Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, or any legal proceedings concerning The Legend of Zelda. This story has been written purely out of enjoyment, and is not intended to make a profit, steal ideas, or offend anybody, though all original characters are my own property. Any similarities between my work and anyone else's is purely coincidental. "Everybody's Fool" lyrics are property ofEvanescence, all rights reserved.
o
"Tainted Wisdom" - Part Two: Black Memories
By The Last Princess of Hyrule
o
Perfect by nature,
Icons of self indulgence . . .
o
"Ashuulte amunsas trécascalyá musctraa!"
I had no idea what was happening. At first, my body felt consumed by heat, my flesh blistering all over and full of pain. It took me almost a minute to realize there was no fire and nothing burning. Slowly, I opened my eyes.
I found myself staring up at the sky, or at least, I thought it was the sky. But it was overcast with mean gray clouds spiraling toward a point somewhere toward my left. I looked an saw a tall stone spire, jagged and black, piercing the sky. The spire stood at the tip of a great tower of the same likeness. And then my memory returned.
I screamed when the images came, flashes at first, only a quick look at what had happened, but what I didn't want to remember. The second time it was more thorough and I saw the whole event played back for me like someone watches a video, the sense I got from seeing this made it all feel both real and surreal at the same time.
I sat up and reached one hand out in front of me, examining it. Several of my fingers were wrapped in little strips of white cloth, as was my wrist and most of my lower arm. My other hand looked the same way. I had two hands! I did a double take and looked a them again. Yes, two hands, one left, one right. They even worked, I discovered, clenching and loosening each in turn. Suddenly I reached up and touched my face, only to feel a linen cloth covering my mouth, and another wrapped around my head.
I looked down at my hands again, trying to understand what was happening. Unfortunately, they would give me no answers.
Slowly and quite unsteadily, I managed to stand. My ankles wobbled and I held out my hands. It took some time, but I managed to stand without tilting forward. That was when I heard the voice behind me.
"It actually worked . . . you are alive!"
I whirled around, half falling forward with my hands out. A dark and mysterious man stood confidently before me, a tall black staff clutched in his hands. He was dressed in a midnight leather jerking with dark leggings and tall black boots. Over his shoulders was a long, split cloak, dyed a rich dark color and embroidered with tiny orange flames at the hem.
I tried to ask him who he was, but my voice cracked. The man smiled and took a step closer. "Amazing . . ." he said to himself.
I cleared my throat. "W-who . . . are y-you?" I managed to say.
"You can speak to." He sounded impressed by such a little thing. I felt offended. "I am Taekorra. Do you know who you are?"
"I'm . . ." I looked down at my hands. "I'm Sheik."
His smile widened. "You're also the Princess Zelda, correct?"
o
Just what we all need,
More lies about a world that . . .
o
My red eyes narrowed. Taekorra laughed. "Don't be so uppity, princess, I don't plan to tell anyone."
I crossed my arms. Surprisingly, movement did not threaten to unbalance me. "What do you want with me?"
"The same thing everybody wants, princess."
"Stop calling me that."
He bowed. "As you wish, my lady."
"Drop the charade," I demanded. "Not everyone wants the same thing from me. What do you want?"
"If you must know," he sighed. "I need your help."
"Well—what?" I could hardly grasp what he was saying. "My help?"
Taekorra's expression grew serious. "Is that so hard to grasp?"
I looked at him defiantly. "Perhaps. What do you need me for?"
He looked around nervously. "This isn't the place for us to talk. There are spies of my master everywhere, and I don't think he'll be too happy that I brought you back to life without his consent."
My eyes widened. "You work for Ganondorf?" I took a step back.
"I work for no one."
I backed away until I lifted my foot and found only air to set it down on. I looked back and found myself on the edge of the land, looking over a familiar pit of fiery molten rock. Taekorra followed me slowly.
"Princess, please. Don't do anything rash."
"Stop calling me that!" I shouted. I turned and leapt from the land.
At least, I thought I'd leapt. In reality, something grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back. I was thrown roughly to the ground, at which time I opened my eyes and looked up at Taekorra.
"That's the second time you've stopped me from eternal peace," I said.
"You have use to me and I won't let you die until I've gotten what I want."
My heart skipped a beat as I remembered another time I'd heard someone say that. I began to shake, my idiotic memory reminding me. '"What are you going to do to me?" I asked, voice dripping with fear. "Whatever it takes."' I shuddered, those three words playing again and again. '"Whatever it takes.""Whatever it takes.""Whatever it takes.""Whatever it takes."'
"Sheik?"
I gasped and jumped up, eyes suddenly focusing on Taekorra's face. He looked concerned for a second, but when he realized I was staring at him, concealed the emotion.
"What happened?" he asked. "You looked like you were about to faint."
I stood and pushed him away. "It's nothing. Let's just get away from here."
o
Never was and never will be,
Have you no shame don't you see me?
You know you've got everybody fooled . . .
o
He led me out of the ruined town of Hyrule silently. Outside the battered wall, a brown horse waited. We mounted it and rode south. The sun had set and, though I knew my country almost perfectly, I had no idea where we were going.
At some time in the journey, I fell asleep for a few hours, head lolling on his shoulder. He didn't seem to notice, absorbed in his own thoughts.
Anyone knows that the purpose of sleep is to relax, but that was exactly the opposite my sleep brought me. Memories beat my mind one after another.'Then, I felt his hand grasp my chin. I tried to fight it but he forced me to look at him. "There is no one here, Princess. No one to save you from me." The expression I saw on his face was like none other I had ever seen before. A product of some kind of desire, but poisoned; turned from something pure to something vile. And whatever it was frightened me to my soul and I longed to scream aloud; to run from the room. But I was trapped.'
'That is when it happened. Before I knew it, he was on top of me. For a moment, I was frozen with surprise as we fell back onto the bed. Somewhere in the back of my mind, my consciousness was fighting to regain control of my petrified body. But terror gripped it tighter than dungeon chains. I felt a hand on my back. At that instant, my conscious mind broke free and I screamed, physically, and mentally. ( Help! )'
"Help! Help!"
"Sheik! Wake up!"
A splash of icy water hit my face, forcing me with a jolt into wakefulness. "Help!" I screamed again, sitting up quickly. Suddenly, I realized I was somewhere other than what I thought. I was lying in the grass on my back, head in a puddle of mud from the water. Taekorra was kneeling next to me, face filled with worry. This time, he didn't try to hide it when I looked at him.
"You're all right now, right?"
I drew in a shaking breath. The dream was still vivid in my mind. "I . . ."
He sat down in the grass beside me. Above us, the sky was clear, glittering with thousands of diamond stars. "Were you having a nightmare?"
I nodded.
"What was it about?"
I looked away.
"Well?"
My body began to shake and I remained silent.
"My goddesses, Sheik, tell my what's wrong!"
"Don't yell at me!"
Taekorra was struck silent. "I just want to help," he whispered under his breath as he stood. "Well, now's as good a time as any to make camp."
I turned onto my side away from him, ignoring the words. Against my will, I fell asleep again. 'It felt as if I had been jolted from one nightmare into another. Suddenly I was fully aware of what was happening to me. His face was looming over mine, an evil glimmer in his eyes. A look that made me want to be sick.
'I could hear my dress rip. I wanted to slap him, but he had pinned my arms above my head with one massive hand. Because I could no longer fight, I screamed, as loudly as I could. The most hateful of my thoughts poured out my mouth. But, of coarse, that didn't loosen his hold on me. I struggled futilely against the hand running across my body.'
"Nayru help me!" I screamed and sat up. It was still night and I was still lying in the middle of a vast empty field. At my feet was a smoldering fire pit, the dead ashes pale in the dim starlight. Taekorra was nowhere to be seen.
I began to shake again, fear pulling at my heart and whatever was left of my torn soul. There had been a reason I'd thrown myself out of the tower; to escape this. Was it my fault some fool had brought my out of that rest for his own devices?
And speaking of such, what were his intentions toward me? At times, Taekorra acted like he really cared about me, and then he was cold and unfeeling again. I tucked my knees under my chin and wrapped my arms around them. Would Taekorra try to steal from me what Ganondorf already claimed?
My ruby eyes filled with tears and I wept silently.
o
Look here she comes now,
Bow down and stare in wonder,
Oh, how we love you . . .
o
I didn't sleep anymore that night. Instead, I stared at the cold fire pit until the sun began to rise, washing the sky overhead in a dead pinkish color, product of smoke from some or other burning village.
I heard the pounding of horse's hooves behind me and turned around. Taekorra, on his chocolate mare, rode over a hill into the camp. He dismounted, eyeing me suspiciously. "Have you been up long?"
I lied, shaking my head. Taekorra didn't seem to care.
"Well, hurry up and eat something." He flung a leather saddlebag at me. "We need to leave as soon as possible."
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Somewhere." With that, he vaulted onto the horse's back and rode off, opposite the way he came.
"Whatever," I said doubtfully to myself as I lifted the flap and looked into the bag. Inside was a loaf of hard bread, some dried strips of meat, and flask of water. I broke off a hunk of bread and chewed it slowly.
Taekorra returned just as the sky was turning from yellow to daytime blue. "Where have you been?" I asked sourly, closing the bag.
"Somewhere."
"The same 'somewhere' we're going to today?" I pulled myself up behind him.
"No." His eyes scanned the camp, checking my work. I had done a very good job making sure it looked like we had never been there. I spread the ashes over the ground and threw the pit rocks as hard as I could in every direction. Without a word, he spurred the horse around and galloped away.
We rode in silence again. Though I was exhausted from staying up all night, I didn't dare close my eyes longer than to blink. Eventually, after hours of riding, I felt us slow. I looked around.
In front of us was a cluster of buildings, consisting of a large barn, farmhouse, and storage shed. Out behind the house was a large fenced paddock, several horses galloping around it. I shuddered; I remembered this ranch.
"We're here," Taekorra stated, dismounting. I made no move to do so.
"This is it?" I asked skeptically. "This is where you've wanted to bring me all along?"
"Is there something wrong with that?" He looked back at me.
"What are we doing here?"
"Something." He motioned me to get down.
I stayed put. "What are we doing here?" I repeated impatiently.
"You'll see." He walked up to me and grabbed me around the waist, yanking me off the horse's back. I fell to the ground with a thud.
"I think I'll wait right here," I said, heaving myself to my feet and brushing the dust from my stomach.
"I don't think so." Taekorra grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to the farmhouse. "This is what I needed you for. Go knock on the door." He stopped and shoved me toward it. I stumbled to a stop.
"What?" I asked in disbelief.
"Knock on the door," he repeated, crossing his arms impatiently. "Ask for the master of the house."
"Oh no, I am not going anywhere near him." I tried to walk away, but Taekorra blocked my path.
"Do it now, princess," he said in a warning tone, "or you might find yourself back in the hands of my master."
The terrifying memories leapt to mind. Frightened, I shook them away and glared at the smug sorcerer. "Very well."
I walked back to the door and, with a shaking hand, pounded my fist hard against the wood.
o
No flaws when you're pretending,
But now I know she . . .
o
To my intense disappointment, the door opened. In its wake stood a young woman with long mahogany hair and blue eyes, dressed in a simple pale blue dress. Around her waist was a smudged apron and her skin was smeared with flour. I remembered her perfectly, though I disdained the sight of her.
She looked at me in confusion, and in the back of her features I could see she was slightly appalled by me. "Can I help you?" she asked in her sing-song sweet voice.
"Y-yes." I tried to keep my voice from shaking. "I'm looking for Link."
"Link?" she repeated. "Who are you?"
"No one of any direct consequence," I answered tartly. "Could you please get him?"
She examined me again, skepticism filling her features. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
"No," I replied. "Now, would you please . . .?" My tone was more insistent.
"Certainly." She ducked back into the house. The moment the door closed I turned back to Taekorra with a look of dire desperation on my face. He was just as stern as before. Get me out of here, I mouthed to him.
No, he replied. You're doing fine.
I was just about to protest when the door creaked and opened again. I whirled around and found myself face to face with the one of the last people in Hyrule that I wanted to see.
Link didn't look much different since last we met, which further enhanced my belief that I hadn't been dead for very long. He was dressed in brown slacks with a loose white shirt and leather vest. His blonde hair was tied behind his head in a short ponytail. On his face was a look of intense surprise.
He stared at me for a long moment. I crossed my arms impatiently. "Well?" I asked. "Are you going to say anything?"
The surprise was replaced by a look of irritation. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been asking myself the same thing for the past ten minutes," I said. "Come outside. There's someone who wants to talk to you."
He walked out slowly and I heard Taekorra come up behind us. In my mind, I heaved a relieved sigh as the sorcerer joined the group.
"Nice to see you, hero," he said with a smile. "Would you come walk with me?"
Link said nothing, but followed Taekorra off. I took the chance and crept silently away. Perhaps I could steal a horse while they were occupied with each other and get away from all this. However, Taekorra was step ahead of me. "Sheik, would you join us?"
I groaned and turned around, following silently. Taekorra walked slowly. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
Link crossed his arms. "Cut the act, whoever you are, and tell me what you want with me."
o
Never was and never will be,
You don't know how you've betrayed be,
And somehow you've got everybody fooled . . .
o
Taekorra stopped and eyed the hero. "Quick tempered, are we? Very well." He sighed. "You're aware that the King of Evil holds two pieces of the Triforce now, correct?"
Link glared at him. "I'm reminded of it every day."
Taekorra didn't ask how. Somehow, he knew as well as I did how Ganondorf gained the Triforce of Courage. "Well, the third piece, the Triforce of Wisdom, has disappeared."
"What are you talking about? It's standing right in front of you." He gestured at me with his good left hand.
"Actually, no," Taekorra corrected. "The princess lost it not long after you and no one knows what happened." He jabbed his thumb at me. "It didn't even return when I revived her."
"'Revived her'?" Link repeated, finally taking interest in the conversation.
"Hero, she killed herself a month ago." Taekorra said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Link looked from Taekorra, to me, to Taekorra again, but didn't comment, though I knew what he was thinking. (I am not in love with this fool of a sorcerer,) I spoke telepathically to him, as I once had, but Link showed no sign of hearing my send. What a surprise.
"What does all this have to do with me?" he demanded.
"I'm getting to it. Do step out of character for a moment and try to be patient." Link narrowed his eyes, but Taekorra was undaunted. "Now, this probably won't surprise you, but I am seeking the Triforce, like every other poor fool in this world. But, in order to get it, I first need the Triforce of Wisdom. That Triforce will make the others come to it without any conflict."
"If it could do that, why didn't Zelda try that in the first place?"
"Zelda didn't know the whole legend," Taekorra replied, a wicked glimmer in his eyes. "The Triforce of Wisdom holds the essence of the goddess Nayru inside. Nayru created the order and law of the world. Do you know the answer yet?"
"If I did, would I be asking you?" Link was becoming annoyed. "Get on with it!"
Taekorra smiled. "The Triforce of Wisdom can tap into Her power and create any law its holder wants. All the holder has to do is ask it to create a force of attraction between itself and the other two pieces. They will be unable to refuse to answer the call of the Triforce of Wisdom."
Link didn't look impressed. I wasn't surprised. "That's all well and good," he said, "but I still don't see what you want me for."
"In order for this to work, I need the Triforce of Wisdom. The Triforce of Wisdom is lost right now, but in a different time, it's waiting in the Sacred Realm." Taekorra's expression turned serious. "You're the Hero of Time. With that power, you can travel to any time you want. I want you to take you, myself, and Sheik back twenty years, to the time before the Great War, when the Sacred Realm was unguarded."
"Why should I do this?" he asked.
"Well, since the princess's tragic death, my master has had in mind the idea of a wife, and he's had his eye on yours for some time now. It would be terrible for you if she suddenly were taken away, wouldn't it?"
Link was silent.
"Then I suggest you cooperate." Taekorra's cheerful mood appeared again. "Good. Now go tell the little lady that you're leaving. Don't tell her anything else. Meet us outside the house in ten minutes."
o
Without the mask,
Where will you hide . . .?
o
Ten minutes later, Link emerged from the farmhouse, trailed by Malon, who pestered him with worried questions. "Why won't you tell me what's going on?" she was asking as they came out.
"I would if I could," he said sweetly.
"At least tell me how long you'll be gone," she insisted.
"I don't know."
"Then I'm coming with."
I shook my head vigorously. Did the farm girl really just say she was coming?
"Malon . . ." Link started. Malon put her hands on her hips.
"I'm coming and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
Link looked unsure for a moment. Please make her stay. Please make her stay. Please make her stay. I willed in my mind. However, he planted a kiss on her cheek and I knew there was no chance of that happening. I rolled my eyes. Taekorra covered his face, but he knew better than to argue. As long as Link came along, he would deal with whatever extra 'baggage' we had to bring.
I sighed and climbed onto Taekorra's brown mare. Link and Malon got on a chestnut mare with a white mane, Epona.
"Are you ready?" Taekorra turned around and looked at them. Link nodded. "Follow me."
He led us away from the ranch at a swift gallop north, the direction of the remains of the town of Hyrule. My grip around Taekorra's stomach tightened as the memories returned in vengeance. Luckily, my sleepless mind couldn't process them.
Night fell and we rode on, never ceasing the pace Taekorra set. The sky was as black as it could possibly be, for no stars shed their light. Despite my stern resolve not to sleep, I kept nodding off, then jerking awake again. Finally, my movements began to get the best of Taekorra's patience.
"Sheik, would you settle down?" he called to me. "What are you doing back there?"
"Nothing."
"Go to sleep," he said. "It'll be a few more hours before we reach the temple and you look like you could use it."
"I'm fine."
"I'll make sure you don't fall off," he offered.
"No, that's all right."
Taekorra frowned. "Are you afraid of your nightmares?"
I said nothing.
"Well, the only way to get past that fear is to face them," he said, and before I knew what was happening, he forced me into sleep. "Lsiipé!"
o
Can't find yourself,
Lost in your lie . . .
o
The nightmare gripped me almost instantaneously. 'And then I felt it. Myself, my innocence, my very essence slipping away. A sensation unlike any I had ever felt before. A physical feeling; nothing to do with my mind. And I knew what it was. It was the result of lust, namely, his lust for me. But I was not so untouched by the world that I had not heard wives stories about their husbands. Things I knew I should not have heard. Things about what went on in the bedroom after the door had been closed. I knew all about it. But what I also had heard were the stories of romance. That this act in which I was taking place was a sacred one. One that would give me pleasure. And in some sick, twisted way, I felt what must be called pleasure. Some mental feeling accompanying this physical sensation.
'Thousands of thoughts raced through my mind; fear, sadness, pain, longing, and even, though I shuddered to admit it, delight. My body had been violated; yet, here I was, enjoying it? What was wrong with me? The events lasted hours into what I thought must have been night, but the light in the tower never changed. All I knew was that he eventually left me, at which time I cried myself to sleep.
'Sometime later, I awoke. The crimson sheets were strewn about me in jumbled piles. Despite their dark colour, I could still make out the stains of blood distinctly marking them. My eyes filled with angry tears. Last night. I was so confused. In a way, I felt violated, as I thought I should, for I knew I had been raped. But another part of me felt content. As though I had filled a void I hadn't even known existed until last night. Content, satisfaction, pleasure. He—Ganondorf—my rival had made me feel pleasure. Just the thought of it made me want to be sick.
'It must have been my imagination. I can't really have felt so . . . can I? But, what most was in my mind was the knowledge of defeat. Defeat . . . all because of Link. Just the thought of him made me want to scream. He deserted me; he hadn't been there when I was scared. I screamed.'
And screamed. And screamed. I screamed myself through the bindings of the spell and was awake. Taekorra had halted the horse and looked back at me full of worry. "My goddesses, Sheik, what is it you dream!"
My body convulsed under his eyes. The vision of Taekorra blurred and when it came back into view, it was Ganondorf who stood over me. The leering smile on his face was clear, as it had been that night in the tower. This was real.
"Damn you, Taekorra!" I shouted. "I should have known you'd betray me! Goddesses damn whatever soul you posses to hell and back!"
"Zelda. . . ." my rival whispered. "Remember?"
"No! Damn you!"
"Remember. . . ."
"I hate you! Get the hell away from me!"
"Zelda. . . ."
"Damn you!"
"Zelda."
"Never!"
"Zelda!"
"No!" I screamed and slammed a fist into Ganondorf's horrible face, only to see him disappear and Taekorra stumble away, clutching his left eye.
o
I know the truth now,
I know who you are,
And I don't love you anymore . . .
o
"Taekorra!" I jumped to my feet, but he didn't need my help. The sorcerer uncovered his eye and stood confidently before me.
"Zelda."
He said my name again.
"Tell me the truth." He looked into my eyes, concern and seriousness filling his voice. "What happened to you?"
I glanced at where Link and Malon had stopped. They watched me expectantly. I turned back to Taekorra, and found solace in his caring gaze. "I . . . I . . ."I hesitated none the less. "I was . . . I was . . ."
"What happened?"
I hung my head and dropped to the ground in shame. "I was raped. . . ." I admitted in a quiet voice.
No one said a word, but I saw Taekorra kneel in front of me. "My master, correct?"
I nodded, body shaking in fear again.
"That's why you killed yourself," he deduced, "and tried to do so again when I resurrected you."
I said nothing.
"And I suppose that's what's been torturing your sleep these past two days."
I didn't need to reply, for he knew he was right.
"I suppose I can see why you didn't say anything." He sat down on the hard ground next to me. We were seated just outside the crumbling town walls, their charred stone shadowing us. It was silent for several minutes before he spoke again. "Do you want revenge?"
The question struck me. Did I want revenge? Of course I did, my mind said. Ganondorf had stolen something from me that I could never get back. I wanted to make him suffer for it, suffer as long and painfully as possible for every night I would spend from now until the day I died tortured by the memory of what'd happened. Yet, there was a small part of me that didn't want revenge. I pushed it out of my mind. Now was the worst time for doubt.
"Yes."
Taekorra smiled a little smile. "Then come with me. I can help you take revenge, if you help me get the Triforce."
I looked piercingly at him. "All right."
o
It never was and never will be,
You don't know how you've betrayed me,
And somehow you've got everybody fooled . . .
o
We hurried through the abandoned town of Hyrule. Everywhere I looked, I saw visions of the city in its time of prosperity. I shut them out impatiently as I followed Taekorra up a few wide stone stairs to the door of the Temple of Time. He pushed one of the heavy doors open and we went inside.
The memories that came up here were impossible for me to ignore. '"Yes, the Triforce of Courage, which you hold in your hand." Ganondorf said triumphantly, "You owe it to me." I screamed at the top of my lungs, "No!" Link held up his right hand and shouted something at Ganondorf. His hand began to glow with a green light. I felt a stabbing pain in my own right hand as the Triforce of Wisdom reacted to Link. "Link, no!" I beat my fists on the crystal, the searing pain in my hand nearly blinding me, but to no avail. A bolt of light sliced cleanly through Link's wrist.
'"Noooooo!" I screamed. Ganondorf laughed as Link grasped the bloody stump of his arm in agony; his severed hand melted away into a thick emerald mist. The pain in my hand dulled to a throb as I sank to my knees. The Triforce of Courage was now in the hands of the King of Evil. "I knew you weren't one to throw your life away on some princess."'
"Sheik?" Taekorra's voice jolted me back into reality. "Are you all right?"
I cast a glance at Link. He wouldn't meet my eyes, but I knew he remembered. Like he'd said before, he was reminded of it every day. I refrained from saying anything about it.
"What are we looking for?" Malon asked, poking around a tall granite pillar. "What could possibly be in this dusty old temple?"
Taekorra frowned. "Something very powerful, you silly girl."
Link's eyes flashed angrily.
I sighed.
Taekorra shut his mouth and led us to the front of the temple and stopped at a stone alter. The carvings on it were written in ancient Hylian, but the sorcerer knew what needed to be done. From a pocket, he pulled three small stones, the keys to the Sacred Realm, which was no longer sacred. He placed them on the alter then turned expectantly to me.
"Do you know the song, Sheik?" he asked.
I nodded. "But you can't open this door without the Ocarina of Time," I pointed out.
He smiled and pulled something out of his pocket, tossing it lithely to me. I caught it without a hint of trouble, feeling the familiar contours of the ovular instrument. "How did you get this?"
Taekorra grinned mysteriously. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
I pulled the white scarf away from my mouth and held the ocarina to my lips. With a soft breath, I played the ever-familiar Song of Time. On cue, the hidden door behind the alter groaned and slid slowly open. I heard Malon gasp and I flashed a smug smile at Taekorra before pulling my scarf back into place.
We walked around the alter and into the hidden room, at the center of which stood the stone Pedestal of Time. Imbedded within it was the Master Sword, the vessel that held the fate of all Hyrule in balance. I stopped, realizing the flaw in this plan. "How can the Master Sword take all three—"
"—Four," Malon corrected.
I groaned. "All four of us back through time?"
Taekorra smiled again. I was beginning to hate that look. "We'll hold hands."
"Hold hands?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"Uh. . . ."
"Good." Taekorra stepped up to the sword. "Let's go."
Link grabbed the hilt with one hand, Malon grabbing his elbow. Taekorra took Malon, and I hung on at the end. In one swift movement, he drew the sword out. Suddenly, light sprung up around us, rushing madly toward the ceiling.
Goddesses help me, I willed as I felt my feet lifted from the ground.
o
Never was and never will be,
You're not real and you can't save me,
Somehow now you're everybody's fool. . . .
o