A Hyrule Historian
Chapter VI
The Temple of Time
"You changed clothes." Link remarked quietly once I rejoined him in the barn.
"Oh, yeah. These are the only clothes I actually own. The outfit from before actually belongs to the ranch." I explained with no small amount of embarrassment. I originally only planned to go beg some dinner off of Ramona half an hour ago after Link had agreed to take me up to the Great Plateau. She had excitedly agreed to pack something up for us when she found out I was getting to go up to the Great Plateau. The stew she was in the process of making wouldn't travel well, so she told me to give her about ten minutes and she would get something travel ready for us. So with that in mind, I ran back to her room and changed into my own clothes, a small part of me wanted to have my iconic™ look if I was going to go on any kind of an adventure. In hindsight, it probably looked like I was dressing up for a date.
Stupid and embarrassing could probably be my middle name at this point.
"Okay, so how does this work, exactly? In the story, the one with the Sheikah Slate, you only ever warp with it by yourself. Is it able to transport both of us?" I decide to just ignore the embarrassment. Besides, Link doesn't have any memories right now, maybe he won't even think of something like that. Regardless, I wanted to see the Temple of Time too badly for me to run away and avoid an embarrassing situation.
"It's pretty simple, we both just have to be holding onto it when I choose the location to warp to, then it will take us both." He explains brightly, holding the Sheikah Slate between us.
I nod at him before moving the basket to be looped around my elbow so I could firmly hold onto the Sheikah Slate with both hands. Link taps the screen a few times pulling up the familiar digital map and then zooming in on the Great Plateau area. He taps on an icon and it asks him to confirm that he would like to warp. He hits yes and I stop breathing in preparation for what is about to happen.
First, there is the sensation of gravity losing its hold on us. We begin to float upwards slowly, weightless in the hands of this magic. Before I can't really come to terms with this small amount of flight granted to us, we are suddenly, rapidly shifted through space. As instantaneous as our departure was, so too was our arrival. It almost felt like fainting, one second your fine, if not a little light headed from the magic taking ahold of you, and then the next your waking up somewhere else entirely. There's even the slight ringing in my ears that usually accompanies a fainting spell.
"Huh, I'm not sure what I expected that to feel like," I muse aloud, "but I guess that is actually not that far from it- Oh my god. Is that a Gossip Stone?" I cut myself off at the sight of the familiar stone monolith standing proudly amongst the ruins around it. With my attention drawn to the ruins around us, it was a swift hop in logic to understand where we were. This Gossip Stone, with its smiling Sheikah emblem face, was almost exactly where the first shrine was in the game. It was hard to tell if these ruins exactly match the ones from the game, seeing them in real life versus in the game could be playing tricks on me, but the makeshift lake that tokes up where the entry path to Castle Town once was and the visible edge of the gates that surround the plateau were a good enough marker to go by.
"Yeah, I think that's what Michiko called them, anyway." Link answered while hooking the Sheikah Slate to his belt, "They're how I teleport. Once I sync up their location with the slate I can return to them anytime I want."
"Oh man. I was wondering how you were gonna travel without the help of the towers or shrines. This makes sense though, since the Gossip Stones are also Sheikah technology. But, that still leaves us with the question of why they're missing. Since the Shrine of Resurrection and the Sheikah Slate are still here, why aren't the others. Maybe the monks didn't survive long enough to be here to guide you…" I rambled my thoughts aloud as I took a closer look at the Gossip Stone. In spite of their most memorable line from the games being the 'Boing Boing' sound effect they were very solid stone. It was also strange; despite the fact that there were no visible signs of wear on the stone it clearly looked ancient. It also gave of a strange otherworldly vibration, and I did mean that literally. Touching the stone left my hand with the same kind of numb feeling you get from holding a power tool for too long, a quickly fading numbness.
"Is your slate able to talk to them? In the stories, they know all sorts of rumors, hence the title Gossip Stones. It could be really help-" I turn back to Link to ask but end up cutting myself off, because up on the hill behind Link was the Temple of Time.
I couldn't breath. Even from this distance it was absolutely beautiful. Not even seeing the well in Kakariko measured up to this. Wait. I'm forgetting something about the well, aren't I? Whatever. It doesn't matter right now. Right now, all that matters is getting to the Temple of Time as fast as possible, I only have a couple hours before the sun sets and there is no artificial lighting up here. I won't be able to see anything then.
I took of in a sprint, not paying nearly enough attention to the uneven path and rubble around me. I tripped and stumbled a handful of times but I always managed to catch myself before falling. I tried to catalog as much of its appearance as I could while I ran.
One thing that was immediately apparent was the distinct lack of Guardians up here. While, yes, I had expected that, since they were by and large missing from the map as a whole, I hadn't expected the difference in the state of the temple because of that. No Guardians meant the Temple of Time was much more whole than it was in the game. Not to say, of course, that it wasn't in quite a state of disrepair, just not mostly collapsed like it had been in the game.
My lungs burned and my legs ached, still not over the pain from riding a horse for so long, but I refused to stop. There was nothing that was more motivating than seeing that building coming closer. The stairs leading up to the temple were killer on my thighs but where beautifully made, so much so that even in their very worn down state there were bits of intricate stonework that remained intact.
It would be obvious to anyone that these large ornate stairs were leading to somewhere incredibly important to Hyrule, even if they had no idea what the temple used to be. The Triforce and subsequently the Hylian Royal Crest were featured prominently in the remaining stonework. I tried to be as careful as possible while running up the steps, not wanting to damage any of the crumbling testament to a time long gone.
I refused to stop for even a second until I reached the top of the stairs, only then did I spend a moment to really take in the building in front of me. All three spires were still mostly intact. The building itself was almost completely covered in out of control ivy and climbing roses, and therefore it was nearly impossible to tell how much of the stone was actually intact. The windows and wooden door were completely gone, just a distant memory at this point.
My heart raced, both from the exertion of sprinting for so long, and from the immense excitement of the unknown. Because it was unknown at this point. Since there were no doors it would be easy to get inside the building, but once inside, what? This strange familiar world had so many unexpected twists that I really wasn't sure what was awaiting on the other side.
I shakily took a step forward, then another, and another. Slowly I made my way into the Temple of Time. The air around me was still, heavy in a way that was out of place in an elevation so high. Once I stepped into the threshold of the building it was almost as if the outside world ceased to exist. Any of the natural sounds of birds or bugs or even the wind seemed to just hush, as if the world itself knew not to disturb this holy place.
Immediately inside the doors there were two small rooms to either side the severely deteriorated wood gaping open enough to show that each held what used to be a staircase up into the towers above. All sorts of plant life had made its way in but strangely enough not cracking the well-worn stones. The building seemed to be miraculously intact, some otherworldly presence preserving it against the test of time.
I passed through the hallway as if in a trance, only to immediately be greeted by a grand staircase leading to the main part of the building. It wasn't an exceptionally tall, not even a full story, but it did make for a grand entrance into the sanctuary.
The building was just as magically intact as the entrance had looked. Small holes in the roof and large glassless windows made for ample light inside the well-fortified building, giving it an almost ethereal look. The sight of the sanctuary made my heart skitter to a stop.
Though dulled and worn from time, it was clearly the same place as Ocarina of Time's temple. Though much more ornate than the N64 game could have hope to present, it was unmistakable in layout. The warp pedestal decorated with both the medallion of light and the Triforce was mostly intact, with only the edges crumbling away. The checkerboard effect of the outer tiles was faded, nearly impossible to distinguish if you weren't looking for it. Large stone columns evenly spaced on either side of the building standing strong and proud despite the obvious wear. The building was so intact that it felt like it had only been abandoned for a couple decades not tens of thousands of years.
The most surprising revelation however, was the Sacred Stone Alter and the Door of Time that remained perfectly preserved, no wear or erosion present at all. The Door of Time was a perfect mirror of the one from Ocarina of Time, its intricate sun design an unexpected comfort. The alter in front of it was quite a bit different but not unrecognizable. Instead of the understated Black and Grey stone shape inlayed between the small steps up to the door, it was by and large the focus of the room. Pure white stone made up the six cloaked figures who held the black stone top up. That same white stone coming up behind the top to depict what was obviously Hylia, head bowed and arms outstretched to hover over the inscribed marble.
Heart in my throat, I made my way across the room until I all but collapsed in front of the altar. I distantly recognized that I was crying. Caught up in the emotion of being in this all to important place, I didn't even realize Link had followed me until he gently placed his hand on my shoulder. Looking up at him from my place on the floor, I could see the concern in his eyes, unsure of what was wrong with me but incredibly willing to help.
"I'm okay. It's just- I don't-" I try to explain to him between big stupid tears, "I didn't expect it to be like this. It was supposed to be a ruin, but instead it's just like the one…" I trailed off trying to figure out how to put my feelings into words.
Link didn't say anything back, just sat down on the wispy remnants of the red carpet next to me and waited for me to continue.
"I used to pretend to come here as a child. There are so many stories about Hyrule and it's hero, but there was one that really captured me. In that story, this place is a very important feature in it. I dreamed so often of being able to come to this place, but I never once thought it would happen. The stories, this world, it wasn't real. But then the Eclipse Game brought me here. But this world is so different from the one in that story. I was certain that even if I managed to get up here to see this place, it wouldn't be the same as the one I dreamed of. To see it in person like this…" I weepily explain, to genuinely happy to really be embarrassed by the state I was in.
"Link, thank you. This means everything to me." I give him a rather wet smile, hoping my nonsense explanation could help him understand.
Link still looks a bit confused, but the layer of concern seemed to be gone from his stare. I guess my blubbering succeeded somewhat. He slowly looks around the room, possibly trying to see what could have endeared this place to me. I'm not sure if he found what he was looking for but he did eventually turn back to me, "Ash called me something like that, the hero of this story. What does that mean? She didn't really elaborate."
"I've spent about five hours total in Ash's company, and honestly I would have been more surprised if you said she had elaborated." I joked trying to lighten the mood. I scooted so I was fully facing him and could put the picnic basket between us. "Alright, I told you I would tell you the truth, so why don't we dig into this undoubtedly delicious dinner Ramona made us and I can start from the beginning?"
The look of relief he gave me was almost tangible. So, as I pulled out what was to be our dinner, meat filled rice balls and carrot cake, I started to tell him about how I, we if I included Ash, Michiko, and anyone else who played the Eclipse game, got here. I told him about The Legend of Zelda series, how there were so many stories and how they didn't really coherently line up with each other. I even talked about my thoughts on the fact that while so much of this world was so similar to Breath of the Wild I was honestly surer than ever before that this wasn't that game.
"So, what does it mean, that things are different?" He eventually asks after I had started to count off the difference that I had already noticed.
"Well, it means that any information I have about what could have been the future is pretty much useless. Couple that with the fact that the ability to punch things is not incredibly useful either, and I've run out of skills. In the world of my dreams, and I'm nothing more than a useless lump. Maybe this is my punishment for messing with magic I didn't understand." I wryly state while shifting around so I can flop onto the cold hard ground.
"I don't think you're useless." Link offers quietly. For a second, I think he's going to say more, but he doesn't. He lets the statement hang in the air, no arguments against my claims, just a simple fact. It cut through the cloud of my self-deprecation so cleanly that for the life of me, I couldn't work up the desire to continue it.
Our talk had eaten through most of the remaining daylight, the setting sun now casting the temple in warm hues the stone hadn't had before. "Thanks, I'm gonna try to be useful. I think, if I can study more of this world and it's history, I might at least be able to figure out what timeline we're in, maybe even how it relates to Breath of the Wild. If I could come back here to really study this building, maybe I can figure out what's going on. I know I've already asked for one favor, but if you could bring me back here, you wouldn't have to stay with me or anything. I know it would probably be pretty boring, but if you could just drop me off for a while, I would be really grateful. I got so carried away explaining things to you that I didn't even bother to take any notes on the architectural findings here. God, I didn't even check the inscription to see if it's the same one." I berated myself to hide the embarrassment of being so emotionally vulnerable.
Wait, speaking of inscriptions, I fucking forgot to read the one on the well in Kakariko…
"Shit. Fuck. I'm the worst Archaeologist in the whole fucking world." I quietly sang. Apparently I can talk a big game, but once it comes down to actually paying attention to important details I just check the fuck out.
"Why can't I read this?" I whisper in shock. In the dim evening light it was difficult to see, but it was plain that this was not the same Hylian that I had grown used to. Crap, how could I forget? Modern Hylian and ancient Hylian were two different languages. The games had made that abundantly clear. I had assumed that this ability to understand everything had come as a side effect of whatever magic brought me here, but if I could only understand modern Hylian then that almost implied some kind of decision being made. But by who or what, I'm not sure. What is the Eclipse Game?
"I can read it." Link says plainly.
"You can what now?" I gape at him.
"Yeah, it says," Link begins but as he reads out the inscription it quickly becomes apparent he is reciting it in ancient Hylian, the sound so similar to the Hylian I know but just different enough that it my brain feels like it has hit an error screen.
"I have no idea what you just said. But, does it happen to say something about the Three Spiritual Stones, The Ocarina of Time, and the Song of Time?" I asked wondering if this was going to match up to the game or not.
"Oh, sorry." Link blushes, "Um, yeah, kind of? It talks about whoever possesses the Sacred Pendants. Says they should take the Ocarina of Time in hand and give a prayer to the Goddess of Time. It doesn't say anything about a song though." Link translates roughly.
I'm probably more surprised than I should be at the point. I already knew this wasn't Ocarina of Time so obviously it was going to be somewhat different, but even in the fading evening light I could see the divots in the stone where the stones were to be placed, divots that were clearly in the shape of the Spiritual Stones, albeit smaller than what Ocarina of Time led me to believe. However, calling them the Sacred Pendants brought up the obvious relation to the Pendants of Virtue from A Link to the Past, and subsequently A Link Between Worlds. But I guess in the end those two sets of items and this temple as well have one very common denominator.
Looking at the very pristine Door of Time on the other side of the altar I couldn't help but voice my thoughts, "Well, I could be wrong but I think I might know where the Master Sword is hiding."
"That's the sword I'm supposed to use right? Hey Lazarie, what's the Ocarina of Time?" He asked still looking at the altar.
"Huh? Oh, it's um." I fumble around but successfully pull it out of my bag. Even in the dying light the Ocarina of Time managed to almost glow ethereally. "It's a really important item from one of the stories and it's the item I used in the Eclipse Game."
Link turned to look at it as soon as I produced it from my bag. There was something in his expression as he stared at it, a confusion I couldn't really place. He stays quiet for a while, never tearing his eyes away from the item in my hands.
"It feels important." His whisper catches me by surprise in the unnaturally still air of the temple.
"I mean, that's fair. It is important. It's also very magical, so maybe that's what the feeling is?" I offer awkwardly, unsure of my words as they escape my mouth.
"No. That's not what I mean. It-" He seems frustrated for a second, squeezing his eyes closed in thought, "I don't remember anything. Who I was, my past, my friends or family, I don't remember any of it. But this… It feels important. Not familiar, nothing feels familiar, but I know it's really important." His frustration is nearly palpable, and the force of it shatters my heart.
I hadn't thought of how difficult things might be for him right now. Here he was no memories, no helpful ghost of the King to guide him, and the first person he met, his first friend, turned out to be telling all kinds of lies. That's heartbreaking overwhelming for one person to go through.
"Okay. Okay, what can I do? You said it feels important; do you want to hold it? Or try playing it?" I offer anything that pops into my head desperate to try and help in whatever way I could.
He shook his head no in response, still not looking at me.
"I could tell you about the story behind it? Or I could play it, if you'd like?" I offer instead, hoping that might be an easier thing for him.
He finally glanced back up at me his eyes a storm of confusion and pain. With a small nod and a smaller smile, he agrees to my proposition.
"Yeah? Okay! Um Why don't I start by playing and then I'll tell you the story as we travel back to the stable and maybe get some hot cocoa to treat ourselves?" I beam, excited that something I offered might help. He nodded again.
I take a look around the nearly dark temple, and figure there's only one song that really suits the location. We may not have all the necessary parts to open the Door of Time, but that doesn't mean I can't play the song anyway. After all, it's too quiet in here without the background music.
My fingers shift to the familiar placements on the ocarina as I heave a breath. Bringing it to my lips I begin the somber song. The notes float heavily in the air around us. Once again, I am awed at the sound of the Ocarina of Time, the fullness of each of the notes and the echo of the cathedral around us making it feel like the hall was filled with people playing the tune instead of just me.
It was intensely dark by the time I finished the Song of Time, the echoes of the final notes still in the air. The moonlight gave the soft illusion of light but in actuality it illuminated none of the architecture around us.
Looking to Link, I only barely registered the confused wonder in his gaze before I was thoroughly distracted by the inscription on the altar beginning to glow. Then, it was both of our turns to stare in wonderment.
"You who have entered this Holy Hall. On this plateau there are Three Trails of Virtue. Best all three and return with the Sacred Pendants. Only then shall the Doors of Time be opened." A soft feminine voice boomed throughout the temple around us. It was soothing and world shaking, a legion of voices making up one singular person. There was no doubt that this was Hylia speaking.
I locked gazes with Link again, my awe echoed equally back at me.
Link and I sat around the campfire back at Lon Lon Ranch, mugs of hot chocolate clutched loosely in our hands. Ramona had given us some sort of sweet bread as well, but my mind was spinning too fast to truly consider eating it.
We hadn't spoken much since leaving the Temple of Time, too wrapped up in disbelief to try to articulate any decent conversation.
"So that was more informational than I thought." I awkwardly began.
Link nodded in agreement.
"So I guess you'll need to spend some time up on the Great Plateau. You know, to find whatever those trials are." I state rather lamely.
Link nods again before eventually adding, "Yeah. That'll be good right? Maybe it'll help us find out more about how this world relates to the others, like you said? And it means that we'll need to go back to the Temple of Time eventually anyway." Link smiles a bit uncomfortably but definitely hopefully at me.
"Wait. We? Like both of us? Do you want me to come with?" I ask, some unnamable emotion squeezing my chest.
"Hm? Well, yeah. I mean, I assumed that we would do this together. You said I was the hero and all. I just thought you would want me to come with. Unless, you don't?" Link awkwardly explains, much to my disbelief.
"What? No, I thought- I didn't know if you would want me to tag along with you to do these." I laugh at the absurdity of the situation, "Of course I want you to come along. I just thought you would want to get away as soon as you could."
"Oh!" Link smiles shyly, "Yeah, we found this together. I think its only right that we should do this together. Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow sounds great." I agreed only slightly embarrassed. Looks like I might get to be a part of this adventure, even if it's only for a little bit.
We stayed up for a while longer, watching the stars and drinking hot chocolate. Eventually, we went our separate ways to go to bed, ready for whatever adventure the morning brought.
Notes:
We made it through another chapter! This one is a rather short one, but it is a rather emotional one for me so I couldn't imagine packing it with more content. This is actually one of the plot points that made me want to write this fic! Also we're finally getting into the actual plot!
I hope you guys are enjoying this, I haven't gotten any reviews for a while so it's a little disheartening but I'm still going strong. I would really appreciate some feedback though.
Thanks.
