The next morning, Zelda was up before the sun.
She dressed quietly. She had been supplied with a special costume for the performing of the spell. It was simple; a robe the color of sand that fastened in the front, decorated only with plain embroidery here and there. The sleeves were long, and fell very far. Zelda didn't notice a stitch of it.
Her mind was numb. All she had to focus on was the spell. It was simple enough; the priest would say ancient words, and Zelda, the one that cast the spell, as well as Link, the receiver, would fall away from the Temple of Time into an orb of the sky. There, she would play a song on the ocarina, and that would be all. Link would be gone, and she would not remember any more.
Her heart was breaking, but Zelda pushed it back. This was what had to happen. She had to find the will to carry on.
When the first light of dawn appeared over the east, the entirety of the court was gathered outside the castle. The procession made its way silently down the road, not quiet for tradition but for their mood. Link and Zelda exchanged silent glances. They both understood. Life wasn't fair. It was just fairer than death.
They reached the Temple. Link and Zelda took their places. The priest spoke his words of ancient Hylian, and then it was all gone.
Link and Zelda were alone, in a brilliant void of blue skies and fluffy clouds, the type that you would see in a dream. A dreamer's sky. It stretched in all directions, as far as the eye could see all around them, but Link and Zelda could not move any further than a ten-foot square. The hero looked around, trying to orient himself.
"Thank you, Link," Zelda began, attempting to be cheerful. "Because of you, Hyrule will be safe..for a time."
"The barrier won't last forever?" Link asked.
She smiled sadly. "Only about three hundred years.."
"Will there be another hero?"
She nodded. "That hero will be named after you."
Link smiled sadly as well. "Will Hyrule ever be at complete peace?"
"Possibly never." Zelda paused, then said: "All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule is my doing. I was so young-I couldn't comprehend the consequences of trying to control the powers of the Sacred Realm, and-"
She was stopped short when Link put a finger to her lips. "Shh," he said. "Don't say that. No one could have done as much as you did for Hyrule."
"No one could have hurt it as much, either. And now, we're here, and it's all my fault.."
"Zelda, don't be so hard on yourself."
She did not answer right away. "You have to go back," Zelda said, thoroughly miserable. "Regain your lost time!"
"I will see you again," Link promised.
"Link.." Zelda held out her hand. "Give the ocarina to me. I can return you to your original time with it. Where you are supposed to be.the way you are supposed to be.."
Link handed her the ocarina. Zelda rose it slowly to her lips, and began to blow slowly, one note, and then another-
"Wait." Link said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Zelda broke out of her trance and dropped the ocarina from her mouth. Link put his arms around her, and held her tight, and brushed his lips against hers one last time. The princess did nothing but stand and kiss back and let the tears roll silently down her face.
Finally, they parted. "I love you," Link whispered.
She brought the ocarina back up again, and played the calm strains of her own song, Zelda's Lullaby, and there was a beam of blue light, and when Zelda opened her eyes again she was standing in the Temple of Time, and Link was not there. "I love you, too," she whispered, though no one could hear.
Days passed, and then days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, and Zelda never forgot. Love really was stronger than time. The rest of the world did, of course; and, if you will remember, Zelda and Harlan's marriage was arranged while the court was in Calatia as a result of Ganondorf, so now there was no marriage. The curse on King Harkinian had been lifted; or rather, it was never there to begin with, so life in the castle was a little bit more peaceful.
Link didn't forget either. He didn't remember, exactly, because he was too young to be in love, but as he grew it came back. He did make a name for himself saving Termina from a renegade mask, which brought him to attention in the court of Hyrule.
So that maybe, just maybe, on a day when the lights of the rainbow were shining, his name might surface in Harkinian's mind when the time came again to choose an heir.
She dressed quietly. She had been supplied with a special costume for the performing of the spell. It was simple; a robe the color of sand that fastened in the front, decorated only with plain embroidery here and there. The sleeves were long, and fell very far. Zelda didn't notice a stitch of it.
Her mind was numb. All she had to focus on was the spell. It was simple enough; the priest would say ancient words, and Zelda, the one that cast the spell, as well as Link, the receiver, would fall away from the Temple of Time into an orb of the sky. There, she would play a song on the ocarina, and that would be all. Link would be gone, and she would not remember any more.
Her heart was breaking, but Zelda pushed it back. This was what had to happen. She had to find the will to carry on.
When the first light of dawn appeared over the east, the entirety of the court was gathered outside the castle. The procession made its way silently down the road, not quiet for tradition but for their mood. Link and Zelda exchanged silent glances. They both understood. Life wasn't fair. It was just fairer than death.
They reached the Temple. Link and Zelda took their places. The priest spoke his words of ancient Hylian, and then it was all gone.
Link and Zelda were alone, in a brilliant void of blue skies and fluffy clouds, the type that you would see in a dream. A dreamer's sky. It stretched in all directions, as far as the eye could see all around them, but Link and Zelda could not move any further than a ten-foot square. The hero looked around, trying to orient himself.
"Thank you, Link," Zelda began, attempting to be cheerful. "Because of you, Hyrule will be safe..for a time."
"The barrier won't last forever?" Link asked.
She smiled sadly. "Only about three hundred years.."
"Will there be another hero?"
She nodded. "That hero will be named after you."
Link smiled sadly as well. "Will Hyrule ever be at complete peace?"
"Possibly never." Zelda paused, then said: "All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule is my doing. I was so young-I couldn't comprehend the consequences of trying to control the powers of the Sacred Realm, and-"
She was stopped short when Link put a finger to her lips. "Shh," he said. "Don't say that. No one could have done as much as you did for Hyrule."
"No one could have hurt it as much, either. And now, we're here, and it's all my fault.."
"Zelda, don't be so hard on yourself."
She did not answer right away. "You have to go back," Zelda said, thoroughly miserable. "Regain your lost time!"
"I will see you again," Link promised.
"Link.." Zelda held out her hand. "Give the ocarina to me. I can return you to your original time with it. Where you are supposed to be.the way you are supposed to be.."
Link handed her the ocarina. Zelda rose it slowly to her lips, and began to blow slowly, one note, and then another-
"Wait." Link said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Zelda broke out of her trance and dropped the ocarina from her mouth. Link put his arms around her, and held her tight, and brushed his lips against hers one last time. The princess did nothing but stand and kiss back and let the tears roll silently down her face.
Finally, they parted. "I love you," Link whispered.
She brought the ocarina back up again, and played the calm strains of her own song, Zelda's Lullaby, and there was a beam of blue light, and when Zelda opened her eyes again she was standing in the Temple of Time, and Link was not there. "I love you, too," she whispered, though no one could hear.
Days passed, and then days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, and Zelda never forgot. Love really was stronger than time. The rest of the world did, of course; and, if you will remember, Zelda and Harlan's marriage was arranged while the court was in Calatia as a result of Ganondorf, so now there was no marriage. The curse on King Harkinian had been lifted; or rather, it was never there to begin with, so life in the castle was a little bit more peaceful.
Link didn't forget either. He didn't remember, exactly, because he was too young to be in love, but as he grew it came back. He did make a name for himself saving Termina from a renegade mask, which brought him to attention in the court of Hyrule.
So that maybe, just maybe, on a day when the lights of the rainbow were shining, his name might surface in Harkinian's mind when the time came again to choose an heir.