Honestly, I don't have much to say as I'm saving pretty much all of it for the next chapter so lets get started!
" " Speaking Speech
' ' Thought Speech
(( )) Optional Information to Read
Let's get started.
The Legend of Zelda Sleeping Streams
Chapter 5 Meeting Princess Zelda Again
Princess Rock
Link kneeled before the Princess of Hyrule as she gazed at the vast sea in front them. A gentle breeze blew making their hair flow slightly as the silence air in the a continued.
Eventually Princess Zelda turned around with a smile on her face as she looked at the young green cladded hero.
"Link there's no need to kneel before me just because I'm the Princess of Hyrule. We've talked about this." Zelda said in a calm tone.
"R-Right!" Link replied quickly in an embarrassed tone while getting back on his feet as rubbed the back of his head. He didn't know why he was so flustered, they've talked before. Even kids younger than him wouldn't act like this but then again, Link is a teenager who's actually aware of who he's talking to.
Zelda just giggled and turned around to look back at the ocean, Link walked up next to her so that he could join her.
"Beautiful isn't it Link?" Zelda looked at her fellow blond with her usual smile. Link nodded not saying anything besides a small agreeing grunt as they continued listening to the sounds of the ocean crashing against the walls of the mountain.
"One day... I hope I can travel the ocean and see what's out there, beyond our neighboring kingdoms. I just wish I could be free sometimes instead of being tied down to royalty and all the stress that brings me down with it." The princess's eyes glimmered with a ray a of hope for a brief moment before she turned to Link with a look of concern.
"Link. There's a reason why I called you here." Zelda stopped once again seeing the boy raising an eyebrow. The way she spoke changed the atmosphere a bit, but that wouldn't stop him from listening to what she had to say.
"I've been worried about the fate of my kingdom as well as the land for that matter. I've been having terrible nightmares about the return of the Evil Demon King Ganondorf returning to make our people suffer. I use to get them when I was little too." Her voice sounded a bit shaky near the end of her last response. "I feel like it's a sign that he may be returning, no I'm certain its a sign that the seal that was put on him by the seven sages may be soon giving out."
Link stayed silent as Zelda spoke, he could feel the pain in her voice and a huge part of him could relate to what she was saying.
"I've tried warning my father about what I believe... no, what I know is a premonition of what is soon to come, but he disregards it completely. He believes the Hero of Time will come back to save us, but I personally don't believe that's the case." Zelda said sounding worried and disappointed, she rubbed the side of one of her arms. "I don't know. Maybe these reoccurring nightmares are getting to me..."
Link stared at the calming blue ocean and the islands that weren't visible due to being far in the distance while the waves can be heard crashing against the walls of the mountain down below them as the brief silence continued. A look of sympathy was shown on his face because he knew how she felt, but that look of sympathy turned into a smile which he made sure Zelda saw.
"I believe you..." Link replied looking back at the ocean. "Because we're one in the same." He looked back at her with his usual smile, that turned slightly serious. Zelda looked at him in surprise and she could see he wasn't lying just by looking into his eyes, it wasn't some ploy to make her feel better.
"You've really had similar dreams too?" The young princess asked gaining a nod from him in response, he turned his gaze back towards the ocean. There was an expression of disturbance and a bit of sorrow
"I've had similar dreams too, even before met... dating back to when I was a kid just like you. It wasn't everyday but sometimes they would just happen and at one point they stopped, until recently." The boy sighed just thinking about the numerous dreams especially the more recent ones.
"They came back, although I struggled to remember the exact events that happened within them, but after leaving Kakariko Village, I started to remember them more vividly. Each situation was different but it all ended the same and each time I woke up it bothered me deeply. So honestly I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one suffering from these nightmares. It shows I'm not alone in all this, whatever it is ." Link put a hand on her shoulder which seemed to help ease her mind a bit.
"I see." A small smile appeared on the girl's face.
Zelda walked back the other way as Link looks at her without moving before stopping as she put both of her hands on her chest.
"I've been watching over you ever since the first day we met. Using this sacred item." The princess said while revealing a light blue charm which Link instantly recognized it, the shocked look on his face confirmed that.
"That's looks exactly like the..." Link stopped his sentence while looking at the blue crystal necklace around his neck.
"I'm assuming Impa gave this to you some time ago then." Zelda said as she walked and stood right in front him. "This is known as a Royal Charm. It was crafted by my father and acts as a communication device that lets you see what someone is doing as well as letting you communicate with the person telepathically. I noticed you had it the day we first met actually." Princess Zelda said in her now calm tone. "I must apologize because I'm sure that sounds weird, it's just I noticed something really unique about you when we first met, but I wasn't sure what it was. Then I saw all your courageous actions and I was really amazed!" She clapped her hands together with a smile, her eyes sparkled in excitement and her tone went from her calm, elegant tone to a tone of just pure joy and excitement. This change in her tone caught Link by surprise and made him a bit embarrassed.
"Wait so you know about me then too?" All of sudden Veli rose from out of Link's hat and appeared in her Kokiri form.
Zelda nodded happily, "Yes! I'm also aware that you're the one who has been helping Link as he took on the trials ahead him. Thank you for doing so, even though we only met once, I do consider him as one my dear friends." Zelda said with a smile, Link hearing that caused a caring expression to form on his face.
"I-I'm happy I could help! I-It's the least I could do your majesty." Veli said a little embarrassed of being praised by someone who is part of the Royal Family.
The princess kept her smile as she turned around and sat at the edge of the cliff and gazed at the sea in front of her while the sea breeze blew her hair in the direction of wherever the wind decided to take it. Veli turned back into her korok form and hid inside Link's hat when she saw he decided to sit next to Princess Zelda. Zelda let out a happy but calm sigh as she continued looking at the ocean.
"I'm sorry about my sudden change in attitude. It just feels nice to be able to talk to someone my own age for once, including the fact that we share similar nightmares." Zelda paused while lowering her head down a bit, Link could see the sad smile that crept upon her lips.
"I just... Sometimes I just wish I could be free. I understand that my duty as the Princess of Hyrule is to set an example for when I become the next Queen of Hyrule, but... it can be very stressful. Everyone at the castle has high expectations of me, especially my father and my six retainers. This is most likely because I'm seen as a prodigy when it comes to magic which I believe I inherited most of my power from my mother if not from my ancestors. My father says my magic capabilities could possibly rival my ancestor who fought with the Hero of Time in her prime. I'm not sure how they would know any of that but because of that they want me to be ready for when I become queen. Impa can be strict with me sometimes however she's the only one who really let's me off easy because she understands how I feel."
Zelda exhaled with a sad expression and Link couldn't blame her, he understood how she felt despite the two of them living two different lives. Soon after he saw a smile appear on her face. "It's times like this where I really enjoy my time here, the days where I can gaze at the ocean... the ocean I adore so much and hope to cross one day, and now I get to share that with a friend... You don't think the way I feel is petty, do you?" Zelda asked turning her gaze from the ocean to look at her fellow blonde in the eyes.
"Not at all! You didn't ask to be born into the Royal Family even though that's not a bad thing. It's not like you're truly rejecting your duties either and you're still working hard. Those who have high expectations from a person would stress anyone out." Link gave her a smile. "Besides exploring the vast sea is a wonderful dream, not counting the nightmares I've only been able to dream about soaring the skies on a huge red bird." For some reason the last part of his sentence caused both of them to laugh, but regardless of the reason it sure was refreshing.
"Thank you Link..." Zelda stopped laughing but her smile stayed for a few more seconds before slightly forming a serious expression and Link took notice of that causing his expression to change a little as well.
"You know, it really does put me at ease... to know that I haven't been the only one experiencing these nightmares time and time again... and that's the real reason why I called you here. I believe that the seal containing Ganondorf's imprisonment will weaken soon, causing him to escape and rain his evil upon Hyrule once again." The young princess paused letting the wind continue to gently blow her hair in direction it was headed, while repeated sounds of the waves crashing against the walls were heard in the below them. "It's a feeling that I just can't shake away so easily and you have made that feeling grow stronger, but I have hope. If my father and the other knights won't listen, then I wanted to take the necessary precautions into my own hands. I'm glad I let my curiosity get the best of me. I believe you're the hope that I'm searching for Link." She stood up and Link followed right after her to keep eye level. "Will you please help me?"
Link had mixed emotions about what the princess said, shocked, worry, and a feeling of slight confusion. A look of worry was shown on his face while he pointed at himself. "You want me to help you? But I'm just a random teenage boy who lives and works in Kakariko Village. I'm just a peasant, how could I be the ray of hope, the one that you're looking for?" he said looking down a bit feeling uncertain of how he could be of any use.
Zelda was a little surprised by his reaction but could understand why he felt the way the he did. "Link... Have you already forgotten?" the young princess stepped a bit closer to him to gain his full attention. "I've watched over you, you've showed several acts of courage. Every time you made those decisions without hesitating or questioning whether or not it was a good idea while still taking time to consider how to handle certain situations. I believe you're Hyrule's New Hope. Despite what you say, I can sense the shining light within you beaming with the flow of courage." A sweet smile formed on the princesses's face. "So please... Will you help me change the fate of Hyrule and it's people? I'm sure you will create a new path Link."
Link stood there for moment closing his eyes and pondering on what he should do. A thought came to his mind, or it was more like a memory from some time ago. The more he thought about it, the more it felt he was reliving the memory until he was...
Two Years Ago...
Kakariko Village...
Link was carrying some crates to the back of a room, he was helping restock milk at a milk bar residing in Kakariko Village. The boy looked to be a bit shorter and to be in his preteens, he was wearing a blue vest with a white undershirt, brown pants, and black boots. With his work at the bar completed, he walked out of the stockroom and headed towards entrance of the milk bar. However before he left he left the building, he turned and waved goodbye to a tall, buff looking man with blonde slicked back hair and a bartenders vest.
"I'll see you later Polpo! I put the last crate of the Lon Lon Milk that you ordered in the back." Link shouted with a smile, waving before he left.
When Link's eyes met with Polpo's, he was met with a cheerful look that he's grown quite accustomed to as dried off one of the glasses with a dry cloth. "Thank again Link. I'll see you on next week's delivery!" He happily happily replied.
With their goodbyes finished, the young blonde left the bar walking around Kakariko Village until he reached a small ranch near the top right section of the village. He wasted no time going inside to finish off his hours.
"Aerina I'm back!" Link shouts looking around for the girl but to no avail. 'I guess she isn't home...'
"She went out for a bit but I'm here to keep you some company." A peaceful and yet familiar voice rang out causing Link to turn around, his shocked expression switched to that of a smile. In front of her was a girl who was slightly shorter than he was. She had long red hair, wore a white shirt that ended with a purple skirt, a mini basket was connected to the belt she had wrapped around herself and lastly she wore brown boots and a yellow neckerchief.
"Malon... You're back. When di-" Link began.
"It's been awhile... Let's talk." She interrupted. Link quietly nodded and followed her as she walked passed him to the back of the ranch where the horses were.
Malon was tending to the horses humming a wonderful tune that Link has heard several times. He decided to help Malon out by tending to the horses as well, however he decided to tend to one horse in particular which caught the red head's attention. She smiled seeing how Link was laughing as the horse he was tending to nuzzled his face.
"Seems like you and Epona have gotten really close. Thank you for taking care of her..." She says genuinely placing a hand on her chest.
"You entrusted Epona to me while you were away. I'd be a terrible friend if I didn't tend to her with Aerina. I'm glad me and Epona were able to bond." He says gently petting her much to her satisfaction. "Speaking of which... how was your trip? You've been gone for a while now... Aerina really missed you... I mean who wouldn't miss their twin sibling?"
"My trip was pretty nice, I never thought I'd be leaving Hyrule and traveling overseas to sell Lon Lon Ranch's milk to other countries. It's still in the early phases but if it goes well then we should be able to branch out! Our Lon Lon Ranch is severely smaller compared to the ones my ancestors managed in the past according to my dad so branching out feels like a good idea considering managing a ran in our current landscape isn't all that wise... but I'm glad to be home and I'm glad Kakariko is our home above all else. I missed Aerina so much, I made sure to give her a hug. And of course I missed you a lot too!" She says in a slightly home sick tone before giving the blond a hug in which he happily returned.
"So how have you been?" Malon asked stepping back slightly, her sweet smile never leaving her face.
"I've been alright..." He says with a slight smile looking outside the only window in the current room they were in. "Kakariko has been pretty much the same since you left. While you were gone I've been helping Aerina take care of the ranch and doing weekly deliveries within the village, I've been helping out with some reconstructing within the village when I wasn't working here at the ranch and I managed to find time at the dojo in the center of the village where I learned how to wield a sword." He finishes with an amused look on his face as he watched two cows pushing into each other over a patch of grass.
"And yet your hairs a bit messy." She retorted trying to stop herself from laughing.
"Very funny, it's been a long day." Link replied folding his arms as leaned against the wall.
"That's what all the workers say." Malon retorted with an amused look on her face. That amused expression quickly turned into slightly concerned look. "You have changed... In just two years too..." Malon stops for a second and approaches Link "Has there... been any word of Ch-"
"No there hasn't." Link quickly interrupted her in a slightly stern tone. At first Malon was taken aback by his sudden shift in attitude, but she could see that her question bothered him a lot, Link was looking down with his arms folded. His bangs made it so she couldn't see his eyes, but regardless the lack of a smile forming on his lips meant that her question would've brought up a sensitive topic.
"Hey..." She started in a soft voice while approaching him. "You said you've been learning how to use a sword right? So you're still set on becoming a Knight of Hyrule like your father?" She asked wanting to change the topic.
Link looked up at Malon and raised an eyebrow due to the sudden change in topic, he had expected her to try get some information on him. That was something he was use to. He immediately realized that she probably felt bad and wanted to get rid of any awkward tension in the air.
"Yeah... you know I've been wanting to become one since we were kids. Even though I was a bit more studious back then, but hey knowledge still helps too." Link stopped speaking for a moment, a smiled formed on his face which was directed right to Malon. "It's something I want to do."
Seeing that smile return on his face made Malon feel happy, one thing about her was that she never liked seeing those she cared for feel upset especially if she's the cause of it all. "Does this still have to do wanting to be like the Hero of Time? When we were younger, you use to say things like that all the time."
Link leaned against the wall with his arms still folded, he looked like he was thinking. "Sort of?" He looked back at her with his usual smile, however this one had a bit of confidence plastered on it. "Originally I guess that was my reasoning, I mean everyone our age looked up to the Hero of Time right? I'm sure most of us still do, but I'd like to make my own story and not live in the Hero of Time's shadow. Even a little bit of acknowledgement would be enough for me, but enough about that. Everyone has to sprout their own wings someday and the one thing I'm sure of, I'll accept the request of those who need help without a second thought! I'm done hesitating..."
Malon was a bit surprised by the cold tone of his last statement, a look of concern showered over her face. "What do you mean by that?" She stepped a bit closer to the blond in front of her.
Link snapped up realizing how cold he had just sounded after his last statement. "Ah... Sorry it's nothing." The boy smiled again to show Malon that she shouldn't worry about him. "Just know that I'm here to help the people of Hyrule, that includes you, Aerina, and everyone else!"
Malon knew he wasn't be entirely truthful but she also knew he was being sincere about almost everything he said that didn't revolve around his personal problems. Pushing the subject wouldn't get her anywhere either.
"I'll hold you to that. Just make sure you never lose your way and if I ever need help, please come help me." Malon said the last part quietly, but not low enough for Link to not hear her.
The boy smiled, it was rare to see his friend talk this way, especially given her energetic, "I can handle myself!" attitude. "Yeah sure thing. I'll come to your aid. Promise..."
The Present
Princess Rock
Link opened his eyes feeling a sense of calmness and bit more certainty after remembering the conversation he had with one of his childhood friends.
"Okay I'll help you Princess Zelda." Link gave his fellow blond friend a determined smile.
The young princess responded with her own look of delight but also determination. "We're friends Link, call me Zelda."
"R-Right." Link rubbed the back of his head in sheepish manner. Talking to a princess formally is kind of like a second instinct and Link hasn't broken away from that instinct either. "Still. I meant what I said. I'll help you from here on out."
"Then as of today your my appointed knight and an unofficial Knight of Hyrule. Despite that, I'm going to find ways to assist you since I'll most likely be confined to the castle." Link silently nodded, deep down he was thrilled. This was his first step to one of his goals and as it stands, the closest he's been to being one of the Knights of Hyrule. At the same time, he knows that this is bigger than just becoming a knight of Hyrule.
"Of course I hope that you'll be staying by his side too Veli." Zelda turned her gaze to Link's hat which shuffled from side to side.
"Will do your majesty!" Veli slightly lifted up Link's hat to show her face not bothering to transform into her Kokiri self again. Link and Zelda both chuckled at how frantic Veli sounded, it was as if she was responding to a strict higher up in the military. Regardless it was a good enough answer for Zelda.
"I believe it's time we discuss what we'll need to do next." The two stood up from where they were sitting so that they can focus on the task at hand.
"First off, we're going to need to obtain the Master Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane." The mention of the legendary blade made Link's eyes widen. It's rather obvious that to stop the possible return of Ganondorf would require the Master Sword, but that isn't what Link was worried about.
"No one knows where the Master Sword is though! The oldest books state that the legendary blade itself was left in the Temple of Time and no one knows where that is either." Zelda had a slight look of amusement on her face watching Link try to piece together how they could actually find the Blade of Evil's Bane.
"Actually Link... It's a lot closer than you think it is." Link rose an eyebrow after Zelda broke him out of his thoughts. What did she mean by that? He stood silently waiting for her continue now that she once again had his full attention. "The location of the Master Sword is located underneath the heart of Hyrule."
Underneath the Heart of Hyrule? Link questioned to himself, pondering on what she meant. Does she mean... "Underneath Hyrule Castle?"
Zelda silently nodded. "That's right. I guess you could say it's located in the basement of the castle. However that's not the problem." Link gave the princess a questionable look in response to her last statement.
"What's the problem then?"
"Well..." Zelda trailed off for a brief moment before looking back at Link. "As you've probably guessed on your own, only those in the Royal Family including Impa know of the Master Sword's whereabouts. However even I don't know how to access the chamber of the Master Sword. It's covered by a statue of the Hero of Time and my father is the only one who would know how to move the statue."
Link crossed his arms while taking in all the information Zelda told him. "Hmmm. That is a problem... Then what do you think we should do?"
"I believe you'll have to obtain a piece of the Golden relic handed down to our people since ancient times. The relic I'm referring to is the Triforce of Courage. I'm sure you've heard the stories of the Triforce, the golden relic left behind from the three goddesses."
"Yeah I remember learning about that a few years ago. It has a severe importance in our land's history." Link recalled the days when he was still in school. The subject of three goddesses and Triforce, something that wasn't brought up to kids as much in ancient times but became a necessity as time went on. Not that it matters though, no one knows the whereabouts of the Triforce. "Still... What do we need need it for? Not only that but no one really knows where the Triforce of Courage actually is let alone the other two pieces."
"I believe the Triforce of Courage is our key to accessing the chamber of the Master Sword." Zelda turned her gaze north-westward towards the location of the desert which was on the opposite side of where they stood. "The Gerudo."
"The Gerudo?" Link followed her gaze, although he couldn't see the desert itself but he just like Zelda remembered the location of the Gerudo's homeland.
"Yes, the people of the desert who carry their red hair with pride. I read some notes left behind by my ancestors. The notes indicate that the Gerudo have information on the whereabouts of the Triforce of Courage. I've haven't had a chance to read everything though."
"Wait a minute. If that's the case, wouldn't your father and the rest of the Royal Family know of this information?"
The princess shook her head to the side, this confused Link and Zelda could see the confusion plastered all over his face.
"Our ancestor's language has been lost to time by many Link. I believe after the conflict with Ganondorf, our ancestors wanted to move on entirely. That's what I gathered from the books found in the archives of the castle. The person who taught me how to read our ancestor's language has passed for some time now, but I've been learning by myself too. The only other person who I know is aware of the language is-"
"Impa." Link let out a small chuckle in response to his fellow blond's surprised reaction after they both had mentioned her name.
"Did Impa teach you the language?" Zelda asked him still surprised.
Link shook his head from side to side, he pointed to himself with a slight smirk. "Not originally no. I taught myself when I was younger. I deciphered our ancestor's language and compared it to what we use now. When I started living with Impa, she helped me understand the language more. She even helped me with any errors in the letters that I had already deciphered prior to living with her. Like you I'm still learning all I can."
"That would make you the third person I know who actually knows the language."
"And you would be my second princess." Link gazed back at the ocean before coming to a realization. "Zelda! Would you happen to happen to have your ancestor's book on you?"
Zelda nodded pulling out a very old looking book, the boy could tell it has aged for quite some time. "Here. My ancestor King Adonthes Nohansen Hyrule wrote the last remaining pages of this book. Before him was his father King Odis Nohansen Hyrule and before him, his mother Queen Zelda Hyrule who started the book. Although her section and King Odis' sections have several parts that are completely marked off and can't be read. Queen Zelda is the very same Zelda who assisted the Hero of Time when she was still known as a princess."
"Interesting. It would be good to learn anything from those before us." Link looked back to Veli and signaled her to come closer. "Veli, I don't want you to feel left out either. You don't know how to speak old hylian tongue do you?
"No not at all. would you be willing to teach me Link?" Veli asked hopping out of his hat and transforming back in her kokiri form.
"Of course!" Link motions for Zelda to hand him the book which she does, he gently sets it on the ground so all three of them can look at it. "Veli you're really smart, so I'm going to going to give you a quick run down on how the alphabet works."
Link skimmed through the books while explaining the old hylian alphabet. "See here. This shape here translates to Ka and it's used twice, so we get Kaka." Link points to the hylian letter that's shaped like a "E". He then points to the next two symbols next to it, these symbols represent a square with a line above it and the other a rectangle with the middle of the side lines missing. "This next symbol here means Ri and this broken rectangle shaped letter here means Ko. Put those together and you get Kakariko." Lastly he points to the final two symbols, one looked like a broken "I" cut in half from the center area and the last symbol resembled a "≡" sign. "Then these last two symbols mean Mu and Ra. When you put it all to Kakariko Mura, however Mura gets translated to Village. Together you get the name of my hometown village, Kakariko Village. It's not ethical but you could also see Mu as Vill and Ra as Age depending on the context if that makes it easier for you. You can see how different the letters look compared to how we write them."
"Woah... this feels extremely foreign despite being a language people use to use. Still I can actually make sense of how it all works, as if it was second nature. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"There is actually." This time Princess Zelda spoke up, wanting to take part in the lesson. "Another difference between old hylian language and ours is that unlike our current version of language, the old hylian alphabet lacks any symbols that would translate to three letters, as well as lacking numbers and even punctuation. If there are any records of them existing then they have been lost over time until the language changed and added them in."
Link let out a small sigh with a smile on his face, this was followed with Zelda and Veli doing the same. "For the most part that's how the old hylian language worked. Would you like to learn another example?"
"Yes! I'd like to help out so I need to understand as much as possible. Plus this is a great learning experience for me." Link and Zelda both nod to each other and teach Veli more examples of the old hylian. She can pick up on things pretty easily and in no time managed to make out few passages in the book.
"Okay. I'm ready. Let's see what we can find in this book." Link and Zelda nodded their heads in agreement while they found the passage left by King Adonthes.
"I guess I can start it off." Link pointed to the start of the passage and began reading the book. Hopefully they can find the answers they needed.
"The land of Hyrule is a beautiful kingdom, ruled by a power by the king and his queen. Passing down leadership to the next one in line and to protects it's people... However when there is peace... disaster is sure to follow... This disaster is something that I can admit that I fear of... I am to be crowned King of Hyrule very soon due to my father passing so early... That responsibility of protecting this kingdom now lies on my shoulders... At all costs I want my kingdom to enjoy the peace they rightfully deserve given our land's past. The bloody history of Hyrule follows us for centuries..."
'The bloody history of Hyrule? What could he be referring to?' Link pondered to himself for a moment. 'Was there more before or after the events of the Hero of Time that we didn't know about?' Link looked up at the two girls in front of him and without even needing to hear it, he could they had similar thoughts as well. Zelda began tracing with her finger to read the next passage.
"I was sitting on my throne when I remembered something my grandmother, Queen Zelda Hyrule once told me... It had to do something with my great-grandfather. She told me about one of his toughest decisions to make... That decision was sending out his knights to fight in the Hylian Civil War. Many Hyrulean Knights perished during that war... Back then the Gorons, the Zora tribe, the Gerudo and our people were at war. That war lasted several years up until shortly after my grandmother was born and presumably the Hero of Time too. My great-grandfather was able to unify the kingdom but the damage was already done... We lost so many knights and I'm sure the other tribes did too... It's even possible the Hero of Time's father was among the Knights of Hyrule... The flames of war had affected many alike and although there was peace and we as a kingdom united, the mutual contact between races was limited, and permission was needed from the Royal Family to visit other regions... I'm sure the all of those who perished during the war became part of his many regrets as a king, probably even his biggest one... However his second biggest regret would lead to his demise and Hyrule's Seven Years of Darkness..."
"Th-That's... That's horrible! All of that really happened!?" Veli felt utterly disgusted upon fighting out about this forgotten piece of history, further more that brought up another question. Did the Deku Tree Sapling know about this? Surely he had answers.
"Thankfully it seems like the Kokiri weren't involved. I couldn't even imagine what would've happened had they gotten involved. Still I feel like I should be sorry. I'm practically descend from the Knights of Hyrule, or at least I believe I do."
"No... I should be the one who's sorry. My lineage was part of this, it's possible either of your ancestors could've been harmed and you probably wouldn't have been here had it been worse." Zelda had a look of defeat on her face, even a hint of disgust. "I wasn't there so I wouldn't be able to understand, but I can't help but feel guilty."
"It's okay Princess! We're here now! My ancestors weren't even involved with the conflict! This was probably unavoidable." Veli gave her the best reassuring smile she could muster. It's not like she had any hatred towards to begin with, she wasn't involved with what happened then.
"Veli's right. We're right here and that won't change. I hate to say it but there probably wasn't anything that our ancestors could've done. If anything we need to learn from this story. The question is why didn't we learn about this before, or rather why was it hidden from the people and tribes of Hyrule?" Link traces alongside the next passage becoming eager for more answers.
"My great-grandfather's second biggest regret resulted in his demise and the dark years of Hyrule... Hyrule's Seven Years of Darkness... Nine years after the Hyrulian Civil War, a man from the harsh Gerudo Desert came to see the my great-grandfather... This man was none other than that evil Gerudo man... The Demon King Ganondorf. After the events of the Cival War he had sworn fealty to my great-grandfather, this sworn loyalty would last for nine years and that meant the kingdom had control over the Gerudo Desert within that time frame... My grandmother didn't trust him, she knew before anyone in the kingdom knew, that Ganondorf would bring ruin. She had claimed that she witnessed his torment through a dream... Perhaps it was prohpecy of some sort. Regardless my great-grandfather didn't believe her despite her warnings... Eventually Ganondorf betrayed and killed my great-grandfather, gaining unimaginable power that would torment Hyrule and shroud it in darkness for seven years. My grandmother went into hiding for the next seven years while Ganondorf searched for her... The feeling of regret tormented our family for generations... And I feel that my grandmother was a victim to this feeling too..."
None of them said a word. All three of them pushed towards the next section. It was Veli this time who decided to read a passage in the book.
"It wasn't until a few years after I had become King when my grandmother told me about her regret. That regret was getting her childhood friend involved in Hyrule's affairs. Even though Hyrule needed him, he only did what he did because of her request, at least she felt that way at the time. She felt like she took something from him... I recall her saying that she did something to make up for her mistakes... Even as of writing this, she wishes him well. I can tell that she misses him..."
"How was that?" Veli asked receiving a pat on the head from Link.
"Pretty good. Except the second to last part. The second half of that line actually says, 'she hopes that he is happy.' rather than 'she wishes him well.' Still an amazing job though."
"Ah thank you. I do see where I made the mistake."
"Am I making the same mistake as my ancestor?" Zelda asked gaining the attention from the other two. Both could see the concerned expression on her face.
"No I don't think so. Like we said before about the Hyrulian Civil War, we weren't there, we don't know how everything happened except based on these words. However by the sound of things, it sounds like you and your ancestor Queen Zelda had a similar situation that caused you two to act on your own, with or without your father's help. Furthermore she was just a kid, she didn't know it would end up the way it did. It could've been worse had she not responded to the dream she saw."
Link gently patted her shoulder. "I already agreed to help you. Furthermore our homeland could be in danger so even if there are risks, I plan to do what I can to stop the worst from happening. We're a team now, we've seen similar dreams too. It has to mean something. So let's work together, it up to us to finish what our ancestors started!"
"Link is right! If you truly believe the Hero of Time is not coming back when Hyrule needs him and that Link is the one you trust then what option do we have? Just like you I believe in him too and I believe everything that you've told us so far. So we're going to help you." Veli like Link patted her other shoulder, giving her a determined look.
"Y-Yeah. Yeah you're right! Okay... Let's look through the book some more." Zelda found the next passage and began read out loud.
"After Ganondorf was defeated, we relocated and slowly rebuilt the kingdom as peace continued. Soon my grandmother stepped down as Queen and my father became the new king... My mother passed when I was born and as mentioned before after my father passed, I became the new king... Knowing about our previous past I did worry for my kingdom's future and this grew as I grew older with time. The time's were changing, everyone in Hyrule had started adapting to the new hylian language, as king I use it as well, but I'm still use to my old ways. Me and my grandmother are probably the only ones left who use what would be referred to as the old hylian tongue, not even my children use it... It's probably better this way, I want my people to forget the bloody ages of Hyrule. Though the history of the goddesses, the Triforce, and the story of the Hero of Time will be remembered by all... I just pray to the goddesses that me nor my descendants make the same mistakes my ancestors made. The Demon King's threat for revenge on our descendants still echoes in the wind and the through the sea..."
"They often say history repeats itself. Unfortunately my lineage may be prone to make the same mistakes over and over. I'll have to break that cure once and for all." Zelda says sympathizing with the prayers of her ancestor. She wondered if that would truly ever be possible though.
"So it's just like you said. King Adonthes wanted his kingdom to move on from the darkest ages of Hyrule. It's why none of us were informed with knowledge of the Hyrulean Civil War." Link went into deep thought for a moment, all of this was a lot to take in. There was so much he didn't know and that went for Zelda and Veli too.
"We have the knowledge of history to prevent itself from repeating. I understand why he didn't want the knowledge of the past to spread, but still..." Veli felt conflicted about the whole ordeal. She understand the king's reasoning but she was still conflicted by how it was handled.
"I think similar to how Zelda felt a few minutes ago, the king probably felt disgusted about his family's past actions to the point where he didn't want his people to feel the same pain he did. In that aspect I really do feel bad for him." Link touches the final page of the book as he thinks of the king's actions.
"I really do hope he feels at peace now. He just wanted what was best for his people..." Zelda like Link touches the final page of the book, looking at the final passage written by her ancestor and the final book written by the Royal Family who used the old hylian language. "Veli could you read the final passage please?"
Veli obliged looking at the final passage.
"As I sit on my death bed I remember something my grandmother said before her passing... At the time I had been king for some time and I remember as she laid in her bed, she had woken up in a panic... She was practically my mother to me rather than my grandmother as I never got to know my actual mother. Worried I talked to her while making sure a doctor was on the way... She inquired me about a vision she had, a young girl who shares the same name as her will come seeking for a piece of the relic of the gods with her friend several generations from now... Someone within our bloodline, my descendant... The Triforce of Courage didn't split when the Hero of Time left, it returned to the land of the gods and she wanted me and only me to know... Until the day that comes where my descendant comes searching, the secret would stay with me... I refused to make the same mistake as my great-grandfather by not listening to her... After her passing, I had a golden tablet inscribed with details of how to reach the Triforce of Courage... As I write this final passage, I have already had the tablet split into pieces and spread across Hyrule... The Gerudo holds the key to finding the tablet pieces... Part of me is happy that the old hylian history will be known by a very small few in the future, however it also makes me sad... I unfortunately don't have much time left however... To my descendant and her ally who seek the Triforce of Courage... I assume the Demon King is bound to return during your time of peace... Now that I know my grandmother had a vision with it's involvement in the future... I'm more certain than ever that he willl return with his promise to make you suffer... I am sorry that you must carry the burden of protecting Hyrule and its people... Don't let the Demon King fulfill his promise... If not the kingdom... then just the people... Our people, our fellow tribes don't need a kingdom to continuing living. Let them be able to wake up to tomorrow's rising sunrise... Let them be able sleep during tomorrow's sunset... Protect the people, the tribes and the descendants of the people and tribes I grew to love..."
"..."
It was quiet, the only sound that could be heard was the wind blowing in the direction it went, the only thing that could be felt was the wind blowing the hair and the clothes of three who stood at Princess Rock.
A tear rolled down Zelda's face as she closed the book, Veli looked down at the ground not sure of what to say. Link stood up and took a gentle breath a he took those words in. It felt weird being able to sympathize with someone he never knew, especially considering he was someone from over a century ago.
"Veli. We're heading to the Gerudo Fortress. We need to find the whereabouts of that tablet." Veli looked up a bit surprised, not by the words but rather his tone. Zelda was a bit surprised too. Regardless Veli got up getting ready to join him.
"W-Wait Link! You should take this with you!" Zelda stood up next to her fellow blond and handed him a blue instrument.
The instrument itself was cracked a bit in certain spots, it was definitely an old relic. It had several holes on it where Link would put his fingers to change the tune of the music. Near the mouth piece of the instrument, there was a silver ring with Triforce inscribed on it. "What is?" He started.
"This is the Ocarina of Time. It is an sacred instrument that has been passed down for several generations. As you can tell though, it's practically a relic now. I read in one of my books that my ancestor used this instrument during the Demon King's rein." Zelda smiles before looking back at the ocean. "Please take good care of it."
"Of course I will." Link replied returning the smile despite the fact the girl can't see it.
Zelda turns to face Link again. "Now then let me teach you this song. It's a song that transcends time itself." Zelda prepares herself, since she doesn't have an instrument herself, she'll have to use her voice. "Try not to think about how to play, let it come naturally to you."
In an instant any background noise that was around dissipated. Zelda sang the song, the song itself putting him in a trance and he closed his eyes. When he opened them he found himself within a clock. The sound of tick tocks can be heard with each second, but for some reason it was soothing? Was it due to the song? The song was soothing enough to where he closed his eyes again as it ended. It was as if he fell asleep understanding the concept of time itself.
Before he knew it, he opened his eyes again. In one swift motion he put the ocarina in his mouth and played the song that she just sang to him seconds ago. As he played it, she joined in. This time Veli got to see the same scenery her partner had moments ago. When the song ended they were again brought back to reality. Link looked at the ocarina, he felt different.
"Congratulations Link! You've learned The Song of Time!"
"That was pretty cool Link! You did it on your first try!" Veli said jumping by Link's side.
"Zelda's advice really helped with that." Link smiled at both of them, both returning the smile back. This was the start of their days as a team after all.
Zelda's smile soon turned into a looked shock and dread. Link caught onto this immediately and that concerned him.
"Zelda what's wro-" Link and Veli both turned to where Zelda was facing and both reacted in similar ways, although Link had a bit of anger in his expression. "No! That's towards the direction of Kakariko Village!"
In the far off distance, north west of where they were standing, smoke can be seen in the distance. This made Link especially nervous but as stated before angry too, he could tell it was beyond the mountains that surrounded Hyrule Castle.
Without any hesitation Link put his new ocarina away and ran towards the direction of Kakariko.
"Link wait!" Veli sounded panicked as she saw Link run off.
"Go with him Veli, you're his partner. He's going to need you." Zelda stated, she bowed down to show her gratitude. Veli stopped for a moment before nodding, in a brief second a green puff of smoke appeared to reveal Veli in her purple leafed Korok form.
"Thank you Princess Zelda." Veli flew off towards Link as he got close to the forest.
"Link! Veli! I'll be providing you with any information you may need! Don't forget to contact through the Royal Charm around our neck!" Zelda waved off as Link waved back while running.
"Thanks Zelda! I'll get back to you a soon as I figure out what's going on!" Link shouts out as Veli catches up to him. The two disappear into the forest, out of Zelda's view. She hoped everything would be alright for the two. She gazes back at the ocean, hoping for a better future.
Kakariko Village
Link and Veli arrived nearby Kakariko Village. He felt devastated, the smoke really was coming from the village. Truth be told Link was still exhausted after helping the Gorons, right now he was running on nothing but adrenaline. He made a mad dash towards the entrance, everything became numb his heart was racing over and over.
'Please... Please tell me everyone is okay...'
Link stopped before making it to the entrance, the sound of several horses were heard ahead of him, followed by bunch of galloping.
'What's... Woah!" Link jumped to the side as several horses left the village. The riders were a bunch of females with a mix of dark, tan, and light skin colors and their most distinct trait of all was their red hair.
'Isn't that the Gerudo?'
The boy's eyes widen for a split second. Everything from his point of view entered slow motion. The horse rider in the back of the group had a wagon attached to it. Inside was a girl with orangish red hair formed into a ponytail.
She looked familiar...
The girl in that brief moment of slowed time stared back at Link, she recognized him immediately. Link could feel the adrenaline kick in more, he began running after them despite being severely exhausted.
"LINK! Help me!"
"MALON!"
Link picked himself up and bolted towards them. Cutting through the trees , he managed to intercept them. A few of the horse passed by him but he didn't care, that wasn't who he was going after. Without thinking he grabbed onto to the side of the wagon, the abrupt shift cut his grasp causing his bottom half to drag across the ground. He winced as he felt his already bruised and tired body drag but he managed to pull himself up, Veli on the other hand was flying to try and catch up to her blond companion.
At this moment, the only thing on Link's mind was getting Malon off this wagon. Somehow he managed to gain some footing on the side of the wagon. He was now able to see that Malon was tied up. She had been watching helplessly as he struggled to save her. He stretched his hand out, hoping maybe he could pull her out, anything to get her away from her captors.
Malon inched her way towards him before looking to her left while Link still reached out for her. "Link look out!" She watched in horror as in one quick motion, the boy was hit in the face by the bottom end of the spear by the female rider from the Gerudo tribe held in her hand.
From Link's perspective, the world was moving all over the place. He hit the ground hard tumbling over and over until roughly ramming into a nearby tree.
A loud plopping sound was soon heard after, the boy's breathing was rough. The impact from the tree most likely knocked the air out of him. He was getting more tired than before, but his body slowly kept crawling towards the direction of Malon's kidnappers.
"D-Damn it... N-No..." Link muttered slowly reaching out to the group of Gerudo who had kidnapped his dear friend riding off in the distance. He hadn't gotten any rest after helping the Gorons, he was already beyond exhausted prior to hitting the tree. He kept his now weak gaze on the Gerudo before his vision had faded to black.
Hey everybody! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! This one was long overdue! Life has been giving me a tough time but I'm glad I could finally get this chapter out.
I decided to change up this chapter and make it shorter than I intended. Basically the entirety of the next chapter would've been included with this one, however I felt like this would be a better stop. Although I did talk about this chapter being the biggest one I ever written, that will still be going to the next chapter as the entire story arc will revolve around that.
However I'm also debating whether or not to split said chapter into two parts just so it's not one entire giant mass of writing all in one chapter. I guess we'll see!
See you guys in the next chapter!