Chapter 13
Link raced through the fields of Hyrule, thunder booming around them as they took each step. The sky was growing ever darker with each passing second, almost beginning to crack with each bolt of lightning that shattered across it. The strange thing, however, was that not a drop of rain fell from the sky. Still, the air had an eerie feel to it as if a downpour was imminent.
Link began huffing and puffing as they rushed exhaustedly towards the church, their cheeks becoming redder with every moment they pushed their body to its limit. Mother Impa was still at the church, perhaps she would have some answers. Everything seemed so dire to Link now, the whole world was about to crumble before them. But they had just enough time to hold it together.
The door of the church swung open as Link fell onto the soft carpet inside. In an instant, Mother Impa was at the weary Hylian's side.
"Link!? What happened!? Are you alright!?" Impa asked anxiously.
Link's breaths became so heavy that they could barely muster one word responses to the priest.
"huff...not...me...puff...Zelda! Huff Hyrule!"
"Link please! Try to calm down" Impa replied as she picked Link up and began escorting them to one of the pews.
"I can't calm down! I was fighting Aganihm and...and...and… I beat him I think but then I looked back and Zelda was gone!"
"Hmmm, I sensed something was off. I don't feel her presence anymore in this realm".
"This realm? What are you talking about!?"
Impa began taking a closer examination of Link's body. Their eyes were sunken and baggy. Sweat drops cascaded down their skin, giving it an oily sheen. Their body quaked in nervous shivers, and their entire outfit was covered in dirt, ash and blood. Link seemed on the verge of collapse, but they kept going on hysterically about Zelda and how they needed to save Hyrule. She gently placed a hand on the quivering child's cheek.
"Link, I know you're scared but you can't keep going on like this. This stress is going to take its toll on you".
"This is far bigger than me, Impa! The whole world is at stake! My friend's life is at stake! Ganon could come back any moment to wreak havoc and I need to do something to stop it now! If i'm really the Hero of Legend then I need to be selfless and brave and...and…".
Link stopped, tears spilling from their face. They loosened the tight grip they had over the Master Sword, letting it fall onto the soft carpet below.
"I...I failed...I can't keep going on like this. I'm falling apart at the seams and I don't know how much longer I can keep going".
Impa sat down on the pew next to Link, allowing them to rest their tired head on her shoulder.
"Link, you did not fail. There's no shame in needing some time to heal. You've already pushed yourself so hard".
"But...Hyrule needs me".
"That may be true, but you still have a say in this whole conflict, and you can't keep going forth in the state you are right now. It's not good for you and it's certainly not good for Hyrule".
Impa got up and walked over to the water basin at the front of the church. She took a rag and dipped the end into the water before walking back to Link and dabbing the damp cloth on to their forehead".
"The world cannot rest well on weary shoulders".
Link was able to calm down a little bit, but they were still shaking with anxieties. They remembered this feeling from once before. After their parents died, their mind began racing with fears they'd never known before. Just being alone with their thoughts left them exhausted and each day seemed like a bigger struggle than the last. They attempted to continue with their studies and training, but the stress became too much to handle. They needed time to heal.
"I wish they were here right now…" Link said in a groggy voice.
"Your parents?" Impa asked.
Link nodded, mustering up all the strength they had left to do so.
"In a certain way, they are still here, and they will always be with you".
Link slumped over, falling to their side.
"Now, let's get you washed up before you take a long rest". Impa said.
"But...Hyrule?" Link replied in their haziness.
"Hyrule does need help, but Hyrule will have to wait a minute so that you can get yours".
Impa escorted Link to the washing room of the church, thunder still raging outside. No rain, just thunder and darkness. Afterwards, she took them to the spare bedroom and placed them in the bed.
"...Thank you for doing this…" they said in a weary tone as Impa tucked them in.
"You're very welcome, Link. And remember, Hyrule will not fall in one night. It didn't fall centuries ago when the Hero of Time lost their life in battle, and it won't fall because you needed to sleep for a night".
Link had heard that name numerous times throughout their life. The Hero of Time, the greatest warrior in all the kingdom, but also its greatest failure. But other than that, Link knew nothing about this nameless, faceless, voiceless character.
"Mother Impa? Can I ask you something?" Link asked.
"Yes, my child" Impa replied.
"How...how much is known about the Hero of Time?".
Impa took a deep breath before speaking.
"I'm sure you've heard the legends of the hero, how they defeated Ganon and saved the kingdom. However, this is merely what the Hylians want to believe, so that they don't have to live everyday in fear of a threat that they can't even see. The truth is, as I have already told you, that the Hero of Time fell in battle against Ganon. With the full power of the Triforce, Ganon corrupted the Sacred Realm, turning it into a dark reflection of Hyrule and granting him unimaginable power. Without the Hero, the princess of the time, gathered seven wisemen to seal Hyrule from this dark world. A few souls from Hyrule managed to gain entry into the dark world, but it's corrupting atmosphere turned them into beats who now fight by Ganon's side. It was a temporary fix, but the seal managed to hold until now. I'm so sorry that you have to fight this battle of the ages. I'm not going to sugar coat it, this will be hard, and it's unfair that you're the one with this weight on your shoulders".
Link lied silent in contemplation for a few moments.
"What were they like before the fight with Ganon?" They asked after much hesitation.
"I'm sorry?"
"Every story I hear about The Hero of Time begins at the final battle. I want to know who they were before, did they have friends, family, a name?"
"I'm afraid the answers to most of those questions have been lost to time...however, some ancient Zonai, in their retellings of the story, did have a name for the hero, but it's unknown whether or not it's accurate. I believe, your mother Lavenna knew it".
"What was it?"
Impa stopped for a moment as shock set in on her face, as if realizing that she said something she should not have. She sighed before speaking again.
"Their name...was Link".
Link awoke the next morning refreshed and rejuvenated. Despite everything that had happened the previous night, they were able to sleep soundly through the night. Impa helped them gather their things, sword, shield, bow, and other equipment and took them into the main room of the church where a broken mirror awaited them above the altar. Impa then began to explain her findings to Link.
"Upon vigorous meditation, I have determined from the sky that Zelda is indeed in the Dark World, but she has not fallen into Ganon's hands yet".
"So, what happened to her?" Link asked.
"It seems that your battle with Aganihm did greatly impact Ganon's plans as the sacrifice was botched. I don't know where, but our Princess lies somewhere in the Dark World. After you left here the first time, I placed a protection spell on her that should keep her from being corrupted, but upon entering she would have been sealed in a crystal cocoon. What you need to do now is to travel into the Dark World, and find Zelda before Ganon can".
"Okay, but how am I going to get to the Dark World? And what if I become corrupted too?"
Many one way portals exist leading from Hyrule to the Dark World, but they are not at all reliable and there is no easy way back through them. You yourself accidentally stumbled upon one in your journey to the Desert Palace".
Link remembered being turned into a frail, pink rabbit.
"I thought that was just a hallucination...wait! You both saw that!?" Link shouted, cheeks going red with embarrassment.
"Only Zelda. And she thought that maybe you would need to venture through there again. That's why she prepared this" Impa replied as she placed the Moon Pearl necklace around Link.
"With this, you can travel throughout the Dark World without changing shape. And with this" she gestured to the broken mirror "you will step into the Dark World".
Link gripped onto the necklace Zelda had made them. Realizing now that what happened in the desert was real, they were now determined to save their friend.
"Ok, I'm ready".
"Before you go, Link, that sword you wield, remember what you had to go through to get it. The Master Sword is a symbol of your bravery and ability to draw out your inner strength".
Link nodded to Impa in reply.
"Right, now, press the pearl against the mirror and look deep into the eyes of your reflection".
Link stepped forward, holding the pearl in their outstretched hand and placed it on the mirror.