like a riverbed for the largest river in the sky, the smell of salt and the sound of gentle waves enticing people to simply let their worries go.
Loft stood at its edge, skipping stones into the soft tide, the soothing atmosphere doing little for his frayed nerves. All the nice noises in the world couldn't pull the sinking feeling from his chest.
He was lost. Alone. Aimless, adrift in an endless sky of unfamiliarity.
The lonely hero sat down, hugging his knees as he abandoned his skipping stones, and rested his chin on his knees, listening to the waves as they tugged at his consciousness...
He shook his head quickly, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. No. Not now. This wasn't the place, he was waiting on news. He couldn't afford to lose time.
...And yet, the lure of sleep was almost irresistible, sweeping him up just as quickly as it had appeared. It was a fight to keep his eyes open as the adrenaline from the statue finally began to leave him, a fight he was swiftly losing. It's not like he had anything better to do, right?
His problems always made themselves a little better on a few hours sleep, anyhow. He needed a clear head; this was the fastest way to get it, and the fastest way to forget all the anxiety weighing on his mind.
Loft found himself adrift in total darkness, his mind fighting through the fog to try to rouse some kind of consciousness. He looked around, bleary-eyed, for some sign of where he must be.
But there was nothing. No light, no sound, not even feeling in his limbs. It was like he only existed as his own thoughts, and even those were fading-
"Mas...te...r."
The one word, spoken into nothingness, made everything snap into place. Suddenly, he was himself, he could see, he could feel. The landscape around him didn't change, but he was here.
And off in the distance, barely even a speck, was a faint, purple-gray pinprick of light.
Fi.
Before he even knew what he was doing, Loft was racing towards her, running as fast as his legs could take him. She was here, he wasn't alone, he could-!
"St...op."
He skidded to a halt.
"Ener...gy...de...pleting. 0.01% ca...pa...city." Fi's voice echoed through the dark expanse, but it was...quiet. Forced. Like she could barely convince her mouth to speak.
"What's wrong?" Loft signed, hoping she could see him. "Are you hurt? Who did this to you?"
"Query...de...nied." The light flickered. "Impro...vise. Zel...da...needs...you." It flashed brightly for a moment, almost as vibrant as its former glory, Fi's shaky voice coming in clearer.
"Find me."
And then she was gone.
BOOM
The world suddenly lit up around him with a crack of thunder, caught in a torrential rainstorm. Loft stood atop a tall tower, overlooking a vast countryside; the origin of Fi's little pinprick of light had been a forest far to the north.
Loft's breath caught in his throat. He raced forward, leaping off the edge of the tower and tumbling to the ground, rolling into a sprint and kicking off. No, no, she was right here, I can't lose her, I can't-!
He tripped, falling into the mud, and things darkened around him. He gripped the grass, tears forming in his eyes. No, she was so close!
A roar tore through the air, and sparks of burnt magenta flew up around him. Loft jumped to his feet in an instant, instincts screaming at him to fight whatever-
-it was...
All around him swirled black and magenta ribbons, power coursing through the air like lightning, crushing him from the inside out. A beast with enormous horns and glowing eyes loomed over him, snarling; he barely had time to throw up his arms before it lunged at him, mouth open to devour him whole.
"NO!"
Slowly, he peered over his arms. Before him, holding up a hand full of golden light, a woman stood. Her white dress, the one his best friend had worn, was tattered to shreds, and her familiar golden hair was streaked with mud. Red sparks clung to her, like embers eating away at charred firewood.
The woman braced her arm with her free hand, her feet sliding back as her power grappled with the monster's. "Link, you need to get up, right now!" she called to him with all the conviction she could muster. "I don't know what's happened, but he found some vulnerability in you. You can't allow him to-!" She looked over her shoulder at him, then froze, her eyes widening in shock.
Seafoam green met dark blue.
"Who are you?"
Loft bolted upright with a gasp. The sun was just beginning to set over the distant horizon, not a shadow demon or muddy field to be seen.
Nobody here but him.
He ran a hand through his hair, his hat falling off as he smoothed it back. What...was that?
It had felt real. Way, way too real. Fi had talked to him, she'd shown him things, and...that woman. She looked like Zelda from the back, but those eyes...
It can't have just been a dream. Can it?
"Loftyyyy!"
He looked up, still shell shocked, as Purah ran over with barely restrained glee. "Guess what?!" she exclaimed, "Symin and I did some tests, and you were right!"
"...Right about what?"
"The statue! It has a spiritual signature in it-" She paused, finally noticing how shaken he looked. "...Are you alright?"
Loft stared numbly for a moment, putting his thoughts together, then took a deep breath. "...Fine," he managed to sign, forcing his composure. "I'm fine. Let's go talk to the statue."
Tʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ, the statue rasped as Loft approached. I ᴡᴀs ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ.
The hero met its eyes. "Ready to talk?" he signed.
I ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ.
"Can you hear it still?" Purah asked, whipping out her notebook and taking notes.
Loft nodded, then sat in front of the statue. "So," he signed slowly. "Tell me exactly what you did."
The statue gave a weak chuckle. Bᴜsɪɴᴇss. Hɪɢʜʟʏ ᴘʀᴏғɪᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss.
"Explain."
Yᴏᴜ sᴇᴇ, ᴍʏ ᴅᴇᴀʀ ʜᴇʀᴏ, it said, with the saccharine patience of a parent talking to a small child, ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴏғ ᴍᴀɴʏ; ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴅᴅᴇss' ᴅᴇsɪɢɴ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ. Nᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪɴ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ᴛʜᴏᴜsᴀɴᴅ ʏᴇᴀʀs ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ. Tʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴍᴀɴ, ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ sᴡᴏʀᴅ, ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ʟɪғᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ.
Loft frowned, but kept his hands still, trying to piece it together in his head.
Aʜ, I sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ. Cʟᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴏʏ. Mᴏʀᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʟɪғᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ.
"Stop gloating."
The statue gave an annoyed huff. Vᴇʀʏ ᴡᴇʟʟ. It grew serious Yᴏᴜ sᴇᴇ, I'ᴍ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴀʟᴇʀ ɪɴ ʟɪғᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ; I ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇ ʀᴜᴘᴇᴇs, I ɢʀᴀɴᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ɢɪғᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴘᴇɴsᴇ ᴏғ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ. Yᴏᴜ'ᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴇ ᴀ sᴛᴀʙ ᴡᴏᴜɴᴅ? A sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴏғғᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ sɪᴍᴘʟʏ ʟᴏsᴇ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇs' ᴡᴏʀᴛʜ ᴏғ ᴄʟɪᴍʙɪɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. Aɴ "ᴇǫᴜɪᴠᴀʟᴇɴᴛ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ," ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ. Lɪɴᴋ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʀᴏ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴀʟ. I ɢʀᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪs ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴀ sʜᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ʜɪs ᴡᴀʟʟᴇᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ I ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ғᴏʀ ʜɪᴍ. Hᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ ʜᴀᴅ ʀᴇɢʀᴇᴛs ɪɴ ʜɪs ʟɪғᴇ, ᴡʜʏ ɴᴏᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴜᴘ ʜɪs ʟɪғᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ғɪx ᴛʜᴇᴍ? It gave a short hum. Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴄʜɪʟᴅ, ɪs ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ɪɴ. Aɴ ᴜɴᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ sɪᴅᴇ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴᴇ I sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴏʀsᴇᴇɴ. Iғ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʀᴏ ᴏғ ᴛʜɪs ᴇʀᴀ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ, ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ғɪʟʟ ʜɪs ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ.
Loft's eyes went wide.
Tʜᴀᴛ's ʀɪɢʜᴛ. Yᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴜᴄᴄᴇssᴏʀ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴡᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅs. The statue paused. I ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀ, it mused, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ's ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇʀᴀ ʜᴇ's sᴏ ɢʀᴀᴄɪᴏᴜsʟʏ ᴘᴜʀᴄʜᴀsᴇᴅ?
The hero stared at the idol, stunned. "...Can't you switch us back?" he signed numbly.
HA! Aʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ɴᴏᴛ. I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴀɴʏᴍᴏʀᴇ; I ᴜsᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴍʏ ᴏɴᴇ sʜᴏᴛ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙʟᴏᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇʟɪɴᴇ. Iғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ʜᴏᴍᴇ, ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴅᴅᴇss' ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇsᴛᴏʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs ɪɴ ғᴜʟʟ.
"The goddess' daughter?"
Purah's eyes widened as she watched the hero's hands. "Zelda," she said softly. "You mean Princess Zelda."