And now, may I introduce to you… Adult Link!
RRRP:
ChangelingRin (FF): Honestly, I just wanted to have a fourth boss phase against Demise at the end. It stems from an ancient draft for a different Zelda fic, which features every single one of Link's items breaking right in the final battle.
Unpopular opinion: I think Ingo is better than Talon. Ingo is at the very least hardworking and reliable, which can't be said of Talon. That being said, I didn't want to kill off Talon, either, but I needed Link to open the door of time. I tried writing it so that Ganondorf would threaten some random townies, but it didn't seem… personal enough.
Regarding Anjou… I'm not sure if you're speaking with sarcasm there. That's basically what I did: I made Anjou the family friend that Malon was staying with for Summer's Day. Once again, I needed some way to blow up the Ranch without killing Malon… I get that it's messed up, but it works.
If it makes you feel any better, outside of maybe one or two other scenes, chapter 7 is the lowest point in the story. It's only uphill from here.
Agent3Novi (AO3): Sorry I just you so bad. But you know that quote from Robert Frost: "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader." My writing style lives on that quote. And Nieraj is the Zora Dark Mage who taught Link a bit of dark magic in chapter 6, and is also hilarious.
PsieKhoCis (FF): Yeah, I know I'm evil. You'll probably be saying that a lot with this fic. Malon's definitely up there with my favorite video game characters. Not #1, but up there. The Temples are going to be fun. Thanks for the feedback!
Guest (FF): Yes.
DISCLAIMER: I own Ivan… sort of. Nobody else. Not even Stalfos Link. Poor me.
Chapter VIII: Deja Vu (I've Just Been in this Time Before)
"Link… Wake up… Link, the chosen hero…"
Slowly, the agonizing white light receded from Link's vision, and the Hylian was greeted by a flowing blue platform, oozing calming blue waves out from its center towards the sides of the dais. Around him, great pillars of watery substance flowed down from the heights of the room and into the dark abyss below. He was standing on a dais suspended in nothingness, surrounded by six smaller pedestals with each of the Sage's Emblems emblazoned on them. Link, on the other hand, was placed in the center of the dais, on a raised platform with a great golden Triforce on it.
His eyes drifted lazily about, getting used to the new perspective of being an adult again and not understanding why it felt so comfortable. The last time he had transformed into an adult, he had felt so awkward in his own skin that he had nearly retched every time he took a single step.
Eventually, Link stopped scanning the room and rested his eyes on the rather pudgy old man staring back at him from the Light Pedestal. Seeing that Link had finally taken notice of him, the elderly man began his speech.
"I am Rauru, one of the ancient Sages," Rauru introduced. "Ages ago, we ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm…"
Link wanted to say that he knew all of this, but that would be rude.
"This is the Chamber of Sages, deep within the Temple of Light, and the Temple of Light, situated at the very center of the Sacred Realm, is the last stronghold against Ganondorf's evil forces. The Master Sword - the evil-destroying blade that you pulled from the Pedestal of Time - was the final key to the Sacred Realm. Link… don't be alarmed. Look at yourself!"
Link crossed his arms and adopted a more casual stance, as if to silently tell Rauru that he couldn't care less. Then he stopped. Because he was looking at his left hand.
The pristine, off-white skeletal hand that belonged to his child form had aged differently from the rest of his body. As opposed to have simply increased in size, the coloring of the bones had changed entirely. They were almost a charred black now, a stark difference from what they once looked like. Link also noted that he was wearing odd, copper colored greaves which fit surprisingly well. The Hero noted that the rest of his attire had similarly changed; he had garnered a pair of white leggings and a white undershirt at some point, along with a pair of small earrings. His tunic, while still forest green, had chainmail sewn into the very fabric, especially by the lower hem. He had also conveniently lost his widow's peak, and he had grown nearly three heads in height.
"Ha!" Ivan said in delight. "Link is no longer leetle man now! You've grown up!"
"Does that mean you'll be coming up with a new nickname for me?" Link asked, slightly hopeful. He immediately noticed how much deeper his voice was than it had been in his child form. It felt so much better.
"Maybe. It depends."
Rauru cleared his throat, startling Link and his fairy back into attention.
"The Master Sword is a sacred blade that no evil may ever touch," the Sage explained. "Only one worthy of the title of 'Hero of Time' can pull it from the Pedestal of Time… However, when you pulled the sword, you were too young to be that Hero of Time. Therefore, the sword sealed your spirit here for seven years. And now-"
"So the sword sealed my spirit, but not my body?" Link asked. "And for that matter, shouldn't I be wearing that Kokiri Tunic I was wearing when I drew the blade? How'd I change clothes if my soul was sealed? I have a lot of questions and I don't really want to know the answers, but at the same time, I really do. So…"
"Magic," Rauru explained simply. "You now wear the garb of the Heroes before you. Anyway, as I was saying, now that you are old enough, the time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of Time! Well, do you understand your destiny?"
"Pretty straightforward, to be honest," Link smirked. "Leave this place, fight some evil, and kill Ganonwhoref. Simple."
"Language," Ivan scolded.
"Agreed, little fay. But remember," Rauru continued. "Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace, Ganondorf was able to use it to enter the forbidden Sacred Realm and touch the Triforce."
Gee, you don't say? Link thought.
"He obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light, and with its mighty power, became the King of Evil… His evil powers radiated from the temples across Hyrule, and in the six short years of his reign, it transformed Hyrule into a realm of eldritch demons. My power now has little influence, even in the Sacred Realm. But the power of the Sages remain. For when the power of all six Sages has awakened-"
"Seven Sages," Link corrected.
"- of all the Sages has been awakened, the Sage's Seal will contain all the evil power into the void of the Realm. I, Rauru, am one of the ancient Sages. And your power to fight alongside the Sages makes you the Hero of Time! The very Hero chosen by the Master Sword!
"Keep my spirit with you… and find the power of the other Sages and add their might to your own!"
With that, the ancient Hylian spread his arms as a golden light filled the Chamber of Sages. A tiny gold coin fell from the upper echelons of the room, which Link caught and stowed away. It didn't do anything, anyway.
"Find the other Sages and save Hyrule!" Rauru ordered as Link's vision faded away.
!0*0!
Link now stood at the base of the Pedestal of Time, the Master Sword strapped along his right shoulder and Ivan casually fluttering at Link's side. Link had forgotten just how much darker it was in the future, as compared to the past. He looked around, expecting Zelda to appear in the guise of Sheik. But she wasn't there.
"Link… we're back in the Temple of Time," Ivan said. "And Ivan thinks Rauru took all that stuff that you had collected as a child… So you can't use your Kokiri Sword, Slingshot, Boomerang, or Deku Sticks anymore. Got it?"
"Yeah, I got it. Let's get out of here," Link acknowledged, turning from the now-empty Pedestal and strolling past the Door of Time.
He stopped at the base of the Pedestal. He said nothing for about ten seconds, allowing silence to fall over the room.
"So," he said to the Door of Time before quickly turning. "Would you prefer Sheik or Zeld-"
He was promptly cut off when the disguised princess swiftly ran up to him and pressed her calloused hand to his mouth, preventing him from fully saying her name. "Don't say my name. Ganondorf's hexed it with a taboo, so he's able to figure out where I am if anyone says it to me."
At least she was being honest with him now. It beat spending the better portion of his adventure thinking she was a man.
"Ah, I guess that makes sense. So, Sheik, Rauru gave me the short version of what just happened. Ganondorf fucked everything over -"
"Just because you're an adult now doesn't mean that you can start swearing left and right!" Ivan interrupted. "Well, more than usual, anyway!"
"- and he's been fucking everything over for the last six, seven years. Am I right?"
"Evidently, your nap hasn't done you any good for your vocabulary," Zelda grumbled. "And how did you know it was me? I thought my disguise was perfect."
"Easy. Impa is reportedly the last of the Sheikah, and she was last seen running away with you. So…"
"Actually, the Sheikah have been doing pretty well for the last few centuries," the disguised princess corrected. "Impa is just the only one anyone sees. How do you think Hyrule won the Unification War?"
"Okay… but… even if Impa wasn't the last Sheikah, she was definitely the only one that had Princess Z- I mean, you. And you are the only one that knew that I was here. Therefore, you must be her. Am I right?" Link ad libbed.
Zelda appeared pensive. "Fair enough, I suppose," she relented, buying Link's bluff. "Anyway, I've been waiting for you. Rauru certainly didn't tell you where the remaining Sages are. One of them is in a forest, another a mountain, another a lake, another in the house of the dead, and the last in a goddess of the sand. Together with you, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world. This is the legend passed down by the Sheikah. And seeing you stand there, with the Master Sword, you really do look like the Hero of Time…
"But I digress. One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I'm sure you know… And because of the evil power radiating from that temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm. However, equipped as you are, you can't even enter the Temple. If you believe what I'm saying, you ought to head to Kakariko Village. Do you understand, Link?"
"Of course," Link said dryly. "All I have to do is go places and help people."
With that, the Hero turned from the princess and walked out of the Temple of Time, out into the destroyed world that awaited him.
!0*0!
Castle Town had been reduced to an ashen square filled with Redeads. Link ignored them, instead opting to rush out into Hyrule Field. The drawbridge had been long since destroyed, and the sky was colored an ominous purple. A ring of fire had settled over Death Mountain, heralding bad times to come.
This would be interesting.
A group of Stalchildren shuffled right past the drawbridge, ignoring Link entirely. They were soon followed by a pack of Fire Keese that similarly disregarded the Hero of Time.
"What are they doing?" Link asked himself.
"Ivan is not sure," Ivan admitted. "Haven't you done all this before? Why are you asking Ivan?"
"Because this is new," Link explained like it was obvious. "Like how Ganondorf is possessed by Demise. It wasn't like that the last time I did this."
"Ivan supposes you have a-" Ivan started before being cut off by an alien screech.
Some kind of giant hairball scurried past Link, giving chase to the Stalchildren and Keese. On closer inspection, the hairball was oozing blood and pus, and was covered in rusty chains and eyeballs on all sides. It soon stopped, rear eyes swiveling madly and focusing on Link.
"What… the fuck… is that?"
For once, Ivan didn't scold Link for swearing. "That is a Maoqiu. It's a demon from ancient times. Be wary, for it is fast and vicious."
The Maoqiu approached, slowly at first, but then suddenly springing forwards in a full-on sprint that belied its size. Link summoned his shield, noting that the color scheme of the shield had also changed from a cobalt blue to a bright copper with an odd design on it, before turning back to the massive hairball.
Or rather, what was left of the hairball.
At some point, some thin bird thing had appeared from seemingly nowhere, and sliced the Maoqiu into bloody little bits with its ridiculously long beak. It had matted fur, coated in crimson, and an extremely sharp, long beak. It had to be at least fifteen feet tall, towering over the Hero of Time.
"And that is a Kumangiriza. It's another demon from ancient times. Its beak is extremely sharp and powerful, but it is unwieldy, and you can use that to your advantage."
Link had no time to use this newfound knowledge, as the Kumangiriza was promptly crushed under a giant skeletal foot. Link's eyes involuntarily traveled upwards to see a fifty-foot tall colossal skull monstrosity, with two long, spindly arms, two long, spindly legs, and about six skeletal faces etched into all sides of its skull. It screamed into the sky, nearly breaking the Hylian's eardrums.
"Bozhe… That's an Elder Skullfos. It's one of the most powerful eldritch abominations known to Ivan."
"Okay, but how do we kill it?" Link asked.
Ivan gave him a droll look. "We don't. We just run before it notices us."
"It hasn't noticed us?" Link inquired, incredulous.
"Not yet," Ivan affirmed. "Its eyesight is poor, but its sense of smell is very powerful. You should be very glad that you took a bath recently, or we'd both be dead by now."
Link didn't answer. He dived under what was left of the drawbridge, hopefully out of sight. Unlike how the water was supposed to be, Link couldn't see anything through the waves. He assumed that it was just the darkness. Closer inspection, however, revealed that the water itself was a corrupted black. That was new.
A disgusting sniffing noise filled the land, drowning out even the nearly inaudible gurgling of the putrid water surrounding him. The sound continued for what seemed like a decade before a loud series of booms echoed through Hyrule Field. Link peeked out of the water and saw the Skullfos stalking away, dragging the mutilated corpses of the Kumangiriza and the Maoqiu behind it.
Link sighed in relief and hauled himself out of the frigid water.
He could see the ruins of Lon Lon Ranch from here, and from the looks of it, the location had been completely abandoned by mankind. Not to say that the former ranch was really abandoned; a pack of what appeared to be half-lion centaurs had set up camp there and were having some sort of brawl.
"Lynels," Ivan grumbled. "Strong, intelligent, armed, and most importantly, deadly. You're nowhere near ready to fight them. Steer clear and get to Kakariko. Got it?"
"Got it," Link ascertained, setting off towards Impa's home village.
Then he remembered something.
Link pulled out his ocarina and played Epona's Song, ignoring Ivan's questioning glance. Sure enough, his formerly faithful steed trotted over a few minutes later, nickering as if to say hello.
"How have you been, girl?" Link asked, not expecting an answer. The horse had been saddled and everything, as if she was born ready for Link to play the song. Smiling to himself, Link mounted Epona and gently dug his heels into her sides, spurring his equine companion into a brisk walk.
Soon, Link had made it to Kakariko. It quickly became overcast, a result of the chaos with Volvagia in Death Mountain. He'd fix that as soon as he saved Saria.
He glanced to his side as he crossed the bridge to Zora's River- and froze, signaling for Epona to stop as well. The gurgling brook that was supposed to be full of pristine water was instead flooded with a sickly dark green fluid that reminded Link all too much of the pus of an infected wound. What had happened to Hyrule in his absence?
A nearby tree began groaning, leaning over as it fell. It crashed into the corrupted water, and Link watched in horror as the bark was literally disintegrated by the river, which was apparently highly acidic. He stared uncomprehendingly for a time before swallowing a wave of nausea. The Hero then spurred Epona onwards, closer to Death Mountain.
He had remembered that Epona was scared to go into the Village itself, but apparently his memory was wrong, as his horse bounded up the steps like she'd done it a million times. Vaguely, he wondered where Malon was. She was probably here.
Everyone that had once resided in Castle Town seven years ago had relocated to here, making Kakariko more of a refugee camp than a town. The well had long since dried up, but nobody appeared dead, which was a bonus. He swallowed nervously, but Epona seemed to not care all that much. Link, who was unsure where the horse was going, simply allowed the horse to navigate the maze-like streets of the Sheikah village, eventually approaching the other side.
!0*0!
Ten minutes of riding later, Epona stopped. Link looked about before seeing a small sign labeled "New Lon Ranch". Link grinned sheepishly. Of course she had set up in Kakariko.
His grin soon faded when he looked past the sign and out towards the pastures. The animals looked fine - or at least, fine considering the fact that Hyrule was literally undergoing the apocalypse - but the grasses were all mottled brown, and the crops were all sickly and dying, probably due to lack of sun. It wouldn't last much longer. It couldn't.
Epona snorted and pawed the ground, as if to say Get on with it!
Taking a deep breath, Link walked past the sign and into the Ranch. It was laid out rather similarly to what had once been Lon Lon; there was a ranch house to the left, a stable to the right, and a large field down the middle with crops and space for the livestock. He coaxed Epona into following him with a carrot from Old Lon Ranch before gently knocking on the door.
There was no response. He knocked again.
A few seconds later, a red-haired woman opened the door. "Oh, hello! I see you found Epona. Do give Captain Rusl our thanks for his quick action. I mean, everything was fine, and then Epona just bolted! It was the str-"
"Uh… Who's Captain Rusl?" Link asked, cocking his eyebrow at the woman he had known to raise cuccos seven years ago. What was her name again… An-something?
"Wait… you're not part of the Guard?"
"Uh, no. I just got here and saw the horse. I'm actually looking for Malon, and I figured she'd be here, given that this place is called New Lon Ranch and that Old Lon Ranch was destroyed seven years ago," Link ad libbed.
She seemed to buy it. "Malon went into town to ask Captain Rusl to alert the Guard that Epona had- Oh, excuse me! Where are my manners? I'm Anjou, and you are...?"
"Link," Link said, not bothering to come up with a pseudonym. "How do you know Malon?"
"Talon and I were friends for our entire lives," Anjou explained, staring off into the distance whimsically. She was probably remembering Talon's death.
"I… for what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss," Link said comfortingly.
They stayed like that for some time until the other red-haired woman showed up.
"Anjou! Rusl said Epona re-entered the town at the so- Uh, am I interrupting something?"
Link turned at the sound and saw Malon's adult iteration standing at the entrance. Her formerly all-white dress had been exchanged for a cream-colored shirt and a purple dress that came down to just above her feet. She had also cut her hair so that it stopped just shy of her shoulders.
"No, no," Anjou denied. "This young man, Link, had just found Epona and had brought him back to the Ranch. We were just talking-"
"Link?" Malon restated, incredulous.
"Yeah," Link confirmed, scratching the back of his neck with his Stalfos hand, "Sorry for-"
"Show me the shield," she demanded, stepping forward menacingly.
The Hero took a step back, wanting more space, before relenting and summoning his shield. He assumed she had learned about it during the fight with the Raiders.
"It… it really is you…" she whispered, cerulean eyes misting over slightly before she took another step forward and slapped him across the face. He reeled, more surprised at how much it stung than anything. "What took you so long! It's been seven years, Link! Do you know how much you've missed! A year after you left, Ganondorf took over the entire kingdom and Castle Town got completely razed! Everyone had already moved into Kakariko, but the well had long since dried up, so nobody can get drinking water. Then the demons took up residence in Hyrule Field and the old Ranch, making living here even harder… and more importantly, everyone's lost loved ones. And now, now you decide to show up. Of course you choose now to show up!"
"In my defense, Ganondorf locked me in the Temple of Time and didn't let me out for seven years," Link tried to explain. "It was either that, or he'd have caused even more suffering than he already has."
"Da," Ivan chimed in. "Everything Link has said is true. Please believe us."
Malon's features softened somewhat. "I'm not forgiving you."
"You don't have to right now," Link said. "You can forgive me after I kill the dragon that's causing Death Mountain to constantly erupt. It's causing clouds of ash that kill all the crops, right?"
The farmer blinked. "Why do you seem to know everything?"
"Ivan helps."
They stayed like that for some time. Epona trotted off further into the farm.
"I'm sorry for yelling earlier," Malon apologized. "I'm just stressed out about the Ranch, about Kakariko, about Hyrule… about everything, I guess."
"If you weren't, I'd be worried," Link grinned weakly. "But it'll be okay. I have to take care of some stuff back in Kokiri Forest before I can tackle the Fire Temple in Death Mountain, but as soon as that's done, I'll be back. Things will get better. I promise."
He tugged Malon into an embrace, which she returned in kind. It felt right.
Anjou coughed conspicuously, drawing Link and Malon back into the real world.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," the older woman said, "but we probably ought to turn in for the night. Link, would you care to stay for supper?"
"No thank you," the Hero declined. "The sooner I get moving, the better. Also, before I forget, Anjou, your brother is in the Lost Woods. Could I borrow Cojiro to get him to get out before he becomes a literal pile of bones?"
Malon's friend blinked. "How do you know that?"
"He's Link," Malon explained simply. "It's probably because his dad is a tree."
"Don't be like that!" Link exclaimed, mock affronted. "Anyway, I'll be back in a few days or so. I really need to get moving. Nice talking to you, though."
"Wait! Don't you want me to get Cojiro?"
!0*0!
One blue cucco, one confusing race, and one time paradox later, Link exited Kakariko Village. Malon had been gracious enough to lend him Epona to get to Kokiri Forest faster, on the express condition that he was to bring her back as soon as possible. The Hero had accepted graciously, knowing that Epona would make it back to the town just fine without his supervision.
Now he was standing at the entrance to the Lost Woods, having sent Epona back to Kakariko. He knew that the Kokiri village would be overrun by giant Deku Babas and Mad Scrubs, and he knew that it was caused by the corruption in the Forest Temple. All he had to do was set things right.
Link took a deep breath, crossed the rickety bridge to the village, and stepped inside.
To his lack of surprise, it was overrun by giant Deku Babas and Mad Scrubs, but there were also a few Moblin encampments scattered throughout the place. The forest children were hiding in their houses, terrified of the aberrant forms that plagued their haven.
"To see the forest in this state… It's horrifying," Ivan lamented.
Link agreed with a nod before drawing the Master Sword, silvery blade cutting through the monsters that had taken over the Lost Woods. All the while, Link was dreading the moment when he'd start feeling that headache again, the one that heralded his transformation into a Stalfos. Fortunately, the feeling never reared its head; evidently, the Great Deku Tree's blessing extended even past its own death.
An hour later or so, Link's entire being was soaked in violet blood. Fortunately, this new tunic was stain-proof as well as waterproof, or else the Hero would have a massive problem. But it didn't matter. The demons were all dead.
He knew he had to go into the Lost Woods to get to the Forest Temple, but it was nearly midnight, and even the Hero of Time was not immune to tiredness. Link staggered sleepily to the tree house of his youth, clambered up the stairs, and set himself down by the infinitesimal wooden bed, as it was too small for him to adequately sleep on.
"Hey! You can't be in here! This is Link's house!"
Link cracked his other eye open and instantly noticed Fado storming over to him. Evidently, she had been inside the house when Link arrived, and he just hadn't seen her.
"Well, what are you waiting for, you big bully? Get out! Go turn into a Stalfos somewhere else!"
Link chuckled morosely. "Hi, pot, I'm kettle. And I'm not turning into a Stalfos anytime soon."
"You already are! Or are you dumb as well as big?"
The Kokiri were just like Hylian children; they were loud, obnoxious, and had no idea of how anything they said affected anyone else.
"Oh, are you referring to my hand? It's always been like that. It's been like that for the last seven years," Link explained.
"Well, you still can't be here! Even with the Kokiri-like clothes, this is Link's house! When he gets back, he's going to be oh, so mad, and he's going to beat you up so bad that your ancestors are going to cringe!"
Ivan laughed, garnering the attention of Fado's green fairy. The sprites spent a bit of time chatting, completely disregarding the shouting match going on between each of their partners. Eventually, Fado's fairy flew off and whispered something in the Kokiri's ear.
"Wait… that's Ivan?" she said, shocked.
"Yeah, that's Ivan," Link replied. "So now that that's out of the-"
"You killed him!"
Link blinked. "Uh-"
"You killed Link! That's the only reason why Ivan would be following a disgusting adult around! Hey, everyone! This guy-"
"I didn't kill Link, I am Link!" Link shouted, cutting off the Kokiri girl.
Fado stopped dead. "No, you're not. Link is a Kokiri. Link wouldn't turn into a Stalfos like you."
"You want confirmation? Go get the Know-it-all Brothers," the Hero dared.
"Fine, then, I will!" the Kokiri said, storming out of the hut in a huff.
A pause ensued.
"Fifteen Rupees says she doesn't come back," Link bet.
"Ivan will take that bet and raise you to twenty," Ivan accepted.
!0*0!
Ivan owed Link twenty Rupees.
Link had stayed in that house for the better part of an hour, and Fado never came back. He had rested long enough during that time, so he figured it was time to progress onwards, into the Forest Temple. Or at least he would have, had Mido not decided to bar the way forward by the Rapid Transit to the entrance to Zora's Domain.
"Go away! Saria told me to not let anyone past!" Mido ordered, trying his best to sound threatening.
Link glanced at him drolly, before tugging his deep blue ocarina out of his pouch and playing Saria's Song.
The Kokiri Boss blinked. "That song… Saria only taught that song to her closest friends… Okay, I trust you. Even though you remind me of… him…"
"If only he knew," Ivan grunted.
Link just grinned, walking past the child and pushing deeper into the forest.
Eventually, he came across the Sacred Forest Meadow, which was overrun by moblins. The massive pig demons had taken to patrolling the maze-esque corridors of the center of the glade, probably to stop Link from entering the Forest Temple. Fortunately for the Hylian, they were rather dumb, and thus, Link found it easy to just kill them all with his Hookshot.
Their leader was no different, except instead of patrolling aimlessly, the Moblin Chief was sitting at the end of the Meadow and ramming his hammer into the ground, sending up plumes of dirt that would throw Link backwards.
Link zigzagged around the shockwaves before drawing the Master Sword and slicing the moblin to death. It wasn't long before the pig slumped over and swiftly decayed in a maelstrom of green fire.
Link's wallet was full again.
Finally, the Hero of Time found himself at the entrance to the Forest Temple. He wasn't expecting Saria to be waiting for him at the entrance to the Temple, so her absence wasn't as much of an emotional shock to him. Even still, Link slowly walked up to the rotting stump on which she had once sat and played her ocarina.
The sound of something hitting the forest floor caught his attention, and Link turned to see Zelda, in the guise of Sheik, appear in front of him. She looked at him morosely, as if to empathize with his pain over losing seven years of his life. But that wasn't his pain. He had dealt with that pain last time. His pain now was having to do everything over again, in a world that was both identical and alien.
"The flow of time is always cruel," the former princess began. "Its speed seems different for every person, but no one can change it…"
And for a select few, it loops, Link thought solemnly. Forcing you to undergo the same trauma again and again. The flow of time is always cruel, but for me, it's better described as sadistic.
"Something that doesn't change with time is the memory of younger days… To come here again, play the Minuet of Forest…"
Sheik proceeded to pull a harp out of hammerspace and played the six-note song that would warp Link back to the Forest Temple. Link repeated it, memories of his playing it rushing back to the forefront of his mind. That was a sensation he'd never get used to.
Seeing that her job was done, the Sheikah stowed her harp away. "Link… I'll see you again… But before I go, can I ask you something?"
"What's this 'something'?" Link inquired.
"The plan was to not open the Temple of Time, so that Ganondorf couldn't get to the Triforce," Sheik began.
Oh, she's going there, Link thought.
"You should know this, you were the one to suggest it," Zelda continued. "So, then, why did you let Ganondorf get the Triforce?"
Link stayed silent, his mind racing to find an answer that wouldn't involve the other timeline. He had decided long ago that revealing that the other timeline had existed would only cause suffering.
"I had… a premonition," he finally said. "That, in the long run, De- Ganondorf would cause more pain and suffering for the people of Hyrule if I didn't draw the Master Sword compared to what happened. I wish it didn't have to come to this. I'm sorry."
Tears began to fall from the corners of his eyes. Sheik stood silently a few feet away. Then, she took a few steps back. Link knew that trying to stop her was pointless, and as such, let her disappear in the flash of a Deku Nut.
Link slowly turned to the small tree that hung over the ruined entrance to the Temple, and then shot an overhanging branch with his Hookshot. The point stuck to the wood as it retracted, yanking Link upwards and just in front of the temple entrance. Comforted by Ivan's presence, the Hero walked forwards, head held high, into the sacred stone structure.
A cookie to whoever can name where the Maoqiu, Kumangiriza, and Elder Skullfos came from! [Tip: They're all LOZ-related.]
NOOTTD: Anjou is not misspelled for Anju. I wanted the names to be similar-ish, but not the same, because Termina is an alternate reality that is completely separate from Hyrule.
Also, the taboo on Zelda's name makes sense, as it explains how Ganondorf knew where Zelda was as soon as she revealed herself to Link, as well as why she had to do in disguise for the entire time.
Anyway, that was Chapter 8. Chapter 9 will cover the Forest Temple. Don't forget to review!