Sahasrahla woke him from a dreamless sleep early the next morning, and all
five left as the sun crested the horizon. Link asked to carry the princess
again, but Sahasrahla adamantly refused. He wouldn't explain himself no
matter how much Link questioned, and his face was as hard as stone whenever
Link brought the subject up.
They traveled for a while before stopping for breakfast. Before sitting down, however, Sahasrahla looked to his left, into the trees, and beckoned.
"You can come out, Eon. I know you're there, so there's no use hiding anymore. Why don't you eat with us?"
The small boy crept sheepishly form his hiding place, a bow slung across his shoulder and his hair ruffled. He grinned foolishly, however, upon seeing Link.
"So, I see you're still in one piece. I still owe you for that shower, by the way. Ah, and who is this?" He was looking at the princess, lying peacefully beside the larger woman, Impa. Eon's gaze took her in as well, and some unspoken acknowledgement passed between them. "So, Old Man, where are you guys heading?" For some reason, Link knew the question was hollow. Eon knew exactly where they were headed.
"I'm going to show Link something that will help solve some difficulties with this quest. And you, Eon, are you doing your job adequately? Are you prepared to follow it through to completion?"
The small boy nodded, although he looked a bit distraught. "I'll do what I have to, yes." He turned to Link now, and his smile reappeared. "So, what have you been up to since yesterday? By the smell of you, I can tell you finally took that bath." He laughed as Link blushed, then plopped down beside his friend, stealing a piece of cheese.
"So, you are that boy Link said he met. I can understand him getting along with you; you're just as bad as him." Impa's cool gaze scanned both boys.
"Hey!" They both yelled indignantly. "I'm nothing like him!"
Navi flew in closer to Eon, blinking her large eyes and tapping her lip. "So, you're Link-kun's friend, huh? I'm Navi, his faerie."
"Nice to meet you, Navi. Link thinks highly of you—well, when you aren't talking, that is." Navi turned scarlet and clenched her hands, eyes twitching. "You seem nice enough though."
"Yes, I suppose I do…" Navi's voice trailed off as her eyes twitched sporadically, and went over to sit with Zelda Hime.
"So," Eon began again, this time taking some bread, "Sahasrahla finally managed to get off his old butt and help you out, huh? Glad to hear it. But I need to be going anyway; got stuff to do, and all that. Oh, by the way, thanks for the food. The bread was a bit old, but everything else was great."
Link blinked and lifted an eyebrow, then looked down at where his food should have been. All that was left was a small piece of bread. Clenching his teeth and turning bright red, the small boy jumped to his feet, but Eon was already gone, the only sign of his passing a whisper in the trees.
"Don't let him bother you. Here, have this." Sahasrahla handed the boy another piece of bread and cheese, then went over to sit beside Zelda Hime. Link noticed Navi's glow change; they must be talking. Strangely, though, Navi was very subdued, and then, to Link's complete surprise, she flew off into the trees, without even saying goodbye.
When Sahasrahla returned to Impa and Link, the boy opened his mouth to question where his faerie had gone.
"Don't worry, I sent her on an errand. She'll return shortly. Now, for us, we need to continue on our way. I'm not quite sure how long we have left to go." The old man picked up his walking stick as Impa packed up their things and hiked the bag over her shoulder. Link stood alone, his food uneaten, then followed after, stuffing bread in his mouth.
When he successfully managed to swallow his food without choking, Link ran up beside Sahasrahla, pulling on the older man's robes to draw his attention.
"Um, sir, why don't you know how long we have left to get to this place? I thought you knew everything about this area?"
The old man chuckled. "Well, truthfully, the destination time is always different. In this case, how long it takes us to get to where we're going is dependent entirely upon you."
"Me?"
Sahasrahla nodded, but said nothing else. Falling behind the others, Link drifted into his own thoughts, letting time pass him, unaware.
Night came swiftly and silently, born on cool wings. The air was chilly, but not uncomfortable, and a slight wind kept a constant noise present through the trees. Navi had not yet returned, but Sahasrahla was very sure that she would return in the morning. She had a very important duty, he said, and it might take some time. As kind as the old man's words were, though, Link still worried about his friend.
Impa took first guard, and she promised Link she would wake him slightly after midnight.
"I don't see why you want to stay up, but if it's your wish, fine. Just don't fall asleep at your post."
Link nodded emphatically as the tall Sheik left. Cuddling down into his blankets, his hair loose around his face, Link fell into a deep sleep. When Sahasrahla went over to check on him, the boy was already breathing evenly, and he smiled. Perhaps they would reach their destination sooner than he thought.
It was dark here. The boy didn't feel threatened, but instead felt a warmth and tenderness in the air all around him. When he tried to move, he noticed he had no body, but could feel wind. Intrigued, he continued to move at random, feeling the way the air moved against his non-body.
He continued for a ways, until a soft voice stopped him.
"I wouldn't go that way, it's dangerous."
The boy looked around, even though he didn't have eyes. He noticed no one, but did see the tear in the darkness. It wasn't a tear, really, more like a…difference. The blackness on the other side of the tear was…different. That was the only way he could explain it. And it was cold, terribly cold. And lonely, too.
"I wouldn't go that way. That place is closed off."
Now the boy did see a figure; a small shape, sitting on something. He edged closer and noticed it was a girl, sitting on a stump.
"Saria…? Saria, is that you?"
The girl giggled, but shook her head no. "No, I'm not her. But in a way I am. But please, don't go over there. I don't want you to be hurt."
The boy ignored her warning, and focused on what she said before. "Yes, but no? How can you not be something but be it at the same time?"
She tapped her lip lightly, and again shook her head no. "I don't know, I just know that I'm not. But I'm here for a reason—more like, you're here for a reason."
"I am?" The boy could feel himself hovering--no weight, no body.
"Please come and sit with me. It's very disconcerting when you won't show your true self."
Intrigued, and a little confused, the boy glided over to the girl, and the darkness gave way to a sun-lit glen, a lone tree looming over the stump, with what looked like the entrance to a temple. The boy looked around wildly; he knew this place.
"It's ok, Link. Come and sit down with me, please." Saria made a place for him beside her, and he sat, slightly uncomfortable. "Is it that strange, Link?"
He shook his head.
"You've grown since I last saw you. You look very good, very handsome."
Link blushed, but kept his eyes lowered. He bit his bottom lip, trying his hardest not to look into his friend's eyes.
"Are you ashamed of me?"
"No!" The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and he looked away, embarrassed at his outburst. "No," he said, softer, "but…I don't know. You look exactly the same as always, Saria."
"Are you jealous?"
"No, I…I don't think so."
"Then what's wrong?" She smiled slightly. "Are you upset because you've grown? Don't be. It's who you are."
"That's what Navi-chan said."
"And she was right." The Kokiri-girl tapped his nose playfully, then put her ocarina to her lips. He didn't know where she got it from. "You should listen to her more often, Link. Even if she does talk a lot."
Link smiled. "I know, I know. But, it's harder than that. There's more to it. But I don't know what it is…"
"You're scared."
"Huh?" He turned to Saria, who gave him the same look she always had whenever he hadn't understood something. Only, this time, she seemed much more uptight, as though something was wrong with her statement.
"You're scared, Link. Don't open your mouth, you know it's true. You're afraid of not being yourself. Just because you grow doesn't mean you aren't yourself, Link. That's silly to think that. You should listen to Navi, and try to understand what she's saying."
"But, I—"
"Tell me, Link." Saria was looking at the ground now, her eyes thoughtful. "If a tree grows taller, is it a different tree?"
"No, of course not."
"But it has changed, hasn't it? The tree went from being a tiny sprout to a towering giant, older than anyone could ever imagine. But, is it a different being than that same sprout?"
Link shook his head as what Saria said hit him. He was a fool, he realized that now. "Saria, I…"
She smiled again and patted his cheek. "Sometimes people don't want to realize the obvious. They delude themselves and try to justify their actions by ignoring the simple truths around them. You did nothing wrong, Link, but you weren't being honest to yourself." She nodded to him, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "But, because you're my little brother, I thought I should help you out. Even though you're bigger than me now, you'll always be my little brother."
"Saria…Saria!"
The girl disappeared as he called her name, and the blackness returned as the forest faded away. The warmth of the sunlight bled away as he turned and once again looked at the divide in the darkness.
"Please, do not go that way. You've been asked already."
Link started when he heard the voice. Sunlight filtered through the open courtyard, and a bird swooped past, a worm caught in her beak for her young. He didn't want to turn around; he already knew what was there.
"That place is dangerous. Please listen."
Slowly, against his own will, Link turned his body, knowing he had to. The courtyard swirled in his vision, the small stream moving against the flow of the current as he turned, windows passing, showing him the people in the family portraits. When at last the world stopped spinning, he stood before Zelda Hime, her white dress billowing silently in the slight, warm breeze.
"What…what is that place, Zelda…Hime."
She frowned slightly, then her brow creased in thought. "I do not know what it is, Link. It's been there for a while now, I think even before I ever made it here."
"Where, where is here?"
She turned her head away, staring into the pale blue sky. "This is your mind, Link. Or maybe your heart. The two are connected; one cannot exist without the other. Well, this part of the mind, at least. This is your place, Link, the place where you exist."
Link took a hesitant step forward. "How is it that you're here?" What could he say to her? He had caused the princess so much grief, caused everyone so much pain. Why would she even want to be here, to talk to him?"
"I'm not Zelda…Hime. Why do you continue to force that thought? Why do you continue to keep her in that place?"
"What place? What are you talking about?"
"It's a simple request, and not a hard thing to do. Zelda Hime is inside your heart because you think of her. Everyone you think of is here, but because you think of Zelda Hime and Saria the most, they wanted to help you."
"They? Not you?"
She shook her head. "No, because you won't let me."
Link took a step back, confused. Zelda didn't seem to notice, but continued on. "You continue to push me away, and hang onto a different figure. Is it so hard?"
Link shook his head, slightly angry. "It's only a name! What's wrong with being respectful?"
"But, if it's only a name," she turned her head back, her eyes piercing his, "then why do you hold onto it so?" Link's eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. "You hang onto things, and won't accept when they need to be let go. You talk of being respectful, but where is the respect when you don't feel it?"
"I…I…"
She smiled slightly and walked down the steps, her small feet making no noise against the cold marble. When she reached him, she touched his cheek, her pale hands cool. "You are not wrong in wanting to do the right thing. But, if it feels wrong, is it the right thing? For a while now, you've wanted to just say my name. Is it really so hard? I asked you to call me by my name, so how could it be disrespectful?"
"I…I thought, if I didn't change the way I thought about one thing, I could still be myself. But Saria, she told me…she told me that I was still me. I never even realized it. So, I clung to something, hoping it was still me."
"Do you feel any different?"
Link shook his head and took a step back form the princess, his face serious. "No, I don't." Placing his right hand over his heart, Link knelt, his eyes determined as he stared into Zelda's blue ones. "But, I understand now, and I can protect you now. For the sake of everyone, for Hyrule, I will protect you."
Zelda smiled down at him, small tears in the corners of her eyes. Link stood, feeling calmer than he had in a long time. He didn't feel so divided anymore.
The light began to fade as the darkness crept back in, and Link started, surprised. He hadn't finished asking her everything he needed to ask! Reaching towards the princess, his hand was still short as the scene faded away. However, the princess stayed.
Overcoming his surprise, relief evident in his voice, Link jumped to his question, talking faster than he wanted. "Zelda, why are you here? Why did you and Saria enter my dream like this?"
"We wanted to help you Link. You're a very vulnerable person, and you've been hurt. Saria couldn't stand to see you in such pain, and you've helped me throughout this entire journey. So, we wanted to help you, so you wouldn't be so confused anymore."
"Thank you. I feel much better." Link relaxed, taking in his surroundings again. For the first time, he had a true form in this black void. "Why do I have a body now?"
"Because you're sure of yourself. You know who you are." Link nodded, but looked past her to the tear. Zelda noticed and looked as well. "But that…that we cannot help with. We do not understand it, and we are frightened. You're frightened too, but this is a part of you that you yourself must solve." She began to disappear, and another voice overlapped hers. "I have to go now, Link (…wake up… ). I'm sorry I couldn't help you anymore (Link, it's time.). Be well (Hurry, Link, you have to wake up!).
Impa gazed over him as his eyes opened, still blurry from sleep. The first thing he noticed, though, was that her eyes were bright with tears. When she noticed his eyes focusing, Impa grabbed him in an embrace, pulling him towards her like she would her own child.
"She's awake, Link. Zelda Hime, she…she's finally awake again! I'm so glad…so glad…"
Link did the only thing he could think of to do, and patted the older woman's head. "There, there, Impa. It's ok now. I'm sure, it's ok now."
Nodding against his shoulder, Impa stood and brought the boy with her. All her composure had returned; he couldn't tell she had just been crying from relief. "Come, Link, she wanted to talk to you."
"To me? She actually talked?"
Impa grunted and made a sour face. "Yes. The first words out of her mouth were your name. So, hurry up. She's still worn out, and will probably fall asleep again."
"Fall asleep? She's been sleeping for nearly a month now!"
Impa nodded, her eyes straight ahead. "Yes, but that wasn't a restful sleep, Link. Her body is tired and worn from lack of nutrition and care. It's not so much that she'll fall asleep as that she'll probably pass out. At least until morning."
"Sort of like if you oversleep, you'll fall asleep again for a few hours before feeling better?"
"Exactly like that." She grabbed his arm, not even noticing, and pulled him along with her. Link tripped a bit, but didn't complain. He wanted to make sure Zelda was truly ok, as well.
Sahasrahla stood when he heard them behind him. His back still to them, he blocked the princess from Link's view. "It seems, my dear, that the Hero has arrived." He turned to face Link, a smile creasing his old face, revealing the small girl wrapped in a dark blanket, her face pale and hair disheveled, but with a light in her eyes that spoke of life and vitality that had been missing from the company. Her eyes shined when she saw Impa, and she reached her arms up for a hug. Releasing Link's hand, Impa knelt and took the princess into her arms the same way she had done with Link.
"Princess, are you really all right now? Please tell me the truth."
"Yes, Impa. I'll be fine now. Please, don't worry anymore. Please." Her voice was the same voice Link had heard in his dream, the same voice he remembered. He wondered idly if Saria's voice would still be the same to him. He remembered how much sweeter it had sounded when he had finally returned home, waiting to be hugged by the only family he'd ever known.
"Link…please come here, a bit closer."
The boy started when the quiet voice spoke. Swallowing slightly, a bit embarrassed, Link took a step forward, but refused to come any closer. For some reason, he felt that Sahasrahla wouldn't approve if he were to go any closer. For Zelda's part, she seemed relieved he didn't. "Yes, Zelda?" He purposely said her name this time, if only to see both the princess' and Impa's reactions. Sahasrahla had a huge smile on his face, and Zelda giggled happily, squinting her eyes slightly. Impa, however, frowned and narrowed her eyes at the boy.
"Thank you, Link." Impa turned her head to the princess, one eyebrow raised. Zelda turned to her protector and smiled. "He saved me, Impa. And please don't be mad at him; I asked him to call me Zelda when we first met, remember?"
"He should know his place…"
Link slouched a bit, and Sahasrahla came and put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe, my dear, that the child does know his place." Impa turned to the elder, confusion written in her eyes. "He also thought like you, and it took him no where. Trust him, Impa. You will need to in the days ahead…"
"Sahasrahla, sir, what does that mean?" Link looked up at the older man, but couldn't see his eyes. The moon had just passed behind some clouds; everything was in shadow.
Instead of answering his question, Sahasrahla turned and walked back towards his bedroll. "We should all get some sleep; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I believe that we'll find our destination then. Child, go back to bed, there's no reason for a lookout. You too, my dear Impa. Everyone needs their rest." With that, the old man fell asleep, ignoring the rest of the world.
Impa shook her head, not fully agreeing with the elder, but decided to follow his advice. Lying down on her bedroll, slightly apart from the princess, Impa gave Link a look that spoke volumes, then closed her eyes.
Gulping, Link turned his gaze back to Zelda, who still sat up, even though her eyes were drooping in sleep. "Princess, you should really go back to sleep. Don't worry, you'll be fine in the morning. Sahasrahla explained it to me. It's like when you sleep for too long, and you're still tired. You're body just needs to rest a bit more, since it wasn't really resting in the first place…" Link trailed off, tapping his nose thoughtfully. "But now that I think about it, it still doesn't make sense…"
Zelda giggle again, then shuffled down into her blankets, pulling them up to her chin. "I think I understand. But, it's going to be hard for me to sleep; I'm hungry. You think I could have a piece of bread?"
Link nodded and crawled over to his pack, fishing out a day-old piece and then handing it to the princess. "You know, though, Zelda, they say that if you eat before you sleep you'll get nightmares."
Zelda shrugged. "That's only if you eat sweets." She ate the food hungrily, then sighed contentedly when she was finished, lying back down. Her eyes would no longer stay open. "But, I'm sure I won't have a nightmare, because I have everyone here to protect me." She yawned. "But I should start relying on myself more…to…" She yawned again, and Link could barely hear her words. "I'm really not that…tired…I'll be up in just a few minutes…" Her steady breathing informed the Hylian boy that she was asleep. Smiling gently, he nodded towards her, then crawled over to his own blankets. He was rather tired, himself.
He woke the next day slightly after the sun crested the horizon. Beams of light managed to creep through the foliage, giving the area a surreal glow. The dew on the grass sparkled when the sun hit it, creating mini rainbows for split seconds. Groggily shaking the sleep from his eyes, Link crawled to his knees, pushing himself up with one arm beneath him. Looking around, he noticed no one else was awake.
Deciding to help out, the boy yawned and stretched, then stood to gather wood for a small breakfast fire. Warm food in the mornings always made traveling that much nicer. Unfortunately, the wood was slightly damp from the dew, so he had to wait a bit before it really caught fire. By the time he'd finally gotten a real fire going, and put the small amount of meat left over said fire, the others were rubbing sleep from their eyes.
"Something smells good," was all Sahasrahla said before going for a morning walk to stretch his tired muscles. Impa only grunted and left to get some water from a nearby spring for washing. Zelda just stayed seated, watching Link silently.
"You don't have to stare. Ooh, it's done. Would you like something to warm you up? Mornings can be quite chilly."
"Thank you, but I'd rather stay here. I…don't trust my legs yet." She blushed, and Link silently scolded himself. Of course she wouldn't be able to walk yet; her muscles hadn't been used in a while.
"Well then, here, I'll bring it to you. After that, I can help you get the circulation back in your legs."
He walked over to her, holding the stick with the piece of meat on it. Handing it to the princess, he sat beside her, leaning back and supporting himself with his arms.
"You know a lot about this stuff, don't you, Link?"
"Huh? Yeah, I do. I traveled for a while, so I had to learn some things." He shifted his weight so one arm was free, and then began listing things off on his fingers. "Always make sure you get enough sleep. Corollary, always make sure you're not sleeping so soundly you can't hear anyone sneaking up on you. Always make sure you have food to eat—if you don't, improvise. And the most important one: a warm breakfast will keep you going. Oh, yeah, and there's ones about making sure you're fit and healthy, and keeping circulation good…" He smiled and winked at the princess.
Zelda smiled back, but then dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry, Link, to make you fight again. I'm sorry I had to in the first place."
"Don't be, Zelda. Never be sorry for something that has to be. It took me a while to understand that, though. I mean, I still wish that things could have been different, but at the same time, I don't. It's weird…"
"Regret?"
"Yeah, maybe that. Anyway, I need to finish breakfast. Sahasrahla and Impa will return soon, and I'm sure they're hungry."
True to his word, the two older Hylians returned shortly, eager for a meal. They ate quickly, however, because Sahasrahla said they needed to get on the move, but Impa refused to until she was allowed to help the princess clean herself up. Using the water she'd acquired, the warrior woman thoroughly scrubbed the princess' hair and face, cleaning the dirt away and untangling stray twigs in the soft, golden hair. Once the princess was to Impa's perfection, then and only then did she allow them to start moving again. Unfortunately, Link hadn't been able to help the princess get back on her legs, so Zelda was forced to lean against Impa the entire way.
The walk was long, but not arduous. Sahasrahla kept a steady pace, slow enough for the princess but fast enough that they were actually making some progress. By late in the afternoon, Zelda didn't have to rely on Impa as much, but she still leaned against her for added support.
"Sir, we should probably stop now, shouldn't we? I mean, it's past noon, and…" Link's stomach suddenly growled, the sound echoing on the forest path. Blushing to his hairline, the boy turned away from everyone, completely embarrassed. Why did he have to make a fool of himself now?
"The child is right, I suppose. We'll stop here."
"Sahasrahla elder, where is it that we're going?" Zelda crumpled to the ground, her legs shaking even when her weight was gone. She was sweating and breathing heavily.
"I don't know, exactly. I'm not the one to decide when we reach our destination."
"You said that before," Link turned to face the old man, his eyes narrowed. These cryptic messages were beginning to annoy him. "This is your home, isn't it? Why don't you know where we're going? And where is Navi-chan?"
"The faerie will return when she's done with her task. Please calm down." Sahasrahla sat, never looking at Link. Knowing it was pointless to be upset, Link, rather grumpily, sat as well.
"Well, your land isn't so big. We'll find it eventually. We have to."
"Why do you say this?" Sahasrahla finally seemed interested in the boy.
Link shrugged, not quite sure what to say. "Well, that's the reason we're here, right? Zelda believes in you; believes that you can help. So, if you say this place exists, it has to, right? So, we have to keep looking until we find it, but we will find it. If that's the only way we can do anything for Hyrule, then I'll make sure we find this place."
Sahasrahla nodded and smiled. "You've matured, child. It took awhile, but you've finally matured." He smiled as Link puffed out his cheeks in displeasure. "Now, let's eat. I'm very hungry."
They ate then, talking amiably about nothing in particular. Link actually felt good, feeling none of the heaviness that clouded him from before. For some reason, things seemed like they were going to be better. He noticed Zelda looking at him and smiled, but then frowned. Her smile reminded him of Navi. Once again, the boy wondered where his friend had gotten herself off to, and what this "task" of hers was.
Sahasrahla must have read his mind, because he moved to stand, brushing off his robes with one hand as he held onto his walking staff with the other. "It's time to go now, no use dawdling. We've sat around long enough, I think. Child," he nodded his head towards Link, but didn't make eye contact, "can you pack up the things? Impa, please help the princess."
"Yes." Impa began to help the princess up, talking with her in a hushed voice. Whatever she said, though, made the girl smile and giggle. Link lifted an eyebrow questioningly. What was it about girl's that made them laugh at whispered things? It seemed, anytime one girl whispered to another girl, it would make at least one of them giggle and smile.
On the move again, Link took the lead, trudging through the healthy undergrowth, his boots damp from dew and small puddles. No matter what, he always seemed to end up with wet shoes. He had long since stopped complaining about it, though, since the dew never answered back and seemed content to stay where it was. But this time was a bit different; he had people with him who he could talk to now. It was a nice feeling, having others with him on a quest. He never realized he missed people until they were there with him.
They continued walking for another hour, when suddenly the trees parted ways and sun sprinkled through the sparse clouds and foliage over an open clearing. Link stopped abruptly, surprised. Sahasrahla looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
"What's wrong, child? You appear as if you've seen a ghost."
Link pointed an accusing finger towards the clearing, with its sparkling pond and giant trees full of blossoms and the ground carpeted in flowers. "I've been here before! When I was looking for you guys, I stumbled across here, and this is where I met Eon. He told me I wasn't supposed to be here yet, or something… But…it didn't take me nearly as long to find this place last time! Sahasrahla sir, what is going on?!"
Sahasrahla placed a hand to his chin, thinking. Finally, he looked down at the boy. "I'm not sure how you found this place before, child. You truly are a remarkable boy. And Eon was right, although he talks too much. You were never supposed to know about this place. I wondered where you'd met him." He trailed off in thought, leaving Link pointing out to the semi-clearing, his mouth open slightly. Impa walked up casually behind him and tapped the back of his head.
"Don't stare like that, it's not very seemly. Come on, while we're here, we might as well rest. That water looks like it would be fine to drink. Sahasrahla elder?"
Sahasrahla looked up from his feet, his eyes slightly glossy. He'd been thinking hard. "The water? Hmm…no, don't drink it. There should be a small brook though, over that way." He pointed to his left, still within the trees. "The pond itself is enchanted." Impa nodded and walked off the way he'd pointed, the princess in tow. Zelda looked happy to be of some help as she carried the empty water bottles in her pale arms.
Link shook his head, not quite sure of what was going on. How was he supposed to know this was a special place? Walking farther in, he scanned his surroundings, wondering if maybe this was another magical-looking clearing, but sighed. It was definitely the same place.
Impa returned a quarter-of-an-hour later, carrying the full water bottles as Zelda trailed behind, her eyes bright. She'd regained nearly all of her leg strength, but Impa apparently wasn't taking any chances. When they reached Link, sitting in a pool of light, they stopped and Zelda sat down with him, trailing her fingers over the soft grass and flowers. Impa stood, waiting for the elder to come and join them. Sahasrahla was in another part of the clearing, studying some flowers on the trees, his chin in his fist. Impa waited, but when it appeared he didn't even remember they were there, she left to grab him.
Zelda smiled at Link, her eyes sparkling. "Can you feel the magic in this place, Link? I'm sure this is where I'll have to perform the spell."
Link blinked. "The spell?" He didn't know of any spell.
"Yes. Didn't you know?" Link shook his head. "Sahasrahla's duty was to bring me here, so I could cast a spell to find the source of the evil threatening Hyrule, so you could go and find it."
"So, this was always our destination?"
Zelda nodded. "But…he is also the only one who could have helped me after the…incident…in the castle. I'm still not sure what happened then…" She trailed off, her eyes downcast.
Link gulped and looked at his feet. "I'm sorry, Zelda. It was my fault, really. I didn't realize anything was happening, and when I finally did, I couldn't move."
Zelda looked at him and smiled her sad smile. "It's not your fault, Link. No one could have known what was going to happen. Even I didn't, and I have prophetic dreams."
"That's right! Zelda has the ability to see the future." Link smiled. "Did you dream anything? While you were, er, asleep all that time."
Zelda blushed slightly. "No. I was just…there. Oh, and Link?" Said boy looked at her, and she blushed more, making Link blink in confusion. "You don't talk too much, and it was nice of you to speak to me. It was really lonely there." Link's eyes widened and his face flamed.
"Uh, yeah, er, um….I'm, I'm gonna, er, um, I'm gonna go and see if Sahasrahla is ready to tell us what's going on." Link jumped up from his sitting position, nearly tripping in his haste, his face bright red and hot. He could hear Zelda giggling after him, but he tried to ignore it.
Jogging over to the two adults, Link tried to make his face stop burning, but he knew his cheeks were still slightly red when they noticed him. Coughing quietly, Link made sure his voice was straight when he asked what they were doing.
"Just waiting, is all. The spell can't be performed quite yet. Why don't you go and keep the princess company, or take a nap." Sahasrahla barely seemed to know he was there. Link blushed again when he suggested he stay with the princess. "What's wrong, child? Do you have a fever? The water bottles are full, go and get a drink." Impa smiled knowingly at him, and Link wondered just what it was she knew.
Resigned, Link trudged back over to Zelda, who'd taken one of the bottles and held it out to him. She was still slightly red. Link took the bottle with a barely audible "thank you," then proceeded to make sure he couldn't be seen behind the bottle.
Zelda scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you, Link. But, well…you did ask. Well, more like wonder, if I could hear you. And I really appreciated it!" She hurried to assure him when sounds of choking came from the water bottle. "You're really nice, you know. You're a great hero. I just wanted to, you know, thank you." She trailed off again, this time picking imaginary twigs from her hair or dress.
Setting the bottle down, Link wiped his mouth dry, then shrugged. The movement brought Zelda's head up. "It's nothing. I'm just kinda embarrassed that I actually did talk to you. I mean, I don't remember everything I talked about, since most of the time I was really tired or stressed or…something." He didn't want Zelda to know he'd been hearing voices too. "And anyway, one-way conversations can be awfully rude, you know, especially with unconscious princesses." The both laughed at that.
Zelda giggled brightly, then sighed to regain her composure. Link blinked. "So, who is Saria?"
"Huh?" Link didn't remember ever mentioning her.
"The other Sage. I was wondering who she was. She was in that dream of yours, too, the one before I woke up."
"You were there?" Link's mouth hung open.
"Not really, but I could tell what was going on. She means a lot to you, doesn't she?" Zelda folded her knees up under her chin, her arms wound around them.
Link nodded. "Yeah, she does. She's basically the one that raised me. She's like a sister to me. No, she IS a sister to me. I can't think of her any other way, really. We spent so much time together, and she taught me so much, that she became the only reason I'd ever leave the Kokiri Forest. Strange, huh."
"Why'd you leave, if she meant so much to you?"
Link tapped his boots, trying to think of a way to explain. "Well…because of everything she did for me, and how much I love her, it was the only thing I could do." Zelda shook her head, still confused. "I had to leave the Forest so I could find the Spiritual Stones and deliver them to you, so you could save Hyrule. So, if that's what I could do to pay her back for everything she'd done for me, then I'd do it."
"Save her life by saving Hyrule?" Link nodded. "I think I see what you mean. That's very noble."
"She seemed to think it was foolish." Link smiled slightly, then leaned back, sighing. "But it was harder to leave this time, because we didn't understand what was wrong. Saria can see things, too, sort of like you can. Only, she does it through music and the Forest. I'm sure she knew something was wrong, in fact she told me so. But…it was just different this time." He watched the sun travel behind a cloud., then reappear a minute later. "It's ok though. Because we're almost done. Then I can go back home and show Saria she worried for nothing." Link lifted his left arm and tapped his chest with his fist on the word "nothing." Zelda giggled.
"I'm sure she'll just tell you she wasn't worried and ask why you took so long."
Link smiled genuinely. "She might at that. Hey, we've been talking a while. It's already late afternoon." His stomach made a funny noise, and he blushed. "I didn't realize it was so late."
"Hey, you two! Come get some food!" They heard Impa's shout from the other side of the clearing, where her and Sahasrahla had made a fire, cooking what was left of the food they'd brought with them. Calling to let them know they'd heard, Zelda and Link stood, then looked at each other.
"That was a fun conversation, Link. We should talk more. It's always better when you have someone else to say something, isn't it?" Link blanched and then blushed, all in the span of five seconds, then followed as Zelda ran to the older Hylians, laughing.
Dinner went very quickly, and afterwards Sahasrahla pulled Zelda to the side, whispering. Link helped Impa put away the supplies, and then waited for the two to finish. Zelda looked determined as they made their ways back to Link and Impa. When they arrived, the princess said nothing, but instead continued walking, until her toes were touching the water of the pond. Link didn't think that was advisable, since she'd just recovered from one sickness and didn't need another, but Impa grabbed his arm. He looked up at her, and she shook her head.
"You need to learn, boy. Don't worry about Zelda Hime. Sahasrahla will make sure she's fine; you can't protect her from anything dealing with this." Linked nodded slowly, but still watched anxiously.
The princess stopped to say something none of them could hear, then continued into the water, until her feet were just covered. Spreading her arms wide, Zelda lifted her face to the sky as the sun went behind a cloud. Her pale face darkened as shadows covered it, and Link lurched a bit, suddenly queasy. The feeling passed almost instantaneously, and the shadows flew as the sun bathed the princess' face again. Impa looked down at him, worried, but Link shook his head and stood straight, as though nothing had happened.
Zelda continued her chant, and the water bubbled and rippled as she walked farther in, until the water was as deep as her knees. Once she was that far, Zelda stopped chanting and lowered her face and arms, then turned towards the others, a smile on her face. The sun shone through the sparse branches.
"Everyone, I think I know what's wrong with Hyrule! The spirits, they told me—" She screamed suddenly as something wrapped around her body, shots of electricity flying as her skin turned dark and cloudy. Before anyone else could react, Link was running, his feet splashing up sheets of water as he tried to catch the princess before she fell. Sahasrahla screamed just as Link reached the falling princess, bathed in flames of darkness. No one noticed the sun was once more hidden behind the clouds.
"No! Link, don't touch her!"
A huge roar sounded as Link's hands touched Zelda's shoulder, and the small glen was swathed in blackness.
Navi lurched in the air a bit as the whole area shuddered, and Eon perked up from where he'd been studying the ground. Dusting off his hands on his smock, the boy jumped onto a rock, perching as he scanned the quickly- darkening horizon.
"It's coming, isn't it?" He asked no one in particular.
Navi fluttered up to him, worried. "What do you mean? What's coming? Eon, what's going on? Why are you here, and why did Sahasrahla send me to you? He told me I needed to be here, that I wasn't any help to Link-kun…but I should be with Link-kun, helping him to protect Zelda Hime- sama!"
"Hush!" Eon didn't even glance her way. Instead, he stood, his balance perfect perched atop the large rock, and raised his right arm, splaying his hand wide. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head a bit, and the air around his right hand shimmered, finally coalescing into a naginata. Navi gasped as he opened his eyes and swung the weapon, testing its balance. Finding it to his liking, Eon nodded, then jumped off the stone, landing and walking almost in one movement. He seemed so different from the Eon Navi had seen talking with Link.
"Eon! Where are you going with that weapon? What would you need a spear for anyway?"
Eon looked back, but kept walking. "It's a naginata, and I need it. Just like Link uses a sword, I use this." He hefted the long weapon off his shoulder to emphasize his words, then promptly ignored the faerie and kept walking. Navi shook her head, confused.
"But, but…why do you need it? What's wrong?" She was desperate.
The boy must have heard the pain in her words, because he stopped. After a while, he turned to her, but his eyes wouldn't meet hers, and she couldn't see any emotion in his face. His eyes were empty of anything.
He looked at her then, and for a fleeting second, she saw a deep pain in the emerald orbs. The moment was fleeting, however, as he turned away almost immediately and continued walking. Navi spluttered and followed, sure he wouldn't answer her question. She was about to tell him what she thought of that when he broke the silence himself.
"Sahasrahla was afraid this would happen, and I prayed it never would. But you felt it. The very earth cringed just now. We all have a purpose in this life, something that we must fulfill—our destinies. Yours was to protect Link and guide him to the Final Battle, and Saria's was to raise him to be strong and brave and everything else a hero needs to be."
"And you, Eon?" She bit her lip, afraid of the answer when she saw his eyes.
"Mine… I prayed I would never have to carry mine out. But I guess we can't run from Destiny."
"Eon…?"
The boy shook his head and quickened his pace, leaving Navi behind. She shouted after him, but the earth shook again and a branch smashed into her, sending her flying. Through hazy eyes, she saw Eon perched above her, his eyes shadowed.
"My destiny…is to kill the Hero of Time."
Navi reached out her hand, trying in vain to claw at the boy who stood and began running from her. Her throat hurt as she screamed after him.
"No…NO!!!"
Link splashed into the water, swallowing suddenly and gagging on the warm liquid. The water was bubbling and quickly beginning to boil. He had to get Zelda out of there, and fast.
Zelda slumped against him, soaked through and unconscious. Her skin was still clouded over and shadowed, but she was no longer surrounded by flames of black lightning. Link nudged her, but she didn't respond.
Oh, Goddesses, please let her be safe. She can't be dead, she can't! Link hauled himself to his feet, dragging Zelda with him. As long as there was the chance she was still alive, he had to get her out of this water. All around him, the once-quiet pond bubbled and sprayed, huge waves knocking him down into the roiling waters. He swallowed more of the dark water, coughing and wheezing as he tried to breathe. What was going on?
Impa and Sahasrahla called him from the bank, the taller Sheikah wading out a bit to help. The waters were beginning to boil now, though, and she couldn't wade very far before she endangered herself as well.
"Impa! Here…grab her!" When he was close enough, Link practically threw the princess into Impa's waiting hands, then collapsed backwards into the waves from the backlash. He couldn't hear anything as water crashed around him, filling his ears and blinding him. It was hot, so hot! His skin burned as he tried to swim back to the surface, but the current was too strong, and he felt himself being pulled away.
Hands grabbed his wrists and pulled, and Link opened his mouth to scream, but only succeeded in taking in more water. Someone was pulling him, though, and he didn't know which way they were taking him. Panicked, he thrashed around kicking and pulling, until his head broke the surface and Impa's strong arms hauled him up. His eyes burned where the water had touched them, and the wind flayed his raw skin, but he was safe. The tall warrior woman dragged him from the waters and deposited him on the bank, well away from the edge. Collapsing beside him, Impa shuddered and went still, breathing heavily and shaking slightly from the strain.
Sahasrahla was there as well, tending to Zelda. Through blurry eyes, Link watched as the old man checked her pulse and listened for a heartbeat, then stand and walk over to him. Kneeling, Sahasrahla took Link's hands in his, checking over the skin.
"Child, you seem to have an affinity for burns. The skin of your hands and wrists looks as though they were flayed by a whip of pure fire. Please, you must calm yourself!" Link thrashed about, trying to speak but unable to because of the burning waters that had scorched his throat. He shook instead, trying to get free so he could help. "Child, calm down! Panicking like this won't help." He cursed lightly under his breath. "You're going through shock, I see. I'm sorry, but we can't have that, you need to hold yourself together!"
'But I think he's doing a wonderful job. Aren't you, Link-san?'
Both the old man and young boy stopped short, frozen in their spots. Link recognized that voice. It was the one that had haunted him since he'd left the forest. Only, it sounded slightly more familiar, as though…
Link gasped as he turned, trying to find the source of the voice. He almost didn't want to. He knew.
'You've finally figured it out, have you? The true threat to this land called Hyrule?'
Blurry eyes wandered until they pinpointed to source of the haunting voice. Link heard Impa cry out as she noticed who was standing before the waters, unscathed by the boiling mass behind him. Sahasrahla pursed his lips, but said nothing. His eyes were sad, though.
Link did nothing as his vision blurred more, shock finally taking over his body completely. He managed to look up at the true threat to Hyrule; at the being he was destined to defeat.
He was looking at himself.
Part One: End
LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS
Whooooo. Well, that was long and arduous. But, the journey is halfway done! Did this end come as a surprise? I've had it planned since chapter one…just, nothing in between. I need a new style of writing… I think that's what I'll do for the next part. I'm just going to write, and not care where to end a chapter. When I decide it's time to update, or I think I have enough, I'll find a good place to end. Maybe then I'll be able to update more. I know this is a terrible place to end right now… I'm sorry! But can anyone point out the three main games I've 'borrowed' for this ficcie? I can't give you anything, but I can congratulate you (it's not hard, really)!
Anywho, I wanted to thank the people that reviewed my story. I was really not in the spirit to write for along time, but then I read these two reviews by tenshi-chan and blackrose87, and you two made me feel very happy. Everyone else that reviews makes me feel that way, as well, but these two really did. So I thank you all for your kind words. *bows* Without you readers, then I would have no reason to write. So, if you see something wrong or have a suggestion, feel free to tell me. This may be my brainchild, but I never would have uploaded it unless I wanted others to enjoy it as well.
So, I hope you can all enjoy this story, even if I am evil and end on terribler (heee) cliffhangers than my oneesan does.
They traveled for a while before stopping for breakfast. Before sitting down, however, Sahasrahla looked to his left, into the trees, and beckoned.
"You can come out, Eon. I know you're there, so there's no use hiding anymore. Why don't you eat with us?"
The small boy crept sheepishly form his hiding place, a bow slung across his shoulder and his hair ruffled. He grinned foolishly, however, upon seeing Link.
"So, I see you're still in one piece. I still owe you for that shower, by the way. Ah, and who is this?" He was looking at the princess, lying peacefully beside the larger woman, Impa. Eon's gaze took her in as well, and some unspoken acknowledgement passed between them. "So, Old Man, where are you guys heading?" For some reason, Link knew the question was hollow. Eon knew exactly where they were headed.
"I'm going to show Link something that will help solve some difficulties with this quest. And you, Eon, are you doing your job adequately? Are you prepared to follow it through to completion?"
The small boy nodded, although he looked a bit distraught. "I'll do what I have to, yes." He turned to Link now, and his smile reappeared. "So, what have you been up to since yesterday? By the smell of you, I can tell you finally took that bath." He laughed as Link blushed, then plopped down beside his friend, stealing a piece of cheese.
"So, you are that boy Link said he met. I can understand him getting along with you; you're just as bad as him." Impa's cool gaze scanned both boys.
"Hey!" They both yelled indignantly. "I'm nothing like him!"
Navi flew in closer to Eon, blinking her large eyes and tapping her lip. "So, you're Link-kun's friend, huh? I'm Navi, his faerie."
"Nice to meet you, Navi. Link thinks highly of you—well, when you aren't talking, that is." Navi turned scarlet and clenched her hands, eyes twitching. "You seem nice enough though."
"Yes, I suppose I do…" Navi's voice trailed off as her eyes twitched sporadically, and went over to sit with Zelda Hime.
"So," Eon began again, this time taking some bread, "Sahasrahla finally managed to get off his old butt and help you out, huh? Glad to hear it. But I need to be going anyway; got stuff to do, and all that. Oh, by the way, thanks for the food. The bread was a bit old, but everything else was great."
Link blinked and lifted an eyebrow, then looked down at where his food should have been. All that was left was a small piece of bread. Clenching his teeth and turning bright red, the small boy jumped to his feet, but Eon was already gone, the only sign of his passing a whisper in the trees.
"Don't let him bother you. Here, have this." Sahasrahla handed the boy another piece of bread and cheese, then went over to sit beside Zelda Hime. Link noticed Navi's glow change; they must be talking. Strangely, though, Navi was very subdued, and then, to Link's complete surprise, she flew off into the trees, without even saying goodbye.
When Sahasrahla returned to Impa and Link, the boy opened his mouth to question where his faerie had gone.
"Don't worry, I sent her on an errand. She'll return shortly. Now, for us, we need to continue on our way. I'm not quite sure how long we have left to go." The old man picked up his walking stick as Impa packed up their things and hiked the bag over her shoulder. Link stood alone, his food uneaten, then followed after, stuffing bread in his mouth.
When he successfully managed to swallow his food without choking, Link ran up beside Sahasrahla, pulling on the older man's robes to draw his attention.
"Um, sir, why don't you know how long we have left to get to this place? I thought you knew everything about this area?"
The old man chuckled. "Well, truthfully, the destination time is always different. In this case, how long it takes us to get to where we're going is dependent entirely upon you."
"Me?"
Sahasrahla nodded, but said nothing else. Falling behind the others, Link drifted into his own thoughts, letting time pass him, unaware.
Night came swiftly and silently, born on cool wings. The air was chilly, but not uncomfortable, and a slight wind kept a constant noise present through the trees. Navi had not yet returned, but Sahasrahla was very sure that she would return in the morning. She had a very important duty, he said, and it might take some time. As kind as the old man's words were, though, Link still worried about his friend.
Impa took first guard, and she promised Link she would wake him slightly after midnight.
"I don't see why you want to stay up, but if it's your wish, fine. Just don't fall asleep at your post."
Link nodded emphatically as the tall Sheik left. Cuddling down into his blankets, his hair loose around his face, Link fell into a deep sleep. When Sahasrahla went over to check on him, the boy was already breathing evenly, and he smiled. Perhaps they would reach their destination sooner than he thought.
It was dark here. The boy didn't feel threatened, but instead felt a warmth and tenderness in the air all around him. When he tried to move, he noticed he had no body, but could feel wind. Intrigued, he continued to move at random, feeling the way the air moved against his non-body.
He continued for a ways, until a soft voice stopped him.
"I wouldn't go that way, it's dangerous."
The boy looked around, even though he didn't have eyes. He noticed no one, but did see the tear in the darkness. It wasn't a tear, really, more like a…difference. The blackness on the other side of the tear was…different. That was the only way he could explain it. And it was cold, terribly cold. And lonely, too.
"I wouldn't go that way. That place is closed off."
Now the boy did see a figure; a small shape, sitting on something. He edged closer and noticed it was a girl, sitting on a stump.
"Saria…? Saria, is that you?"
The girl giggled, but shook her head no. "No, I'm not her. But in a way I am. But please, don't go over there. I don't want you to be hurt."
The boy ignored her warning, and focused on what she said before. "Yes, but no? How can you not be something but be it at the same time?"
She tapped her lip lightly, and again shook her head no. "I don't know, I just know that I'm not. But I'm here for a reason—more like, you're here for a reason."
"I am?" The boy could feel himself hovering--no weight, no body.
"Please come and sit with me. It's very disconcerting when you won't show your true self."
Intrigued, and a little confused, the boy glided over to the girl, and the darkness gave way to a sun-lit glen, a lone tree looming over the stump, with what looked like the entrance to a temple. The boy looked around wildly; he knew this place.
"It's ok, Link. Come and sit down with me, please." Saria made a place for him beside her, and he sat, slightly uncomfortable. "Is it that strange, Link?"
He shook his head.
"You've grown since I last saw you. You look very good, very handsome."
Link blushed, but kept his eyes lowered. He bit his bottom lip, trying his hardest not to look into his friend's eyes.
"Are you ashamed of me?"
"No!" The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and he looked away, embarrassed at his outburst. "No," he said, softer, "but…I don't know. You look exactly the same as always, Saria."
"Are you jealous?"
"No, I…I don't think so."
"Then what's wrong?" She smiled slightly. "Are you upset because you've grown? Don't be. It's who you are."
"That's what Navi-chan said."
"And she was right." The Kokiri-girl tapped his nose playfully, then put her ocarina to her lips. He didn't know where she got it from. "You should listen to her more often, Link. Even if she does talk a lot."
Link smiled. "I know, I know. But, it's harder than that. There's more to it. But I don't know what it is…"
"You're scared."
"Huh?" He turned to Saria, who gave him the same look she always had whenever he hadn't understood something. Only, this time, she seemed much more uptight, as though something was wrong with her statement.
"You're scared, Link. Don't open your mouth, you know it's true. You're afraid of not being yourself. Just because you grow doesn't mean you aren't yourself, Link. That's silly to think that. You should listen to Navi, and try to understand what she's saying."
"But, I—"
"Tell me, Link." Saria was looking at the ground now, her eyes thoughtful. "If a tree grows taller, is it a different tree?"
"No, of course not."
"But it has changed, hasn't it? The tree went from being a tiny sprout to a towering giant, older than anyone could ever imagine. But, is it a different being than that same sprout?"
Link shook his head as what Saria said hit him. He was a fool, he realized that now. "Saria, I…"
She smiled again and patted his cheek. "Sometimes people don't want to realize the obvious. They delude themselves and try to justify their actions by ignoring the simple truths around them. You did nothing wrong, Link, but you weren't being honest to yourself." She nodded to him, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "But, because you're my little brother, I thought I should help you out. Even though you're bigger than me now, you'll always be my little brother."
"Saria…Saria!"
The girl disappeared as he called her name, and the blackness returned as the forest faded away. The warmth of the sunlight bled away as he turned and once again looked at the divide in the darkness.
"Please, do not go that way. You've been asked already."
Link started when he heard the voice. Sunlight filtered through the open courtyard, and a bird swooped past, a worm caught in her beak for her young. He didn't want to turn around; he already knew what was there.
"That place is dangerous. Please listen."
Slowly, against his own will, Link turned his body, knowing he had to. The courtyard swirled in his vision, the small stream moving against the flow of the current as he turned, windows passing, showing him the people in the family portraits. When at last the world stopped spinning, he stood before Zelda Hime, her white dress billowing silently in the slight, warm breeze.
"What…what is that place, Zelda…Hime."
She frowned slightly, then her brow creased in thought. "I do not know what it is, Link. It's been there for a while now, I think even before I ever made it here."
"Where, where is here?"
She turned her head away, staring into the pale blue sky. "This is your mind, Link. Or maybe your heart. The two are connected; one cannot exist without the other. Well, this part of the mind, at least. This is your place, Link, the place where you exist."
Link took a hesitant step forward. "How is it that you're here?" What could he say to her? He had caused the princess so much grief, caused everyone so much pain. Why would she even want to be here, to talk to him?"
"I'm not Zelda…Hime. Why do you continue to force that thought? Why do you continue to keep her in that place?"
"What place? What are you talking about?"
"It's a simple request, and not a hard thing to do. Zelda Hime is inside your heart because you think of her. Everyone you think of is here, but because you think of Zelda Hime and Saria the most, they wanted to help you."
"They? Not you?"
She shook her head. "No, because you won't let me."
Link took a step back, confused. Zelda didn't seem to notice, but continued on. "You continue to push me away, and hang onto a different figure. Is it so hard?"
Link shook his head, slightly angry. "It's only a name! What's wrong with being respectful?"
"But, if it's only a name," she turned her head back, her eyes piercing his, "then why do you hold onto it so?" Link's eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. "You hang onto things, and won't accept when they need to be let go. You talk of being respectful, but where is the respect when you don't feel it?"
"I…I…"
She smiled slightly and walked down the steps, her small feet making no noise against the cold marble. When she reached him, she touched his cheek, her pale hands cool. "You are not wrong in wanting to do the right thing. But, if it feels wrong, is it the right thing? For a while now, you've wanted to just say my name. Is it really so hard? I asked you to call me by my name, so how could it be disrespectful?"
"I…I thought, if I didn't change the way I thought about one thing, I could still be myself. But Saria, she told me…she told me that I was still me. I never even realized it. So, I clung to something, hoping it was still me."
"Do you feel any different?"
Link shook his head and took a step back form the princess, his face serious. "No, I don't." Placing his right hand over his heart, Link knelt, his eyes determined as he stared into Zelda's blue ones. "But, I understand now, and I can protect you now. For the sake of everyone, for Hyrule, I will protect you."
Zelda smiled down at him, small tears in the corners of her eyes. Link stood, feeling calmer than he had in a long time. He didn't feel so divided anymore.
The light began to fade as the darkness crept back in, and Link started, surprised. He hadn't finished asking her everything he needed to ask! Reaching towards the princess, his hand was still short as the scene faded away. However, the princess stayed.
Overcoming his surprise, relief evident in his voice, Link jumped to his question, talking faster than he wanted. "Zelda, why are you here? Why did you and Saria enter my dream like this?"
"We wanted to help you Link. You're a very vulnerable person, and you've been hurt. Saria couldn't stand to see you in such pain, and you've helped me throughout this entire journey. So, we wanted to help you, so you wouldn't be so confused anymore."
"Thank you. I feel much better." Link relaxed, taking in his surroundings again. For the first time, he had a true form in this black void. "Why do I have a body now?"
"Because you're sure of yourself. You know who you are." Link nodded, but looked past her to the tear. Zelda noticed and looked as well. "But that…that we cannot help with. We do not understand it, and we are frightened. You're frightened too, but this is a part of you that you yourself must solve." She began to disappear, and another voice overlapped hers. "I have to go now, Link (…wake up… ). I'm sorry I couldn't help you anymore (Link, it's time.). Be well (Hurry, Link, you have to wake up!).
Impa gazed over him as his eyes opened, still blurry from sleep. The first thing he noticed, though, was that her eyes were bright with tears. When she noticed his eyes focusing, Impa grabbed him in an embrace, pulling him towards her like she would her own child.
"She's awake, Link. Zelda Hime, she…she's finally awake again! I'm so glad…so glad…"
Link did the only thing he could think of to do, and patted the older woman's head. "There, there, Impa. It's ok now. I'm sure, it's ok now."
Nodding against his shoulder, Impa stood and brought the boy with her. All her composure had returned; he couldn't tell she had just been crying from relief. "Come, Link, she wanted to talk to you."
"To me? She actually talked?"
Impa grunted and made a sour face. "Yes. The first words out of her mouth were your name. So, hurry up. She's still worn out, and will probably fall asleep again."
"Fall asleep? She's been sleeping for nearly a month now!"
Impa nodded, her eyes straight ahead. "Yes, but that wasn't a restful sleep, Link. Her body is tired and worn from lack of nutrition and care. It's not so much that she'll fall asleep as that she'll probably pass out. At least until morning."
"Sort of like if you oversleep, you'll fall asleep again for a few hours before feeling better?"
"Exactly like that." She grabbed his arm, not even noticing, and pulled him along with her. Link tripped a bit, but didn't complain. He wanted to make sure Zelda was truly ok, as well.
Sahasrahla stood when he heard them behind him. His back still to them, he blocked the princess from Link's view. "It seems, my dear, that the Hero has arrived." He turned to face Link, a smile creasing his old face, revealing the small girl wrapped in a dark blanket, her face pale and hair disheveled, but with a light in her eyes that spoke of life and vitality that had been missing from the company. Her eyes shined when she saw Impa, and she reached her arms up for a hug. Releasing Link's hand, Impa knelt and took the princess into her arms the same way she had done with Link.
"Princess, are you really all right now? Please tell me the truth."
"Yes, Impa. I'll be fine now. Please, don't worry anymore. Please." Her voice was the same voice Link had heard in his dream, the same voice he remembered. He wondered idly if Saria's voice would still be the same to him. He remembered how much sweeter it had sounded when he had finally returned home, waiting to be hugged by the only family he'd ever known.
"Link…please come here, a bit closer."
The boy started when the quiet voice spoke. Swallowing slightly, a bit embarrassed, Link took a step forward, but refused to come any closer. For some reason, he felt that Sahasrahla wouldn't approve if he were to go any closer. For Zelda's part, she seemed relieved he didn't. "Yes, Zelda?" He purposely said her name this time, if only to see both the princess' and Impa's reactions. Sahasrahla had a huge smile on his face, and Zelda giggled happily, squinting her eyes slightly. Impa, however, frowned and narrowed her eyes at the boy.
"Thank you, Link." Impa turned her head to the princess, one eyebrow raised. Zelda turned to her protector and smiled. "He saved me, Impa. And please don't be mad at him; I asked him to call me Zelda when we first met, remember?"
"He should know his place…"
Link slouched a bit, and Sahasrahla came and put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe, my dear, that the child does know his place." Impa turned to the elder, confusion written in her eyes. "He also thought like you, and it took him no where. Trust him, Impa. You will need to in the days ahead…"
"Sahasrahla, sir, what does that mean?" Link looked up at the older man, but couldn't see his eyes. The moon had just passed behind some clouds; everything was in shadow.
Instead of answering his question, Sahasrahla turned and walked back towards his bedroll. "We should all get some sleep; we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. I believe that we'll find our destination then. Child, go back to bed, there's no reason for a lookout. You too, my dear Impa. Everyone needs their rest." With that, the old man fell asleep, ignoring the rest of the world.
Impa shook her head, not fully agreeing with the elder, but decided to follow his advice. Lying down on her bedroll, slightly apart from the princess, Impa gave Link a look that spoke volumes, then closed her eyes.
Gulping, Link turned his gaze back to Zelda, who still sat up, even though her eyes were drooping in sleep. "Princess, you should really go back to sleep. Don't worry, you'll be fine in the morning. Sahasrahla explained it to me. It's like when you sleep for too long, and you're still tired. You're body just needs to rest a bit more, since it wasn't really resting in the first place…" Link trailed off, tapping his nose thoughtfully. "But now that I think about it, it still doesn't make sense…"
Zelda giggle again, then shuffled down into her blankets, pulling them up to her chin. "I think I understand. But, it's going to be hard for me to sleep; I'm hungry. You think I could have a piece of bread?"
Link nodded and crawled over to his pack, fishing out a day-old piece and then handing it to the princess. "You know, though, Zelda, they say that if you eat before you sleep you'll get nightmares."
Zelda shrugged. "That's only if you eat sweets." She ate the food hungrily, then sighed contentedly when she was finished, lying back down. Her eyes would no longer stay open. "But, I'm sure I won't have a nightmare, because I have everyone here to protect me." She yawned. "But I should start relying on myself more…to…" She yawned again, and Link could barely hear her words. "I'm really not that…tired…I'll be up in just a few minutes…" Her steady breathing informed the Hylian boy that she was asleep. Smiling gently, he nodded towards her, then crawled over to his own blankets. He was rather tired, himself.
He woke the next day slightly after the sun crested the horizon. Beams of light managed to creep through the foliage, giving the area a surreal glow. The dew on the grass sparkled when the sun hit it, creating mini rainbows for split seconds. Groggily shaking the sleep from his eyes, Link crawled to his knees, pushing himself up with one arm beneath him. Looking around, he noticed no one else was awake.
Deciding to help out, the boy yawned and stretched, then stood to gather wood for a small breakfast fire. Warm food in the mornings always made traveling that much nicer. Unfortunately, the wood was slightly damp from the dew, so he had to wait a bit before it really caught fire. By the time he'd finally gotten a real fire going, and put the small amount of meat left over said fire, the others were rubbing sleep from their eyes.
"Something smells good," was all Sahasrahla said before going for a morning walk to stretch his tired muscles. Impa only grunted and left to get some water from a nearby spring for washing. Zelda just stayed seated, watching Link silently.
"You don't have to stare. Ooh, it's done. Would you like something to warm you up? Mornings can be quite chilly."
"Thank you, but I'd rather stay here. I…don't trust my legs yet." She blushed, and Link silently scolded himself. Of course she wouldn't be able to walk yet; her muscles hadn't been used in a while.
"Well then, here, I'll bring it to you. After that, I can help you get the circulation back in your legs."
He walked over to her, holding the stick with the piece of meat on it. Handing it to the princess, he sat beside her, leaning back and supporting himself with his arms.
"You know a lot about this stuff, don't you, Link?"
"Huh? Yeah, I do. I traveled for a while, so I had to learn some things." He shifted his weight so one arm was free, and then began listing things off on his fingers. "Always make sure you get enough sleep. Corollary, always make sure you're not sleeping so soundly you can't hear anyone sneaking up on you. Always make sure you have food to eat—if you don't, improvise. And the most important one: a warm breakfast will keep you going. Oh, yeah, and there's ones about making sure you're fit and healthy, and keeping circulation good…" He smiled and winked at the princess.
Zelda smiled back, but then dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry, Link, to make you fight again. I'm sorry I had to in the first place."
"Don't be, Zelda. Never be sorry for something that has to be. It took me a while to understand that, though. I mean, I still wish that things could have been different, but at the same time, I don't. It's weird…"
"Regret?"
"Yeah, maybe that. Anyway, I need to finish breakfast. Sahasrahla and Impa will return soon, and I'm sure they're hungry."
True to his word, the two older Hylians returned shortly, eager for a meal. They ate quickly, however, because Sahasrahla said they needed to get on the move, but Impa refused to until she was allowed to help the princess clean herself up. Using the water she'd acquired, the warrior woman thoroughly scrubbed the princess' hair and face, cleaning the dirt away and untangling stray twigs in the soft, golden hair. Once the princess was to Impa's perfection, then and only then did she allow them to start moving again. Unfortunately, Link hadn't been able to help the princess get back on her legs, so Zelda was forced to lean against Impa the entire way.
The walk was long, but not arduous. Sahasrahla kept a steady pace, slow enough for the princess but fast enough that they were actually making some progress. By late in the afternoon, Zelda didn't have to rely on Impa as much, but she still leaned against her for added support.
"Sir, we should probably stop now, shouldn't we? I mean, it's past noon, and…" Link's stomach suddenly growled, the sound echoing on the forest path. Blushing to his hairline, the boy turned away from everyone, completely embarrassed. Why did he have to make a fool of himself now?
"The child is right, I suppose. We'll stop here."
"Sahasrahla elder, where is it that we're going?" Zelda crumpled to the ground, her legs shaking even when her weight was gone. She was sweating and breathing heavily.
"I don't know, exactly. I'm not the one to decide when we reach our destination."
"You said that before," Link turned to face the old man, his eyes narrowed. These cryptic messages were beginning to annoy him. "This is your home, isn't it? Why don't you know where we're going? And where is Navi-chan?"
"The faerie will return when she's done with her task. Please calm down." Sahasrahla sat, never looking at Link. Knowing it was pointless to be upset, Link, rather grumpily, sat as well.
"Well, your land isn't so big. We'll find it eventually. We have to."
"Why do you say this?" Sahasrahla finally seemed interested in the boy.
Link shrugged, not quite sure what to say. "Well, that's the reason we're here, right? Zelda believes in you; believes that you can help. So, if you say this place exists, it has to, right? So, we have to keep looking until we find it, but we will find it. If that's the only way we can do anything for Hyrule, then I'll make sure we find this place."
Sahasrahla nodded and smiled. "You've matured, child. It took awhile, but you've finally matured." He smiled as Link puffed out his cheeks in displeasure. "Now, let's eat. I'm very hungry."
They ate then, talking amiably about nothing in particular. Link actually felt good, feeling none of the heaviness that clouded him from before. For some reason, things seemed like they were going to be better. He noticed Zelda looking at him and smiled, but then frowned. Her smile reminded him of Navi. Once again, the boy wondered where his friend had gotten herself off to, and what this "task" of hers was.
Sahasrahla must have read his mind, because he moved to stand, brushing off his robes with one hand as he held onto his walking staff with the other. "It's time to go now, no use dawdling. We've sat around long enough, I think. Child," he nodded his head towards Link, but didn't make eye contact, "can you pack up the things? Impa, please help the princess."
"Yes." Impa began to help the princess up, talking with her in a hushed voice. Whatever she said, though, made the girl smile and giggle. Link lifted an eyebrow questioningly. What was it about girl's that made them laugh at whispered things? It seemed, anytime one girl whispered to another girl, it would make at least one of them giggle and smile.
On the move again, Link took the lead, trudging through the healthy undergrowth, his boots damp from dew and small puddles. No matter what, he always seemed to end up with wet shoes. He had long since stopped complaining about it, though, since the dew never answered back and seemed content to stay where it was. But this time was a bit different; he had people with him who he could talk to now. It was a nice feeling, having others with him on a quest. He never realized he missed people until they were there with him.
They continued walking for another hour, when suddenly the trees parted ways and sun sprinkled through the sparse clouds and foliage over an open clearing. Link stopped abruptly, surprised. Sahasrahla looked at him, one eyebrow raised.
"What's wrong, child? You appear as if you've seen a ghost."
Link pointed an accusing finger towards the clearing, with its sparkling pond and giant trees full of blossoms and the ground carpeted in flowers. "I've been here before! When I was looking for you guys, I stumbled across here, and this is where I met Eon. He told me I wasn't supposed to be here yet, or something… But…it didn't take me nearly as long to find this place last time! Sahasrahla sir, what is going on?!"
Sahasrahla placed a hand to his chin, thinking. Finally, he looked down at the boy. "I'm not sure how you found this place before, child. You truly are a remarkable boy. And Eon was right, although he talks too much. You were never supposed to know about this place. I wondered where you'd met him." He trailed off in thought, leaving Link pointing out to the semi-clearing, his mouth open slightly. Impa walked up casually behind him and tapped the back of his head.
"Don't stare like that, it's not very seemly. Come on, while we're here, we might as well rest. That water looks like it would be fine to drink. Sahasrahla elder?"
Sahasrahla looked up from his feet, his eyes slightly glossy. He'd been thinking hard. "The water? Hmm…no, don't drink it. There should be a small brook though, over that way." He pointed to his left, still within the trees. "The pond itself is enchanted." Impa nodded and walked off the way he'd pointed, the princess in tow. Zelda looked happy to be of some help as she carried the empty water bottles in her pale arms.
Link shook his head, not quite sure of what was going on. How was he supposed to know this was a special place? Walking farther in, he scanned his surroundings, wondering if maybe this was another magical-looking clearing, but sighed. It was definitely the same place.
Impa returned a quarter-of-an-hour later, carrying the full water bottles as Zelda trailed behind, her eyes bright. She'd regained nearly all of her leg strength, but Impa apparently wasn't taking any chances. When they reached Link, sitting in a pool of light, they stopped and Zelda sat down with him, trailing her fingers over the soft grass and flowers. Impa stood, waiting for the elder to come and join them. Sahasrahla was in another part of the clearing, studying some flowers on the trees, his chin in his fist. Impa waited, but when it appeared he didn't even remember they were there, she left to grab him.
Zelda smiled at Link, her eyes sparkling. "Can you feel the magic in this place, Link? I'm sure this is where I'll have to perform the spell."
Link blinked. "The spell?" He didn't know of any spell.
"Yes. Didn't you know?" Link shook his head. "Sahasrahla's duty was to bring me here, so I could cast a spell to find the source of the evil threatening Hyrule, so you could go and find it."
"So, this was always our destination?"
Zelda nodded. "But…he is also the only one who could have helped me after the…incident…in the castle. I'm still not sure what happened then…" She trailed off, her eyes downcast.
Link gulped and looked at his feet. "I'm sorry, Zelda. It was my fault, really. I didn't realize anything was happening, and when I finally did, I couldn't move."
Zelda looked at him and smiled her sad smile. "It's not your fault, Link. No one could have known what was going to happen. Even I didn't, and I have prophetic dreams."
"That's right! Zelda has the ability to see the future." Link smiled. "Did you dream anything? While you were, er, asleep all that time."
Zelda blushed slightly. "No. I was just…there. Oh, and Link?" Said boy looked at her, and she blushed more, making Link blink in confusion. "You don't talk too much, and it was nice of you to speak to me. It was really lonely there." Link's eyes widened and his face flamed.
"Uh, yeah, er, um….I'm, I'm gonna, er, um, I'm gonna go and see if Sahasrahla is ready to tell us what's going on." Link jumped up from his sitting position, nearly tripping in his haste, his face bright red and hot. He could hear Zelda giggling after him, but he tried to ignore it.
Jogging over to the two adults, Link tried to make his face stop burning, but he knew his cheeks were still slightly red when they noticed him. Coughing quietly, Link made sure his voice was straight when he asked what they were doing.
"Just waiting, is all. The spell can't be performed quite yet. Why don't you go and keep the princess company, or take a nap." Sahasrahla barely seemed to know he was there. Link blushed again when he suggested he stay with the princess. "What's wrong, child? Do you have a fever? The water bottles are full, go and get a drink." Impa smiled knowingly at him, and Link wondered just what it was she knew.
Resigned, Link trudged back over to Zelda, who'd taken one of the bottles and held it out to him. She was still slightly red. Link took the bottle with a barely audible "thank you," then proceeded to make sure he couldn't be seen behind the bottle.
Zelda scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you, Link. But, well…you did ask. Well, more like wonder, if I could hear you. And I really appreciated it!" She hurried to assure him when sounds of choking came from the water bottle. "You're really nice, you know. You're a great hero. I just wanted to, you know, thank you." She trailed off again, this time picking imaginary twigs from her hair or dress.
Setting the bottle down, Link wiped his mouth dry, then shrugged. The movement brought Zelda's head up. "It's nothing. I'm just kinda embarrassed that I actually did talk to you. I mean, I don't remember everything I talked about, since most of the time I was really tired or stressed or…something." He didn't want Zelda to know he'd been hearing voices too. "And anyway, one-way conversations can be awfully rude, you know, especially with unconscious princesses." The both laughed at that.
Zelda giggled brightly, then sighed to regain her composure. Link blinked. "So, who is Saria?"
"Huh?" Link didn't remember ever mentioning her.
"The other Sage. I was wondering who she was. She was in that dream of yours, too, the one before I woke up."
"You were there?" Link's mouth hung open.
"Not really, but I could tell what was going on. She means a lot to you, doesn't she?" Zelda folded her knees up under her chin, her arms wound around them.
Link nodded. "Yeah, she does. She's basically the one that raised me. She's like a sister to me. No, she IS a sister to me. I can't think of her any other way, really. We spent so much time together, and she taught me so much, that she became the only reason I'd ever leave the Kokiri Forest. Strange, huh."
"Why'd you leave, if she meant so much to you?"
Link tapped his boots, trying to think of a way to explain. "Well…because of everything she did for me, and how much I love her, it was the only thing I could do." Zelda shook her head, still confused. "I had to leave the Forest so I could find the Spiritual Stones and deliver them to you, so you could save Hyrule. So, if that's what I could do to pay her back for everything she'd done for me, then I'd do it."
"Save her life by saving Hyrule?" Link nodded. "I think I see what you mean. That's very noble."
"She seemed to think it was foolish." Link smiled slightly, then leaned back, sighing. "But it was harder to leave this time, because we didn't understand what was wrong. Saria can see things, too, sort of like you can. Only, she does it through music and the Forest. I'm sure she knew something was wrong, in fact she told me so. But…it was just different this time." He watched the sun travel behind a cloud., then reappear a minute later. "It's ok though. Because we're almost done. Then I can go back home and show Saria she worried for nothing." Link lifted his left arm and tapped his chest with his fist on the word "nothing." Zelda giggled.
"I'm sure she'll just tell you she wasn't worried and ask why you took so long."
Link smiled genuinely. "She might at that. Hey, we've been talking a while. It's already late afternoon." His stomach made a funny noise, and he blushed. "I didn't realize it was so late."
"Hey, you two! Come get some food!" They heard Impa's shout from the other side of the clearing, where her and Sahasrahla had made a fire, cooking what was left of the food they'd brought with them. Calling to let them know they'd heard, Zelda and Link stood, then looked at each other.
"That was a fun conversation, Link. We should talk more. It's always better when you have someone else to say something, isn't it?" Link blanched and then blushed, all in the span of five seconds, then followed as Zelda ran to the older Hylians, laughing.
Dinner went very quickly, and afterwards Sahasrahla pulled Zelda to the side, whispering. Link helped Impa put away the supplies, and then waited for the two to finish. Zelda looked determined as they made their ways back to Link and Impa. When they arrived, the princess said nothing, but instead continued walking, until her toes were touching the water of the pond. Link didn't think that was advisable, since she'd just recovered from one sickness and didn't need another, but Impa grabbed his arm. He looked up at her, and she shook her head.
"You need to learn, boy. Don't worry about Zelda Hime. Sahasrahla will make sure she's fine; you can't protect her from anything dealing with this." Linked nodded slowly, but still watched anxiously.
The princess stopped to say something none of them could hear, then continued into the water, until her feet were just covered. Spreading her arms wide, Zelda lifted her face to the sky as the sun went behind a cloud. Her pale face darkened as shadows covered it, and Link lurched a bit, suddenly queasy. The feeling passed almost instantaneously, and the shadows flew as the sun bathed the princess' face again. Impa looked down at him, worried, but Link shook his head and stood straight, as though nothing had happened.
Zelda continued her chant, and the water bubbled and rippled as she walked farther in, until the water was as deep as her knees. Once she was that far, Zelda stopped chanting and lowered her face and arms, then turned towards the others, a smile on her face. The sun shone through the sparse branches.
"Everyone, I think I know what's wrong with Hyrule! The spirits, they told me—" She screamed suddenly as something wrapped around her body, shots of electricity flying as her skin turned dark and cloudy. Before anyone else could react, Link was running, his feet splashing up sheets of water as he tried to catch the princess before she fell. Sahasrahla screamed just as Link reached the falling princess, bathed in flames of darkness. No one noticed the sun was once more hidden behind the clouds.
"No! Link, don't touch her!"
A huge roar sounded as Link's hands touched Zelda's shoulder, and the small glen was swathed in blackness.
Navi lurched in the air a bit as the whole area shuddered, and Eon perked up from where he'd been studying the ground. Dusting off his hands on his smock, the boy jumped onto a rock, perching as he scanned the quickly- darkening horizon.
"It's coming, isn't it?" He asked no one in particular.
Navi fluttered up to him, worried. "What do you mean? What's coming? Eon, what's going on? Why are you here, and why did Sahasrahla send me to you? He told me I needed to be here, that I wasn't any help to Link-kun…but I should be with Link-kun, helping him to protect Zelda Hime- sama!"
"Hush!" Eon didn't even glance her way. Instead, he stood, his balance perfect perched atop the large rock, and raised his right arm, splaying his hand wide. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head a bit, and the air around his right hand shimmered, finally coalescing into a naginata. Navi gasped as he opened his eyes and swung the weapon, testing its balance. Finding it to his liking, Eon nodded, then jumped off the stone, landing and walking almost in one movement. He seemed so different from the Eon Navi had seen talking with Link.
"Eon! Where are you going with that weapon? What would you need a spear for anyway?"
Eon looked back, but kept walking. "It's a naginata, and I need it. Just like Link uses a sword, I use this." He hefted the long weapon off his shoulder to emphasize his words, then promptly ignored the faerie and kept walking. Navi shook her head, confused.
"But, but…why do you need it? What's wrong?" She was desperate.
The boy must have heard the pain in her words, because he stopped. After a while, he turned to her, but his eyes wouldn't meet hers, and she couldn't see any emotion in his face. His eyes were empty of anything.
He looked at her then, and for a fleeting second, she saw a deep pain in the emerald orbs. The moment was fleeting, however, as he turned away almost immediately and continued walking. Navi spluttered and followed, sure he wouldn't answer her question. She was about to tell him what she thought of that when he broke the silence himself.
"Sahasrahla was afraid this would happen, and I prayed it never would. But you felt it. The very earth cringed just now. We all have a purpose in this life, something that we must fulfill—our destinies. Yours was to protect Link and guide him to the Final Battle, and Saria's was to raise him to be strong and brave and everything else a hero needs to be."
"And you, Eon?" She bit her lip, afraid of the answer when she saw his eyes.
"Mine… I prayed I would never have to carry mine out. But I guess we can't run from Destiny."
"Eon…?"
The boy shook his head and quickened his pace, leaving Navi behind. She shouted after him, but the earth shook again and a branch smashed into her, sending her flying. Through hazy eyes, she saw Eon perched above her, his eyes shadowed.
"My destiny…is to kill the Hero of Time."
Navi reached out her hand, trying in vain to claw at the boy who stood and began running from her. Her throat hurt as she screamed after him.
"No…NO!!!"
Link splashed into the water, swallowing suddenly and gagging on the warm liquid. The water was bubbling and quickly beginning to boil. He had to get Zelda out of there, and fast.
Zelda slumped against him, soaked through and unconscious. Her skin was still clouded over and shadowed, but she was no longer surrounded by flames of black lightning. Link nudged her, but she didn't respond.
Oh, Goddesses, please let her be safe. She can't be dead, she can't! Link hauled himself to his feet, dragging Zelda with him. As long as there was the chance she was still alive, he had to get her out of this water. All around him, the once-quiet pond bubbled and sprayed, huge waves knocking him down into the roiling waters. He swallowed more of the dark water, coughing and wheezing as he tried to breathe. What was going on?
Impa and Sahasrahla called him from the bank, the taller Sheikah wading out a bit to help. The waters were beginning to boil now, though, and she couldn't wade very far before she endangered herself as well.
"Impa! Here…grab her!" When he was close enough, Link practically threw the princess into Impa's waiting hands, then collapsed backwards into the waves from the backlash. He couldn't hear anything as water crashed around him, filling his ears and blinding him. It was hot, so hot! His skin burned as he tried to swim back to the surface, but the current was too strong, and he felt himself being pulled away.
Hands grabbed his wrists and pulled, and Link opened his mouth to scream, but only succeeded in taking in more water. Someone was pulling him, though, and he didn't know which way they were taking him. Panicked, he thrashed around kicking and pulling, until his head broke the surface and Impa's strong arms hauled him up. His eyes burned where the water had touched them, and the wind flayed his raw skin, but he was safe. The tall warrior woman dragged him from the waters and deposited him on the bank, well away from the edge. Collapsing beside him, Impa shuddered and went still, breathing heavily and shaking slightly from the strain.
Sahasrahla was there as well, tending to Zelda. Through blurry eyes, Link watched as the old man checked her pulse and listened for a heartbeat, then stand and walk over to him. Kneeling, Sahasrahla took Link's hands in his, checking over the skin.
"Child, you seem to have an affinity for burns. The skin of your hands and wrists looks as though they were flayed by a whip of pure fire. Please, you must calm yourself!" Link thrashed about, trying to speak but unable to because of the burning waters that had scorched his throat. He shook instead, trying to get free so he could help. "Child, calm down! Panicking like this won't help." He cursed lightly under his breath. "You're going through shock, I see. I'm sorry, but we can't have that, you need to hold yourself together!"
'But I think he's doing a wonderful job. Aren't you, Link-san?'
Both the old man and young boy stopped short, frozen in their spots. Link recognized that voice. It was the one that had haunted him since he'd left the forest. Only, it sounded slightly more familiar, as though…
Link gasped as he turned, trying to find the source of the voice. He almost didn't want to. He knew.
'You've finally figured it out, have you? The true threat to this land called Hyrule?'
Blurry eyes wandered until they pinpointed to source of the haunting voice. Link heard Impa cry out as she noticed who was standing before the waters, unscathed by the boiling mass behind him. Sahasrahla pursed his lips, but said nothing. His eyes were sad, though.
Link did nothing as his vision blurred more, shock finally taking over his body completely. He managed to look up at the true threat to Hyrule; at the being he was destined to defeat.
He was looking at himself.
Part One: End
LINK NO MIKO'S LITTLE CORNER OF TALKINGNESS
Whooooo. Well, that was long and arduous. But, the journey is halfway done! Did this end come as a surprise? I've had it planned since chapter one…just, nothing in between. I need a new style of writing… I think that's what I'll do for the next part. I'm just going to write, and not care where to end a chapter. When I decide it's time to update, or I think I have enough, I'll find a good place to end. Maybe then I'll be able to update more. I know this is a terrible place to end right now… I'm sorry! But can anyone point out the three main games I've 'borrowed' for this ficcie? I can't give you anything, but I can congratulate you (it's not hard, really)!
Anywho, I wanted to thank the people that reviewed my story. I was really not in the spirit to write for along time, but then I read these two reviews by tenshi-chan and blackrose87, and you two made me feel very happy. Everyone else that reviews makes me feel that way, as well, but these two really did. So I thank you all for your kind words. *bows* Without you readers, then I would have no reason to write. So, if you see something wrong or have a suggestion, feel free to tell me. This may be my brainchild, but I never would have uploaded it unless I wanted others to enjoy it as well.
So, I hope you can all enjoy this story, even if I am evil and end on terribler (heee) cliffhangers than my oneesan does.
