A shower of rain fell from the blackened clouds above, splattering the crystal clear waters that spanned an eternal distance in every direction. Waves splashed against each other, winds danced around each other, and thunder boomed and flashed above the clouds. Despite the billowing storm, the world remained familiar, yet it was different than he had last remembered it. Before, the skies were clear and the waters were calm. He also remembered not being alone. The young man looked around. He was once again standing on top of the waters, with his skin acting as his only protection against the icy winds. He brushed his long, dirty blonde hair out of his cyanic eyes, searching for the one he had been trying to save for so long. Eventually, they landed upon another life form— but it wasn't the beautiful woman he longed to see.
Gone was the woman with the golden hair and green eyes he'd grown to love. In contrast to the smaller, curvy body he saw before, the only thing to be seen was a large corpse. It was unclear whether or not the body was skinless, or if it was so decrepit that it accentuated every crevice in muscle and bone. If it did have skin, the color had all but disappeared, leaving behind a gray husk of a person. Wind tousled the long mane of hair, still tethered to the decaying body. It was far from beautiful; ends were split and color faded in a way that looked just as dead as the corpse. An old, tattered cloth covered the being's waist, while old gold bands covered its arms and decorated its forehead. The body was so shrunken from life the cloth and gold barely clung to the carcass. Though its body seemed to have lost its brawn to time, its face was a different story.
While its features matched the rest of the body, with its muscles visible in a rotten way and its remnants of skin completely gray, its expression was stuck. Its mouth was gaping open to reveal withered teeth and eye sockets so deep that its eyes—if it had any— were completely lost to shadow. It was a face that was stuck in time, as if it were constantly having life drained from it, yet it refused to give. The body could have only been described as the embodiment of purgatory, and while it didn't seem to have eyes, it very clearly had locked its attention onto the young man that stood on the same waters as it did.
As raindrops traveled down the beings body, it took a rigid step forward, splashing the water beneath the balls of its languished feet. Feeling threatened, the young man instinctively raised his right hand up towards his back, yet his hand wrapped around nothing. Unable to do anything, he watched as dark magenta gunge began to ooze from every remaining fiber of the towering mummified corpse. The crystal clear waters began to darken as the malicious slime infected its waves. As the contamination spread, the young man began to step back, doing his best to avoid getting caught in the darkness himself, but his attempt was in vain. As the body's influence spread, the waves grew larger. They violently crashed as lightning cracked down into the waters before one wave, now dark and filled with the embodiment of evil, raised higher than even the tallest of castle towers the young man once roamed. He raised his hands and closed his eyes, preparing to be encased in darkness.
Do you think you can save your beloved blind, hero?
The young man's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice. Though a storm was still raging on, he was no longer standing on a contaminated sea, nor was he exposed to the elements. He now stood upon a large, circular arena floating amidst the black clouds. Its base was built from a deep gray stone, decorated with yellow accents, with three large pillars evenly surrounding the circumference of the platform. Now he stood clad in blue, with leather armor given to him by the one he loved most. She filled his mind as the familiar voice spoke of her.
While he wanted to question her safety, he only had half a second to react upon the blur of blue that had appeared in front of him. With the glowing purple-winged sword in his grasp—that had suddenly appeared along with the stadium and clothing— he blocked the incoming light with the edge of its blade. He glanced over to see another blade grinding against his own, one made of nothing but blue energy. He looked down at the energy sword's hilt to see another old, deceptively frail looking hand that gripped it. This hand was different from the body he saw earlier. He looked up to see a tall, yet much thinner body standing before him, wearing nothing but a pair of old trousers and a large straw hat, with its face covered by a white cloth and the painting of a bright, violent orange glowing eye that stared him down.
Is your unbreakable spirit waning? Are you a failure of a hero after all?
In a blink of an eye, the monk-like being vanished in a puff of white smoke. With rain water falling even heavier than before, the young man quickly brought up his free arm to wipe away the water that blurred his vision. He quickly looked around the arena, yet the centuries-old man was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't until lightning cracked down from the clouds and blinded him for a brief moment, did the old man reappear, yet there wasn't just one of him. There were multiple; an endless amount. They all charged at him, causing the arena to echo the splashes of water beneath their feet.
You may have beaten me, but your trials are not over.
"What are they?" the man shouted as he blocked and avoided as many of the blue swords aimed at him as he could. "Tell me what they are! Is she going to be safe this time?"
Despite his plea for answers as he fought to stay alive, a clear answer never came from his multiple opponents. The only voices he could hear were the echoes of words or phrases in his mind, growing louder with each ring of blades that clashed together:
Lost Woods… Master Sword… Trials… Trials… Her… Grace… Master Sword… Her safety… Her…
Will you once again rush to your death? Can you protect the remaining inhabitants of these lands? Are you strong enough?
"I will!" he shouted, taking a step back as he began to be overwhelmed by the mob of ancient monks. "I can't afford to lose! I promised her! I will pass the trials and protect everyone from whatever threat is to arise!"
In another burst of white smoke, all the monks that surrounded him vanished, leaving only one that sat in the air above the arena. His palms began to glow blue as his hands circled around his body. In a flash of blue, his body grew to a monstrous size. The monk fell from the sky, shaking the arena as he landed. Out of breath from defending against the horde, the hero raised his dull sword towards the giant, refusing to back down. The monk walked towards the tiny hero, shaking the floating platform even more with each step. Once close, the monk lifted a large foot into the air.
Then why do you not believe in your own words? Tell me.
The hero bit his lip as his frustrated eyes locked onto the glowing orange eye painted on the face cloth.
Tell me, Link, hero chosen by the Goddess Hylia! Why do you not believe in your strength? Tell me!
Raising from below the arena and through the storm was a large, darkened cloud. It was the same, evil glow of the sludge that had contaminated the sea only moments before. The cloud began to take shape. Its front began to form a snout, with two large curved tusks at each side. Two beady yellow eyes began to glow. It was a familiar beast, one that had haunted the hero for over a hundred years and possibly even longer. The beast gave its awful, ear-piercing shriek before flying around the gigantic monk. It flew behind the hero and back into the air before darting down, opening its large mouth ready to swallow him whole just as the monk quickly brought his foot down. It all happened in a blink of an eye. All the hero saw was the underside of a large foot and a flash of dark magenta before everything had gone completely dark. The splattering of rain, the cracking of lightning, and the feeling of his bones being crushed had all completely vanished. It was unclear whether he had been crushed or swallowed. All that he knew was that everything had turned into nothing; nothing but a void of emptiness.
...
Link's eyes snapped open, unable to make out any of his surroundings. His vision was blurry and his breaths were rugged. It felt as though his own lungs were trying to suffocate him. He blinked in an attempt to focus his eyes as best he could, trying to get a sense of where he was in order to gain an ounce of understanding. He felt soaked as sweat dripped from his entire body, possibly thanks to the heat raging inside of his chest. Though the fire billowed from inside, this was a sharp contrast to the frigid air that caused every hair on his skin to perk up. His heart was racing, pounding against his ribcage while the adrenaline coursed through him as he attempted to grasp reality. At last, his vision sharpened to reveal the wooden beams of a roof above him. He furrowed his brow, confused as to where he was before the rest of his senses began to process. The softness of a mattress graced his body's weight, the chirping of morning birds in the distance filled his pointed ears, and the aroma of freshly washed sheets filled his nostrils. He gave a heavy sigh.
I'm home, he thought to himself. Another morning. Another nightmare.
After taking a few minutes to calm his breathing, he turned his attention to the window on the wall his bed was pressed against. Rays of light flooded through the window, exposing each particle of dust that floated in its path. Sitting outside on the windowsill was a thin sheet of snow, sparkling in the sun's brilliance. To top off the outdoors beauty, the vivid blue sky was visible through open patches in the thick blanket of clouds, which gave off the same fluffy white color as the frost that covered the ground. As his eyes continued to be illuminated by the morning view, Link took in a deep refreshing breath from his nose. It wasn't possible for him to remain tense with such a view outside.
With his heartbeat now calm, the nightmare he had experienced only minutes before remained simply that: a nightmare, one that he could push to the back of his mind for the time being. Turning his back to the beautiful view outside, he looked at the other side of the bed to stare at an even greater beauty that had fallen into the habit of laying next to him every night since she had been released from her self imprisonment. To his disappointment, however, instead of seeing a beautiful round face, covered in strands of messy gold hair from a night of sleep, all he saw was the neatly fixed blankets and sheets she had used during her slumber.
There she goes again, Link thought as he pushed himself up from the bed, allowing the sheets to slide down his bare chest. I keep telling her… Well, whatever makes her happy. I just hope she isn't pushing herself — not that I'm one to talk.
With a stretch of his arms and a slight shiver due to the winter air, he threw the remainder of the sheets off of his body before swinging his legs over the side of the bed. After allowing the soles of his feet to adjust to the cold floor, he yawned as he reached over and opened the top drawer of the nightstand in order to search through the few articles of clothing he had lazily thrown in there a few days prior.
Before he had rarely used this drawer. It had only come with the house after the construction company owner, Bolson, had thrown it in as one of many gifts of gratitude for allowing him to fix the place up. In actuality, Link had grown accustomed to simply using the Sheikah Slate to store not only his clothing, but literally everything else he owned. It was quite useful having a little device that could manipulate matter and store any item. It allowed him to carry multiple large items at a time, such as weapons that could not possibly fit in his tiny item pouch, or store food and insects without them perishing. Still, despite its usefulness, the slate wasn't always in his possession as it had been before. With his lover now living with him, who was a passionate admirer of the ancient technology, it was more often than not already in her possession whenever she went out into the village. Due to this, and feeling that now he was supposed to more regularly be in the house rather than the wilds, he felt it was about time to start properly using the furniture in his home.
After a few moments of shifting through the clothes, he finally felt the soft vanes of feathers brush against his fingertips. Thankful that he had taken it out of the slate when he had, Link pulled his hand out of the drawer to reveal a feather decorated, thick, fluffy tunic designed to keep a Hylian warm even in the deadly colds of the Hebra Mountains.
I have to hand it to the Rito, Link thought as he began to slide his arms into its sleeves. This tunic really does the job. Still, if only it hadn't been so expensive, maybe we would have more money right now.
After strapping the leather parts of the tunic around his torso, he reached back into the nightstand drawer and pulled out the matching thick trousers. As he pulled them up and began to buckle the waist, he sighed.
I'm being unfair, he continued. I bought this thing months ago, before the Calamity had even been defeated. I'm broke because I didn't take the time to mine for ores or defeat many monsters while doing Maz Koshia's trial. It's my fault she's out there trying to find a job in the village…
Allowing the guilty thoughts to fill his head, he sat back down on the bed to put on the snow boots he had left on the floor by the nightstand. After buckling the straps, he stood and tapped the front tip of the boots onto the floor one after the other to ensure they were on properly before beginning to walk towards the staircase. Before he could make it, however, the glimpse of a few familiar faces caught his eye. He looked at the picture frame which now decorated the wall, one that showed him and his beloved princess, along with four others that crowded around them. A sharp looking Rito, a abnormally small Zora, and a fair Gerudo were all caught off guard–- each falling off balance into the two Hylians that sat in the center, thanks to the large cheeky Goron in the back shoving all of them together with his enormous hands. Link's eyes traveled from each face, staring at the Zora's for a second longer than the rest, before turning his attention to the startled girl in the center. He continued to look at the picture before turning away to continue towards the stairs, trying to push all the questions he wanted to ask his deceased friends into the back of his mind.
A nice jog will do me some good, Link told himself as he stepped down the staircase towards the main floor. She shouldn't be upset with that. It's just a workout. Nothing more.
As soon as he came off the last step, he made his way towards the front door before opening it to step out into the cold. He listened to the crunching of snow beneath his boots as he took a deep breath in, allowing the air to freeze his lungs before exhaling, creating a thin cloud that soon dissipated. After a second breath into his gloved hands for warmth, he looked towards the bridge that connected his old home to the rest of Hateno Village.
It's just a run, he thought as he twisted from side to side, stretching his back out. It's just a run. Nothing more.
With that, Link broke into a jog, heading across the bridge towards the town as he listened to the now rhythmic crumpling of snow every time his foot touched the ground.
...
Though it remained one of the last standing Hylian settlements, the village of Hateno wasn't anything special in the eyes of many. It didn't have the uniqueness of wood spiraling around a butte under the protection of mechanical wings, nor did it have elegantly crafted illuminated ramps that carried the clearest of waters graced by the waterfalls of Zorana. It was an old settlement, one where most of the buildings were old and worn. On many houses and shops, the mortar on the outside walls had begun to crack and fall off, revealing their brick base. Many of these houses had tall uneven chimneys, old enough now that wood had been placed to keep them standing. Many of the brick roads had been covered by overgrown weeds and grass. Even the old, gigantic banner that billowed on a pole near the village entrance stood tattered, with the emblems that signified their place in a larger kingdom now faded and nothing but a memory. However, despite their history slowly decaying, the people that lived in the old town didn't seem to mind.
The villagers were content with their day to day lives. The kingdom that the flag once signified had vanished over a hundred years ago, falling victim to what the elders called the Calamity. To the young ones, and even some of the young adults who had never stepped foot beyond the village borders, this was just simple folklore that didn't have any value. To the rest, while their parents had told them horrifying memories of the Calamity and the Age of Burning Fields that came after, they too had begun to let go of the old tales. These days, the most they had to worry about was the thin sheet of snow that had covered their crops from the night before.
Choosing to observe if the little sunlight that had shined through the cloud barrier would melt the winter snow, most of the residents had chosen to stay indoors for the morning, with the exception of the shopkeepers and what few travelers had come to trade. While the keepers opened their doors and brushed snow off their signs, one traveler in particular stood near the village. He was a Hylian like all the rest, with tanned skin from his time in the sun, which matched well with his almond colored hair. He wore a simple green and white button up tunic, one he usually sported by itself. However, with the winter breeze now blowing through the mountains and the rest of Hyrule, he'd added a brown cloak that wrapped around his shoulders.
Standing next to him was a donkey with the most uninterested expression a donkey could make, one that had traveled with the traveler on many—if not all— of his adventures. Usually it carried three large sacks of wheat with ease on its back, with a bag of vegetables hanging off each of its sides. Today, however, the sacks were not staying on the carrier's back. After multiple attempts at trying to balance them onto the saddle, the traveler sighed, allowing them to yet again slip off and fall into the thin layer of snow beneath them.
"This damned snow," the traveler said, kicking the white powder away. "I'm not gettin' anything anywhere at this rate."
With a sigh, he looked away from the donkey and back out towards the village.
"I wish I didn' 'ave-ta leave," he said to himself.
"Then why don't you stay?" a voice answered from behind.
The traveler turned to see a dirty blonde and blue-eyed young adult jogging toward him, wearing some of the nicest winter clothing he had ever seen. The young traveler chuckled.
"I can' stay, Link," he answered as the jogger stopped next to him. "Hateno might be my home, but I've gotta keep bringing in money and goods for everyone. I'm one of the only sources of meat in this town since the cattle are so important. Can' afford to chop them up."
"That's true, and I would prefer to have meat in my meals," Link chuckled. "I'm sure the people appreciate what you do for them, Agus."
"I'm sure they do too," Agus agreed, chuckling along with him. "Exactly why I can' stay this time 'round. Speakin' of which, I've noticed ya haven' bought any meat from me at all! Ya rarely bought it when we met on the road, and I let it slide because I know how good a hunter ya are. But, I've noticed tha' ya've been in town my entire visit. I thought ya'd be my best customer…"
"S-Sorry, Agus," Link said with an awkward smile. "I'm actually not too good on rupees right now…"
"Not too good on rupees, huh?" Agus asked, walking around the donkey to attempt to stack the sacks on its saddle again. "Usually ya've got a good amount on ya from your travels… Say—and sorry if this is personal— but, is that… princess… keeping ya locked up?"
"It's nothing like that," Link answered as Agus took this chance to heave the sacks up. To help, he placed his hands on the top of the sacks, keeping them in place this time so they didn't slip. "She just… She wants me to rest after adventuring for so long."
"Ah, you know, that ain't too bad, honestly," Agus said, wrapping a rope around the sacks and donkey's belly to keep them secure. "If I'm being honest with ya, it might be a good thing. You're always gone; not that I can say much on the matter. Ya know, I really do wish I could stay in Hateno for longer. It's my home, after all. I live here… and yet I'm hardly around."
He pulled on the ends of the rope, tightening the knot that kept the sacks in place. Slowly, the two released their hands and watched the stack to see if it would fall. It stayed put, allowing Agus to give a sigh of relief before turning towards the village once more. A small smile appeared on his face.
"I love my home…" he said. "Maybe I'll work harder over the next few weeks so I can stay even longer next time."
"You'll be at the Dueling Peaks Stable, right?" Link asked as Agus walked around and took the donkey by the lead rope.
"Most likely, but maybe I'll try my luck at Kakariko, though the Sheikah don't usually like buying meat; vegetarian for the most part, ya know. But the elder is kind," Agus answered. "Thanks for your help, Link. Hey, that princess may be right. You're always on the road fightin'. Maybe it's time for you to take a break. Rest up."
"She doesn't like being called 'princess'," Link said in response as Agus and the Donkey began to walk off. "Remember that!"
He watched as the traveling pair exited the village, waving back as they made their way down the path towards the snow-covered forest below. Link, waving goodbye, kept a smile on his face until both were out of sight. Slowly, his smile faded before he raised his gaze and looked out into the mountains beyond.
I wish I could rest, he thought to himself. But there's still more to do. There's still danger…
Link felt something cold land on his nose. He brought his hand up and wiped it with his finger. He looked at his fingertips to see a bit of snow melting at his skin's warmth. He looked up to see the little sunlight that had appeared had vanished, and thousands of white speckles had begun gracefully floating down from the clouds. Furrowing his brow, he turned his gaze away from the clouds and back towards the mountains, allowing his hair to fill with the white flakes.
I still have more to do.
