Chapter 18: The Paradox of Awareness

"The Four Sword?" Link repeated. "I've never heard of such a blade."

The Hermit, still holding the glittering sword, put it down against the fireplace for a moment and sat on the ground. His frenzy was beginning to end. "Some call it the Picori Blade, but that is just nonsense. You don't live here, so you don't know of the ridiculous stories people concoct about the Picori, or the Minish, or whatever you want to call them."

"Who are the Picori?" Link asked, now curious.

"They're supposed to be tiny people that had descended from the heavens to live here, but no one's truly seen any. Besides, I don't know what they have to do with this blade, so I named it the Four Sword myself. After all, it was I that created it -well, partly.

"What a strange name for a sword," Link said. "And how did you create it partly?"

The Hermit rose from the ground. "Ah, we can talk about that later! For now I want to show you the might of the sword!" Shrugging off his questions, Link followed the Hermit outside. For a moment, no one spoke.

"Well?" Link said. "Aren't you going to use it?"

"Use it?" the Hermit repeated. "No, the sword is for you to wield."

"Why me?" Link asked. "It is your sword."

"That may be, but I already failed to use it to kill the Phantom. I have the scar to prove it. The Oracle herself said that you would be the one to save us all. I can believe that now because you now have the power." Link remained silent, and so the Hermit walked over and handed him the sword. Link held the sword like it was something mysterious and foreign, not a weapon he was to wield. The Hero's Sword is my blade, Link thought. Using another one just feels wrong. But if it can help me defeat the Phantom, I suppose it is worth it."

"All right," Link said finally. "Show me how to use it. What makes this sword so powerful?"

"Hold it up into the air," the Hermit ordered. "Make sure it reflects the sun." Link complied, and the Hermit nodded in approval. "Good, good. Now, I want you to close your eyes. I want you not to think about yourself, your own consciousness, but of the world around you. Detach yourself from your body and allow your spirit to seek a new destination. Do not fight the separation. Allow whatever it is that happens to happen."

Link nodded once again, and closed his eyes. Moments passed, yet nothing occurred. "I can't do it!" Link exclaimed.

"Your mind is wandering. Let it go, Link." Again Link nodded, and again he closed his eyes. This time he thought less and allowed his instincts to sink in. He breathed naturally, allowing nature to control him. At first pictures formed in his mind, and his thoughts began to wander again, but he fought it. He let the void of his mind consume him, and soon the black veil of darkness behind his eyelids remained so.

Link felt his spirit sever, his body change. He opened his eyes suddenly and anxiously to see the world through a different window. He felt so different, so strange. He saw through four modes of view now, through four different bodies, all with the same consciousness.

There were four Links now. One wore a green tunic like the original, and the three others were red, blue, and purple –just like the stones. The strangest part of the experience as Link stood in four different locations as once was controlling all four of his selves simultaneously. While one was breathing a little more heavily, another would be fidgeting his feet. It was as if his body parts had quadrupled and separated, and yet he was still part of one self.

For a moment Link could do nothing but stare in awe at himself through four sets of eyes, and the Hermit remained silent. Then Link's consciousness of himself returned unexpectedly, and the four Links fused together to become one.

"What happened?" Link asked.

"You couldn't retain your form. By now I assume you've figured out that the Four Sword allows its wielder to become four separate individuals. You can imagine the advantage this could create for you, but there is more. For that brief moment your consciousness was split, your senses were heightened and your strength was increased, though your sense of self was obscured. This is why you came back together; your mind could not comprehend the situation, and so you simply let go. That is natural for the first time. You will learn to control your awareness and focus not on your one self, but your entire self. When you are split, you cannot look at yourself as one person even though you still are. The contradiction of the situation is that you must convince yourself to believe, before you are changed, that you are not present. Then when you are split, you must believe that you are four different people when in truth you are one, and you are in fact present."

"I don't know if I understand," Link said.

"That too is natural. For now just know that in order to split your body in four, you must let go of your awareness. Once you are split, you must then revert your thinking once again; you must believe that you are present again, only split in four."

"I guess that makes sense…"

"Don't think about it so much. Eventually trial and error will train you. Soon you will be able to change in seconds and remain in that state for as long as you like. I am going to train you, Link. I will show you every trick of that sword. I will teach you to work together with your other selves, to cooperate to solve challenges. Now, are you ready to try again?" Link nodded. "Good; now hold your sword into the air and pretend that you are as faint as the wind and as existent as the deceased."