A/N: IMPORTANT: Mudora here. crowds start cheering his long-awaited return The plans have changed. Mudora will do a few more childhood chapters, but skip ahead to Zelda's adult life. But don't get disappointed! Mudora would be dumb if he didn't include the seven years, so his plan is one of which he feels is creative, informative, and will hold interest much better. If he has the skill to do it…
Mudora feels this chapter is gonna be a good one. Oh-ho, is it gonna get fired up now. Yes, this is the climactic three-part event of Zelda's childhood. Prepare for some Sheikah battles, shocking discoveries, dark magic, and a big surprise ending that will have you... Ok, now Mudora's getting ahead of himself (and quite corny). Let's just get started.
A Princess' Destiny
Chapter 14: Pieces of a Plan, Part One
"In a land beyond sight,
The sky shines gold, not blue.
There the Triforce's might
Makes mortal dreams come true."
The poem she had read in the Book of Mudora came to life in a voice. It's sound lit the sky bright gold, and the source of the light was three golden triangles, sitting atop a ziggurat.
The ziggurat was perfect in every way. No jagged edge, no ridges. A perfectly symmetrical pyramid with stairs leading up it.
A cloaked traveler climbed the steps to the top of the structure. It reached with a gloved hand and touched the Triforce…
The land, also without hill or bump of any sort, suddenly disappeared, and all that remained was the golden sky. The statues of the three goddesses returned to surround Zelda in the sky. They spoke in their singular voice.
The image that radiated green, symbolic of Farore, floated in front of her. "Princess Zelda, you have done well to come so far." The statues spun to show the blue one, Nayru, floating in front of her. "Your wisdom has kept you alive for the past several days." Next, the red image of Din floated in front of Zelda's face. "You have come along way from the girl you once were, the girl you believed yourself to be." Again Farore faced her. "Your guardian has served you well, but now we present you as a guardian." Finally, the statues stopped to show Nayru. "Protect that which is precious to me."
The images of the goddesses swirled around her and raised high above. Everything grew bright. Zelda raised her hand to shield her eyes, but saw great light emitting from it as well…
Zelda awoke in a crevice on Death Mountain. The world was back to normal. The sun was perched upon its peak in the sky, preparing for a descent. Zelda raised her hand, and saw that it was bandaged and not glowing. However it felt quite warm. She untied the bandage and saw the mark of the Triforce on her hand.
"Good morning, Prin…" Impa started, but stopped when she saw Zelda's hand. "What is that?"
Zelda raised her hand to show Impa, without speaking.
"How did…"
"I had another vision. I think I know what it means. This is the Triforce!"
"But you must obtain it through touch, Princess! Perhaps it is just a mark of the goddesses."
"They told me to protect that which is precious to them. That would be the Triforce!"
"Then what are you waiting for? Do something! Wisfor that we have so long fought for!"
Zelda was startled for a moment. She was so caught up in the idea of protecting it, she hadn't even considered wishing. Finally she knew how to verbalize it. She stretched out her hand and said, "Great goddesses! Grant that Hyrule may be returned to peace, a peace for which much blood has been shed! Grant that the evil that pervades this land be removed, and the countenance of the world may be lightened forever more!"
They waited a moment as Zelda held out her hand. Nothing happened. They waited a little longer. Still nothing. They stared out toward Hyrule Castle Town and saw yet another building go up in smoke. It hadn't worked. They stood and pondered for a moment.
"There is but one thing a Sheikah can do in a situation such as this," Impa said.
"Meditate?"
"Yes."
So they sat cross-legged for a good deal of time, thinking on these things, but could come to know answer. Finally, the sun began to set. They started getting very hungry, and so they ate a small meal.
"It seems we are getting nowhere for now, Princess," Impa said.
"Yes, I was drawing a blank."
"Perhaps we should let this pass for now, Miss Zelda, and concentrate on your studies. Let us leave the works of the goddesses to the goddesses for now."
"Yes. That sounds reasonable." Zelda realized just then that had Impa said something like that even a week ago, she would retaliate and cry about the great burden the goddesses had forced upon her. She truly had grown much in the past several days.
They did some physical exercises, supposedly to help get the ki flowing, then practiced manifestation of light and shadow. Zelda found these to be much easier now, and even to be able to last much longer holding them. After about a half an hour, Impa allowed each of them a drink of green potion and they prepared for something new.
"You have been introduced to the shadow arts," Impa said. "You have learned about balance, of light and shadow. You have even become quite strong in your ability to use manifestation for someone so young in their training. But now, you are ready for the meat of study. To move into the more common and even more useful of a Sheikah's skills. We will now study the use of the elements."
"Elements?"
"Yes. You have learned of light, the pervading substance of the world; and you have learned of shadow, its polar opposite. Now you are ready to learn those elements which have no distinct opposite. Those which exist to compliment and compete, to compare and contrast to each other at once. We will now study the elements."
The elements were four distinct facets of the earth: fire, water, earth, and wind. Impa taught her a different hand signal for each, and they practiced manifestation on each of these for twenty minutes at a time.
Zelda found these to be difficult to learn at first, but as they went felt they were even easier to manipulate than shadow and light. She mentioned it to Impa.
"Yes, these are minor in comparison to the power of shadow and light. And yet, they are more nimble elements than the stronger two. There is more you can do with them than simple light and void, yet their abilities can't match the strength of the primary elements.
Finally, when they were both exhausted, they ate another small meal in the middle of the night.
"Are you ready to turn in, Princess?"
"Actually, I was thinking we could meditate a little longer." Zelda was sure Impa would be overjoyed to hear those words from her mouth. But she really wanted to figure out the mystery of the Triforce.
"Excellent idea," Impa smiled. They went to meditating immediately. Shortly after, Impa had an idea.
"Perhaps…" Impa started. "Perhaps that book of yours will say something."
"But Impa, we left that in Kakariko!"
"I stopped in my house on our way up here. I grabbed rations and a few other items, including the book." She reached in a pack and pulled out that black box.
Zelda took it, opened it, and pulled out the Book of Mudora. Impa made a small light manifestation for the princess to read by.
She skimmed through, stopping at every section involving the goddesses, the Triforce, and obtaining it. Impa meditated as she did so. All along the way, she found no leads, but her mind started thinking of other things. Such as the recurring number three. There were three goddesses, three golden triangles, three Spiritual Stones… and three key players in Zelda's visions. So if the Triforce is three pieces, and each piece is representative of one of the goddesses, and there are three major characters in the future of Hyrule…
"Impa, I think I may have found something," Zelda said.
"Read it."
"Not in the book." Impa gave her a strange look.
"There are three goddesses, three Triforce parts, and three key people in my visions of the future. So, if Ganondorf reached the Triforce before Link, what is one thing the goddesses could do?"
"Break the Triforce into three parts… and give only one part to Ganondorf when he touched it!"
"Precisely."
"Congratulations, Miss Zelda. You have shown much wisdom in your studies. Perhaps we should sleep now?"
"Every time I've slept ever since Ganondorf arrived at Hyrule Castle, I've received a vision. Perhaps another one tonight will clear up this whole matter."
With these words, the two Sheikah took up blankets and fell asleep in their crevice in the mountain.
