THE CRY OF DESTINY
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way shape or form, own The Legend of Zelda or any of it's characters. Also MAJOR SPOILER WARNING in case you didn't see it in my summary, DIRECT DIALOUGE AND ACTIONS FROM THE END OF THE GAME INCLUDED! That said, please R+R, but be gentle, this is my first Zelda Fic.
After several days of searching for the one who holds the earth sage's harp, I decided to return to Dragon Roost Island and ask for the help of the native Ritos. It was midday when I arrived. As I pulled The King of Red Lions up to the shore, I heard it for the first time.
A gentle plucking of a harp, from somewhere high above me on the cliffs. "Oh no..." I whispered to myself.
I took the short, winding path into the Rito Post Office, and followed the music out. A few moments later I had finally reached the source.
Standing near the cliff's edge, Medli stood in deep thought as she played and tuned a shiny, golden harp. I stood at a distance and watched her for a minute, contemplating how she could never play so leisurely ever again. She finally stopped and opened her eyes. Her face lit up in a smile as she saw me. I waved at her sheepishly and walked over.
"Link!" She exclaimed, "its so wonderful to see you again! I am glad to see you are all right."
"Yeah, you too." I said halfheartedly.
"Prince Komali's finally done it!" she said, beaming. "He earned his scale and a spectacular pair of wings." She giggled, "he's even volunteering to help the postmen in hopes that he will run into you."
"Me?" I asked, more than a little confused.
"Of course! He has never been so happy and proud of himself. And it is all thanks to you. Every single time we talk it always ends the same way, asking after you." She sighed. "He's growing up into a fine young man thanks to you."
I nodded bashfully and looked at her instrument, confirming my fears that she was the one I'd been looking for. I reached into my back pocked and touched the Wind Waker, thinking of what I must do.
My glance at the harp didn't go unnoticed. "Oh, were you listening to me play? It's funny, Komali's Grandmother one day saw me carrying it and instantly commanded me to stop and play it. As she taught me the chords and melodies she explained to me that when she saw me, she had seen my destiny reflected in the Harp."
That word struck me to the core of my being. "Destiny," I muttered.
"I know, It seems crazy," she continued, "but I swear, holding it, playing it, somehow just seemed right."
'Destiny', I thought to myself as my gaze fell to the ground.
I must've been quiet for awhile because Medli spoke up again. "So, uh, what brings you here Link? What can I do to help repay the many deeds you have done for the Rito?"
I looked up into her eyes. They were happy eyes, filled with the joy of a comfortable life, a blissful ignorance.
A joyous love for the Prince.
I left the Wind Waker in my pocket and smiled weakly at her. "No," I replied. "I was just curious as to the source of that music. I'm glad I could see you again. Take care!"
And with that, I leapt off the ledge and floated down to my boat with the Deku Leaf.
I heard her call me in confusion, but I simply conducted the ballad of gales and let the whirlwinds carry me to the Tower of the Gods.
I held my head in my hands and sighed wearily. The boat's figurehead turned around to face me.
"Link..." the King began.
"Shut up!" I snapped "You can take all this 'Fate' and 'Destiny' crap and shove it!" My voice was starting to crack as my eyes began to tear up. "I'm tired. I'm TIRED OF ALL THIS FIGHTING! I don't want to do this. I'm tired of all the killing, I don't care if they're evil!"
"Link," the King said again "You must do this. It is..."
"My destiny?" I interrupted with a spiteful laugh.
The figurehead sighed. "Listen, I will try to explain. With Gannondorf alive and Zelda back in Hyrule, I am now certain of what I originally expected. With all you have done, with all the GOOD you've done, and the fact that you wield the Master sword, there can be no doubt. You are the present incarnation of the Hero of Time of legend."
I looked at the sacred sword and tossed it on the floor of the boat. "Ever since the creation of the Triforce by the three Goddesses centuries ago. There have been forces, evil forces wishing to obtain it, and use it for their own greedy purposes. The first one to reach it was Gannon."
I shot him a dubious look. "No," he continued "Not the one you know. Not exactly. The Triforce will grant one wish to anyone who touches it. But it sensed the evil lurking in his heart and it split apart. The three pieces, Power, Wisdom and Courage then eternally bound themselves to the three souls most worthy of those gifts. Gannon received Power. The princess of the time, Zelda's namesake, gained Wisdom. And Courage was drawn to a fearless young farm boy, named Link."
"So what happened your majesty?" I asked with great sarcasm.
My rudeness was ignored. "Link, like you have been doing thus far, journeyed far and wide, overcoming whatever impossible odds he came across. In the end, he slew Gannon and brought peace to the land."
"But," the King ranted on, "The Triforce of Power could not be so easily subdued. As the ages passed, Gannon, Zelda and Link continued to be reborn and fight anew."
"So," I said, filled with bitterness and disbelief, "the three of us, it is our 'Destiny' to fight for all of eternity!?" The figurehead looked away and fell silent. "Well Forget that!" I shouted. "I've saved my sister, and Zelda's safe with you. So screw destiny! I don't care what happened eons ago! I've got the wind, a sail and a smart-ass boat. I'll just take off and leave. Sail away to some distant land never discovered before."
"And what of your family, your friends?" he retorted. "You would abandon them to Gannon's ravages?"
I struck the floor of the boat with my fist. "No... But, but I FEEL it. All the pain, the sorrow, the exhaustion from all the battles before, across the ages. Besides, I can't, I WON'T ruin another's life! I won't rob Medli of her chance to be happy in the name of 'destiny!'"
We were silent for some time. "There, there's got to be another way. It's just not fair." I whimpered as the tears flowed freely.
"I'm sorry," the King replied. "I truly am. If there was even the slightest chance that I could go, I could fight in your place, I would. It's true, it's NOT fair. But it IS destiny. You can go. You can run from it and leave for distant waters. But you cannot escape. You are the only threat remaining to Gannon, and for that he will hunt you to the ends of the earth. Plus, I do not think you would, nay COULD let yourself do that."
I didn't say anything, I just raised the sail and headed back to Dragon Roost Island.
It was dusk as we arrived again. I rushed to where Medli had been. Most of the Rito had gone to sleep, but there she was, watching the last few moments of sunlight.
"Medli," I called softly. She turned to face me, and again I was stung by the joy that shined in her eyes. A joy that, thanks to me, would never shine again.
I wordlessly conducted the Earth God's Lyric, not wanting to risk backing out at the last moment.
She closed her eyes and played a surprisingly happy melody. The last note hung in the air for a moment and all was still. Suddenly her eyes began to dart and move behind their lids, and she began to convulse. I dashed over to her and caught her as she collasped.
"Medli? Medli?! Jeez, old man what the hell did you make me do to her?!"
Slowly her body began to relax, and her eyes opened halfway, filled with not her usual joy, but knowledge, purpose, and sorrow.
"I saw her Link," she spoke so quietly. "I saw my ancestor. I know it now, I know myself, I am the Earth Sage. We need to go and restore the Master Sword"
"Medli..."
The sound of flapping wings caught our attention. Of all people, it was the Prince Komali, back from the day's errands. I think he saw us but went inside the roost, probably to check out from the day's work.
"Let us go now." She said in a wavering voice, straining to hold her tears inside. "Quickly and quietly."
"Oh god Medli," I whispered as I carried her towards my boat. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
She smiled at me, but any fool could tell it was forced. "Don't be, it's not your fault." She looked over my shoulder at where we had just been. Where I am sure the Prince was standing sad and confused, judging from the single tear that ran down the side of her beak. "After all, it can only be called fate,"
====================
"It can only be called fate." He continued, his voice barely audible from the wind whipping across the top of his tower. "...That here, I would once again gather the three with the crests." My eyes shot from Gannondorf to Zelda's unconscious form lying next to him. "...That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder. ...That when power, wisdom and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down. ...The power of the gods... the Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted!"
I could only see his profile, but his eye slowly edges back to look at me. "Already, the crest of wisdom is mine... All that remains..." As if in response, the Emblem of the Triforce of courage began to burn and glow on my hand.
Gannon slowly turned to face me and my grip tightened in the fully-powered Master Sword. Then, with blinding speed, he rushed to me. Before I could react, he landed three consecutive punches, leaving me dazed on my back and the Master Sword nowhere near me.
"Do not fear," he began again. "I will not kill you... I merely have need of the power that dwells within you." With no visible effort at all, he lifted me up by my left wrist. "Now! Let us put and end to that which binds us together!" So, I thought, he feels it too, the endless spiral the three of us are trapped in forever. Did, did his words have any merit? If I relented, if he won, would we finally be free? My life would surely end, but my soul would finally be free, be at peace.
I released the Triforce from my body.
Almost instantly, Wisdom rose from Zelda's prone body, and Gannon's Power joined our two in the sky. And there is was. The Triforce, exactly as any picture or crest ever showed it. Three golden triangles joined at the corners to form a larger one. The slight chill the wind was carrying was suddenly overcome with the warmth of the sacred triangle's energy. Gannondorf chuckled as he walked towards his goal, finally within his reach after so many millennia. I had surrendered, I had given him everything, made him a god, just to give my tired soul it's rest. And I didn't care. The end of the world, it would be worth it just to strike at that foulest force of all, worse than anything Gannondorf could ever do. Destiny.
"Gods!" Gannon's voice boomed forth as he raised his hand to the ocean above that had sealed Hyrule off from the rest of the world. "Hear that which I desire! Expose this land to the rays of the sun once more! Let them burn forth! GIVE HYRULE TO ME!!
I closed my eyes in weariness as the first pangs of regret began to creep into my 'free' heart. "He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted..." I wearily raised my head to identify the new voice that had joined us. For a moment I wasn't sure if what I saw was real, or a result of my concussion. "That is what you said, is it not, Gannondorf?" Standing between Gannon and the Triforce, with his palm resting on the sacred object was Zelda's father, the king of Hyrule.
"GODS OF THE TRIFORCE!" he bellowed towards the heavens. "HEAR THAT WHICH I DESIRE! HOPE! I DESIRE HOPE FOR THESE CHILDREN! GIVE THEM A FUTURE! WASH AWAY THIS ANCIENT LAND OF HYRULE! LET A RAY OF HOPE SHINE ON THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD!!!" The Triforce glowed in responce to the command, and the King gently shifted his gaze to me. "And let our destinies finally be fulfilled... Gannondorf! May you drown with Hyrule!!!"
My heart began to fill with joy. Despite all that I had done for him, I suddenly felt like I owed the King my life and more. So despite my weariness, I forced myself to stand. The three parts of the Triforce began to split and spin, finally vanishing in a flash of light. Gannondorf began to chuckle again, but it quickly escalated into insane cackling. The rush of the ocean began to roar in my ears as the ocean above began to fall in a torrential downpour the likes of which I have never seen, as the triangles on my hand faded away.
Despite having his back to me, Gannon somehow knew I had gotten to my feet and was approaching him. His demented laughter finally stopped. "This is foolishness..." he spoke with quiet fury. "A future... for you?
"What are you laughing at, Gannondorf?! You're insane!" I turned to the source of the voice to see Zelda behind me, carrying the Master Sword. "Link!" she said with a chuckle. "I'm sorry! I overslept! I think it's time for us to say good-bye to this place. We must return to the world above!" She handed me my weapon, and took my bow and quiver of Light Arrows. "Back to our ocean!"
"Very well then..." Gannon said as he raised his arms up. "Allow me to show you..." with a flick of his wrists, a pair of swords appeared in his hands. "Your future... Yes... Allow me to show you... Just what hope you have..." He turned to face me, and I could see the glint of madness in his eyes. "...See how much your precious Triforce is worth!"
The three of us rushed towards one another as we would clash one, final time. Not created to fight by destiny, but to create destiny by fighting. No matter what would happen, should I live or die, should I lose right now or win and live to be a hundred; my destiny was mine. Not to pull me through life at its slightest whim, but for me to shape for myself with my actions.
I would not fail.
Disclaimer: I do not, in any way shape or form, own The Legend of Zelda or any of it's characters. Also MAJOR SPOILER WARNING in case you didn't see it in my summary, DIRECT DIALOUGE AND ACTIONS FROM THE END OF THE GAME INCLUDED! That said, please R+R, but be gentle, this is my first Zelda Fic.
After several days of searching for the one who holds the earth sage's harp, I decided to return to Dragon Roost Island and ask for the help of the native Ritos. It was midday when I arrived. As I pulled The King of Red Lions up to the shore, I heard it for the first time.
A gentle plucking of a harp, from somewhere high above me on the cliffs. "Oh no..." I whispered to myself.
I took the short, winding path into the Rito Post Office, and followed the music out. A few moments later I had finally reached the source.
Standing near the cliff's edge, Medli stood in deep thought as she played and tuned a shiny, golden harp. I stood at a distance and watched her for a minute, contemplating how she could never play so leisurely ever again. She finally stopped and opened her eyes. Her face lit up in a smile as she saw me. I waved at her sheepishly and walked over.
"Link!" She exclaimed, "its so wonderful to see you again! I am glad to see you are all right."
"Yeah, you too." I said halfheartedly.
"Prince Komali's finally done it!" she said, beaming. "He earned his scale and a spectacular pair of wings." She giggled, "he's even volunteering to help the postmen in hopes that he will run into you."
"Me?" I asked, more than a little confused.
"Of course! He has never been so happy and proud of himself. And it is all thanks to you. Every single time we talk it always ends the same way, asking after you." She sighed. "He's growing up into a fine young man thanks to you."
I nodded bashfully and looked at her instrument, confirming my fears that she was the one I'd been looking for. I reached into my back pocked and touched the Wind Waker, thinking of what I must do.
My glance at the harp didn't go unnoticed. "Oh, were you listening to me play? It's funny, Komali's Grandmother one day saw me carrying it and instantly commanded me to stop and play it. As she taught me the chords and melodies she explained to me that when she saw me, she had seen my destiny reflected in the Harp."
That word struck me to the core of my being. "Destiny," I muttered.
"I know, It seems crazy," she continued, "but I swear, holding it, playing it, somehow just seemed right."
'Destiny', I thought to myself as my gaze fell to the ground.
I must've been quiet for awhile because Medli spoke up again. "So, uh, what brings you here Link? What can I do to help repay the many deeds you have done for the Rito?"
I looked up into her eyes. They were happy eyes, filled with the joy of a comfortable life, a blissful ignorance.
A joyous love for the Prince.
I left the Wind Waker in my pocket and smiled weakly at her. "No," I replied. "I was just curious as to the source of that music. I'm glad I could see you again. Take care!"
And with that, I leapt off the ledge and floated down to my boat with the Deku Leaf.
I heard her call me in confusion, but I simply conducted the ballad of gales and let the whirlwinds carry me to the Tower of the Gods.
I held my head in my hands and sighed wearily. The boat's figurehead turned around to face me.
"Link..." the King began.
"Shut up!" I snapped "You can take all this 'Fate' and 'Destiny' crap and shove it!" My voice was starting to crack as my eyes began to tear up. "I'm tired. I'm TIRED OF ALL THIS FIGHTING! I don't want to do this. I'm tired of all the killing, I don't care if they're evil!"
"Link," the King said again "You must do this. It is..."
"My destiny?" I interrupted with a spiteful laugh.
The figurehead sighed. "Listen, I will try to explain. With Gannondorf alive and Zelda back in Hyrule, I am now certain of what I originally expected. With all you have done, with all the GOOD you've done, and the fact that you wield the Master sword, there can be no doubt. You are the present incarnation of the Hero of Time of legend."
I looked at the sacred sword and tossed it on the floor of the boat. "Ever since the creation of the Triforce by the three Goddesses centuries ago. There have been forces, evil forces wishing to obtain it, and use it for their own greedy purposes. The first one to reach it was Gannon."
I shot him a dubious look. "No," he continued "Not the one you know. Not exactly. The Triforce will grant one wish to anyone who touches it. But it sensed the evil lurking in his heart and it split apart. The three pieces, Power, Wisdom and Courage then eternally bound themselves to the three souls most worthy of those gifts. Gannon received Power. The princess of the time, Zelda's namesake, gained Wisdom. And Courage was drawn to a fearless young farm boy, named Link."
"So what happened your majesty?" I asked with great sarcasm.
My rudeness was ignored. "Link, like you have been doing thus far, journeyed far and wide, overcoming whatever impossible odds he came across. In the end, he slew Gannon and brought peace to the land."
"But," the King ranted on, "The Triforce of Power could not be so easily subdued. As the ages passed, Gannon, Zelda and Link continued to be reborn and fight anew."
"So," I said, filled with bitterness and disbelief, "the three of us, it is our 'Destiny' to fight for all of eternity!?" The figurehead looked away and fell silent. "Well Forget that!" I shouted. "I've saved my sister, and Zelda's safe with you. So screw destiny! I don't care what happened eons ago! I've got the wind, a sail and a smart-ass boat. I'll just take off and leave. Sail away to some distant land never discovered before."
"And what of your family, your friends?" he retorted. "You would abandon them to Gannon's ravages?"
I struck the floor of the boat with my fist. "No... But, but I FEEL it. All the pain, the sorrow, the exhaustion from all the battles before, across the ages. Besides, I can't, I WON'T ruin another's life! I won't rob Medli of her chance to be happy in the name of 'destiny!'"
We were silent for some time. "There, there's got to be another way. It's just not fair." I whimpered as the tears flowed freely.
"I'm sorry," the King replied. "I truly am. If there was even the slightest chance that I could go, I could fight in your place, I would. It's true, it's NOT fair. But it IS destiny. You can go. You can run from it and leave for distant waters. But you cannot escape. You are the only threat remaining to Gannon, and for that he will hunt you to the ends of the earth. Plus, I do not think you would, nay COULD let yourself do that."
I didn't say anything, I just raised the sail and headed back to Dragon Roost Island.
It was dusk as we arrived again. I rushed to where Medli had been. Most of the Rito had gone to sleep, but there she was, watching the last few moments of sunlight.
"Medli," I called softly. She turned to face me, and again I was stung by the joy that shined in her eyes. A joy that, thanks to me, would never shine again.
I wordlessly conducted the Earth God's Lyric, not wanting to risk backing out at the last moment.
She closed her eyes and played a surprisingly happy melody. The last note hung in the air for a moment and all was still. Suddenly her eyes began to dart and move behind their lids, and she began to convulse. I dashed over to her and caught her as she collasped.
"Medli? Medli?! Jeez, old man what the hell did you make me do to her?!"
Slowly her body began to relax, and her eyes opened halfway, filled with not her usual joy, but knowledge, purpose, and sorrow.
"I saw her Link," she spoke so quietly. "I saw my ancestor. I know it now, I know myself, I am the Earth Sage. We need to go and restore the Master Sword"
"Medli..."
The sound of flapping wings caught our attention. Of all people, it was the Prince Komali, back from the day's errands. I think he saw us but went inside the roost, probably to check out from the day's work.
"Let us go now." She said in a wavering voice, straining to hold her tears inside. "Quickly and quietly."
"Oh god Medli," I whispered as I carried her towards my boat. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."
She smiled at me, but any fool could tell it was forced. "Don't be, it's not your fault." She looked over my shoulder at where we had just been. Where I am sure the Prince was standing sad and confused, judging from the single tear that ran down the side of her beak. "After all, it can only be called fate,"
====================
"It can only be called fate." He continued, his voice barely audible from the wind whipping across the top of his tower. "...That here, I would once again gather the three with the crests." My eyes shot from Gannondorf to Zelda's unconscious form lying next to him. "...That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder. ...That when power, wisdom and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down. ...The power of the gods... the Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted!"
I could only see his profile, but his eye slowly edges back to look at me. "Already, the crest of wisdom is mine... All that remains..." As if in response, the Emblem of the Triforce of courage began to burn and glow on my hand.
Gannon slowly turned to face me and my grip tightened in the fully-powered Master Sword. Then, with blinding speed, he rushed to me. Before I could react, he landed three consecutive punches, leaving me dazed on my back and the Master Sword nowhere near me.
"Do not fear," he began again. "I will not kill you... I merely have need of the power that dwells within you." With no visible effort at all, he lifted me up by my left wrist. "Now! Let us put and end to that which binds us together!" So, I thought, he feels it too, the endless spiral the three of us are trapped in forever. Did, did his words have any merit? If I relented, if he won, would we finally be free? My life would surely end, but my soul would finally be free, be at peace.
I released the Triforce from my body.
Almost instantly, Wisdom rose from Zelda's prone body, and Gannon's Power joined our two in the sky. And there is was. The Triforce, exactly as any picture or crest ever showed it. Three golden triangles joined at the corners to form a larger one. The slight chill the wind was carrying was suddenly overcome with the warmth of the sacred triangle's energy. Gannondorf chuckled as he walked towards his goal, finally within his reach after so many millennia. I had surrendered, I had given him everything, made him a god, just to give my tired soul it's rest. And I didn't care. The end of the world, it would be worth it just to strike at that foulest force of all, worse than anything Gannondorf could ever do. Destiny.
"Gods!" Gannon's voice boomed forth as he raised his hand to the ocean above that had sealed Hyrule off from the rest of the world. "Hear that which I desire! Expose this land to the rays of the sun once more! Let them burn forth! GIVE HYRULE TO ME!!
I closed my eyes in weariness as the first pangs of regret began to creep into my 'free' heart. "He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted..." I wearily raised my head to identify the new voice that had joined us. For a moment I wasn't sure if what I saw was real, or a result of my concussion. "That is what you said, is it not, Gannondorf?" Standing between Gannon and the Triforce, with his palm resting on the sacred object was Zelda's father, the king of Hyrule.
"GODS OF THE TRIFORCE!" he bellowed towards the heavens. "HEAR THAT WHICH I DESIRE! HOPE! I DESIRE HOPE FOR THESE CHILDREN! GIVE THEM A FUTURE! WASH AWAY THIS ANCIENT LAND OF HYRULE! LET A RAY OF HOPE SHINE ON THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD!!!" The Triforce glowed in responce to the command, and the King gently shifted his gaze to me. "And let our destinies finally be fulfilled... Gannondorf! May you drown with Hyrule!!!"
My heart began to fill with joy. Despite all that I had done for him, I suddenly felt like I owed the King my life and more. So despite my weariness, I forced myself to stand. The three parts of the Triforce began to split and spin, finally vanishing in a flash of light. Gannondorf began to chuckle again, but it quickly escalated into insane cackling. The rush of the ocean began to roar in my ears as the ocean above began to fall in a torrential downpour the likes of which I have never seen, as the triangles on my hand faded away.
Despite having his back to me, Gannon somehow knew I had gotten to my feet and was approaching him. His demented laughter finally stopped. "This is foolishness..." he spoke with quiet fury. "A future... for you?
"What are you laughing at, Gannondorf?! You're insane!" I turned to the source of the voice to see Zelda behind me, carrying the Master Sword. "Link!" she said with a chuckle. "I'm sorry! I overslept! I think it's time for us to say good-bye to this place. We must return to the world above!" She handed me my weapon, and took my bow and quiver of Light Arrows. "Back to our ocean!"
"Very well then..." Gannon said as he raised his arms up. "Allow me to show you..." with a flick of his wrists, a pair of swords appeared in his hands. "Your future... Yes... Allow me to show you... Just what hope you have..." He turned to face me, and I could see the glint of madness in his eyes. "...See how much your precious Triforce is worth!"
The three of us rushed towards one another as we would clash one, final time. Not created to fight by destiny, but to create destiny by fighting. No matter what would happen, should I live or die, should I lose right now or win and live to be a hundred; my destiny was mine. Not to pull me through life at its slightest whim, but for me to shape for myself with my actions.
I would not fail.