New chapter! Let's go! I was unsure what perspective to start with, but I've decided on the fan favorite: TWILIGHT!
Yay!
-=]I[=-
"We're so proud of you, Link." A twili woman and a Hylian wearing an ornate crown smiled at Twilight. He was no longer bound to his wolf form, and it felt good to stretch his human legs. He smiled at the women, his dearest friend Midna and Princess Zelda.
Midna spoke. "You saved both of our worlds. Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. And now, you've gone on to save another."
"But you must take caution. Your ancestor didn't survive after his battle with Ganondorf in this plane of existence. Instead, he was slain on the battlefield, allowing Ganon to retain more of his power than the Ganondorf you faced. And… for a brief period of time, he had the triforce." Zelda's voice hinted at concern. Link smiled at her reassuringly. He still refrained from speaking too much, but his smile said everything. Don't worry. I'm not alone. I won't fail.
"Link, what you're doing is so noble. Our magic combined can bring you back to our world, our timeline, but should anything happen to you, we fear we will not be able to fix it." Zelda looked heartbroken, and Midna refused to meet his eyes.
"Link, we… we can't lose you. If you die, I swear I'll kill you." Midna tried to sound lighthearted, but she was clearly holding back tears. "Save the world again, you big dummy."
Twilight woke with a start. It had been so long since he'd seen Midna. Even after the Twilight mirror had been shattered, he had still tried in vain to communicate with her again. Zelda had tried her best to help him, even using her magic to attempt to create a twilight barrier within the castle. And now, over eight years later, while present in another universe entirely, she spoke to him again.
The last time he helped the new Hero, Zelda had guided him. While it had been dangerous, Twilight had eventually helped defeat the Calamity. Now, after all this time, he had returned. Funny, it had only been a year in his time, yet hundreds had passed in the world of the Wild.
Zelda's head rested on his flank, yet she bore little resemblance to the Zelda he knew. Her hair was golden and cut short, and the garments she wore were not those of royalty, but those of an adventurer. Did they really share the same blood? Could she have the ability to access the Spirit Realm? Hopefully it would never come to that. Or else… he might have to become more than just a guide. Which was, of course, not allowed by the goddess.
But if the situation really came to that, would he have a choice?
-]I[-
Hyrule had its share of warriors, but Link could confidently say he was one of the best. Years of training had honed him into a machine, and he had become proficient with a sword, shield, bow, or any weapon her could get his hands on. He had fought off a pack of wolves with nothing but a melon (long story) and he'd defeated lynels single handedly.
However, if he, Link, proclaimed the greatest warrior in Hyrule, then why did he feel so weak? Had it been because of the dream? He remembered that… thing talking to him. The Hero's Shade, it had called itself. He knew that he had to venture into the Lost Woods, but then what? The Woods were perilous. Groose had wandered in once, while at the Military Camp, but after coming back, he had never been quite the same.
Not to mention, he had Lana with him. She was kind of adorable, if a little bit emotional. And she clearly wasn't who she made herself out to be. The device she carried must have something to do with it. After all, it had opened up the mysterious door, and she seemed to value it more than food or water.
But it wasn't the device he couldn't part with. It was Lana herself. Her laugh, the way her emerald eyes sparkled whenever she talked about discovery or adventure, the way she spoke so softly. Not to mention he admired her inner strength. No one had been able to land a blow on him since training, even when by surprise. A spark burned within her, a spark that was ready to set a blazing fire.
But he couldn't let his feelings get in the way of his destiny. After all, it had been taught at the Knight Academy: Nothing distracts from the mission at hand. And he shouldn't let anyone distract him from his true destiny.
He'd have to leave the Plateau. He had no choice. If he had been told by the Hero's Shade himself to save Hyrule, how could he refuse? Yet everything seemed so sudden, so strange. Was he really going to let some strange dream influence his path in life? Was he really going to leave Lana so soon?
Link paced back and forth across the plain, agitated. If he had been a playwright, he'd have written a soliloquy about this dilemma. Of course, Link had never been a firm believer in destiny. He had willingly left the castle, left behind all of his friends, to avoid marrying some snobbish princess in need of protecting. Why should he listen to what other people told him to do? Was his own destiny not his own to pursue?
A soft growling interrupted his thoughts. Twilight was staring at him with those mysterious blue eyes. The message was clear. Follow me.
Twilight led him to the Temple of Time in the center of the Plateau. Link had never been one for religion, and thus avoided the temple as much as possible. Of course, he believed in Hylia and the Golden Goddesses. And denying the existence of Demise was downright impossible, with the constant torment that plagued Hyrule in the form of Ganon. He just felt… out of place. The only religious setting he ever really felt comfort in was the Spring of Courage, and that was all the way in the Faron region.
But if Twilight wanted him to go inside, could he refuse? The wolf was usually smarter than he was, and was the reason he had made it to the Plateau in the first place.
The Temple was serene, peaceful. A location untouched by the turmoil of the outside world. To most, it would seem comforting. For Link, he only felt more anxious.
"Hello, Link." A young woman sat on a bench, looking at the statue to Hylia. "Come, sit down. Put the sword away, I am not here to harm you."
Link proceeded with caution, taking care to get a good look at the woman before him. Her bangs accentuated her straight blonde hair, which reached some point near her middle back. The dress she wore was pure white, so light it looked almost artificial. A simple crown rested atop her head, and her hands were folded neatly in her lap. Her whole person glowed with a soft golden light. Link immediately sensed that she was not of this world, and fell to his knees.
"Do not kneel, Hero. I asked you to sit, did I not? There is plenty of room here."
Link took a seat next to her, careful not to stumble into anything.
"You know who I am?" She asked, a faint smile playing across her lips.
Link nodded. In this place, only one explanation was possible. She had to be the goddess Hylia herself.
"I sent a messenger here to remind you of your destiny. You were questioning me, no?"
Link nodded, looking down. "I… I'm sorry, Your Grace."
"Do not apologize. I should have known better. You are a strong man, are you not? You need more than a simple dream to tell you to go into a mysterious woods and retrieve a blade that's existence is still speculated. So, here I am. This is one of the only places in this world I can speak to you. The other location lies forgotten, ruined. But it matters not. What matters is that I am able to speak with you, even if I am not-" she reached towards him, but her hand passed though Link's arm, much like a spirit- "really here."
She looked at Link's expression of confusion and laughed slightly. "Don't worry. Everything will become clear soon. I know it seems I am asking much, but believe me, I have the utmost confidence in you. In you-" Hylia glanced outside, towards the castle in the distance- "and in the Spirit Maiden. Good luck… Link."
With those parting words, Hylia faded slightly, then entirely. Link was left alone in the empty temple.
-]I[-
The moon was at its peak, a silver crescent illuminating the clouds in the sky. Link made his way back to the camp. Quietly, as to not wake Lana, he carefully gathered his sword, bow, and his shield. He made as if to leave, but Twilight blocked his path, standing between Link and the rope ladder with his teeth slightly bared.
"Oh, come on. Move! I need to get by! I don't suppose the name 'Hylia' means anything to you?"
Still the wolf refused to budge, occasionally glancing back at the camp. It dawned on Link that Twilight was referring to Lana.
That's right, dummy. Go talk to her. Believe me, I think we're going to need her.
"Need her? She couldn't lift a sword before this week. She'll only slow us down."
This shackle hinders my movement, but I do not remove it. Why? Because the consequences of letting go can be worse than the strength you gain from holding on.
"Link?" A new voice sounded. It was clear that Twilight had been playing for time, and that he already knew that Lana was awake. Link shot a glare at the wolf, who smirked at him in a very odd manner. Almost like that of a human. Of course, Link didn't question it anymore.
"Oh, hey Lana. I was just…"
"Leaving?" She had an accusatory tone in her voice, which was probably fair. Link looked down sheepishly.
"Look, I need to go."
"Why?"
"Why do I need to tell you?"
"Because I think I deserve an explanation. You haven't spoken to me about anything other than training since we first met, except perhaps when you were making sure I was alright."
"I don't need to explain myself." Link realized that his tone of voice may have been too cold, because Lana looked taken aback.
"Well, keep your secrets then. But I know something that may be of use to you." She said, staring him down. Her emerald eyes seemed to bore holes right through him, but if they were this deep in an argument, it wasn't worth backing down.
"Oh really?"
"I've been having visions. I know it sounds crazy, but I think you can help me. I… I think I saw the Goddess. She needs me to do something and I don't wish to do so alone. And she told me to speak with you. I think fate brought us together for a reason, Link."
Hylia. Wonderful. All at once, this whole thing had become a thousand times more complicated. But Twilight seemed to think he needed her, and if Hylia had just become involved, he didn't want to mess with that.
Apologizing never came easily to Link. The words always stuck in his throat, and he was never the best at admitting he was wrong. But this was Lana. If he couldn't apologize to her, he'd have to seriously look at his morals.
"Lana, I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken like that. I shouldn't have tried to leave. But the thing is…" He took a deep breath. This wasn't something easy for him to admit. "I've been having dreams and visions too."
"If we were meant to find each other, what significance does this have? Are we meant to save Hyrule? Hylia only speaks to mortals if the world is in imminent danger." Lana sounded concerned. Scared, even. Link pulled her in close, in a warm embrace.
"We'll do our best. And we'll do it together. After all, fate is a strange thing."
-=]I[=-
The concept of fate has always been quite abstract to me in the real world. But in the Zelda universe, fate plays a pretty big role in Link's quests. I needed to include stuff like this to explain my characters' views on things: Zelda, who is kept in the castle her whole life and spends her time reading, is a firm believer. Link isn't so sure, but we're going to see him slowly accept his destiny and his feelings for Zelda/Lana but haha shipping and philosophy aren't related.
Onto the review section! Bladeofthebookworms, I like the bookworms better! I think it describes a lot of us on this site. Thanks for calling that poetic, I try my best. I've even dabbled in poetry, but I'm not so good at that, so I'll steer clear of any poems in my work. Unless I need to write a prophecy of some sort, which will come up in a story sooner or later. Matt, your wish is my command. We've had a brief scene with the two of them, and I think I'll do some more communication later on. Everything about Twilight will become clear soon. Who, by the way, was a very interesting perspective to write. I'm going to return to that pov soon enough, but I think the next chapter will start off with Zelda. Oracle, I'm definitely going to include more scenes with Hylia, and other divine forces. Which forces? Not telling anything yet. Don't want to spoil the surprise!
Thank you everyone reading this! If you've made it this far, congratulations on reading that monster of an author's note. You get a digital cookie as a reward.
~Silver