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Author's note: Nothing really to say – enjoy.
Story so far: -
Tai, a gerudo, summoned the power of her god Nura and used the power to free Ganondorf Dragmire. Ganon captured Nura's power and used it to destroy Hyrule. However, Zelda and Link awake in the alternate dimension of Nurai, the land that Nura created, and also the homeland of the gerudos.
Tai also wakes up in Nurai, but discovers that Ganon who she always supposed to be her king, is actually not that role any more. He has not been for the last 17 years. Instead she decides to join a group of incredibly skilled warriors called the Xi, who may be able to tell her where the real gerudo king is. However, instead she finds that she no longer cares about the Gerudo king and just wants to learn about the Xi ways from her teacher Bren. While completing her second task she finds that for a brief moment that her body seems to control itself without her input.
Zelda is told that before the Nuran church will help her find other survivors from Hyrule she must do an undercover mission for them, and join up in Lain Tarn's crew as a pirate. She is given the new name of Hail as a joke, as Hail is the name of a mythical pirate queen who will come before the end of the world. However, after she saves the ship, the crew starts a mutiny and makes her captain. She finds that she can no longer remember about Zelda or anything that happened before she was Hail. She is given by a man some of the explosive material ever discovered, Calalite.
But others are conspiring against her, and in particular Oliver Black is planning to lead a massive coalition of the other pirates against her to stop he ever growing domination of the sea. After a meeting (during which he especially manages to impress them by killing an actor he had hired to pretend to be an assassin sent from the Actor's Guild) he manages to recruit enough comrades to set his ideas in motion.
Link is awakened by a priest of the Nuran church who is called Nala. However, while Link is still confined to bed a Kalen (a mysterious group who all the Nuran people seem to hate) breaks in a gives Link a mysterious broach.
Nala reveals that Link's coming and also the emergence of a mysterious pirate queen called Hail are all part of a prophecy. This prophecy predicts that the world will come to an end in a time called the Distile. The only chance Link has to stop it is to find the six sages who are somewhere in Nura. Hoping to recruit more help Link and Nala travel to Nurai's capital Asreal where they are due to meet in the Glass Temple. Link meets an Xi calling herself Tanya and the two become uneasy friends.
Nurai's history is revealed to Link in a meeting inside the Glass Temple, however half way through an earthquake (one of the prophesied signs of the Distile) strikes. While trying to evacuate the building a huge D'Ran knife that long ago had been used in sacrifices falls to the floor. To the horror of Nala and Tanya it falls on Link and kills him. Link finds himself in a place beyond death, where those that call themselves gods live. He learns here that his infinite chances have run out, and he has only one left. Here all knowledge is stored and much of it flows into his head. He learns of an old man called Rein who was struck by lightning while being attacked by a wolf, and also of Hail's plans to defend herself against Black. Finally he awakes once again…
Ten
Link opened his eyes and found a worried face staring down at him. He saw the mouth on the face form an almost smile, and then the head above him swung up into the air, and shouted something out that he could not hear. He felt incredibly hot and helpless as he stared around him and gradually recognised the roof of the great Glass Temple. He saw someone vaguely familiar come towards him, but even in his distressed state he sensed that there was no one he knew too well here. Those people were somewhere...somewhere else.
He shut his eyes and tried to concentrate on where they were and who these new people were, but it was hard and all he could seem to think of was a beautiful sunset. He became frightened. That was all he could remember, all there was of him. The face appeared above him again and muttered something that he could just make out as, "We'll just carry you to...."
"No," he mumbled, and resolutely stood up himself, again shutting as his eyes to try to block out his fear as his insides shook. He began to walk forward himself and found that that was almost worse.
The face, a girl around his own age, began to lead the way across the temple to a side-wing. Everyone else watched silently as he slowly walked past them, their faces filled with an emotion whose name his mind was not in a state to recall.
Link noticed that something important had stopped but he wasn't quite sure what it was. He began to feel weak again as they went through a door into a stone corridor and for a moment he had to lean on the wall. The girl slowly led him up a staircase, and down another corridor.
"How f...ar?" asked Link wearily.
"Not long," the girl answered quietly, her voice trying to hide her worry as she took him up a few more steps.
At the top Link hesitated, and leant against the wall again, breathing heavily, trying to get his energy back. After a few minutes he made his way after the girl into a small room with a bed in it. He glanced out of the window as he slowly stumbled over to the bed. The sun was shining and he could see children playing below, smiling and laughing, oblivious to everything that was going on. Link felt a surge of jealousy come over him. They had everything going right for them, and he couldn't even remember who he was.
He sank down on the bed gratefully and closed his eyes. All he seemed to want now was rest.
*-*
Rein groaned inwardly as he settled in the nest that had become his temporary home. From here, above a tall statue, he could see most of the huge deserted hall that he had lived in for the last few weeks. He eat the small creature that he had caught, and then pondered yet again on his situation.
Since that moment a few weeks ago when his spirit had left his body he had lived as and in an old bird that nested in the stone relic. Somehow the lightning had dissected his spirit and his body, freeing his mind into the wider world. But it felt more than a prison than freedom, his senses no longer existed – and thus neither did sight, hearing, touch or smell. But he could think, and even still feel the spirit of the wolf desperately clutching onto him.
Eventually his sight and other senses had suddenly appeared, yet they were different somehow. It didn't take him long to realise that he was truly trapped, trapped in a bird's body, stuck in it presumably till it died. Most of the time he just inhabited the back of its mind, a casual watcher. Occasionally he would manage to take over control, and bask in the sheer freedom of flying. He felt young again, free and able. And the more he thought of it, immortal.
From the texts he had read when he was human, he knew that as long as his host lived he would live with them, but be set free when they died. Then he would presumably float around until he was once more connected. At the back of his mind he was also sure that he had read of a way for him to leave bodies without killing them. Probably a skill of the masters of the Xi and Kalen, but that was as specific as his memory would go.
They were the only people who could kill him, but they would never find him unless he wanted them to. Maybe in a few centuries he would find his way into a human. Would he take over then, or just watch? It was an interesting, no incredible idea.
If he was careful he could fight hundreds of battles, get married thousands of times, read all the books in the world. He would live as long as the gods. He would see evil conquer good, good conquer evil. It was awe–inspiring - dreams and avenues opened to him every moment, new horizons to conquer. If he flew far enough he might even be able to watch his descendants grow up.
All he had to do now was choose a direction, and fly that way. The hunters wouldn't find him now. How could they? Even as they were examining his dead body, he would be flying over their heads to eternal freedom. Maybe one day he would get bored. But not now. Not for a long time.
*-*
Nala stared at the now stained shattered red stone knife and slowly shook his head. He still was almost angry. Angry at himself and his mind for being more scared about the knife's failure to kill Link then he was glad that he was alive.
For the ancient statue of D'Ran was named after the knife it held, the knife whose slightest touch had never failed to kill. To praise Nura with blood it had sacrificed many lives – until a message from Nura had stopped the barbaric process. Then the knife had been immortalised in this memorial temple to the dead, made solely out of glass. And of course most of the church simply liked to forget about the original meaning of the building that had become its home.
But it was always at the back of their mind, how could it not as they walked under it every day? And another Distile prophecy had been upheld: -"The dagger of the God will no longer kill." Link had been spared to fulfil the prophecy. Even as he had walked away to the room to rest everyone could see that the wound had almost already healed, and that there was no scar. And yet there was still a flood of blood across the whole temple floor.
A vaguely familiar small old woman wearing a blue cloak came up to him from the east wing and muttered something to him. The first time he could not it make it out through her old voice but finally he realised what she was saying. "I know what is wrong."
Then Nala looked down at her, distracted from his thoughts, and searched his mind for her name. "You're the..." he started.
"I don't have a name," she said, "not a fixed one anyway. I'm a specialist in mind interpretation."
"A witch," said Nala coldly.
"If you wish to call me that. I have been trying to cure your casualty."
"If you have to."
The door from which she came was flung open again, and Tanya, Link's Xi friend, ran out of it and up to Nala. The Xi called Tanya came up to them and asked the witch, "How is he?"
"Physically he's fine," the witch said, deliberately turning her back on Nala to face the girl. "Mentally..."
"What's wrong with him?" asked Tanya, her voice actually concerned, "has he damaged his memory?"
"Quite the opposite in fact. I tried to look into his mind when he was sleeping and…" the witch stopped and considered, "he has more pictures and knowledge in his head than any I have known."
Nala's attention was caught with that sentence, and he asked quickly, "What do you mean?"
"He has other memories. Someone has put the recollections of thousands into his head. When I tried to read his mind I was lost by it all. All I can guess is that there is so much information in his head that his own memories are overwhelmed in it. His head is not sure of what is of he and what is of other. Only one of great skill could hope to penetrate through all of it to his original memories, and people as skilled as that just don't exist any more. He needs to go through all the other memories first, and let himself sort them."
"How do we do that?" Tanya asked.
"We can't," the witch replied, "'I'll happen naturally through dreaming. He was actually dreaming about some storm or other when I was reading his mind."
"How long will that take?" asked Nala in an impatient tone.
The woman sighed. "50, 60 years of solid sleep."
"There goes that idea," muttered Tanya.
"What do we do then?" demanded Nala.
"We only have one option," the witch replied. "We'll have to artificially reinstate his own memories."
"How do we do that?"
"We'll need someone who has been close to him for his whole life. His memories will have subconsciously bonded with theirs. Then the framework of his own memories should comeback and then his other memories will naturally reappear."
"That could be a problem...." Nala hesitated, "nearly everyone he was with for most of his life is dead."
*-*
As far as Black could see there were ships - his navy sailing across the sea. 50 moving armies and approximately 5000 cannons were waiting for his word. At a signal the rockets would be lit and their message read by people on the other ships, who would then do whatever he had commanded. At the moment though they had just been anchored here for 2 days, waiting for Hail's ships to come close.
A small rowing boat drew up to the side of the Black's ship and, as was the standing orders for the moment, a rope ladder was thrown down to it. A stout old man climbed up it eventually and smiled over at him.
"Oliver! When do we move?" he asked cheerfully.
"Soon," Black was short, he had no time for anyone who was impatient, inquisitive or just not useful.
"How soon." The voice had lost just a touch of its cheerfulness.
"I'll just check," Black said in a sarcastic tone, although now that he came to think of it, it wasn't that bad an idea. This was the third captain that had come to him in an hour and that meant that the lot of them were getting restless. It was time to confer with his source and gauge how long he had to prepare. Nodding to a nearby pirate to escort the old captain away he quickly walked over to his cabin.
After all he could always check whenever he wanted. A small spell purchased, well taken, from a witch in Selonius allowed him to always keep in touch. Closing the door firmly behind him, he called out as loudly he dared, "Where are you?"
A portrait hanging on the wall glowed for a few seconds and then Black could see the familiar look as the colours began to blur and change. Finally he could see his spy on Hail's ship.
"Lain - where are you?"
"Luckily for you I'm in my cabin."
"You know what I mean. Now co-ordinates."
Black could see Tarn's face contort as she recited the exact position from memory. There was no need to pretend about anything with her, she was getting paid enough. She knew that she would be welcome onto Black's ship if she could get there. The problem was the 'If'; the unmentioned variable and neither of them bothered to discuss.
"We can get to you in two hours. The men are ready."
"Time for you to run off then," Lain said, her voice showing her disgust. Black wasn't worried that she thought him a coward to run away – they both despised each other equally. She thought that he was a lowly con-man who, probably rightly, did not trust in his own commanding skills while he thought of her as pathetic for not being able to even control her own radio. He broke off the connection and wrote down the co-ordinates and his battle strategy on a piece of paper. Which excuse for leaving would he use today?
*-*
"So you will give him his memories?" Raymus, an old friend of Daimos, asked.
Nala nodded. "I will give him temporary memories until we can find someone to give him back his old thoughts."
"And who will do that?" enquired the priest, who although not as powerful as the head of the church could still wield huge forces.
"From what he has told me, there is a sage from his own land called Saria who should be able to do that," Nala replied. "As soon as we find her we will perform the ritual."
"You have found her?"
Nala nodded. "People have reported that there is extra dark activity near the Darii Temple of the Crescent. From what he has told me the sages were once trapped in places similar to it, and it would be our best hope. I'll take Link there and help rescue her."
"You'll need extra help," said Daimos.
"That's alright," confirmed Nala, "the trainee Xi Tanya has said that she'll help us. She's up with Link now, sitting with him while he sleeps."
*-*
The rat jumped to the floor from the table and walked a few small steps before finally dropping to the floor exhausted. A bad mistake - the nearby cat enjoyed the welcome meal. And Rein enjoyed getting out of the rat's body at last. He quickly pulled his spirit away from the cat. He had not travelled so far just to be in a small animal. Finally he was in a city and could find the body of a human.
It was a pity that he had not been able to get rid of the wolf spirit, but it still resolutely hung onto him. As long it didn't try to interfere he could stand having it follow him. The stupid thing seemed to be too frightened to do anything so far, and Rein didn't blame it. A simple beast must be absolutely terrified.
Rein always found the time between bodies strange. He had no sense of time passing so he did not seem to get bored, but he could instinctively say that it was ten minutes since he had last been in a body. It was a new experience to be so nearly out of time, and he didn't like it that much.
A familiar jolt suddenly shook him and excitedly he peered out of his new senses. He was in a young boy, and for a moment he found himself a bit taken aback. Then he slowly began to peer into the memories of this boy that it looked like he would share a life with. The first thing to his interest he found was that the family was a descendant of one of the Royal Guard. Searching through the boy's memory he finally found out that it was his great-grandfather that had been one of the Kalen.
For a few days it was refreshing enough to be a human again and Rein tried to get used to this boy and his life. Rein remembered his childhood, and his early years. It would be interesting to grow up again. Rein could not force himself to kill a human to transfer himself but he wondered how far he would eventually go in influencing this boy.
Rein learnt about the boy's family. His father, his mother, sister, and two brothers. Gradually he got used to the boy's lazy life. He was there when the boy and some friends made their own raft and narrowly escaped dying testing it on the river. He was there when the boy's tutor tried to teach him Mathematics. Then he could not help affecting the boy's mind and helping him to learn. He gradually learnt how to put a principle in the boy's mind so subtly that he wouldn't even notice. He enjoyed it and soon helped him understand things beyond his years. Rein helped him construct his own telescope, and map the stars. He helped to write several pieces of music that could have been played by the Royal Orchestra. The boy's mind was young and so he learned easily all the skills Rein taught him.
When he was eleven the boy made a firm decision - he would become an Xi master. Rein had led the boy to literature and helped him stay open minded so that he saw the two sides of every argument. He helped the boy to see past the insults of the Xi that all his family gave freely and instead look at the honour behind them. He showed that they weren't simple assassins and instead taught the history of the Xiam Kalendium so he could see how both sides were actually related.
He made the boy see that as a trainer of Xi he could shape the way the world worked and make it a better place. And to his delight the boy responded, and every day exercised in the garden for several hours, so he would be fit enough when the eventual time came. He convinced his parents to let him give up his general studies so he could study on his own what he was good at - music, philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy.
He did not realise it, but he was teaching the boy to be how he would have wanted himself to be. He was making the boy into himself. And he did not realise how much danger he was putting himself into.
*-*
When Link woke for the second time, he felt better. He could not get out of the bed which he was lying in, the cover now laid over his body, but he felt slightly less dizzy. He looked up and could see the girl from before sitting in a chair besides the bed.
"How are you?" she asked, seeing that he was awake.
"Better," he said quietly, and then, "who are you?"
The girl opened her mouth as if to speak, and then shut it again smiling.
"You don't remember my Xi name, do you?"
Link shook his head. He didn't remember anything.
"It doesn't matter any more," she said, more to herself than to Link, "I'm called... Tan...Tai."
Link nodded, and suddenly fell dizzy again. He lay back down onto the bed to sleep.