Chapter 29: Spring of Power
It was a solemn procession heading to the Akkala region.
Zelda had barely paid attention to the surroundings, letting Link lead the way on his horse while she rode on Storm.
The horse had been nickering every few minutes or so, tossing its head as if it could sense something amiss with Zelda. She would have reassured Storm…if everything was fine. But the farther and farther they got from the castle and the closer and closer they traveled into the Akkala region, Zelda's heart grew heavier in her chest.
Every town they went by, every villager on the road, faded away from Zelda's mind as soon as she passed them. Her purpose she had so fully embraced after the Spring of Courage seemed the whims of a silly, delusional little girl who had only thought she could play another part in the drama of Hyrule and was embarrassingly reminded that her part from the beginning was always her part and forever would be. There would be no change, no understudy to replace Zelda, no twist of the plot, no rewrite for her character. The script was carved in stone much like her father's face when announcing this to his wayward daughter.
When will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?...You are here wasting your time…Stop running away from your duty!
Zelda hated the word duty. More so than ever before. She knew two definitions of the word: a responsibility, or a task someone is required to perform.
Either definition clicked with the key turning in the prison door, locking her in place.
Zelda knew that's how her father lived his life and how every royal was meant to live their life and how she was supposed to live her life. Otherwise, the royals could abuse their power, become selfish. But was it so selfish to be happy and do your duty?
To have spent one's life in the service of a looming threat that forever hovered over every peaceful, calm memory Zelda had before it arrived, forever shadowing every memory after with fear and urgency? Those were the dark days of Zelda's existence when she studied alone in her room, no servant or friend allowed to bother her lest they break the spell she wove to become what Hyrule needed. But it wasn't a spell Zelda was under; it was a curse. The curse only slipped every now and then, when people like Sitkel bounced into her life, then Impa, Purah and Robbie, Urbosa, the Champions, and then Link.
Zelda had seen a way out. She had felt the sun on her face, the wind roaring in her ears, the blisters on her feet, the pounding of her heart alive. She had been happy after so many years.
And now…it all seemed like a horrible temptation that Zelda could never allow herself to fall into again lest everyone perish.
Horses' steel hooves echoed against stone, a different sound than the plodding on the dirt trail. Zelda looked up at the bridge stretching the Akkala Span, the Akkala Citadel perched on the far right of the ground up ahead.
The Citadel was the only other fortress besides Hyrule Castle and looked like a castle itself on the pillar that jutted towards the direction of the ocean. The fortress ingrained itself into the rock, the builders drilling into the mountain to build the Akkala Citadel of stone. It was created to defend Hyrule from invaders across the sea, but since no invaders ever came during the past few centuries, the Citadel was mostly a guard outpost for Hyrule knights and a meeting place for kings to go over strategy. Lately, it had also been a place for the scientists to stay and examine the Guardians in this part of the land. Very few times had Zelda come to Hyrule's most northeastern borders. The only times Zelda had been here, the memory darkening her thoughts, was to the Spring of Power, the place she was headed to once more.
Time to see if Father's belief of persistence being the key will truly free me.
The Akkala region was of a season ending and a season beginning; the region looked forever fall, trees sprouting red, orange, and yellow leaves, constantly shedding and hiding the trails below their boughs. Once across the Akkala Span, the land funneled down into a valley, most of Akkala being hills and valleys anyway. The South Akkala Stable centered itself in between a circle of trees where the incline flattened out, two paths diverging around it: right to go to Akkala Lake and left to go to the Spring of Power.
Zelda suddenly reigned in her horse at the stable. "Let's leave the horses here."
Link pulled his horse up short, brow quirking in the first communication they'd had since heading out from the castle early this morning.
"I'd rather let the horses get some rest before we return to the castle." Zelda slipped down off her horse, not allowing any other expression on Link's face sway her. Yes, it was true they had been riding the horses fairly hard today in order to get to the far reaches of the kingdom before nightfall. Zelda had ordered no stops and true to her word, Link had kept going. But it was with some guilt that Zelda handed over the reins to the stablemaster, knowing that the horses needing rest wasn't the reason in the slightest for Zelda wanting to walk the rest of the way.
She didn't care that the sun was on its downward journey, the sky rupturing pink and orange. She didn't care that after all day riding, she would then have to walk longer than it should take to the Spring of Power and also walk back after. Zelda didn't care anymore period. Her father might have forced her onto this path, but no amount of arguing or chastisement could remove the dread that wrapped itself around Zelda's legs like a weight, each step closer to the Spring sickening and heavy. She wanted this over, but she didn't even want this to begin.
The left trail continued down into a valley, mountainous rocks on either side of the grassy slope until they reached the woodland known as Shadow Pass. The woodland was hemmed in by the rocky cliffs of Death Mountain on one side and Kanalet Ridge on the other, the pass being the only straightforward way through this part of Akkala. The trees thickened, the path becoming windy and confusing as it wound around the trunks. Proceeding through here in the dark would likely get many travelers lost, the only lights probably coming from lanterns the travelers would carry.
Even with her stomach lurching at the thought of once again calling upon the Goddess for help, Zelda noticed the quietness of the woods, how there didn't seem to be any wildlife roaming around. There was a rustle in the branches of a maple tree, but in passing it, no squirrel or bird scurried out. It was like the forest was holding its breath along with her, the calm before the storm. Zelda's steps quickened until she could see the way out ahead.
The forest opened up onto a wide, clear trail which led them slightly down, eventually dropping sharply away on one side into a hollow. Zelda grimaced. They were close.
Within the hollow were squat rock pillars with grassy tops spread haphazardly around the dale. There were terraces on the sides of the hollow, but the drop from where Link and her were was too high to jump from one terrace to the next until they hit bottom. Instead, they walked around the ledge till it merged with a wide switchback, leading down into the basin.
The grass was long and the nightlife peaceful. Restless Crickets and Warm Darners jumped out of the way of Link's trampling feet, probably unused to company in this private part of the region. Keeping to the right side of the hollow, they finally came upon the stone arch. It was a small arch tunneling through part of the hill, stones walls cracked from centuries of standing.
They were here.
Dread turned leaden in Zelda's veins, her chest thick and weighty. This was a different feeling from the Spring of Courage where Zelda had arrived in the Faron jungle with a handful of hope. Now, it was hard to scrounge up a thimbleful of anything resembling hope.
Link stood just before the entrance, waiting for her.
Hesitantly, Zelda stepped forward, footsteps lonely echoing until Link joined behind her.
An arch at the end revealed the ceiling rising higher above them, pillars supporting a long portico ending at a short ascending staircase. Brass torches in the shape of birds in flight hung from the pillars still standing, looking like they hadn't been lit in years. On either side of the staircase, two tiny waterfalls poured into two narrow pools surrounding the porch Zelda walked on. Four small waterfalls trickled from higher above the pools, a light pattering of water merging together.
Coming from under the portico, the sky met them, stars blinking in the heavens.
The Spring of Power was an unusual place. There were two levels that led down into where the spring actually was. A stream of water circled around the basin, only overflowing down into the bowl by five waterfalls, the thickest one being right behind the statue herself. Two great large oaks grew from the water on either side of the Goddess, clumps of lily pads floating in the shallow water next to the roots.
The Goddess statue immediately caught Zelda's attention. It stood proud and tall far across the depression. Short wings were pinned onto its back, the woman's body robed, with only a serene closed face peering out, her hands clasped together in prayer. It was an exact replica of the one at the Spring of Courage.
Taking the short staircase leading up to an octagonal platform, Zelda paused, noticing the moon shining high over the spring, light glittering on the ripples of the pool, a low roaring of the waterfalls slapping the pool's reflective surface. If she closed her eyes, Zelda could imagine herself being drawn into the life of this place until only her and the water existed. Until only me and the Goddess exist. Zelda opened her eyes, resolve pushing her forward into the water.
Behind her, Link stayed on the platform to keep watch, turning his back on Zelda to give some privacy since there was nowhere else to go. But at this point, Zelda didn't care. Why should I care who listens to me?...No one listens anyway. Forcing her shoulders back, eyes straight ahead, she waded further in.
Night was fully upon them now, the moonlight reflecting off the ripples around her body in the pool. Zelda's feet felt at times the soft mush of the mud on the bottom, the underwater grass flowing against her bare legs. But then her feet found a smooth, flat stone, almost tripping over the lip of the edge. Peering through the water, one could see the Goddess crest, almost exactly like the Royal Crest except without the triforce emblem, stamped into it. Inhaling deeply, Zelda slowly looked up at the Goddess.
Up close, the statue looked worn and broken along the base of it but the triforce emblem of power was still distinctly carved onto a plaque in front of the statue, reminding the visitor which Goddess this was.
Zelda's fingers naturally came together to cup in front of her, her eyes closing, her head lowering in brief obeisance before gazing once more up at the Goddess.
"I come seeking help…regarding this power that has been handed down over time. Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away." Zelda paused, a pulse of frustration throbbing inside her. "Or so I've been told all my life."
She let go of the breath she had been holding in, her eyes lowering to the reflection of the water and her arms dropped delicately back to her sides. "And yet…" Zelda could see her reflection pierced through with moonbeams in places, making it seem watery and disfigured. The reflection was her, but it was also her mother, her grandmother, her ancestors who had all stood here with quiet humility and meekness, full of the power of the Goddess.
"Grandmother heard them–the voices from the spirit realm. And Mother said her own power would develop within me." Zelda shut her eyes, muscles clenching in her forearms as she shook her head back and forth. "But I don't hear…or feel anything!"
Zelda clasped her hands once more together, wanting the silent Goddess to understand why she was here, why she kept coming back over and over, to please put a stop to this.
No more excuses, Zelda!...Stop running away from your duty. As the king, I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on and command you to focus on your training.
"Father has told me time and time again…He always says, 'Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!" Zelda opened her eyes, her father's cold eyes flashing before her. You are the heir to a throne of nothing….nothing but failure.
She slammed her fists into the water. "Curse you!" Zelda wasn't looking at the Goddess anymore. She was seeing herself here again and again on a loop, the same loop that never ended, never had a conclusion. Ten pointless years of self-training, no one to guide her, no one to point out what Zelda was doing wrong, no one to console her when she failed, to reassure her that she did her best. No one…Zelda was her own comfort and her own torment.
"I've spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I've pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods…And still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion." A coldness entered Zelda as the haunting question of 'Why would the Goddess ignore someone like you then?' surfaced from the dark side of her mind. She cupped her elbows with her hands, holding herself together as her heart squeezed painfully.
"Please, just tell me…" Zelda whispered. "What is it…?" Her voice broke. "What's wrong with me?!"
The dam inside her groaned, cracks forking through the wall. Zelda's breath hitched as tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped on her reflection, distorting her face. Why do I have to come back here to witness my own failure over and over? I know. I know I'm a failure.
Silent sobs tore through Zelda, leaving her gasping as she tried to contain the pain. Her nails bit into her flesh, hard enough that there should have been blood. Zelda wished there was blood, some outlet to drain away this awful agony that threatened to swallow her. I don't want to disappoint anyone. I don't want to disappoint Mother. I don't want to disappoint Hyrule, and I don't want to disappoint myself. Why can't you understand that, Father!
Above her, the Goddess's face stared emotionlessly back as Zelda let out a low wail, legs threatening to give in and dunk her under the water. She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't keep going on like this. Another sob. When will it end?
A hand slipped over her bare shoulder, fingers tightening on her skin.
The grip brought Zelda back to herself, back to this moment. She choked, her eyes growing big as she slowly turned, breaths hiccuping out of the sobs.
Link was still. Link was silent. But Link's eyes…showed he wasn't either of those things now. Staring at his face was like staring at her own, and a fresh wave of pain throbbed along with those sorrowful eyes growing sadder by the minute as Zelda struggled to contain herself.
A tear slipped down her cheek, and Zelda bit her lip, reaching one hand up to lay over his, fingers tightening around his fingers.
It was seconds that felt like minutes as they stood there unmoving. She didn't want to let go and for some reason, Link didn't pull away. The pool moved around them and the wind rustled the leaves in the trees and the waterfalls rumbled. But still they stood unmoving.
Slowly, slowly, the pain in Zelda's chest died down to a low thrum, a more tolerable thrum. With each breath, she anchored herself back from the sadness and agony, finding a place to stand even if that place was cracked and wobbly. Zelda squeezed Link's fingers one more time, then let go. She swallowed down the last of the tears, voice hoarse. "There is nothing else to be done here."
In the absence of Link pulling his hand off her, Zelda felt more empty and bare than before.
Climbing out of the pool, she dressed mechanically back into her traveling outfit, Link descending the stairs to go wait by the arch they had arrived through. Zelda's joints felt stiff and alien as she clumsily pulled her trousers on, tugging her shirt over her head. It was as if most of her life had been sucked away since stepping into the Spring of Power and Zelda wasn't sure when or if she would regain it. She shoved the wet dress into the pack, and frankly, she didn't care if she ever wore that dress again.
What was Father going to say?
The lone thought came unbidden and unwelcomed. Zelda shoved the question away. Thinking about that would only lead to a further descent into darkness, a darkness she was just barely managing to escape.
She didn't look back once as she went to meet up with Link, and together they began the long return to the South Akkala stable.
The silence was heavy and filled with all the unspoken words that Zelda didn't want to speak, though, through her dreariness, she kept glancing at Link. She never looked long enough to make eye contact, but she wanted to know why he came for her in the spring. Had he felt it his duty to check on her? Or was there another reason? His expression didn't hint at either answer as they trekked uphill, the woodland coming into view. She would have to ask him as soon as she gained the courage to.
The moon was at its peak in the sky. Midnight. They saw no other travelers on the road, which wasn't surprising since most travelers had the sense to travel early in the morning or during the day, especially with the increase of monsters across the land. Yet…there was nothing. No crickets, no birds, no hooting, no chirping, no creaking, and no thumping. Zelda knew that night life existed everywhere in Hyrule, bar none. There should have been more ambience of the night playing unnoticeably in the background, or rather, it was noticeable only when the sounds were not playing.
As they entered Shadow Pass, the trees clutching darkness in their branches, the wind shifted into their faces and Link stilled immediately, arm out to halt Zelda.
She couldn't say what it was, but Zelda smelled a hint of tropical sweetness, the smell transferring to her tongue. Fruity. It was a scent one would find in the Faron region. Not the Akkala region.
"What is it?"Her eyes scanned the trees around them, but it was too dark to see much of anything.
Zelda closed her eyes, taking a tip from Sitkel who had constantly chastised her on her lack of awareness. "You see with your eyes, yes, but you also see with your ears, mouth, and nose".
Her eyes shot open as she heard the whisper of metal singing through the air, moonlight glinting off it before a flash of blue light burst from beside her, Master Sword blocking the projectile inches from Zelda's nose. A ringing echoed through the forest as metal met metal. The knife dropped harmlessly to the ground.
"Princess," a velvety voice whispered. "We have been waiting for you." The voice seemed to come from the darkness among the branches above them, yet no one could be seen.
Chords of low laughter echoed around Zelda and Link, goosebumps rising upon her flesh.
POOFS of smoke burst the silence around them, trees rustling, leaves cracking underfoot as more than twenty Yiga members appeared around them, hiding in shadows, but all with various weapons cocked at the ready.
Zelda's breath caught for a second before deja vu hit her, and she took a step towards the voice.
"Impa," Zelda began tentatively, anger rearing its head. "If this–,"
An arrow flew towards Zelda's face, grazing her cheek as Link yanked her to his side, Master Sword flashing outstretched in front of him.
Her fingers trembled as Zelda touched her cheek, the cut beginning to bleed. The anger changed into something else entirely.
This wasn't Impa.
This…was the Yiga clan.