"Success is measured by the obstacles which we have overcome to reach it."

~Booker Washington~

Ancient Roots

Chapter 21: Seal

A scream escapes me when I realise just exactly who's plummeting towards me as well as how close we are to the Surface. With mere moments to react, I quickly fumble around for my Sailcloth and curse Groose all the while. His panicked shrieks boom around us and it takes all I have not to cry back at him. My fingers finally wrap around the corners of my Sailcloth and my descent drastically slows, only for Groose's yelling to grow louder until something slams into me from above.

Goddess dammit!

I feel him desperately pawing at me and wrapping his legs around my middle for safety and I instinctively pull up my own legs as the ground rushes up to meet us—this is going to be rough. To make matters worse, my heart hammers against my ribs with no chance of it calming any time soon with Groose practically screaming in my ear.

By the time we finally land, the force of us two hitting the ground throws us apart and sends dirt flying everywhere. Pain shoots through my legs and then the rest of my body as I stagger away before collapsing to the ground, failing to ignore the buzzing in my ears as I breathe heavy, desperate to catch my breath.

My Sailcloth's still weakly held in my grasp as I gingerly open my eyes and thankfully it isn't long before my vision clears and I realise we're in the clearing behind the Sealed Temple, the same one where Link was first assailed on the Surface. But as I push myself up into a seated position, my mind turns to the only other person here and I narrow my eyes at the sight of him sprawled out on the ground a few feet away, angry and confused at his startling presence.

He can't be here. Goddess above—Hylia above, whatever I'm supposed to say now—he can't be here. I can't protect him from the dangers of the Surface and there's no way I would put Impaz through taking care of him either. I'll have to convince him to go back or see if Fi could send him back somehow, though I doubt he'd stay there for long before blinding rushing after me again.

I tilt my head up to the sky, why did you decide to throw him into the mix, Hylia? Because this definitely wasn't my doing…

"…Ugh, rough landing," he groans, "Goddess above, I think I mighta broke something." Anger flares in me and fuels my flight. Pocketing my Sailcloth, I get to my feet and rush over to him as he meets my gaze meekly. I don't look at him with the same submissiveness.

Glaring down at him, I let my anger take over as I demand, "What were you thinking? You could've gotten us both killed! Goddess above, Groose you absolute…"

But he's not listening to me.

As I've been shouting at him, he's slowly started to realise where we've landed. Realisation dawns on him and his eyes start to widen at the world around him. His jaw hangs open and it would be comical if he didn't almost get us killed. Even better (or worse, in my opinion), a small bird, curious at our arrival, lands on his shoulder and a few others land beside the redhead. Within moments of staring at the small things, he's screaming and scurrying away from them, starting at them until they fly into the trees—trees larger than any he's seen before.

"B-Bird? Tiny birds? What… are they?!"

Oh, Goddesses save me… at least the others weren't like this.

Realising that I can't reason with him when he's like this, I kneel down and gently place my hand on his shoulder, "They won't hurt you, Groose. They're just like the birds from home… just smaller." He doesn't listen. Instead, he leaps to his feet and spins in place, eyes wild as he takes everything in I can only watch on with mild amusement despite my initial anger.

"W-Why are the birds so small? Why are the trees so big?" he demands of no one in particular. He doesn't even bother to try and catch his breath. "But… how… w-why… w-what? Where am I?!"

"Groose—"

He whirls on me in an instant and he babbles on before I can stop him, "What's going on here? Seriously, how are the birds so small here? And what's with all these trees? There's so many! Just…" He bobs his head as he tries to calm himself down, "Just give it to be straight, Zelda. I can take it! Where are we? What's the deal with this place? If there's supposed to be nothing below the clouds, then what's all this?"

I run my hand down my face in a vain attempt to steel myself for the explanation I wasn't ready to give, "This is the Surface, Groose."

He blinks at me, agape, "B-But there's nothing below the clouds!"

"And yet you're here," is all I say at first, though my tone's sharper than I'd intended. He looks away from me and I remind myself to stay calm. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in, but you need to calm down and listen to me." Thankfully, he nods and gives me his full attention. Dusting off my dress, I continue, "It's a long story, but all you need to know is that this is the land beneath the clouds and there's… some very bad people here that I need to stop." I sound like I'm talking to a child, but I guess that isn't far from the truth.

He opens and closes his mouth several times before slowly asking, "So that's why you've been zipping in and out of town all in a hurry? And why you and the others have come back hurt?"

I nod and add for good measure, "It's also why Link had to leave Skyloft so soon after coming home; he has a job like I do."

"So, this is why the Headmaster let you walk around Skyloft armed to the teeth," he mutters, completely ignoring my comment about Link—not that I'm too surprised. I roll my eyes and nod. "You're kind of imploding my mind right now… but I think I get what you're saying."

"You shouldn't have come after me, Groose," I say, desperate to change the subject. "This place is dangerous and you aren't—"

"But how else was I going to protect you?"

I blink, "What?"

He takes a few steps towards me and looks at me in a way that I don't like, "Ever since the Wing Ceremony, you've been disappearing and no one will tell me why, but you were coming back injured and I was so worried about you. And after you and Karane came back with Pipit—"

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't have come after me."

"—and then I saw you going off on your own, I figured I'd come and protect you from whatever was hurting you."

In any other situation, a tiny part of me would think his worry for me was somewhat sweet. But this isn't any other situation. We're on the Surface for starters, not back at home where we're safe, and there are people down here that don't care for such sentimentalities. Groose has absolutely no idea what he's got himself into and I don't think he's going to see that until something terrible happens.

I grit my teeth, "Whatever you thought you were going to do by coming here, you were wrong. You can't be here, Groose. You need to go home—now."

Before I can say anything more, however, Groose lurches forward and grabs my wrist, "Please, Zelda, just listen to me! I can help you down here, give you a lift back to Skyloft and then…" He giggles and my stomach turns. I don't have time for this. "A-Anyway, all I'm saying is—"

"No," I cut in hotly. "I'm not listening to you anymore. I don't need protecting and you'd do nothing but hold me back from doing what I need to do." Taking a deep breath, I compromise, "There's someone I need to talk to about my next move and then I'll be going back to Skyloft and you're coming with me so you can stay there where you belong."

But he shakes his head, "This is where I need to be Zelda: at your side. And besides… it's sort of alright down here. This rugged, adventurous wilderness that's… wait, does it even have a name?"

"Yes, it's called 'Groose needs to leave before Zelda does something she'll regret later,'" I remark, but all he does is smirk. "Hylia save me…" He frowns.

"Who? Anyway, you don't really have a choice here, Zelda." He starts listing things out on his fingers, "Pipit's all beat up so he can't help you, Karane's off helping him get better and Goddess knows where Link is…"

"He's off trying not to get killed," I mutter under my breath, his words striking a painful cord in my heart after what happened at the Temple of Time. Groose is too occupied to notice.

"All I'm trying to say is that you need me here, Zelda," he continues. "I don't care if you don't want me here because you need me here and that's what matters. I want to be with you, at your side and protecting you from whatever you're doing down here. You need protecting and the Goddess brought me here to do that!"

I scoff and, deciding that I can't take any more of his reasoning, start towards the Sealed Temple. I'm here to get answers from Impaz and then I can move on, preferably without Groose. After all, Link is my sole priority and I refuse to let that be overshadowed by his bully. I won't let Groose or anyone else stand in the way of that.

But the redhead remains hot on my heels and manages to catch up to me just as I reach the entrance to the temple, leaping into the spot between me and the doors and effectively blocking my path.

I glare at him, "Groose, get out of my way!" He doesn't even reply. Instead, he spins me around, holds me against the doors and kisses me deeply. My gasp of surprise is quickly muffled, but I'm quick to shove him away and scramble for the door handle, wiping my lips with the back of my hand as a blush creeps up his cheeks, oblivious to how angry and upset I am at him for overpowering me like that—I didn't think he'd stoop so low. "Go home, Groose. You aren't welcome here."

I think he sees the hurt in my eyes because there's a flash of regret in his for a moment before he recovers and murmurs, "I won't back down, Zelda."

A disgruntled huff escapes me and I swing the door open so I can slip inside and slam it shut in Groose's face without a care in the world. I'm glad when he doesn't try and come after me because it gives me a chance to sag against the door and let my adrenaline fade away. All I want to do is find a way back to Link and fix this mess we've been dragged into without having all these problems, is that so hard to ask for?

All is silent in the Sealed Temple and after the headache I had outside, the lack of sound is welcomed. Desperate to refocus myself, I push myself away from the door and make my way to the back of the temple where a familiar figure sits at the top of the steps, basking in the sunlight seeping in through the cracked roof. She smiles warmly and bows her head, taking my hands into hers when I kneel before her.

"Greetings, Zelda," says Impaz, "Were you able to catch up with Link?" I swallow at the memories that come flooding back—the battles, the reunions, the betrayals, the smiles, the laughter, the tears, the loss. She notices my fading smile and prompts, "What happened?"

And I tell her. It's slow and difficult at first since there's so much to talk about, but I manage to get through it. I tell her about Ghirahim and Skyview Temple, then Impa's supposed betrayal in Eldin. I tell her about the showdown at the Temple of Time and everything I've seen in those memories. Impaz listens intently as I do so, squeezing my hands whenever my voice falters. I hear the doors creak open at some point, but I ignore it.

When I finally finish, the priestess hums in thought, "Ah, I see. Well, your instinct is correct: Impa is a being sent forth by the Goddess to aid you in your quest and is indeed an ally. The two have travelled somewhere in order to accomplish the great task destiny has set before them." I breathe a sigh of relief, glad that my gut was right after all. "Has anything happened since their departure?"

Despite her cryptic question, I can tell what she's driving at, "I'm Her Grace… aren't I?" She nods and I frown, "And you knew?"

"I did. However, you needed to understand in your own time," she explains. It's not the best answer, but I'll have to take it. Casting her gaze over my shoulder, she queries, "And who has accompanied you this time?" I follow her line of sight down to Groose at the bottom of the steps, his eyes wide after hearing the abridged version of my story.

Looking at him fans the irritation in my heart and a strange feeling washes over me, and I speak before I can stop myself, "That boy is infatuated with Zelda and has endangered himself by coming after her. Unless he makes himself useful, I will send him back to where he belongs."

I gasp when the feeling disappears just as suddenly as it appeared. It was like I lost all agency for a moment and, after what I've learnt about myself, I can safely assume who spoke through me. After all, I spoke to the first Bearer through Link, but I never could've imaged that Hylia would do the same for me. It was a naïve thought, though I'm still getting used to my revelation. Is this how Link felt when the first Bearer tried to take control?

The thought makes me shudder.

"You will learn to control it in time," is all Impaz says before continuing, and I suddenly wish Link was here to help me figure out how to deal with this. "Now that Impa has destroyed the gate that they used, there's only one way left to find them."

My heart soars, "You know how I can get back to him?" She smiles and I could kiss the floor with relief, "Tell me everything."

"You must make use of your harp," she tells me, then gestures to the circular design at the bottom of the steps, "I ask that you stand in the middle of that design and play a song precious to your people: the Ballad of the Goddess."

I raise a brow at her, understanding what she means but surprised that she knows the name of the song when, for everyone in Skyloft (including me), it's never had a name. But, like with most things I've learnt over the past few days, I let it go so I can think about it later—now's not the time for those kind of details.

Rising to my feet, I take out my harp and walk past a gaping Groose to stand in the centre of the circular design, placing the golden instrument in the crook of my elbow and playing the song I've become so used to playing over the years. I don't have the heart to sing along to the melody, so I stick to simply plucking the strings and letting the melody envelop me.

As the final note echoes out around the temple until only our breathing can be heard, the ground grumbles beneath us and makes Groose and I jump. Light pours out from an open spot behind me and I turn to investigate, finding a very familiar slab rising up in the gap between me and another smaller set of steps.

It's a Gate of Time.

There's another Gate of Time in existence. My heart skips a beat. Lowering my harp, I step forward and brush my fingers across its surface. If I close my eyes then I can pretend that I'm back at the Temple of Time when everyone was still here and alright. But then I open my eyes and reality sinks back in; it's just me now.

"The harp you hold is known as the Goddess's Harp. It is a divine instrument of the Goddess who once watched over this land," the priestess tells me from afar. I hold out the harp in sheer awe—is it truly the same instrument that Hylia held? I suppose, somehow, it would make sense now I understand my role in this mission. "As you have already witnessed, the melodies it brings to life have the power to produce a variety of strange and otherworldly effects."

I smile at her words, casting my mind back to all the things this harp has done for me. It gave Karane and I safe passage in Faron Woods, it protected me from the wrath of the Demon Lord, it allowed me to reawaken memories of the Goddess in the springs, it activated a Gate of Time and has now given me one last chance of getting back to Link. Who knows what else it can do?

I have one last chance…

"The great slab standing before you is known as the Gate of Time," she continues. "It's the last of its kind in existence and is the only portal left binding our world to the one where Link now resides. If you manage to open the gate and pass through, you will likely end up in the same place as him."

I turn back to her with a grin I can't supress, "My harp activated the other gate. Does that mean—?"

But the priestess is already shaking her head, "In order to protect the gates from being misused, you will need to endure many hardships and put yourself in great danger to awaken this particular gate from its dormant state. Though your journey will put you in harm's way, Zelda, you must endure. It is your fate as the—"

Impaz is abruptly cut off by a thundering shaking at our feet. I stumble but manage to stay on my feet. That strange feeling washes over me again and it feels like Hylia recognises this feeling—I doubt that's a good thing. Either way, I'm sure I'll soon be finding out what this shaking means very soon.

"This shaking… I fear the seal has been broken," Impaz gasps. I turn to her in confusion, but she continues without meeting my gaze, focusing solely on the skies above, "I expected that it would react to your summoning the gate, but I never imagined the seal would break so quickly…"

"Impaz, what's going on?"

"Zelda, there will be time to explain later. Right now, you must go to the bottom of the pit outside!" Both Hylia and I feel immediate dread. I simply nod at the priestess and race towards the doors leading outside the temple. Groose surges forwards to try and stop me from rushing into such danger, but that feeling of the Goddess taking over claims me and I shove Groose aside, though Zelda—I—doesn't regret it.

"W-What's with all the shaking?" Groose whimpers as I step outside. The shaking's even worse out here and I dread to think what's waiting at its source. "The whole ground is heaving… I thought it was supposed to be solid down here!"

I ignore him and race to the edge so I can peer down into the pit below, spotting that stone pillar I saw when Karane and I first arrived here, except it's now engulfed in dark smoke that billows up into the air. I think back to Impa mentioning a seal in Faron Woods and the effects of it reacting during our showdown at the Temple of Time. There's no doubt about it: this is the seal she spoke of.

The seal holding back Ghirahim's Master.

Oh Goddess above…

"Go quickly, Zelda!" Impaz cries, sensing my hesitation. "Check on the sealing spike in the centre of the pit. There's nothing natural about these tremors—that monster could free itself at any moment. Approach the pit with caution!"

"You can't let her go down there, Grannie!" I hear Groose protest. "Goddess, are you trying to—Zelda, wait!"

But he reacts far too late. Presumably sensing my unease, I let Hylia bolster me as I take out my Sailcloth and leap into the pit before Groose can stop me. I sail down onto the twisting path before rushing forward and throwing myself deeper into the pit. The Goddess's presence grows in conjunction with my fear until it's an internal battle of courage versus fear.

The darkness surrounding the sealing spike has engulfed the lowest part of the pit as I reach it. Dark, smoky tendrils sense my presence and pull me in, surrounding me so thickly that the sun is quickly blotted out. I remember how the air felt different at the Temple of Time and it feels the same now, yet it's far stronger than it was back then. I can just about see the pillar through the smoke where the sigils of the Goddesses—the same ones on the Gate of Time, I suddenly realise—adorn the stone pillar.

My head starts pounding in reaction to the dense smoke and that pain only increases when a voice whispers out to me, "Raise your sword skyward…"

I gasp; something about this voice seems familiar, "H… Hylia…?" Then I shake my head and do as she asked, holding my harp tightly as I draw the Goddess Sword.

"Take aim at the evil aura and unleash its power…"

I nod and raise the sword skyward, readying myself to end this quickly.

But I'm too late.

Before I can unleash the sword's power, the markings beneath me glow and ominous red for a moment before the dark tendrils delve into the ground and create a gaping hole before me. Hylia disappears for the briefest of moments and Zelda—no, I'm me—is back in control enough to stumble backwards, terror gripping at my entire being as the earth shakes so violently that my bones rattle.

Then I hear a new voice.

"We meet again, Goddess…"

The Goddess's presence returns with so much force that I choke on my breath. Deep in my soul, I know that voice. I've heard that voice in the memories I awoke in the springs and I certainly won't forget the way it strikes fear in my heart. I can ever feel Hylia's fear inside me, a fear of having to battle against this monster over and over again across millennia, but there's also a burst of courage that Zelda doesn't share.

"What have you done with the golden triangles?!" he had demanded of the Goddess—demanded of me—thousands of years ago.

And now he's back… the Demon King himself—weakened form or not.

The great behemoth tears free of the seal with a colossal roar that sends me flying into the wall behind me. My vision goes black for a moment before I groan back into consciousness, weakly fumbling around for the wall to guide me back onto my feet. My heart pounds in my ears as I force myself to face my opponent, and what I find chills me to the bone.

A ginormous creature, one far larger than anything I've ever seen, rears its ugly head up and out of the seal, rows of teeth settled in dark gums that glisten with saliva. I can already tell that I'd be torn apart by one of those teeth alone. The scales that cover every inch of its body pulsate with darkness so strong that I feel sick, and once it's pulled its feet free I feel even smaller beneath its towering form. I spot the sealing spike buried into the top of its head.

Hylia's presence fades, as if she has faith that I'll be able to defeat this monster and she's there for me in case I fail.

But her faith is misplaced—I can't do this.

"The seal has given way," I hear the priestess cry from above. "We must keep that beast from escaping that pit. It must not reach the temple!"

But I know that I can't do that.

How can I, a small human, fight against this colossal being? Even worse, this is only the monster's weaker form. I've seen what it looks like when the Goddess fought it thousands of years ago and she couldn't even seal it away completely. What hope do I have of defeating it in either form?

And yet, I know that I need to beat this monster. If I don't, then everything I've strove to protect will be destroyed. In particular, Link will suffer in ways I don't even want to consider. I saw what he had to endure at the Temple of Time and, like Ghirahim had warned, that's only the beginning what he'll have to go through if he falls into the wrong hands. Goddess knows how much pain he'll be in if the Demon Lord gets his way.

Then my heart drops. Is he feeling the effects of the seal breaking right now? He might be far away from the seal (or so Impa had reassured me), but he could easily be feeling the repercussions of the seal breaking?

I have to protect him.

But I don't know if I can do it, not against this behemoth.

The great monster leans its giant head down and I stand face to face with it. My chest constricts and I forget how to breathe. It grins devilishly and I hear his voice again, "My Famulus wanted his soul, but yours shall be satisfying enough…"

"No," I whisper, "You won't touch us…"

Yet my voice is weak and lacks conviction.

In response to my booming fear, a warm glow suddenly envelops me and wards off the darkness. My heart feels like it's being lifted and protected, and I give into the familiar power instantly. Zelda's presence is pushed back until only the Goddess remains in control. Raising my arms high above my head, the light surrounding me is driven outward and engulfs the monster before me.

The sound of two voices—the Goddess's and my own—cry out the command, "Signaculum!"

Since this is the first time the monster has tried to break free in millennia, it's so weak from breaking the seal that the Goddess's power is enough. The creature rears its head and bears its teeth with a thirst for blood as the light spears its body, a tiny smile tugging at my lips as the creature roars in agony. My breathing remains steady as I watch the creature being forced back into its seal and, with it, I feel the air start to lighten a little.

The creature's body breaks into hundreds of pieces before being forced into the sealing spike which twirls down and hovers above the spot where it was once plunged into the earth. Without instruction, Hylia guides me into raising the Goddess Sword skyward and unleashes its power onto the spike. It glows and, with a flurry of swipes, the sealing spike is driven back into the ground.

New markings appear in a flourish of light and the world visibly brightens. I manage to catch my breath as I sheathe the Goddess Sword and stare down at the sealing spike with utter relief. I can hear voices from above, but they seem far away—not because of distance, however, but because it sounds like they're underwater. Hylia's power is so incredibly strong, but the body of a mortal can only withstand so much power before it's too much.

The world tips to one side and I hear someone calling Zelda's name before the world goes dark; I'm unconscious before I hit the ground.

*Signaculum means "Seal" in Latin.