AN: I would recommend reading what I've said to other readers here, just in case there's something there you also don't understand. Don't worry if you're confused. I was expecting this to happen. Also, I completely forgot to thank all you lovely reviewers in the last chapter. I'm so sorry, after some of you said such nice things too, I feel ashamed of myself XD. Thank you again to all of you who have reviewed so far!
ayachan21: Don't worry. You're right in saying that Link and Zelda are in a future world where Ganon is free. And because they've been transported to the future, the future's Link and Zelda are there too. Except the future's Link has left Hyrule and there's only the future's Zelda there.
zeldaqueen: You could say that. I'm not one for supporting the theory of about ten Links and Zeldas, and so yes, they are the same person. Don't worry, I'll get to Link to the Past later in the story
MidnightStarfire: I'm glad you see my descriptions that way! I aim to produce them so people can really see what they're like and now I know I'm doing a good job. Thank you! Oh, and the last chapter, I really enjoyed writing Zelda's part there, and I'm happy you liked it too.
Berlin'sBrownEyes: blushes You know what? I felt tears of happiness when I read you review for chapter 3. I can't even begin to tell you how much that meant to me. Thank you so much! As for chapter 4's review, you wouldn't believe how complicated the plot is going to get. I'll try to satisfy your excitement by trying to update regularly during my exams coming up.
LainieG304: Don't worry about being lost. To be honest I really had to think hard to make sure everything made sense myself, and I feel it's my job to make sure this makes sense to my readers, so I'll try to make things a little clearer from now on. But yeah, you'll need to do a bit of thinking to sort everything out. Sorry about that.
Chapter 5 - Beginning of the Reformation
Link's POV:
We made our way out of the forest without too many other dangers. A couple of strange Moblins patrolled the woods; their sad dog like faces drooping with boredom. Despite all the heavy armoured packed onto their shoulders, they weren't hard to defeat. Picking them off one by one Zelda and I hurried past, walking toward the streams of light that were becoming brighter and wider as the trees began to thin out.
The sun suddenly shone down on our faces as we stepped out of the decaying forest, crunching the dry brown leaves littering the ground. Shielding my eyes I looked around, recognising the old pool that stood stagnant below us. Zora's Domain had truly fallen. The water here was a thick green blanket of algae festering up the rocks and dead, broken trees. But there was no longer the rushing waterfall that fed Zora's River. The source had dried up, only just reaching below the ridge where it would usually tumble down as white foam. The land lay barren and deserted just like the old man had said.
"It's begun," Zelda said beside me. "One of the mighty races has fallen into Ganon's grasp. It's only a matter of time before the Gorons and Kokiri suffer the same fate." Her voice was low as if she were afraid she might disturb something that lurked beneath the bubbling pit of liquid germs.
"We'll find a way somehow," I said. "I won't let Ganon destroy Hyrule." Zelda turned her head toward me, smiling sadly. I returned the gesture, taking her hand softly in mine, telling her silently that I'd make everything right again. Once I had all the Triforce pieces again, I would seal Ganon away forever.
Just then, a rustling echoed from my left and I peered round the rock faces surrounding either side of us. A faint light began to hazily float up and down in the large cave down by the frothy shoreline. Like a firefly it hovered and fell in obscure patterns and drifted hesitantly out of the darkness. It was so small I could hardly see it, but something in the back of my mind identified it as a faerie. This must have been the old faerie spring the old man told me about.
We must be getting close to the where that star fell.
"Hello? Who are you?" a tiny feminine voice called from nowhere. The faerie flew closer to us, flying from side to side as she looked at us.
"I'm Link," I said. Immediately the tiny ball of light darted into my face, almost sending me backward. I could feel a warm glow emanate from her brightness, but even this close to me I still couldn't see past the overwhelming white shadows.
"Link!? The Link? Oh thank Nayru you're here!" she gasped. "We've all been so frightened! The Zoras started acting all weird and we saw it! It came soaring down from the heavens and crashed over in the graveyard! They destroyed our sanctuary too!" At that moment I interrupted her fast and frantic speech.
"What came down? The star?" I asked, sighing in relief that we weren't too far from our goal.
"Yes, it was all golden! I'll come and show you!" she said excitedly. At once she took off, trailing small glittering dust after her. Zelda and I rushed after her, diving back into the forest after the careering ball of light that sped off in front of us.
As we ran, I noticed that the trees were becoming increasingly bare and skeletal and the sun no longer shone on our backs. Dark clouds were beginning to gather in the skies, spreading their billowing grey cloak across the entire sphere of the heavens. Blackened leaves once again provided a carpet on the dry earth and they cracked underneath our feet. The faerie brought us to an open plain, the chalky white rock of the cliffs encasing the graveyard in a long rectangle. Worn, weathered grey stones and crosses were hanging out of the mounds of leaves at peculiar angles and only some stood up straight. A thick mist drenched the air with a creamy moisture, making it difficult to distinguish shapes, and there was a growing feeling of scrutiny looming inside my head. Anything could be hiding up on those cliffs and we could be totally oblivious.
"Here, follow me!" the faerie chirped and hastily flew into the haunted place, soon becoming lost in the mist.
"Wait!" I called, not wanting to be too loud, just in case there really was something out there. "Here, take my hand. It wouldn't do well to get lost in here." I said to Zelda, and she took a firm hold on my gauntlet. Together we walked cautiously into the cemetery, and I narrowed my eyes to try and catch a glimpse of the faerie's trail.
It was eerily quiet, and a tense silence filled the air. I couldn't even hear the faerie or the slightest movement in the slight breeze. Suddenly a high pitched scream drilled through my high-strung ears as a flash of light appeared out of nowhere and came crashing into my chest.
"Watch out! Poes!" the tiny creature cried, and without permission she flew into the back of my shirt and I could feel a soft vibration on the back of my neck that felt oddly familiar. I'd had this feeling before…
But before I could pursue my thoughts any further, seven great monsters materialised from the fog, a large, staring blue eye in the centre of their large triangular heads. Their hung open mouths also appeared to be a faint blue, a slight residue shining in the back of their throats.
"These certainly aren't Poes," I muttered.
"I don't know what happened! I only sat down on the grave stones and suddenly they appeared out of nowhere!" the faerie said behind me.
"Link! Those are Ghinis," Zelda said quickly. "You can't destroy them unless you kill the King Ghini!"
"Which one would that be exactly? They all look the same!" I said unsheathing my sword. Zelda didn't reply but I noticed that she too withdrew a dagger and pulled down a mask of determination and courage. She's certainly changed, I thought silently to myself, as we both exchanged a quick glance before turning our concentration back to the oncoming threat. They were coming closer, and standing in front of Zelda I lashed out with my sword toward one of them, only to find myself running straight through it's clear, cloudy skin. I looked back and it was unaffected, ignoring that I even ran through it.
"Zelda! Try and find where the star landed!" I shouted while lunging forward with my sword. She nodded and disappeared into the white haze.
Again my sword made no difference and swiped through as if nothing were there at all. But this time the Ghini noticed I'd tried to attack it. Turning around slowly, it's huge eye rolled around and glared angrily at me, and all at once every other one turned and repeated the same strange action, sending a slight chill down my spine. Despite looking rather dopey, their fierce glare and gaping mouths transformed their faces into a frightening frown, and at once I felt adrenaline rush through my veins.
They formed a semi circle and closed in around me, slowly destroying the space between us as they gathered closer together in a tight sphere. Some began merging into their neighbour, creating a wall of multiple images that confused my vision. They blurred and mingled into a white blue sea of plasma and I felt I had to close my eyes as my head ached from trying to separate each creature.
But something in my subconscious took over, and as I shut my eyes my feet automatically moved to stand in a stance with my sword extended to the side. My knees bent and I felt a wave of energy flow all the way down my arm, cascading in spiralling pulses down to my hand through to the metal hilt of the sword. A warm buzz filled the air and when my eyes sprung open again, my blade whirled round in a fast circle, flying through each of the ghosts until it struck the solid master. Acting completely on this odd new instinct, I leaped into the air and thrust my blade downward, taking a large wheeling slice directly into the head of the Master Ghini. Its blank eye cringed and again I swiped at it to the side, bringing my sword across in one swift movement from the previous execution. It wailed in defeat and the slimy, glistening blue liquid of its mouth shrivelled to a dry, white leather, as did the blue pupil, cracking from the fleeing moisture that drained from it's body. Suddenly clouds of smoke filled the air as every single one vanished from sight and a whirlwind of leaves was left in their place scraping against each other.
'I remember those movements from my dreams…' I thought. The dead forestry slowly fell back down to the wet soil and trudging through the mounds of decaying shrubs, I ran into the heart of the cemetery. Only the whistling of a whining wind could be heard, as well as the soft mashing of leaves underfoot. I came into the centre of the forsaken holy ground and stared up at a magnificent mausoleum that towered in the middle of a paved square. It's chipped, grey stones were held together by a green moss that thrived in the cracks and dents and it held a mysterious aura within the large cross mounted upon worn, once intricately decorated slabs. I reached out to touch it, feeling somehow drawn to it's presence, when suddenly the comforting buzz on my neck blurted it's light in front of my face again.
"Don't touch it!" the small faerie yelled anxiously. "A Ghini might be hiding in there, or something even worse!" I didn't reply, but withdrew my hand. Yet I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from the tomb. "Come on! I'll show you where I found it!" she called, being wary to make sure I was following her.
I looked at the large stone vault one last time before I turned to follow my new friend, and I saw her dart into the mist, contented that I was coming. But I only took a few steps before I carefully crept back to inspect the grey stone mausoleum further. Looking up at the cross, I saw a worn Triforce crest where the two slabs of stone crossed. Beneath it was written something incomprehensible having been weathered by cruel storms. At the foot of the cross lay a pile of neatly arranged stones, each decorated with beautiful carvings, and I could still see the stories they told. On each one there were two women on either side surrounded by fire and water, and a small Triforce in the top centre while an intricate border of weaving plants and vines extended along the horizontal edges.
In the middle of the first was a forest, and a beam was shining from the centre. The second showed a city in flames and a figure on a horse, while the third one I came to look at showed the Great Deku Tree, the Goron sage Darunia and Zora sage Princess Ruto each holding their spiritual stone raised to the heavens.
'This is becoming more and more familiar…' I thought, my eyes now itching to follow the tale of this person's life.
The fourth pictured the Ocarina of Time with a Triforce either side of it and the fifth showed all the six holy sages gathered round a fierce battle, a young warrior piercing the head of a fallen beast. I shuddered as I remembered the horrible dream bestowed upon me, and a horrible, sickening feeling began to creep into my thoughts. As I looked closer I saw that there was someone else amongst the sages, a woman in the centre who was larger than the rest. There were three sages on either side and her long flowing hair was still clearly visible on the old, worn stone tablet.
I stepped closer, touching it with my hand, not wanting to believe the answers running through my head. I looked at the next picture and saw that this one was turned portrait unlike the others. There stood the triumphant warrior from before, the Master Sword in one hand and the Ocarina of Time in the other. Under his feet were words I could still read and the growing nausea finally swept over my senses as I read the script.
"Here lies the Hero of Time, our saviour and champion of darkness. This courageous man defeated the evil lord Ganon and rescued all of Hyrule from his clutches. May the three dear Goddesses watch over this brave soul and welcome him into the gracious gates of heaven and glory where he may finally rest."
Then in larger letters, it read, "Link, Prince of Hyrule, Age 28."
"No," I said. "No!"
Suddenly I wanted to be anywhere but here, and casting my eyes down I ran as fast as I could away from the haunting sculpture of death, dodging in and out of much smaller gravestones. I wanted to find Zelda; I wanted to get out of this place and back home…
The mist was beginning to clear now and I saw the blurred figure of someone up ahead. "Zelda!" I shouted. She turned round and called my name, beckoning me to follow her. But instead I kept running and I threw myself at her, my hands shaking as I encircled her tightly.
"Link! - "
"What happened to me?" I cut in, my entire body trembling as her arms came slowly to rest on my back.
"What are you talking about?" she said nervously.
"I said what happened to me!" I said louder. "Why is my grave already built?" It was barely a whisper, but I heard her gasp beside me and her body froze for a moment.
"Link, you don't know how worried I've been…how long you've been gone…W-When Ganon came, you never returned… They all thought you were dead!" she said, and I felt the tears well in her eyes. "But I knew you'd come back, I knew it." Her hands came up around my neck and shoulders, and I think we were both comforted by the sheer presence of each other.
"Hey! I found it!" someone called in the distance. I let Zelda go and taking her hand we both hurried over to the source of the faerie's voice. I sighed in relief when I saw the glowing light in the grass, shining brightly even through the mist. The surrounding leaves and earth looked white against the sunlit object and I knelt down and cradled the tiny chunk of gold in my hands.
"T-That's a piece of the Triforce!" Zelda whispered.
As I picked it up it began glowing brighter and stronger until a blinding flash abruptly caused me to shut my eyes. I felt a warm spot on my hand begin to touch the divine essence of the Triforce and it bubbled on my palm, growing in heat and radiance. When I opened my eyes again, the shard had vanished from sight but had reappeared as a small golden dot on the Triforce crest that had also gratefully emerged on the back of my hand once more.
"Thank the goddesses," I breathed.
The fine glide of an arrow suddenly shoot through the air, barely missing Zelda and myself from where we knelt, and it skimmed along the ground until it gradually stopped. Before we knew it, a barrage of flying spears were upon us, and I grabbed Zelda's hand and ran as fast as I could back to the entrance of the graveyard, past my grave and onward toward the forest.
"Lynels!" the faerie shrieked in fear. Looking behind me as I ran, I saw a marching thong of horse like creatures behind us armed with swords and crossbows. But from their horse bodies rose a strong, chiselled abdomen and a man's torso, and upon that was a lion's head, and a thick manes of wire-hair stuck out at odd angles. They growled and roared something between themselves and their archers unleashed another onslaught of airborne death.
I pushed Zelda in front of me, back into the forest and she stumbled into the trees. "Go!" I yelled before turning back and suddenly shouting the words of a spell that I never thought I had known. "Din's Fire!" A whirlwind of fire sprung forth in a red light from my hand, burning in a bright sphere around me, rendering the arrows useless. But as I thrust my hands out, I couldn't see clearly beyond the flickering colours of red and orange, and a sweltering heat engulfed my senses. A thick sheet of warmth veiled it's hazy blanket over my eyes and out of nowhere, a small figure ran across the dead grass just in front of the rushing fire, a small bear clutched in its hand. I saw long curls of blonde hair being baptised in the fire and with a rising fear in my veins and I cried out to warn them, but the child kept moving, deaf to my cries. The flames washed over their tiny body and I cringed in guilt. The fiery heat disappeared and I only opened my eyes again when Zelda called my name in fear.
"Link! Are you all right?" I didn't reply for I was too anxious to know what became of the innocent child, but to my astonishment, they were nowhere to be seen. Just then I felt a familiar sweep through my head and I raised a hand to my temple. "Link?" Zelda's voice was much more frightened than before. "Hurry! We can still escape!"
I fell to my knees in confusion, earning a grunt from the pack of Lynels, and their swords sang in a shriek of metallic pleasure as they were unsheathed and swung through the air. I suddenly felt cold, and my vision was beginning to blur into different images…just like before.
"Link!" Zelda hissed urgently.
'If I disappear now, I can't save Zelda…' I thought. I can't let her die…I have to make sure she's safe…
With a yell of determination, I lunged forward in a head-spinning lurch, swinging my sword at the beasts, slicing their torsos with ease. A new-found strength that had long been dormant had awoken in my blood, and I felt it course through my hands and into my sword. With a blind passion I struck down each monster but with each swipe I felt a part of myself fade away into another world. My grip became weaker, my concentration less focused and my sword clumsy. When the last had fallen, I slumped back down to the ground feeling faint from exhaustion, and Zelda came rushing toward me, tears staining her cheeks.
"Link! W-Where are you going?" she whispered as she knelt in front of me. "What's happening to you?" she said, taking my pale-coloured hand in hers, watching me flicker and fade in the light. I too watched with a dreadful distress as I could hardly see my hand at all. "Don't leave, please don't go. Y-You don't know how long I've waited to see your face again," she said while lifting her other hand to rest on my cheek. But her eyes widened as her fingers never stopped against my skin, but went straight through me. I watched her face with sad eyes as I faded from sight, my consciousness being pulled away from this time.
"I'm sorry." I whispered to her.
"No!" she cried. "Link, please, I-I lo - " but I didn't hear anything else she said, for the darkness waiting behind my closed eyes engulfed me and shut down all my senses, and pulled me sluggishly back into the broken vortex of time. I only hoped that Zelda would be waiting for me wherever I ended up next…