Chapter 6

Link was exhausted, panting as their boots clicked upon each step of the stone staircase. The weight of their shoulder bag was beginning to take its toll on their shoulder, leaving it sore and throbbing. Still, Link trekked onwards up the decrepit passage. The Master Sword was the key to stopping Aganihm's plans. They had to do this. For Hyrule. For the world. For Zelda.

Link had done very little adventuring in their life, a few trips with their parents here and there but nothing too major. And yet, this journey to collect three objects in order to pull the Master Sword felt oddly familiar, as if long, long ago, they had embarked on this same quest. Thinking about this made Link's heart sink. They didn't know why, but this feeling of deja vu created a fight or flight response in Link, as if doom awaited them upon completing this task.

Link reached the top of the stairs. They were met with the sight of a massive fortress, with large monsters carved into the walls along it's entrance. They were made to scare away anyone who dares to set foot into the holy ground, possibly to protect what was inside, possibly to protect anyone foolish enough to try and obtain it. Link walked through the door and stepped inside the palace. Inside was a large room containing six ominous statues. They were all made out of a dark, heavy looking metal, and were each made in the shape of a suit of armor, complete with swords and shields. As Link stepped through the area, investigating the statues, they noticed that one of them seemed a bit different from the others. The statue on the far east corner of the space had something inside it, glowing, shining a brilliant green. This had to be it, the Pendant of Courage had to be inside this statue! But how could they get to it? Link searched the statue further, placing a hand on it's chest.

Just then, Link heard the entrance to the palace shut with a thunderous echo. Before Link could look back, the statue began to shake. Link looked up to see that it's eyes were now glowing and the whole thing seemed to be...moving? The statue then came to life and lunged at Link, knocking them onto the ground. Link looked back at the statue in confusion, and then again at the room around them. It was then that they realized that all the statues had spring into action through some sort of magic. These were no ordinary statues, they were animated armors, they were Armoros.

Link took out their sword and attempted to slash at one of them, but it was no use. Their sword had bounced off the Armoros's thick exterior and Link lost their grip, causing the sword to drop to the ground.

Thinking quickly, Link took out their bow and aimed it at one of the Armoroses lunging towards them. Link's hands were shaking, their knees weakening from the paralyzing fear. Link's mind was now racing, trying to remember every lesson that their Sheikah mother had taught them. 'How am I supposed to hold this? What am I supposed to do?". Going backwards through their memories, Link finally recalled the first lesson their mother had ever taught him.

"Don't do it exactly how I did it, you have to find your own way. Every arrow travels along a different path, what matters is that they're all aiming for the same thing".

Finally, Link steadied themselves, and in an odd move, lowered their bow. They began running full sprint towards the stone behemoth. What they were about to do was unorthodox, a technique that was not taught in most archery classes. But the path that this arrow was about to take was Link's and Link's alone.

They stepped onto the armoross's shield and then used it as a platform to jump into the air. Then, at the highest point of their jump, something strange happened to Link. Time seemed to slow almost to a stop as they raised their bow and took aim, eventually hitting the armoros directly in its eyes. Quickly, and while still airborne. Link took out five more arrows and used them to hit all of the other Armorosses. By the time they reached the ground, all of them had been reduced to piles of rocks.

Link stood in the middle of the sacred space, stunned by their own efforts. They then looked down at the pile of rocks in front of them. Amongst the rubble was a glowing green light, the Pendant of Courage. Link reached down to pick it up. But as they did, something strange happened. They began to remember something.

They were in the forest, sitting in front of the Great Deku Tree. Just like in the dream they had earlier, they were in a body that just seemed too small. The large, fatherlike oak began to speak.

"This is Hyrule's final hope. Link. Go now to Hyrule Castle. There, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny...Take this stone with you. The stone that man wanted to much, that he cast the curse on me…"

A green stone with a golden band then lowered down from the heavens and into Link's hands.

It was odd. It felt like just a regular memory but Link couldn't place when during their life this could've happened. But thinking about this event more and more, Link began to grow sad, as if they were remembering the last thing someone close to them had ever said. Suddenly, Link was on their knees, letting tears slowly trickle down their face and onto the palace floor. Link then looked down to see their sword, laying on the ground. They looked into their reflection in the blade. A face stared back at them. It was them, but it was also not them.

"Who are you?"