"Man, I'm glad that water was cool. At least I'm not too sweaty now," I said, slightly out of breath. Zelda and I had finally stopped splashing in the water once we were both completely soaked. Which naturally left our clothes wet. Which made them stick to our skin. Or, more specifically, Zelda's clothes to Zelda's skin. I thank every deity that her t-shirt was blue and not white.
We both went back to our houses to change before going shopping for a few things. Quests across the country are not for the unprepared. Once I got home and changed, I was fine. But the three-minute walk home was torture. Zelda wears tight clothes as much as the next girl; skinny jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, whatever. But something about seeing her drenched with her clinging shirt revealing her form wouldn't get out of my head. Okay, I knew what it was, but that didn't excuse it. Thank goodness that by the time Zelda and I were ready for some shopping, I had almost entirely eliminated the image from my mind, which was about as good as I was going to be able to do.
To my extreme disappointment, we had to take a car instead of the Master Cycle so that we had room for everything we needed to get. First to the bank to exchange the crystal Rupees we had found, then off to the stores. New sleeping bags, some basic survival gear, a first aid kit or two, another more extensive field hospital kit, a whetstone and polish for my sword and shield (though I didn't really think the shield would need it), a few leather straps and rivets that I knew I would be able to turn into holsters for our various weapons, and, my personal favorite, biking gear.
I didn't generally consider myself a badass, but in a dark green biker's jacket, with boots, dark jeans, and a pair of gloves with green along where the bones of my hand were, I certainly looked like one. And Zelda. Oh, goddesses save me, Zelda.
Her gear was primarily brown, the jacket a lighter shade, while the gloves and pants were a darker brown. Hints of her pale skin would poke out for brief moments, sometimes at the waist, others at the wrists. She had the jacket partially zipped, which pushed her chest up slightly, making it look like her breasts were larger than usual. The direct result was that no man in the store could keep from glancing over periodically, and most of the women as well. I personally couldn't tell if I had hit the jackpot or drew the really short stick.
Once we had finished our shopping and grabbed some lunch, we got back to my house and unloaded everything. Zelda's dad was apparently home, so she ran back to her house to talk to him. I, in the meantime, decided to give the Master Cycle a real test ride. I was able to experiment with a few things to fuel it and found the best thing to use was plants and other organic material. I'm sure Zelda could have come up with some correlation between the materials and energy, but all I cared about was the fact that my bike liked to eat apples, which worked for me.
I also found an option for a helmet on the bike's display panel. Blue light streamed from bits of the bike to encase my head, fitting snugly enough to be both safe and comfortable. The visor was able to be fully clear or tinted like sunglasses. When I pushed the visor up, the whole helmet dissolved back into light and remerged with the bike.
Once I had the bike topped off and I had messed around with the helmet, I pulled all my gear on and drove over to Zelda's house. I realized later that it was a very good thing Zelda's dad had already left. I really didn't want his first impression of me to be me driving off with his daughter on a motorcycle. Zelda came out fully outfitted in her biking gear, including tight-fitting black pants and dark brown boots with just a little bit of heel on them. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, holding the golden strands out of the way. She climbed on the back and a helmet matching mine wrapped around her head, leaving her eyes and the space around them visible. She wrapped her arms around my waist again, considerably less nervous than she was before, and off we went.
Cars blur past as we roar along the freeway. The Master Cycle responds to my every command, deftly weaving between vehicles. The wind is biting, but exhilarating. Zelda is latched onto my waist, bent over slightly behind me and keeping her body as in line with mine as possible. I mentally command the bike to shift slightly and it adopts its wolf form, becoming sleeker and, most importantly, faster.
The road curves around a turn in front of us and I accelerate to even faster speeds. Zelda leans into me more and I feel her body press more firmly against mine. As we fly past a small car and hit a long straight stretch of road, only one thought comes to my mind.
I never want this to end.
We left the next day, a beautiful Tuesday with clear skies and a hint of a breeze. We had decided the night before that Zelda and I would go to the Temple of Time first to hopefully get a little more information, while Sheik and Hunter would go to the Farore Fountain and Shade would go to the Din Fountain. We hoped it wouldn't be more than a few days before I passed the Trials underneath the fountains.
Fortunately, I was able to modify the Master Cycle slightly so that it would accommodate a few bags, which mostly contained my sword, the Hylian Shield, the Fire Rod, a few first aid items, and changes of clothes. We had decided it was best if we held onto the magical items we had found. I also found out the Master Cycle's dissolving extended to anything loaded onto it, so we wouldn't have to unpack it every time we wanted to dematerialize it.
Shade and I were finished packing, leaving us a few minutes alone together. Funny how such a normally frequent occurrence happened less and less frequently recently.
"What are you going to do in the Din district while you wait?" I asked my twin. "It'll be a few days before we get up there." Shade smirked.
"Well, in the spirit of summer romance, I'm taking Midna up there too. Going to get a hotel room and sleep as little possible." My face must have conveyed how horribly disturbed I was, because Shade didn't last ten seconds before he burst out laughing. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Wouldn't be opposed of course, but that's beside the point. No, there's a school I'm looking at up that way. Midna's interested in it too, so we're going up together. They've got great cooking and arts programs, including some magic focused ones. That's what Midna is looking into." That was a bit of a relief. I knew Midna had a bit of magic, a fairly common occurrence in Twili, and most with magic abilities were highly sought after by schools and employers. I also happened to know both Shade and Sheik had a bit of a crush on her. I had decided long ago to stay out of it.
"Cool. You're picking her up on your way out of town?" He nodded, standing when we realized we were basically set to leave. "Well, enjoy your getaway, don't blow your chance. Text me if something goes wrong." We clapped our arms together like were going to arm wrestle, something we had been doing for years.
"Will do. Don't crash and die and whatnot. You wouldn't be hard to replace, but that still sounds like too much effort." Ah, brotherly love. I grabbed my jacket from the couch, shrugged it on, and we went outside.
Zelda, Sheik, and Hunter were crowded around the three vehicles, seemingly ready to go. Zelda was outfitted in her biking gear again, same as me, and both Sheik and Hunter looked surprisingly serious. We walked over to join them.
"All set?" I called out to them. Hunter nodded before talking.
"Before we go, something you should know. I was looking at some older Sheikah texts I have and called some of the Sheikah Chiefs to try to find references to Hylia. I found a few things in the texts: she's a goddess that gave up her immortality to protect Hyrule and is continually reincarnated, same as you know. However, there were also mentions of a close relationship between her and the Sheikah. What that relationship was exactly, I couldn't tell. And when I asked the Chiefs about it, they clammed up pretty quickly. I mentioned what I found and what you told me, as well as the fact that you were visiting the Temple. They said I should give you this," he handed Zelda a medal with a Sheikah eye on it and some engraving around the sides, "and show it to the Temple attendant. They wouldn't tell me anything beyond that. You might end up getting more answers at the Temple than I thought."
With that over, we were finally ready to leave. I was excited to really try out the Master Cycle. Or maybe I was just giddy to ride it again, either were possible. The initial roar when I turned it over sent shivers down my spine every time. With bags loaded, my sword close at hand, and Zelda holding onto my back, I peeled out of the driveway and started south towards the Temple of Time.
It was about a six-hour drive from home to the Temple, which was situated across the great expanse of Hyrule Field. We stopped every few hours to stretch our legs and readjust ourselves. As comfortable as the Master Cycle was, riding on a motorcycle for long periods of time got a bit exhausting.
We finally got to the Temple at about 3:30 pm. Since there was a tour starting soon, we decided to go on that before talking to any of the priestesses of the Order. The tour itself didn't tell me much I didn't know, but it was interesting to go on it all the same.
The Temple of Time was one of the oldest structures still standing in Hyrule. It had been rebuilt a number of times over the many years, but there were at least a few stones that were still parts of the original foundation, most notably a large circular area towards the middle of the Temple. Whatever engravings had once been there were now long worn away, but the overall shape remained. The most recent renovation was about 800 years ago, according to records, but the current Temple was in remarkably good shape for having seen only minor maintenance over the last few hundred years. Walking around inside gave one a very strange sense of being displaced in time.
Three massive statues of the Three Golden Goddesses towered around the altar at the front of the Temple. The altar was a place meant for offering gifts to the goddesses but had more recently become a place for Hylians to request favors from the Goddesses. A massive bowl on the altar was full of slips of paper with prayers written on them. The statues of Din, Nayru, and Farore were all expertly crafted and truly impressive to look at as they faced the altar with stern, knowing, and kind looks respectively.
The majority of the Temple was filled with pews for prayer or meditation. There were also a number of smaller altars along the walls for some of the less prominent gods and goddesses. Cyclos, Zephos, Jabu Jabu, the Sand Goddess, Valoo, and the Ocean King were all placed prominently, with several others scattered between them as well. Each had a small area for devoted prayer and a bowl similar to the main one for the Golden Three. Zelda and I both noticed Hylia was completely absent from the Temple.
Once the tour was over, Zelda and I made our way over to one of the Priestesses near the main altar. Zelda hesitantly pulled the Sheikah medallion from one of her jacket pockets. "Excuse me, can you help us with something?" The priestess put on a kind smile.
"Of course, child. What can I do for you?"
Zelda held out the medallion. "Hunter of the Sheikah said to show this to one of you. He didn't explain further. We're looking for information on the Goddess Hylia." The priestess' face immediately became suspicious as she took the medallion and examined it. After a moment, she looked back up at us.
"So, you're the ones? Come with me." She turned and moved towards a side door out of the main chapel. Zelda and I quickly followed. The priestess took a few turns and went down a series of steps before going through another door. Zelda and I stepped through and were surprised to see a chapel very similar to the one we had just left.
A rather large statue stood behind a simple altar. It wasn't quite as large as the statues of the Three, but it came pretty close. However, this one was extremely simple, consisting of a winged woman clasping her hands in prayer with a serene look on her face. Kneeling in front of it was a number of men and women covered in elaborate robes with long white hair. As one, they rose from their kneeling position and turned to us before bowing.
"Your Grace," the middle figure said. I stayed by the door as Zelda stepped forward and started to bow as well. The lead…person (they looked like some kind of monk honestly) was quick to stop Zelda's bow. "No, your Grace, you have no obligation to bow, not to us at least. We are your servants, first and foremost." I could tell Zelda was flustered.
"Please, all of you, stop bowing. I'm just a girl," she said, wringing her hands.
"You know that's not true just as well as we do, your Grace. Not every girl is the reincarnation of Hylia, if what Hunter has told us is true."
"So you're the elders he was talking about?" They nodded. "Then do you know anything that will help us? Anything about what we're facing?" The elders exchanged somber looks before turning back to us. For the first time, I felt like they were actually paying attention to me as well.
"Link and Zelda, forever reincarnated to fight the eternal dying wish of the Demon King Demise. We were unaware that another cycle was beginning, though with the benefit of hindsight, it is obvious. I see Hunter has chosen to give you the Sheikah Slate to assist you, Link. Use it well, it is the last remnant of a time long past." On one hand, I was honored to have the blessing of the Sheikah to use one of their valued treasures. On the other, I would have liked to see them try to take my motorcycle. No way was I giving this thing up.
"Zelda, Hunter told us a bit of your powers, but we would very much like to see them ourselves. Would you be willing to show us?" Zelda nodded and extended her hands. Golden light immediately streamed from her fingers and floated through the room, weaving around all of us. The statue behind the altar also started glowing and seemed to amplify the light of Zelda's magic. She gasped in surprise and the light from her hand suddenly stopped. She immediately clutched her hand to her chest as if she had been burned.
"What was that? That power.…" The Sheikah elder nodded as if he had expected this.
"That is all the proof we need, your Grace. Had you not housed the soul of the Goddess Hyila within yourself, nothing would have happened."
"But what was that? The magic felt similar to my own, but so much older and more powerful." The elder nodded again.
"That was the power of Princess Zelda of Hyrule, who fought against the monstrous Calamity Ganon. She was the last incarnation of the Goddess, over one thousand years ago. The last lingering fragments of her power was instilled in this statue to await the next princess who would bear the power of the Goddess." I started at his words.
"I'm sorry, but did you say 'princess'? Because I don't think Princess Felia is here."
"You are correct, Link," the elder said to me. "The Princess Felia is not here. However, Zelda, or should I say Princess Zelda, is, for the soul of Hylia only ever rests in a princess of Hyrule. Zelda, do you know if you have any royal blood in your veins?"
"Well, I have heard from my grandmother that a long time ago, some old relative of mine had wooed a prince of the royal family. Grandma always said the two ran off and got married, but I always thought it was just a story."
"It wouldn't be the first time some secret tryst of royalty resulted in children. However, if they were married with love in the eyes of the Golden Three, a child born of such a marriage would be considered a legitimate heir, maybe even the rightful successor. It is the only explanation I can see for how you could bear the soul of Hylia."
Everyone in the room seemed to stop for a minute to process the information or something. Except me, because I didn't see that anything had changed. Zelda was still Hylia. Princess or no, we still had a demon thing to kill.
"Alright, good talk." My voice split the silence and jarred everyone out of their thoughts. "Sorry to cut this all short, but we just need to know what it is we're supposed to be killing. Any ideas?" The head Sheikah gave me an odd look for a second before smiling.
"I think I like you Link. Not as serious as some of your predecessors." Before I could ask what the hell he meant, he plowed right on. "What you face, even we don't know. We are guardians against threats to Hyrule and the Royal Family, and while we can often foresee those threats, the greatest dangers have always required the aid of a hero. The only thing we know is that this threat is unlike anything seen in many years. The signs offer no other explanation. Whatever is coming, Hyrule itself fears it. And we ae woefully unprepared to face it."
*Aro creeps through the dark* Okay, just going to sneak in here, post this chapter and run away before anyone notices... *spotlights turn on* Oh...shit...Imean,higuyssogreattoseeyoupleasedon'tkillme. Sorry this has taken so long to post, everyone, but vacation comes first. However, I am back now and ready to go back to work. And I do mean my actual job, so I apologize. I will continue this story and I will be working on it when I can, but please understand that this story is not my entire life.
Okay then, on to reviewers! Shadow, yes, filler, everyone's favorite. No, the fountains are not all going to be the same. In fact, the upcoming Farore fountain is extremely different from the Nayru fountain, and the Din one should be as well. There'll be more later too, so don't think these three are all you'll see. Sand seal, foreshadowing maybe indeed. What will happen? Honestly don't know, I haven't quite planned that far. But it'll be good, or I'll eat my hat. Which would suck because fabric tastes awful and I really like that hat. Foopuff, thanks for racing to keep up. The YouTube hole is indeed vast and unrelenting. Yes, they argue, no, he's not evil. I make no promises for the future though. Do you really blame them for bailing? I sure don't, I'd have booked it out of there too. As far as Zelda goes, not quite. I find that answer to be very cliche and boring, especially in a modern setting when things are televised. There's no way no one would recognize her. I think I did a decent job of explaining everything away here, but I'd still like your feedback. I too love that line, my favorite thing is to call the person in a group not doing anything "moral support." Especially when it's often me. Thanks for your understanding and I hope you enjoy what I put out next.
One quick note here, for those who noticed, there was a point in the story that I received a bit of flak for. I hope this chapter helped clear that up a bit, that was part of the goal.
Great, got that sorted. Next chapter will be a bit of a lead up to the next dungeon, which should be coming soon. I've got most of it mapped out, and what a map it is. Probably going to follow the same three chapter format as the last dungeon, but we'll see. On another note, I think this chapter finishes up most of the exposition I wanted to have happen, which means more time for plot and the ever anticipated romance. That's right, things are going to get moving in that department too. Can't wait, it'll probably be good (that probably is my way out if it sucks, so now you can't be mad at me because I promise nothing! Hah!). Cheers all and I'll see you soon.
-Aro