To start, I would like to say welcome to the continuation of The Legend of Zelda: New Memories! This story is years in the making, and I'm so excited for you all to read it. This story will continue with the tone of the last one; fairly bleak and realistic. This is not your average happy Zelda story! If you don't want to see these characters go through the ringer, then click away. I try to treat these characters as real people, and make their decisions based on their personality, and all they've been through. When last we left off, Link had narrowly defeated Majora's Mask in an act of true love, with Zelda's help. But now, 8 months later, he hasn't healed from the emotional trauma, and still struggles to find happiness. I'm very excited to continue this story with these characters, and I hope you are too!
Now, onto the reviews from the finale of New Memories!
AlphaWolf97100: Thank you for your kind words! A lot of work went into crafting an intricate storyline that came to a head in a way that made sense, and I'm glad it's appreciated!
DrumGamer: It's reviews like these that make me really happy, honestly. I really do try my very hardest to treat these characters as if they were real people with real, troubling problems. Thank you so so much for your review!
Xver1: Good to see you still reading my stories, thank you for sticking with me until the end!
thebirdy74: Thank you so much! I do try my hardest. ;) I'll be updating the final chapter of New Memories after this so that everyone can know the sequel is out!
Hendrewen: You're very welcome! This story has been the pride of my life, and I'm very happy that I can make someone else entertained with it.
Sailor Saiyan007: You'd better believe he did! ;D
Guest - Chapter 12: PTSD is not a "By the books" issue. It grows and works differently for every different person. Link struggles with his humanity, and with his anger throughout, which leads to more internal conflict. That's how it is for everyone. Calling someone a whiny bitch over struggling with feeling of happiness and achievement for murder seems a bit ignorant, but oh well. :)
Masterp1337: ;)
ichigomatsudai: Thank you! Hopefully you enjoy this!
Professor Daniels: Thank you, thank you, thank you! This story will eventually wrap up Link's journey through PTSD, and not all the details are fleshed out, but it will be a critical piece of this story. Your words bring a legitimate warmth to my heart, and I can tell you really enjoyed my work. Thank you, and I hope to see more of your comments on the sequel!
TotallyNotAGuest: Thank you for your amazing words, to hear the term 'masterpiece' given to something I've created is humbling. I don't think I've made someone cry from my work either, so again, thank you!
And now, onto the main event...
I can still feel that dreadful mask's unnerving eyes staring into mine , even now. After everything that's happened, it's weighty gaze still locks my eyes open at night, as if it were still with me.
The days have become longer, and I feel older. Pulled on from all sides, like an oak tree in a summer storm. I can feel my age catching up to my body.
Even so, my training is going well. Dorian was impressed with my eighth trial yesterday morning. I can feel my connection to the Sense has grown over these eight long months, and it helps. I feel moments of fleeting joy during my deeper meditation practices.
However, I find myself more at home in my study than anywhere else. The Council is unimpressed with my performance of King Pro Tempore, and are unhappy with Zelda's pregnancy. They believe she and I are unfit for marriage.
Zelda isn't having any of that.
I can feel a strain on us, however. I know it comes from my seclusion, but..I am still healing. I don't feel like the young man I was a year ago. My body, my mind...are wounded still. But my heart yearns for the birth of our child. The joy of my life, my legacy, will soon be in my arms, cooing at me. A peace I am very in need of.
Once they are here, I will dedicate every moment of my training learning how to protect them. I have seen visions of a great darkness looming over them, and I will not rest until it clears. I've lost too much already.
This morning, I pray for restful sleep. Visions plagued my dreams last night, weighing heavily on my mind. I have not slept in three days, and I can feel it. May the Goddesses watch over me.
Link's quill hovered over the page, lingering above the lines. His hand began to slowly quiver, an anxious shake that had plagued him in the preceding months. He stood up from his wooden desk slowly, groaning as he stretched his back. A single ray of light shone between the curtains of his quaint office, lighting the few objects around his room. Link glanced towards his stack of Sheikah books, ancient texts from the Hylian Library that Link had found in the renovations of the castle. He had studied them from cover to cover, his newly learned legacy intriguing him. He walked slowly to the mirror that hung lopsided on his wall, seeing the man that stared back with him. A long beard covered his lower face, his untamed hair tied in a neat ponytail that hung over the shoulder of his Sheikah robes. He sighed deeply, his worn blue eyes not fully open.
He still hurt.
He reached into the pouch on his belt, pulling out a small paper, folded in half. He carefully unfolded it, revealing a small image of Zelda, his queen, at a doctor's visit for the baby. He smiled slightly, his lips curving upward.
I worry for her. He thought to himself. I worry for our child. He folded the picture back, placing it again in his pouch. He sighed, unbuttoning his beige robes. He stared at his shelf of artifacts, his gaze landing on his old Sheikah slate, which had collected dust over the months. After the destruction of Majora's Mask, the device stopped working, leaving Link to take notes in a new journal, which he carried on his person at all times. He hung the sacred robes on a hook, opening the door to his office, closing it behind him. He moved towards his large bed where Zelda peacefully slept, the candles shining a flickering light across her very pregnant body. He slumped on his bed, sighing in relief. He breathed heavily, focusing his thoughts. His eyes slowly closed, as he drifted into sleep.
"You are so precious, aren't you?" The young woman asked aloud, smiling warmly down at her blue eyed child. The sun shown brightly on the two as they sat on the grass, a quilt blanket under them. Butterflies fluttered peacefully around them, birds chirping in the trees. A gentle breeze blew on both of the blondes, blowing their hair aimlessly. He gazed up at her in innocent wonder, cooing quietly to his mother. She leaned down to lovingly kiss his forehead, holding him close to her.
"I'll always protect you my little hero." She said quietly to her son. "Mommy loves you, Link."
Suddenly, the perfect picture was destroyed, flames consuming the forest. The two acted as if the fires didn't exist, still lovingly embracing each other, the flames rapidly consuming the mother. The child fell from her arms, crying in grief as he fell, endlessly, into the dark.
"NO!" Link screamed in agony as he jolted up, tears streaming down his face. His outcry startled Zelda awake, whose tired eyes looked back at him first in confusion, then sadness. The tired queen sat up slowly, her belly getting in the way. Link heaved quickly, sweat pouring down his heavily scarred back, beads collecting around deep gashes. Zelda wrapped her slender arms around him, his body recoiling in surprise.
"It's okay, my love.." Zelda whispered with empathy. "It was only a dream."
"I...saw her...again." Link said between deep breathes, his eyes closed as he connected with his Sense, calming his breathing, his heart rate slowing. He exhaled slowly, sniffling as he wiped his eyes. "The same dream as the first one."
"Love, you can't take this as-"
"It's a vision, Zelda." Link declared assuredly, standing up from the bed.
"Link, this vision is making you obsessive, you're working yourself to death." Zelda proclaimed, a begging tone in her voice. "You can't keep doing this."
"I know it's a vision. Dorian tells me that they can either mean certainty, or nothing. This is a sign for me to keep learning, to unlock more of my abilities." Link mumbled to himself, throwing a robe on as he shuffled across the room.
"Link, you-"
"I have reading to do." Link called back, a lost tone to his voice. He closed his office door behind him, leaving a frustrated Zelda behind. She sighed to herself, brushing her blonde hair from her face.
I cannot believe him.
"I won't be training as a Yiga, Dorian. It sickens me to think about. I hate it."
"Hated is a negative emotion, Link." Dorian responded, circling the young warrior who sat cross legged on a rock, overlooking Hyrule. Link focused intensely on his thoughts, attempting to achieve a deep level of meditation as Dorian guided him.
"I know, it leads to clouded thoughts. I apologize." Link sighed, exhaling slowly.
"Focus your mind on here, and now. Realize that your ancestry is one side of a coin, the Sheikah and the Yiga. They study the same teachings, the way of the Sense, what connects us to the deeper things in life. Through intensive training, you can learn to feel the life of every living thing, to reach out to hear, see, and even feel things miles away. You will learn to lift objects with your mind, to cast spells and augment your abilities. But you must be dedicated. Are you prepared?"
"I've been prepared my entire life."
"Good. Then reach out. Feel the world around you, a living breathing organism."
Link breathed slowly, as he began to reach out with his feelings, sensing a warm glow around him. His body felt relaxed, and calm. In a state of peace.
"This location as been used for centuries by the Sheikah to achieve Perfect Harmony, a deep connection with yourself, where all conflict within you disappears. If you try hard enough, if you have control of your fear and emotions, you can achieve this state."
Link said nothing in return, his face scrunched up. He was deeply focused, his eyes fluttering under his closed eyelids. In his mind, he saw a light, far off in the distance, covered by dark clouds and a thick fog. He reached for it, eager to find this light. As he did, the clouds grew darker and aggressive, and closed quickly in on him. Link began to mutter to himself, breaking into a cold sweat. Dorian noticed this, and leaned down, his face close to Link's.
"Link?" He asked the young man, who began to shake rapidly. "Link?!"
"Link?" Zelda asked again, staring into the blue eyes of her partner, who stared into the distance. He snapped back to reality, his eyes focusing on Zelda. He cleared his throat, breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry, I...was elsewhere. What were you saying?" He asked, brushing his dirty blonde hair out of his face. Zelda glanced down at the floor, a slight frustration sweeping over her.
"I said that the public is taking well to the Gearnat merger, but there's still some hangups. For one, there's simply not enough room for housing, and it'll take about 2 years to fully build the extension to Castle Town that we're planning, even with General Ranoke's aid and resources. The council believes I need to focus more on the merger than my paternity leave. Can you believe that?"
Link stared down at the steak on his platter, slicing it slowly. He cleared his throat, as he looked up at Zelda from across the table.
"There's not much they can do about that. The baby is due any minute."
"And that's another thing.." Zelda began, her voice trailing off. Link looked at her closely, studying the worry and concern in her face. He slid his chair back, standing up to walk to her."
"I swear to you with my life, you and our child will be fine. I promise." He wrapped his arms gently around her, nuzzling his head against hers. "I love you, my princess."
"And I love you my knight." Zelda answered back, hiding the doubt in her heart.
Link sat at his desk, listening to the raindrops hit the glass windowpane beside him, staring down at the burned book on his table. He payed no attention to it, his thoughts lingering elsewhere.
I can feel it staring at me. Tempting me again.
He glanced up at the night sky, unable to see the stars through the thick clouds that hung over Hyrule. He sighed, looking for some hope in the distance. He saw a glimmer of light shine through the clouds, and he focused his eyes on it, his attention unnaturally locked on the two glowing dots. They peered back at him from the clouds, glowing brighter and brighter.
You cannot hide forever, Link.
Link tried to look away from the glowing eyes in the distance, but felt his vision locked on them as they peered into his mind, violating him, feeding on his fears. He groaned quietly as he struggled against it, trying with inhuman effort to break from it's gaze, to no avail.
Get out of my head!
Why? You crave the answers I can give you. You lust for the power to save your child, to see your mother. You regret telling me no.
You don't know anything about me!
A sinister cackle pierced the air, as Link tumbled to the floor, sweat pouring down his face.
I know everything about you, Link.
Hello lovely readers! I'm back again, and I'm very happy about it. I've gone through some incredibly tough times lately, and I've been yearning to get back into writing. I literally typed this whole chapter up in about an hour, and I really hope you enjoy it. It may not be the most exciting, but it should set the general tone and give you all an idea of where the story will be going, and where it'll take our characters. I will sadly not have any eta on when chapter 2 will come out, and I don't plan on having a schedule for release like the last story, which was generally uploading every other Sunday. I have a lot in my life that's preventing me from writing, but I'm going to try to do everything I can to get this story to you guys, and for you to enjoy it. And before someone complains, yes. The Sense is based very loosely off the Force. Sue me, I'm inspired.
Please, if you liked this chapter, leave a review, because it's the most helpful thing for a writer! My last story reached a whopping fourty five THOUSAND views, blowing my previous record away by 44k. That is insane, and I'm so thankful for it. Buuuut...I got 100 reviews, and I think you guys have more to say than just that. Let me know what your impression is, and where you want to see this story go. Until then, please stay tuned for the next chapter of The Legend of Zelda: New Failures!