Chapter Seven: Revelations

Immediately and without thinking, Link dropped down to one knee. Dumbstruck, Mido, Mila, and Malo all followed suit.

Zee, or rather, Zelda, turned on Gaebora, glaring at him accusingly. "You knew who I was?"

"Of course, Princess," he said, bowing his head. "I'd heard you had the entire castle in an uproar as well. I sent word immediately." He nodded to the tall woman. "Impa was already out looking for you."

Spinning, still distraught that she'd been caught, Zelda ran for the door. Impa grabbed her with ease.

"No!" she howled. "Let me go! Please, Impa!"

There was sympathy in Impa's eyes, but she held firm. "I'm sorry, Princess."

"Link!" Zelda tried. His head shot up, but he stayed on his knees. "Help me!"

"Don't even move, boy," Impa warned.

Gaebora moved closer to Link, easily within range to stop him.

Zelda began to cry, wrenching her arm away from Impa, she could feel the pain from her bone. Impa let go, not wanting to injure her further. Zelda didn't make it far before her legs gave out from under her, still barely recovered from the attack.

Link watched everything from his knee. For once, he looked at Mido, and they shared an equally confused look. He went to stand, but Gaebora stopped him. "Link, this is not your place. Stay there."

He held a warning hand out to Link, and then moved to stand in the doorway. He glanced into the hall and shooed someone away, no doubt Fado, Saria, or another.

As Link stayed on his knees, his vision went black and suddenly he wasn't in the little room anymore. He was still kneeling, but he was before a large throne. He looked up, a regal woman staring down at him. She wore a long dress, ornately decorated with symbols and seals of the royal family. Her long light brown hair was adorned with a crown. She looked completely at ease, like the burden was nothing, but her tight grip on the rapier by her side suggested otherwise.

"My Queen," he found himself saying in a deep voice. He suddenly stepped back and realized that it was him, but older. He was the same self, but different. A spirit sharer.

The woman took a few steps forward before stopping. "It's time. We should say farewell. Ready yourself. Though Zant was defeated, there may still be lingering shadow beasts until Midna closes the door."

Though she looked like she was going to say more, she stumbled backwards, clutching at her neck. Long black veins spread up until they formed the symbol of the Twilight Realm. Her eyes flashed yellow.

The other older Link ran up the steps to her and held her steady, his other hand loosely hanging between his sword, and hers. "Zelda, are you alright?"

With several deep, centering breaths, the veins disappeared and her eyes returned to their familiar blue. "Yes, thanks to you. It's residual from being under his control. Don't worry. We should get to the Arbitor's Grounds. Midna will be waiting…"

Link snapped back to the present and found that he'd gotten up and stood between the Princess and her attendant. Zelda clutched his arm.

Turning back to her, Link came to a startling realization.

I will be, thanks to you.

The girl from his visions, the past, the future, they're her.

Gaebora saw Link's distraction and grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him away. Impa took hold of the Princess and picked her up.

Zelda thrashed against Impa. "I don't want to do the Ceremony! Please, Impa! Don't make me!"

"Every royal goes through it! You must calm down. It is not today. It is not tomorrow. You have time still to prepare. But you are the Princess Zelda, heir to the throne of Hyrule You must accept your destiny. Now, come. We cannot let your father continue to believe that something horrible has happened to you."

Zelda looked back at Link. "Wait! Link!"

"Stay here," Gaebora grumbled with his hand tightly against Link's shoulder.

Soon, Impa disappeared, as did Zelda. All that was left to be heard was the thudding of hoofbeats that flew from the village.

Gaebora looked first at Mido, Mila, and Malo, who had remained kneeling the entire time, listening to everything. They stood and, at the urging of the look they received, quickly left the room.

"You disobeyed me, Link."

He shifted anxiously from side-to-side. "I know, but—"

"No. To your room. Stay there until I say you may leave."

"But she's—"

"Go."

Link rolled his eyes and stomped his way to his room, past the eager looks from Fado and Saria. He threw himself against the pillow in his bed and closed his eyes, hoping for another vision.


Days went by without another dream. Link began to feel at a loss without them. Though they'd become a nuisance and even a physical pain, they were the only source he had to go off of about what was happening to him. The only other person who might understand was the Princess. Besides her, it was a tree who refused to speak to him again.

Link's friends didn't understand.

Fado only continually asked that Link re-tell the story, begging for more details that Link would have to start making up. Saria, on the other hand, didn't want to hear any of it beyond what the Deku Tree had to say. It was too much for her. She spent most of her time alone or with Chef.

Fado and Link were outside kicking a ball around. It had taken a full week, but Link was finally feeling like his old self. He'd been aided by the lesser fairies several times since that day. The first day, he was confined to his room the entire time, thanks to his disobedience. In truth, it was good to heal.

But now he felt better and was able to run outside. He and Fado played rather aggressively. Despite warnings from several of the villagers, Fado kicked the ball straight into a cuccoo pen, and Link had fallen into two of the villagers.

Fado stopped suddenly and as Link rushed him to retrieve the ball, he held out his hand to wait.

Link skidded to a stop and followed Fado's stare.

Entering the village were several men on horses. One white horse passed through the center, and Link could see Impa. As they moved closer, he realized that Zelda was also there. With one glance at each other, Fado and Link ran past the discarded ball and watched the excitement from the hilltop.

A sinking suspicion arose in Link's chest that the reason for the visit would have to do with him.