The rope bridge that connected both sides of the deep ravine creaked and groaned as the draft mare walked across them. The chasm marked the border of Ordon and crossing it heralded the departure of Link from his home region. The man hung his head in thought and let Epona find her own pace. The morning was clear and bright, though clouds in the distance whispered rain into the breeze. Link would have liked to have left an hour earlier but he had been… held up. The Hylian adjusted his seat as his mare crossed the threshold of the bridge onto the stone of the path of the other side and stretched his neck a bit. The Hylian cast a glance back towards the way he came, towards Ordon, and he furrowed his brow slightly as he recalled what had taken place just minutes before.
After Ilia had left him Link had sat before his burning hearth well into the night, having forgotten his intention of having supper. His thoughts were too loud for him to even try to think about sleep. Instead he sat there, occasionally poking at the flames, and weighed his options. He couldn't stay in Ordon any longer, what had happened with Ilia had made that clear. At the same time, however, Link wanted to make sure that if he in fact left that he wouldn't be doing so just because he had made things majorly awkward between them. The teenager did not want to stay simply because the village was where he'd grown up and was familiar. Many times during the night, Link found his eyes gazing around his home, watching the fire's light flicker across the walls and memories of his parents peeked into his mind.
Being eighteen now, his birthday having been a couple of months ago, meant that it had been over eleven years since Link's parents died, leaving him an orphan at the young age of seven. Thankfully Link hadn't witnessed his parents' death, but often he thought that having to wait for them to return home was worse. They never did, well they did eventually, but Link wasn't even allowed to see their faces one last time because of their caskets. The boy had been told what had happened, that they had drowned while returning from a delivery trip of Ordon Goat Cheese. Link and his family had actually owned Ordon Ranch and Fado had simply been a farmhand at that time. When the boy's parent's died, Fado had bought the ranch to continue the business. No one is sure exactly what happened to the ranch owners. The bodies of the couple had been found floating in Lake Hylia by the Zora and whether foul play had been involved or not has never resolved. There had been just too little evidence and no motive.
Their wagon was unmolested, no money nor goods taken, nor the family's old grey gelding stolen, so no investigation took place. Link had to bury his parents with zero answers to his questions. After the funeral, Link hated his house, which had been so warm and safe all of his life, for it had suddenly turned cold and far too large. Thankfully he hadn't needed to worry about being alone in that house for long because Rusl, a long-time friend of Link's father, had invited the orphaned boy into his home and would not take no as an answer. At first, as was expected, Link had retreated into himself, angry at the world. Slowly, over time, Rusl was able to take him under his wing. The man introduced the boy to the practice and study of swordsmanship. Rusl, like Link's father, had been a Hyrulean soldier before retiring for the quiet lifestyle of Ordon Village. The focus required from the teachings of swordplay was what the distraught boy had needed, for it distracted his grieving. Rather than brood and wallow in his grief, Link was able to divide his time between practicing with his wooden sword and helping Fado at the ranch.
For three years Link lived with Rusl and during that time, he didn't return to his home once. The boy learned how to be happy again and to live without his parents thanks to Rusl and the support of the entire village. When Link was ten and just when it seemed to him that his life had perhaps returned to normal, everything changed once again. Uli, Rusl's wife, became pregnant, which was a joyous occasion without a doubt, but the prospect of a baby in the household brought Link into perspective that he needed to leave. Uli herself tried to reason with him, as she had always been so kind to him, but Link had made up his mind. The night before Colin was born Link returned to his family's home on the outskirts of the village.
Link had expected to be met with cobwebs and mounds of dust, that his modest house had fallen into ruin. Many times he had imagined that the roof had started to cave in, the windows had broke from storms, and critters had taken up residence: as if without the love and support of Link's family the house had failed to survive. However, when he had finally ascended the ladder and entered the doorway, he found the house spotless and in fair condition much to his surprise. As it turned out, Rusl had taken it upon himself to see that his friend's home was clean and maintained. He had known that one day Link would need his home back when he was ready and the Goddesses have him if he had allowed his best friend's home become decrepit.
Being back in his own home had been difficult at first for Link with the lonely nights weighing heavily at first. The Hylian boy grew accustomed to living alone and steadily the darkness turned from frightening to comforting. Rusl still looked out for him of course, even helping Link to decide to buy a yearling filly when he was fourteen and his old grey gelding passed away.
The death of old Alo, his father's old horse, had been pretty hard for Link to come to terms with. The gelding had been, after all, the last being to see Link's parents alive supposedly and many times Link had wished that for even a couple of minutes he could have been gifted with the ability to speak beast and ask Alo what really happened to his parents. It did take some convincing from Rusl that Link should buy another horse, but eventually the teenager agreed, although he had been hesitant. His parents had left him a reasonable inheritance, especially considering the money Fado had given Link when he had purchased the ranch, so money hadn't been the issue. In truth, Link was hesitant buying another horse because his father had promised him that he'd be the one to teach Link how to raise and break his own horse. His father was gone and now Link had to do it all by himself, with help from Rusl and Fado of course, but it wasn't the same.
Rusl and Link had journeyed to the edge of Faron Woods and Hyrule Field to meet a horse breeder for the purchase. The moment Link laid eyes upon the spirited silver bay filly, he fell in love. From that moment on, Link's life consisted of: ranch work, sword traveling, and spending every other moment training his new filly, whom he named Epona. He chose that name because that was the same name of a renowned horse of Hyrulean legend and Link's mother had loved telling her young son about as many legends and myths that she knew. That horse Link tamed and trained himself and now he trusted his life to her that she'll carry him without fear even against the most formidable foes.
Link knew that he owed Rusl a lot and sitting aside his hearth he came to realize that he needed to tell the man as much. However, having never been a conversation enthusiast, in the midst of the night Link gathered some paper and set his quill in ink to express the words. He wrote about his gratitude, his adventures with Midna, his reasons for leaving, and at the end of his lengthy letters he left an inheritance. It seemed only fitting, in Link's eyes anyway. Since he was leaving and had no knowledge when he would return that if he wanted it, Colin could have his home. The younger boy was the closest person Link had to a brother and it just felt right to him knowing that just in case he never came back, that he could give Colin something that meant a lot to him and the home where he had lived with his parents was just that.
Only when Link finished his series of letters did he manage to get some rest. After a few hours did daybreak wake him and roused his excitement, sending him bounding from his blankets. After months of being shut away, Link descended into his cellar to open the chest that bellied his own inheritance of heroism. Bringing the contents upstairs and into the morning light, with reminiscence and a snarky giggle in his mind, Link once again donned the garments of a hero. He shouldered his shield and hung the elaborate, though empty, scabbard upon his back, choosing rather to hang his Hylian blade at his right hip. Lastly, Link pulled on his green hat and while adjusting his gauntlets, the man felt whole for the first time in months. It hadn't occurred to him exactly how much he had been feeling that something was missing, that there was a piece of him gone, but being back in the Hero's Clothes the Hylian felt as though he could breath just a bit easier.
Eating a quick morning meal, Link wasted no time in gathering together supplies, saddled Epona, and began to pack his saddlebags. Entering his home to grab a few more items, the man was on his way out when he paused to gaze around the house, to take it all in. He didn't know when or even if he'd ever seen the place again. After a moment or two he turned his back on the space, exited the door, and locked it behind him. He went back over to Epona, too preoccupied with slipping his house key into the envelope addressed to Rusl to notice when eyes came upon him. Thanks mainly to Epona's nicker and the growing sound of talking, did Link turn to see Rusl, Colin, and for fuck's sake... the entire village ascend the small hill to his house. Feeling a blush in his cheeks and absentmindedly reaching up to adjust his hat, Link took up his mare's reigns and lead her forward to meet his friends, who all had eyes on him.
"Were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?" Rusl asked with an arch of his brow, a small smile on his lips.
"Ah, no! Of course not… I was going to come and do just that right away, when I finished packing." Link's words came with a smile in return, a tone of bashfulness to accompany, and he hoped that Rusl wouldn't comment on how they both knew that him saying farewell might not have happened.
The next hour was filled with hugs, wishes of luck, and complaints and whines that he should stay. The complaints came mainly from the children, because the adults seemed to understand his decision to leave. Still, everyone was offering Link smiles with words of encouragement. There were some tears shed but it was with a tender sadness. In fact, there was not an expression of resentment or anger in the crowd, though Link understood why Ilia wouldn't want to be there. It still hurt that he wouldn't see her after last night, but he thought it would be a bad idea to go and find her. His main indication of this was when he happened to ask her father about where she was and Mayer Bo just shrugged and shook his head, casting Link a questioning eye but said no more on the matter.
Eventually Link was able to lead Epona towards Ordon Spring and gave the Ordonians one final wave, only coming forward to formally shake Rusl's hand and give him the letters with the key. Giving the man a hug, Link told him, "Thank-you," one more time before stepping away. Mounting his horse, Link gave no more waves and spurred his mare into a happy trot in the wake of farewells and cheers. As he rode from sight, Link's mind became heavy with thoughts and by the time he came to the rope bridge, his smile was gone. When he turned back to look one last time, his brow furrowed in thought, Link blinked to see a lone figure standing there watching him by the entrance of the spring. Before he could reign in Epona or do anything really, Ilia turned her back on him and disappeared from sight and Link left the Ordona Province.
The growing humidity soon gave birth to whispering mists among the trees of Faron Woods and the onslaught of rain drew closer with each step Epona took. Link lightly guided her down the paths, his left hand flexed in preparation to draw the sword at his hip in case any monster dared threaten his horse. Aside from a crow that slightly spooked his mount the ride proceeded without conflict. They continued at a leisurely pace that in no way at all reflected his desire to surge onwards, but Link recognized the need to go slow because he still had not completely decided on where he was headed. Was that responsible? Perhaps not, but Link admitted that by simply being back on the move made him feel much better.
That in itself said a lot about his feelings, he thought anyway.
Soon enough Link found himself at a crossroads and he allowed Epona to naturally head towards where Coro lived with his wares. The silver bay suddenly came to a halt before the gate that lead to Faron Swamp. Head held high and ears perked forward, the mare snorted towards the direction of the cave and stamped her hoof in restlessness; it was enough to shake Link from his mind and he frowned.
"Epona? What's the matter?"
Following his mare's line of sight, the Hylian stared towards the gate knowing full-well what lay beyond there, but was confused as to why his horse was on alert. Obviously she could hear or sense something he could not and that was enough for him to reach over and draw his Hylian blade. The gate and entrance of the cave looked no different then when he had last seen them, which was when he had come through them to replace the Master Sword. As soon as he thought of the legendary blade did a breeze blow directly from the cave to brush against his bangs and ears and Link heard a word whispered among the winds.
Link…
Epona whinnied and danced in place, snorting in warning and anticipation, and Link quickly dismounted with a back-flip off of her. Grunting from the impact from not having done that maneuver in a while, he advanced forwards towards the gate.
"I'll be right back, girl," he muttered to his horse, who kept her eyes and ears upon the cave.
Removing his shield from his back, Link proceeded forward with caution, expression focused. There was a gleam of delight in his eyes to be back in the fray and his grip upon his sword twitched with keenness. Walking through the gate, the hero stopped before the cave and second-guessed himself, wondering if it had just in fact been the wind he had heard and that he should just keep going towards Hyrule Field. "I really am losing my mind," he said, gazing up at the surrounding trees watchfully. All around him the trees groaned as the wind picked up from the approaching storm and shifted direction, sending a draft from behind the man with a high whistle as it blew through the cave.
Link…
"The wind's pulling me in," he thought aloud, before a smirk spread his lips and he walked forward.
Inside the cave was nothing out of the usual and having traversed it so many times, Link didn't even need to light his lantern. In no time he exited the cavern to stand at the edge of Faron Swamp. Wrinkling his nose at the poisonous gases that hung on the lower ground, a gift left from the Twilight, he took surveillance of his surroundings and saw that nothing seemed to be out of place or different. Walking forward, Link came to the ledge that made his legs tighten, having many times before leapt across those gases as a wolf and the eighteen-year-old frowned when he found that he had the urge to get down on all fours and jump.
Link…
"This was a lot easier with Midna and we could warp places…" he said with a sigh when once again he heard his name on the wind, beckoning him forward. "I really hope there isn't just some bird calling my name and leading me around in circles on a wild-Cucco chase," he finished with a grumble before lighting his lantern and plunged into the gases that dispersed from the light.
/ / / / /
By the time Link finally entered North Faron Woods, the rain was beginning to sputter and drip down from the high treetops and the hero knew that he couldn't remain too long out there and leave Epona by herself. The rain had never bothered him and more than once while in Ordon he would go out for walks in the rain to think and listen to the thunder. He found it soothing and relaxing, but in the past few months the rain also brought back memories and images of a looming castle shrouded in mist with low hanging, grey clouds hiding its high peaks. Most people found the rain to be sad but Link had always seen it as beautiful, a sign of nature replenishing itself. Taking a deep breath of the cool and rainy air, Link started forward.
The man only made it a few feet, however, before he stopped.
"Now what?" he asked… what, the wind? Himself? Who knew at that point, but he really didn't have a clue what he was doing out there.
Rolling his eyes, Link slid his sword back into its sheath, replaced his Hylian shield on his back, and stretched his arms with a slight grunt. Before him lay two routes, one easy the other… slightly more difficult. The Forest Temple lay at the end of a winding path within a massive tree, but Link could think of no reason of why he would need to re-enter that temple since he had already conquered it; thus it was the easier route. Coming to the place where he had first met the Golden Wolf, Link scrutinized the gigantic tree of the temple before looking over to the obscure, nearly hidden path that lead to a depth of the woods that few had ever entered.
"I wonder…"
Retrieving the pair of Clawshots from one of his magical pouches, which seemed to be able to hold near anything, Link ascended the great stump at the side of the path that lead to the temple. Glancing at the mechanisms on his hands, Link frowned slightly before looking out across the set of natural platforms that he knew he could use to cross the Deep Gorge. In the past, he had crossed the abyss as a wolf and then used Rusl's Golden Cucco, but seeing as neither was accessible at the moment the Clawshots were all Link had at his disposal. He knew he could get across, he had just done it five months ago, but aside from retrieving the Master Sword he could not think why he would need to reach the Sacred Grove again. Princess Zelda, or well Queen Zelda now, had made a point of telling him to return the sword. While Link personally felt entitled to the blade seeing as how only he could wield it, the legendary sword was not his to own.
Link…
The hero narrowed his eyes in annoyance, raised his left arm to aim, and then fired. Minutes later, Link landed on solid ground with the Deep Gorge at his back and continued onward. The further he walked, the more Link recalled memories of his adventures. Retracing his steps, he recalled walking past that spring as a wolf, battling against the Skull Kid with Midna, and followed his memory until he slid down a slope to enter what was known as the Sacred Grove. True to its name, this section of woods had a clean air about it and seemed to never lose its brilliant and bright green canopy. Passing parts of the ruins of the Temple of Time, Link idly slid his fingers across the ancient stones. Crossing his arms, Link let his eyes wonder to the ruined stairwell, the Door of Time, and he came to a stop before the symbol of the Triforce on the floor in the main chamber of the temple.
Tracing the triangles with his eyes, Link stared thoughtfully at the symbol, trying hard not to glance at the back of his left hand, and in a whisper he said, "What must I do now?"
A howl jolted him from his thoughts and upon instinct, the Hylian back-flipped and simultaneously drew his blade to land in a defensive crouch before retrieving his shield. The howl had been close and its echo momentarily filled the ruins with its beastly voice and Link bit his tongue at the urge to howl in response. Grimacing and shaking his head, he muttered over and over in his head that he was human, no longer a wolf, and for all he knew it could be a Wolfos. Even if he had yet to actually see one in Faron Woods, Link did not want to give out his position to any beast by howling like a moron. Well, one thing he knew for sure: the howl had come from beyond the main body of the temple in the chamber of the Master Sword. Rage coaxed a deep growl from Link's sneer at the thought that a Wolfos might be in the sacred chamber and he propelled himself forward. Ascending the stairs two at a time, Link burst into the sacred grove with his sword at the ready, prepared for a sudden attack or ambush, with an expression and entire body focused for battle.
What sat waiting for him Link had not anticipated nor expected at all and it caught him completely off guard. The hero faltered in his footing, tried to regain his balance, but crashed headfirst onto the ground with his sword skittering away.
"Oh, fuck me…" Link cursed with a groan, shifting onto his knees and held his head in his hands, his hat slipping off the ground.
A rumble of growls echoed in the overgrown chamber and Link looked up in irritation and embarrassment at the Golden Wolf that sat calmly on the other side of the Master Sword. Even if Link hadn't been a wolf before, he would have recognized that his ancient mentor was laughing at him. Link couldn't blame him, he would have laughed at himself too if he wasn't so embarrassed and irritated, or if his head didn't hurt as much as it did. Standing without trying to flinch, Link shook his head and dusted himself off before grabbing his hat to jam it back onto his head; he made a point not to look at the ethereal wolf. Presentable once again Link met the eyes, or rather eye, of the shining beast and the young man raised a brow and opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, unsure.
"Yeah, yeah, ha ha... Let's all laugh at Link. Did you seriously bring me all the way here just to... Wait, hold on. I thought… I thought that you were, you know, done? Wait, why are you here?" Link narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the last time he had spoken to his mentor as he went to go collect his sword. "I mean, it's good to see you and all, but I thought that your regrets had been resolved and-"
The Golden Wolf suddenly began to growl, cutting Link off, and the teenager froze with his fingers inches away from the hilt of the Hylian sword lying on the ground. For a second, there appeared the possibly whether this wolf was truly the Golden Wolf, or Link had just willingly walked into a trap. As if he had read the Hylian's thoughts, the Golden Wolf shook its head and snapped its jaws before resuming his growls. Grinning, Link interpreted this to be the same as the last seven times the wolf had growled at him and took the sword in hand and stood at the ready, awaiting the wolf to come at him. The wolf's growls intensified and the beast's hackles stood on end, but he did not charge at Link like he had in the past. The young man actually took a step back at how menacing and threatening the Golden Wolf sounded and once more, the thought that this wasn't the true Golden Wolf popped into the hero's mind.
Frowning in confusion, Link opened his mouth to protest when the beast suddenly quieted and rose to trot the few feet forward until his nose was inches from the pommel of the Master Sword. The wolf's whine might as well have been words in Link's ears for the hero relaxed his pose and slowly slid the Hylian blade back into his sheath. Stepping forward he watched the wolf, which paralleled his movements and stepped back until it returned to its original spot. Each step Link took echoed against the stones, the storm sounding far off from within the Sacred Grove. His boots finally took him before the Pedestal of Time and the youth's blue eyes were fixated on the blade and its otherworldly shine of evil's bane.
His fingers twitched, a sign of his desire to once more grip the hilt of the blade and complete his arm's reach once again, but Link recalled his queen's words. He glanced at the Golden Wolf as if to ask permission and in reply, the wolf snapped its jaws to voice its impatience. Arching his brows a bit, Link looked down at the sword, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips that brightened his eyes with excitement and triumph.
"Okay... if you say so."
Standing firmly before the sword, the young hero placed both his hands on the sword's grip and, holding his breath, heaved the sword from the pedestal with ease. The blade of the sword seemed to sing as if to herald its welcome with being in Link's possession once again. Barely having the moment to relish the event of being the wilder of the legendary sword one more, within seconds the Golden Wolf was upon him. Link gasped as he was surrounded by a familiar bright and blinding light before he fell into darkness.
The young man's breathing echoed around him and Link fluttered his eyelids open before finally finding enough consciousness to look up. In his hand, he firmly held the Master Sword and the young hero couldn't stop the wide smile from brightening his expression. The moment was short lived, however, when he looked up to see the looming body of Hyrule Castle standing over him in the Ghostly Ether. The man gawked up at the imposing structure and if he didn't know better, Link could probably make himself believe that once again he was in the front courtyard before the castle's grand doors. Blinking, Link slowly got to his feet and saw the Golden Wolf sitting before the castle door, his back to Link, and with a howl and a flash of light a figure replaced the wolf. Looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary as far as Link knew of the realm where he had previously been taught all of the Hidden Skills from his mentor, the Hero's Shade. At first, the teen noticed nothing different about the figure until he turned and faced the green-clad hero.
The Hero's Shade always appeared as a skeletal warrior in damaged and aged armour, with his one remaining eye glowing red. However, the figure who faced Link now was not the Hero's Shade. The warrior was taller than Link by a few inches, wore ornate armour that bore the insignia of the Hylian crest that was complete and undamaged, a billowing crimson cape hung from his shoulders and swept the ground behind him, and he held himself with the pride of either royalty or of a prestigious knight. When the man turned to face Link, the Hylian saw that the warrior carried with him a sword. When the knight began to walk towards Link, the Hylian raised his sword and his expression filled with distrust and wariness.
This was... who was this? Where was his skeletal mentor? Was this a trap after all? Just as Link was about to demand who the knight was, his words stumbled in his throat and his blue eyes went wide when the figure came close enough through the whispering mists that his features became clear.
The warrior or knight or whoever he was, looked almost exactly like Link and that was enough for him to drop his guard and take a step back. Their faces were nearly the same except for the jagged scar that dug down the man's right eye. While Link's hair was a light brown, the warrior's hair was a deep blond with his part dividing his bangs down the middle. The knight wore no helmet so his brilliant shade of blond hair shifted freely in a ghostly breeze, but his bangs did little to hide his left eye, which remained the ethereal red that identified him as the Hero's Shade.
"Link."
The warrior's voice sent a chill down Link's spine and he instantly recognized it as the same one who had been calling him from Faron Woods. The knight's was not the same voice as the Hero's Shade deep tone, so the teenager gave the knight a distrustful look and shifted the Master Sword in his hand.
A small smile broke through the warrior's stony expression and he glanced down at the Master Sword and whispered, "Hello, old friend. It has been so very long," before looking up at Link to say, "Glad you could make it, though I must admit that I was surprised that you took as long as you did to come here. Five months has it been? I didn't think you'd remain for more than a month in your little village and the truth is I'm a little disappointed. Mainly because I lost that bet, thanks for that, by the way."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you but keeping time has never been one of my strong points," Link replied, his sarcasm evident in his low tone and his eyes were narrowed dangerously.
"No, I expect it would not be... Time, that is... I think that's more my specialty, if I were to be honest." The knight's words seemed to trail and they seemed to hold some hidden meaning for he smiled a bit wider and glanced away for a moment, as if in thought.
"Who are you?" Link had had enough of playing around and glared at the knight, still disturbed that they looked so similar.
"What? Don't you know? You can't even guess?" The knight replied with an arch of his brow, to which Link only glared more in response. "Then again, I should not be surprised. I have changed quite a bit, at least from your perspective. I am the one who has passed onto you the teachings of your forbearer, your predecessor, the hero who in another time saved Hyrule from chaos and who you are descended from. I am the Hero's Shade, the Ancient Warrior, and, in a way, I am... you."
"Right… If you're the Hero's Shade, then I'm a rabbit-"
Link's expression went from annoyance to one that clearly read that he thought the knight had taken one too many blows to the head. He would have said more if the wind hadn't been suddenly knocked out of him. Stumbling backwards onto his backside from the unprovoked attack, he raised the Master Sword only on instinct and managed to meet the knight's downward slice with the metallic ring of the two blades meeting echoing through the stillness of the Ghostly Ether. Link ground his teeth at the sheer force the knight had inflicted with his strike, its strength had sent a painful jolt down his arm, and it required Link to use both hands to keep the knight's blade at bay.
Speaking of which, the Hero's Shade stared down at Link from behind his blade, seemingly unaffected from the strength he was exerting, with an expression of what very much looked like annoyance. Link couldn't help getting the feeling that was similar to how he felt when his father had caught him riding the goats, like he was in trouble.
"Mind your tongue and manners, young hero, for only with respect can a hero wield the Master Sword."
"Oh, yeah? That's funny because I thought that… that you just needed to be the Hero Chosen by the Gods, which I am!" Link's words were strained and his anger ran thick with defiance and he smirked when he saw the Shade's eye twitch.
"Indeed, you are correct."
Link barely registered what exactly hit him when suddenly pain exploded in his face and he cried out, grimacing. The knight expertly flicked his sword, Link lost his grip, and the Master Sword was flung into the air. Clutching his bleeding nose, the Hylian watched in growing horror when the knight deftly changed hands on his sword to easily catch the Blade of Evil's Bane in his left and... nothing happened. The Master Sword did not reject him but rather, its power continued to sing peacefully, perhaps slightly brighter even as if excited.
"I can only assume that the Light Spirits failed to mention that the Master Sword has a spirit, thus how it is able to recognize a hero worthy to wield it and that it also has memories and… Oh, it would seem that it remembers me. I was so afraid that it would not..."
Link watched with wide eyes at the Shade spoke tenderly to the shining sword in his hand, as if he was talking to a companion he had not seen in forever and was fearful that if he spoke too loud that the sword would disappear or something. The warrior slid his fingers across the length of the blade and there was such an expression of sadness in his face that Link was taken aback. Still, as distracted as Link was with the fact that Hero's Shade could actually hold the sword, it meant that he only heard a bit of what the knight actually said.
"Who are you?" he asked once again, his tone less demanding and more cautiously curious, though now his question meant so much more.
"As I said already," the knight spoke, looking back at Link from the sword in his hand, "that I go by many names. Though... there once was a time that I went by a rather prestigious title, although I'm afraid that time has been forgotten in more ways than one."
"What do you mean by forgotten, exactly?" Link was really starting to get tired of all the riddles. "Why can't you just tell me your name?"
The Hero's Shade impaled the ground with his regular sword, making Link flinch away, to leave only the Master Sword in his grip. Kneeling down to meet Link's eye level, the knight with his one red eye held the sword across both his palms and said, "Once I was called the Hero of Time, but that was long, long ago. The nature and truth of my story has been lost to all except myself, the Master Sword, and the Goddesses. Link, this will be the first and only telling of my story, so please pay attention."
"But-"
"Hey! Listen..."
The knight gave Link a look that demanded silence and once again, the Hylian felt like he was being talked to by his father. The man furrowed his brow in annoyed obligation while the knight began his story.
"Long ago, in another age of Hyrule, a full decade had yet to pass since the end of the Hyrulean Civil War. I was nothing more than a boy living among the Kokiri, a tribe of children with fairies who never aged. Life had been peaceful enough, but then there came a great darkness to Hyrule that threatened the balance of light and dark and a series of events brought me before this very blade. When I drew it from its pedestal, I became sealed in a place known as the Sacred Realm for seven years. This had to come to pass because it was true that I was worthy to wield the blade, I had neither the age nor strength to be the hero Hyrule needed. It was within the Sacred Realm that the evil king of the Gerudo, Ganondorf, took hold of the Triforce and it divided into three parts with the king taking hold of the Triforce of Power and subsequently conquered the Sacred Realm. For seven years I remained, unaware of the passage of time, until I awoke as an adult with the Master Sword and Ocarina of Time, an instrument able to control time, in my possession. It was at that moment that I had become known as the Hero of Time. Under Ganondorf, Hyrule had fallen into ruin and chaos but I was able to defeat the evil king. Ganondorf was sealed away and I retuned the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time and was sent back to my childhood.
"Once I returned, I sought out the princess of Hyrule and informed her of the threat that was Ganondorf and that the Master Sword could never be removed from its pedestal, thus averting time from repeating itself. However, I still retained all of my memories of travelling through time, of being an adult, and all the experiences I had been through, but I was the only one who recalled that timeline. The only other being that had any knowledge of what had happened in the future left me without explanation and I left Hyrule to try and find her, but I never did. Her name was... Navi and even to this day, I have no knowledge of what truly became of her. I traveled far, saw and saved different lands, but I ultimately failed my quest. You see, Link, I was the Hero of Time but at the same time, I wasn't anymore. As more time passed, I became angry and depressed that no one would know what I done for Hyrule. Even if I told anyone, it would not have been the same. So, out of selfishness and anger, I decided to stay away from Hyrule and for years I grew from the land that I had risked my life to save.
"In many ways I still felt like an adult when I had been sent back in time and I saw it as cruel to being forced to live in a child's body. I saw it as a curse to be able grow up naturally even though I had skills people far older than I had. Looking back on it now, I know that I had acted like the child I was by staying away from Hyrule, pouting and nursing a sense of betrayal and hurt. Being a hero, Link, means that you must be ready to lay your life on the line for what is right no matter the cost, because as a hero you have the courage to make the hardest decisions when no one else can. I was blinded to this knowledge until I was well into adulthood and I finally returned to Hyrule. I dedicated myself to becoming a knight to protect my country, her people, and her monarchy. I became famed for my swordsmanship and I died as a man defending the royal family in honour, but also as a man weighed down by regrets. It was those regrets that trapped my soul from passing on after my death. You must understand, Link, that as punishment for not accepting the role I had played as the Hero of Time, for not being grateful of the power the Goddesses had bestowed upon me while I had been their hero, and for regretting not being able to pass along my skills or story, I was transformed into the form you have known me until now, a shade of the hero I once was. Still, the Goddesses took mercy upon me and promised that when my successor appeared to once more save Hyrule from the threat of darkness, I would be able to pass along the skills that I had learned as the Hero of Time.
The Hero's Shade, now standing before Link, paused in his story with an expression of distant sadness and age. He reached up to gently touch the scar that had blinded his eye before saying, "I was a man who placed his desires and needs before the roles of a hero and for that reason, I had lost my courage. Link, you bear the Triforce of Courage, which once I embodied as well. I must advise you to never lose your valour and to bear the mark with pride."
Link, wide-eyed and dumbstruck, blinked at the older man, his nose painless and blood gone. The teen realized that the knight couldn't be much older than twenty-five, thirty at most, which was pretty young, though his story and words bore a wisdom that held the weight of centuries. Licking his lips and finally standing up, the teenager puffed out his cheeks and tried to wrap his head around the knight's story but it was a lot to take in. Link tried to imagine what it must feel like or if it happened to him, if one day everyone in Hyrule forgot about his exploits as a hero. He tried to tell himself that he probably could put up with it, that it wouldn't be that difficult, but then he remembered how difficult the last few months had been and also considered the fact that the knight was turned back into a child.
Even though Link was eighteen he knew that he had a lot to learn and was just on the brink of adulthood. The knight being trapped for seven years meant that he would have been around the same age as Link is now when he was the Hero of Time. Link had beaten Ganondorf, but was it the same Ganondorf? What other dangers had the Hero of Time faced? And...
Shaking away the dizzying thoughts from his mind, Link realized with a frown that he couldn't possibly fathom what it must have been like for the knight.
"But…" Link finally said, pausing to furrow his brows and look up at his predecessor with confusion and slight pity, "What are you doing here then? Haven't you been freed from your regrets? Did I do something wrong? Did-"
"Steady there now, Link," the knight said with a small grin, taking his right hand to lay it firmly on the teen's shoulder to calm the youth down. "I ask you not you take worry about me, though I appreciate it nonetheless. I have made my mistakes, as I am sure you will make some in the future, but you cannot linger in the past but you can still learn from it. That is what I am, your past, and I am here now to bestow unto you one final lesson to help you in your future."
Gently squeezing the younger man's shoulder, the knight stepped away from Link before tossing the Master Sword at him, which Link caught with ease. Drawing his own sword from the ground, the Hero's Shade took a stance facing his successor.
"It is true that when I passed onto you the last of the Hidden Skills, I was able to ascend into the Realm of Spirits, where I myself learned from my own past. I have returned now to face you, Link, Hero Chosen by the Gods, to inform you that by defeating the great evil that threatened Hyrule you have become worthy to inherit a sacred technique that has long since been forgotten by time. Do you feel ready to earn the last and ultimate hidden skill to steel yourself for the forthcoming battles against more powerful foes?"
"I do."
"Very well. The ultimate hidden skill is… the Skyward Strike! Let it be hewn into your mind!"
/ / / / /
Sliding the Master Sword into its sheath on his back, Link was grinning widely and panting heavily. Not only did the Hero's Shade teach him the lost technique, but his mentor also saw to it that Link prove to him all of his skills with advanced swordplay as well. Now, he had learnt the Skyward Strike, a powerful technique that charged the Master Sword so that a powerful wave of sacred energy could be released. The final attack affected the other Hidden Skills Link had learnt, meaning he could charge the Master Sword by pointing it skywards and make his other techniques more effective and deadly. Feeling triumphant and empowered, Link clapped his hands together and looked over at his mentor, ready to dive into questions. He paused though when he saw the other staring up at the grandness of Hyrule Castle as it stood shrouded in the ethereal mists of the Ghostly Ether. Frowning, Link came to stand beside the other and tried to meet the knight's eye but alas, he found himself on the warrior's blindside.
"You have grown into a strong warrior and fine young man, Link. I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you and to… thank you." Turning to face the teenager, the Hero's Shade's expression was gentle and full of pride. Once again he laid his hand on Link's shoulder before continuing to speak, "I have been watching you all your life, waiting for the right moment when your destiny would summon you to become the hero you were born to be. Listen to me Link, since this will be the last time I will be able to speak to you until you join me in the Realm of Spirits, but I wanted to talk to you about your parents."
Link cringed at the mention of his family but he dared not looking away from the knight's eye. Was the knight about to tell him what had happened to them? Did he know? Trying to stay collected and strong, Link ignored that behind his blue eyes he swore that he could feel the prickle of tears.
"Your parents loved you very much and while I can understand that you miss them and want closure for their deaths, take solace with the fact that you knew them at all and be thankful for their love."
Link frowned heavily and then looked away slightly disappointed, like a child trying to hide his pout. The Hero's Shade only chuckled gently and in a more thoughtful tone said, "I never knew my parents at all, not even what they looked liked or their names. All I know is that my mother loved me enough to risk her life to get me to safety and for that, I am eternally thankful of her." Squeezing Link's shoulder to coax the youth to look back at him, the knight offered a comforting smile and said, "I never had a family of my own and you are only my spiritual successor, but I consider you to be my family. For you are not only my heir, but I consider you to be like a son and…" he knight paused to chuckle slightly, his eye moving to Link's green tunic that he gently thumbed, "Besides, you fit these clothes better then I ever did, though I do admit that you have some growing up to do so you better eat well."
Choking out a laugh, Link smiled through the tears welling in his eyes as he looked up at the knight, noting that the Hero's Shade certainly did look similar to his father but more resembled Link himself. He also realized that this was indeed the last time he would be able to talk to the knight, Now that he had heard his story, learned his identity, Link was sad that this would be the end. On impulse, Link suddenly gripped the knight in a fierce hug, leaning his forehead on the man's armour, and it only took a second for the Hero's Shade to return the embrace.
The Hero of Time looked sorrowfully over the younger man's shoulder and a single tear fell from his red-shaded eye that lifted from his cheek and dissipated into a mist. He would miss the boy, the son he never had. A bright light enveloped them both as Link's own tears began to fall and he squeezed his eyes tightly and pressed his face into his successor's armoured chest.
When the light dissipated, Link was afraid to open his eyes because he was sure that when he did, the Hero's Shade would be gone and that would be that. Taking courage as the Shade had told him, the young man opened his eyes to blink in surprise for once again he stood in the Temple of Time, but rather than ruins the temple was whole and resonated with power. Link had been in the temple's past before so it wasn't seeing the intact building that surprised him, but it was more the fact that it felt different now, more real almost.
"Wha-"
"I told you, Link, that once I was the Hero of Time. So, is it not appropriate that I end my journey where it truly began?"
Link swung around to see the Hero's Shade standing in front of the doorway that lead to the chamber of the Pedestal of Time. "You mean that we're-"
"In the past? Well of course. If you dared to leave the temple rather than see me off, you would find yourself in a very unfamiliar place I'm sure. But... if you did that, I think my feelings would be hurt".
Quickly wiping away his tears, Link rushed forward to skid to a stop before his chuckling mentor, panic in his face that the Hero's Shade was leaving for good, but he tried to keep on a smile.
"Now there's a hero, to have the courage to smile when it seems the most difficult."
The knight then smiled wide and in the moment he strikingly looked like Link and the younger man couldn't help but grin widely back. The Hero's Shade had taught Link more with this final lesson than the young hero could have possibly understood in that moment, but exactly how much he would realize with time. When he saw the knight's smile soften and he began to turn to leave, Link rushed forward to catch his arm.
"Wait, I…" he started, blinking and thinking fast. He had so many questions, so much to say, but he had never been very good at talking, especially not when he was panicking, but-
"Link, you have mastered all of the hidden skills and I taught you all that I know and more but... permit me to bestow one last piece of advice to you." The knight faced him once again, lowering his posture a bit to properly look Link in his eye and he smiled; slowly, his red eye was beginning to change in colour Link noticed.
"Remember what I said about your courage, that you must make the hard decisions for what is right even if they go against your desires. I admit to you that I was in love once though, I hadn't realized it until I was too late," the knight held up a hand when Link began to ask something, the knight's smile softening even more as he sighed. "But as I was forgotten as a hero, she forgot also that I had searched for her and saved her. With time, I dedicated my life to protect her even though I knew she would never, could never... return my affections. My advice to you Link is… If you find love, a love so strong that you would do anything to see her happy even if it meant that you leave her, you may be faced with the decision to tell her the truth of your feelings or not. While there may be consequences for either choice, know this… I still wish that I could have told her, looking back on it now, just so that she knew the truth even if it made no difference." Looking up over Link's shoulder, the Hero of Time's gaze softened and he gave the Temple of Time one final sweep before looking back to Link. "The truth is one of the most powerful forces there is, Link. Remember that."
The knight winked, or maybe it was just a blink, at his successor and patted his shoulder, though now his eye shined with a shade of pure blue. Link in that moment truly felt a connection between them, almost as if they shared the same spirit, and unbeknownst to him the Triforce on his hand began to glow. The Hero of Time began to step back from Link as a light began to build behind him until it was nearly blinding, forcing Link to lift his left arm to shield his eyes. Just when he could just barely see the Hero's Shade silhouette against the light did Link manage to shout, "But… what is your name?!"
"What? Don't you know?" The Hero of Time repeated his earlier words and he began to laugh. "Link! Go on and do not falter! Farewell, my son."
In a brilliant flash the knight, the Hero of Time, and the Temple of Time disappeared. When Link was finally able to uncover his eyes he found himself in the Sacred Grove once again, alone. The hero's eyes caught the image of the Triforce upon the back of his left hand just before it vanished and he lowered his arm. With the Master Sword upon his back and a heavy heart, Link turned his face towards the sky and allowed the tears on his face be washed away by the falling rain.
