Worlds
Apart
Part II
By Miss Lydia
Chapter 1
Seven Years Later....
"Is dinner ready yet, Momma?"
"No, not quite yet."
"Hmph. I wish I had some kind of spell that would just conjure up a steaming plate of food for me."
"Why don't you create one?"
"Easier said than done."
"Why don't you just go hang around upstairs until dinner's ready?"
"Alright then."
"Call your brother while you're up there."
The mother of the house turned back to the steaming stove while the girl with long brown hair pranced up the stairs. She greeted her father on the way up and made her way to her big bedroom in the back.
"Hey, Gordon!" she called. "You up here anywhere?"
"In my room!" a voice answered back from across the hall. "What's up?"
"Dinner's almost ready."
"Okay. Say Lydia, wanna play this videogame with me?"
"Yeah, sure. Go easy on me."
"Yeah, right. You know I'll cream you."
Sadly, Lydia knew it was the truth as she sat down to play. The fact that she wasn't really concentrating didn't help her win any. She kept thinking about what happened so long ago, as she often did.
"Yeah! I won again!" Gordon shouted victoriously.
"Hmm," Lydia replied.
"What's the matter with you?"
"Hmm,"
"You're thinking about Hyrule again, aren't you?"
"Mmm hmm."
"I'm just as eager as you are to know what happened that day, but still, it was such a long time ago, and you're worrying about it too much."
"Why shouldn't I? I just wish if I knew he was alive or dead."
Gordon was trying to think of something to say in this tender moment, but was saved by their mother's call.
"KIDS! Come down for food!"
Lydia snapped out of her trance just long enough to get the head start toward the kitchen, pushing and pulling Gordon all the way there.
"I get first dibs!"
"No! I'm older!"
"I'm faster!"
"Yeah, sure!"
It turns out that Gordon was a little faster, but Lydia was too deep in thought again to care too much. As she poked at her potatoes with her fork, she recalled what happened on that day, seven long years ago.
Their Hylian friend Link had pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. He disappeared, and she and Gordon were zapped back to Earth with no knowledge of the fate of Link or Princess Zelda. She remembered seeing her parents for the first time in weeks. She giggled to herself as she remembered how freaked they were to see them again. Apparently, their folks really hadn't believed the story in her note, just like Link had said. They had called the police and everything. She recalled having to calm them down and explain where they had been and what had happened. When they didn't believe her, she and Gordon both used their magic to prove it.
And here they were, seven long years later. Lydia had now reached age 17, and Gordon was now 13 and had grown taller than his sister. Their parents knew all about Hyrule, about Link and Zelda, about their special gift of powerful sorcery, the business with the Sorcerer's Rune, and all the little adventures they had. They had heard the whole story over and over for years.
But still, there was no word from Hyrule and there was no way she or Gordon could get back there or make some contact. Not hearing anything all this time had Lydia worried. For seven years, she's been worrying on and off about Hyrule's fate.
Seven years. Seven years of normal life. Seven years of friends, school, homework...everything a student on Earth had to worry about. Except for Lydia and Gordon. They had worried about all of those things, plus this. It had been absolute torture.
Now here I am, worrying again, Lydia thought as she played with the Sorcerer's Rune, which now hung from a chain around her neck. Maybe Gordon's right. Maybe I'm worrying too much. But still...you'd think we'd hear something after seven years....
Lydia was brought back into reality when her mom spoke up.
"You're awfully quiet over there," she said. "It's not like you."
"I know," Lydia replied, "but I'm just thinking again."
"Still worried about Hyrule?"
"Actually," Gordon said, "she's probably more worried about Link."
Lydia looked at him to protest, but decided against it. "Maybe you're right," she said. "I don't even know if he's still alive. If I at least knew that much, I'd worry less."
"I'm worried too," Gordon said, "but I've noticed that you've been doing your 'thinking' more often than usual lately."
"I have, haven't I? It just realized a while ago that it's been seven years. That's a long time."
"I know, I know. We should've heard something by now."
Lydia fingered the Sorcerer's Rune again. "I just wish I knew what happened. I wish there was some way we could go back."
***
"Wake up, Hero of Time....," a voice whispered. "The time of awakening has come."
Link sluggishly opened his eyes, feeling like he had been asleep for years.
"The time of awakening has come," the voice repeated.
Link looked around him. He was no longer within the walls of the Temple of Time, but was rather in a large room that looked like it had no walls. It was blue, and rather pretty, and had a "wet" look to it.
His gaze quickly fell to an old man standing in front of him. "Welcome back, Hero," the old man said.
"What happened...?" Link asked him. "Where am I?"
"This is the Chamber of Sages, in the Temple of Light. I am Rauru, the light sage. You've been here ever since you removed the Master Sword from its resting place long ago."
"Long ago...? What do you mean 'long ago'?"
"Look at yourself, Link."
Link looked down toward his feet. Everything was different. His feet were bigger, his arms and legs were longer. He looked....several years older...
"It's been seven years since that day," the old man continued.
Geez, Link thought, I really have been asleep for years. Questions suddenly flooded his head and he struggled to spit them all out.
"What happened? How could I have been here seven years? What happened to Zelda? Where have Lydia and Gordon gone? What about Ganondorf??"
"Slow down, Hero of Time," Rauru said. "Have patience, and I will answer your questions."
***
The next day, Lydia and Gordon were relaxing in the front yard of their big, white house, enjoying the first day of summer vacation. Lydia glanced around her. "This is so much better than our old house," she said. A big, green yard, a big house, friendly neighbors.... What more could a girl ask for?"
"How about not having to worry about Link anymore?" Gordon suggested.
Lydia snarled. "Oh thanks. Now I'm all depressed again."
"Sorry." He looked back into the book he was reading.
Lydia decided not to think about Hyrule for now, and started reading her book again. She was working through the third Harry Potter book, and she decided that it didn't help to be reading a Harry Potter book when she was trying to forget Hyrule. After all, Harry Potter books are all about wizardry and magic. Seems like everything reminds me of Hyrule, she thought. She reached up and clutched the Sorcerer's Rune tightly in her hand.
"I can't stand much of this anymore," she said.
"What? Worrying all the time?" Gordon asked.
"Yeah. It's just driving me NUTS not knowing anything."
"Yeah, our departure from Hyrule was rather abrupt."
"I hate waiting for answers! I need answers now before I go bananas!"
Gordon shut his book and stood up. "Speaking of bananas...I think I need a snack," he said. "Don't go bananas while I'm gone."
"I'll try not to," Lydia scoffed. She stared back into her book as Gordon trotted inside the house.
Answers, she thought. I only want answers. Is that too much?
Somewhere in the sky, she heard thunder. She glanced up and said, "Damn thunderstorms. I've had enough of them! If another one comes along I'll –"
She stopped short when she saw what caused the thunder sound. It wasn't a dark raincloud like she expected. A shining, golden Triforce had appeared in the sky.
Lydia dropped her book in utter shock. She jumped out of her chair and ran out into the middle of the front yard. "No!" she shouted. "It couldn't be!"
The familiar blue light dropped out of the center of the Triforce formation. Lydia was beside herself with excitement as a something dropped down through the light. Her excitement only accelerated when the object dropped in her direction. The blue light disappeared, and Lydia's excitement dropped like a brick, just like the object that was about to land on her.
Before she knew what happened, Lydia found herself on the ground with something very heavy sitting on her back. She turned her head with a snarl as the thing on top of her groaned in pain. When she saw what was sitting on her, she was once again beside herself with excitement. It was a guy wearing a very familiar green tunic. She smiled greatly, more brilliant a smile than any other she had ever made in her entire life.
"If I wasn't so happy to see you," she said, "I'd kill you for landing on me again."
The figure jumped up and stood over her. Lydia had recognized him right away. It was Link. He was older, roughly seventeen, and much taller than he was when she last saw him. And even though she wouldn't dare say it out loud, he was…very handsome. He was carrying a different sword and shield on his back, she noticed. The sword he had looked much like the Master Sword they had seen all that time ago.
Link stared down at her for a few seconds, and then himself beared a huge smile.
"Lydia!" he greeted her happily. "Is that you? How great to see you again! It took me a moment to recognize you." He bent over and helped Lydia stand up. He rubbed the back of his head and said, "Sorry. I guess I have to work on my landings."
Lydia rubbed her back. "I should say so."
Link smiled. "So, um, how've you been?"
Lydia stamped her foot and gripped his tunic collar in her hands. "I've been worried to death about you and Hyrule! What happened?"
"Well, it's a really long story. Can it wait a little while? We've got some catching up to do."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Link looked up at the house. "First of all," he said, "…..where are we?"
"My house, of course."
"I seem to recall your house was blue, and a lot smaller."
Lydia laughed. "Oh yeah. This is a new place. We moved to a different town soon after we got back to Earth."
"Ah. I like this house more."
"Me, too." She moved onto a different subject quickly. "Hold still, let me take a look at you."
Link did as he was told, only moving his head to watch Lydia circle around him a couple times.
"You've grown a lot," she said finally. "And look, you've finally added a little muscle!" She poked one of his arms.
"At least I have...." Link muttered quietly.
"What was that?"
"Oh, um, nothing! My turn now." Link circled Lydia a few times and said, "You've grown a lot as well, but you're still as scrawny as I remember you."
Lydia punched his shoulder with an agitated smile on her face.
"Back to the good old days, huh?" Link said.
"Hey!" Lydia suddenly shouted. "I gotta get Gordon! He'll wanna see you!"
"How's he been?"
"Just fine, as fine as fine can be, given our situation. He's just the same, except taller."
"How old is he now?"
"Thirteen. How old are you now?"
"Seventeen-ish."
"...-ish?"
The Hylian shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure when I was born, exactly. You know that. All I've ever had to go on is what the Deku Tree has told me."
Lydia nodded. "Yes, I see." She looked at the ground for a moment, then looked up brightly again. "You have to meet my parents! Come on!"
"Are they as crazy as you?" Link joked.
"You have my personal guarantee." She then grabbed Link's wrist and ran toward the house, pulling him along. Link trailed behind, working hard to keep up with her without falling on his face.