We trudged away from the Domain for a long time, and before long, a huge mountain came into view, Death Mountain, to be specific. I felt awful for leaving Zelda; she didn't deserve to be left behind again. Now both Sheik and I were gone. I was sure that she would integrate well into the Zora society for now and that we would meet up again someday eventually. I couldn't wait until that day.
"Link?" Aqua questioned, nudging me slightly. "You OK?" she waved a hand in front of my face and halted right then and there on the mountain incline.
I squinted ahead of us then saw something rather frightening. I grabbed her hand, pulling her over to the side as a huge rolling ball of rock went past us, barely missing us. Sheik, Marine, and Cove had followed suit, following behind us.
Noticing our confused look, Sheik gave a slight laugh. Pulling his hood up that had fallen in our hurry to escape being crushed, he explained, "That was a Goron."
My jaw dropped – That was a Goron?! What?! "That – thing – was a Goron?!"
Guffawing, Sheik nodded. "Yup. Welcome to Death Mountain, Wanderers."
Marine and Aqua linked arms, scooting closer together. "I don't think I like this, Aqua," Marine stated, her face twisting with worry.
Aqua, the braver of the twins, nodded in agreement. "I don't either," her eyes scanned over the area ahead of us. "There are more."
"We better keep on going," Cove stated, beginning to trek further up the incline.
"Ah! My sworn brother!" came an exclamation from a very deep, reverberating voice.
Sheik turned around, his hood concealing his face. "Darron!" he responded. He was locked into a very big hug by one of those Gorons. He looked like he was in some deep pain, and I thought I heard a couple of bones crack. Ow.
"My brother – We did not know that you would be coming so soon," the Goron, Darron, replied, slamming Sheik's back multiple times.
Sheik winced, stretching a bit to relieve himself of some of the pain. "It's good to see you too, Darron. I actually wasn't expecting to come today either, though there are some people I want Darunia to meet."
Darron nodded knowingly. "Are these the people you want Big Brother to meet?" he questioned, his eyes running over us curiously.
"Yes," Sheik agreed. "We should start heading over now, no?"
"Absolutely, Brother!" Darron exclaimed with surprising enthusiasm. "Let's go!"
Marine and Aqua exchanged wary glances, each keeping a careful eye on the huge Goron. They followed Sheik and Darron, avoiding all rolling Gorons at all costs. Cove and I followed after the girls, bringing up the rear.
"I'm beginning to wonder why we're doing this again," Cove whispered to me from the corner of his mouth.
I shrugged, sighing. "This is going to be interesting, that's for sure."
"Agreed," Cove nodded. We continued walking up the incline before arriving at a bridge of sorts. Crossing it carefully brought us to what I presumed to be the inside of Death Mountain.
"Welcome to Goron City!" Darron exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. He looked so – happy at welcoming us to his home. I found that almost – amusing.
I looked beneath us and inferred that the city was made of multiple tiers. There were more Gorons on all of the tiers, rolling. My cobalt blue eyes widened. What would happen if one of them rolled on top of you? That was a scary thought, and I cringed, also remembering how Sheik's bones seemed to crack from Darron's hug. Imagining one of them rolling on top of us, effectively crushing us. Yikes.
"Thanks, Darron," I stated uneasily, still disturbed at that awful thought.
"No problem!" Darron responded excitedly. We began descending to the bottom, using the tiers as a means to get there, avoiding all the rolling Gorons. Darron led us with the rest of us following close behind. We were in unfamiliar territory and had to trust Darron and Sheik, who had apparently been here before.
We arrived at a huge door that had images and designs engraved in its wood. Knocking a certain rhythm on the surface, Darron stood, waiting – for what I wasn't sure. Suddenly, the door slid upwards, revealing a hidden passage lit up by the glowing light of torches, flickering brightly in their sconces. We stepped into the corridor entrance; Darron familiarly, and the rest of us more cautiously.
We walked through the brightly lit passage, arriving in a relatively large chamber. A huge Goron with what looked like a beard stood with his arms crossed. His face lit up at the sight of Sheik's cloaked figure. "Sheik! My sworn brother!" he exclaimed, locking Sheik in another bone-crushing embrace.
"Hey, Darunia," Sheik's hood fell down, but his expression was still hidden by his cowl. He looked really uncomfortable with his feet dangling in the air.
"What're you doing here, little brother? We weren't expecting you so soon," Darunia stated, thumping Sheik on the back, like Darron, but with more force and power.
Sheik disentangled himself carefully, looking winded. "Well, I have some people I'd like to introduce you to."
Darunia strained his neck, attempting to have a look at us. "Where's the Princess Zelda?" he questioned disappointedly after examining us fully.
"She's over at Zora's Domain right now," Sheik replied. "I know I promised I'd bring her next time so that you two could meet, but we had to leave her behind. Ganondorf, leader of the Gerudo Fortress, is looking for several people, particularly this young man," he motioned to me.
"And who might you be, little brother?" Darunia asked, eyeing me with slight suspicion.
I cleared my throat uneasily. "I'm Link."
"The Prince of Gerudo," Marine chimed in; I shot her a glare. I did not want to be associated with Ganondorf anymore.
Darunia looked taken aback, and he stared at me, recognition lighting in his eyes. "Link?" he repeated. Everyone watched as he stared at me. I shifted my weight awkwardly, and his eyes bore into my own. "The name of legend," he breathed. His eyes lingered on me, completely in awe. "I never thought I would have this opportunity." By now, he was actually scaring me.
I must have looked very discombobulated because Aqua whispered from beside me, "Are you OK, Link?" she questioned. Her eyes searched my own kindly.
I snapped back to attention. "What's going on?" I questioned. My hand was burning and stinging, so I rubbed it uncomfortably. What in Hyrule was happening right now?
Darunia broke from his trance, and he turned to Sheik. "He is my sworn brother," he announced, pointing at me. "Does he know the song of the Royal Family?"
My brow furrowed. What? What was the song of the Royal Family?
Shaking his head, Sheik responded. "No, what are you talking about, Darunia?" Darunia pulled him to the side, whispering something in his ear. Sheik's eyes widened in shock, and I wondered what Darunia was telling him. "I'll get right on it, Darunia," Sheik answered, and they returned to their previous places.
"What were they talking about?" Cove asked me.
I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."
"My brother! Welcome to Goron City! I hope you enjoy your stay here," Darunia stated, thumping me on the back, just like how he had done to Sheik. "And you as well, aquatic brother and sisters. How is King Zane?"
The twins looked relieved at finally being included in the conversation. Marine beamed, while Aqua took the lead. "He's doing quite well, Darunia."
"Who are you in relation to the 'ole fish?" Darunia questioned.
Aqua looked slightly disturbed at Darunia's nickname, and Marine took over their end of the conversation. "We're two of his seven daughters," she stated proudly, and Cove slipped his hand through hers.
That action made me think of Zelda. I felt my heart clench, and I turned away from everyone else. While everyone was busy conversing, I slipped away through the passageway. I exited the passageway and entered the main area of Goron City. I felt like an idiot and a heartless jerk. Leaving Zelda all alone? What was I thinking? I had to remind myself that she was with Nabooru, Aziz, and Nabila. They would all keep her safe.
But that didn't ease my guilt. The hurt in my heart didn't lessen; in fact, it merely increased. My left hand began stinging and burning once more, and I doubled over with pain. From behind me, I heard a haunting yet soothing melody begin to play. The burning sensation in my hand slowly began to subside, and I breathed again, attempting to stand upright once more. Turning around, I was met with Sheik who was plucking at the delicate strings of a golden lyre. So he was responsible for that melody. His hood was up once more.
"What was that?" I questioned, clutching my hand.
Shifting his weight slightly, Sheik began playing the melody once more. "It's called the Song of Healing. You're going to learn it along with a few other songs, including the song of the Royal Family," he stated. The notes fell and rose, creating the haunting melody once more.
"How?" I questioned. I was just a young Gerudo man that just found was Hylian! I couldn't play any instruments, much less that beautiful melody. What was Sheik talking about?!
As if reading my mind, Sheik took out a delicate blue ocarina. "This, Link, is the Ocarina of Time. It is an ancient relic used by the original Hero of Time himself on his own journey to rid Hyrule of an evil Gerudo man named Ganondorf. It's now your turn," he placed the instrument in my hands, folding my fingers over the artifact.
Even as young Gerudo children, we had all been taught about the Hero of Time, much to Ganondorf's dismay and fury. Now I better understood why. Ganondorf had always taken pride from the fact that he was a direct descendent of the first Ganondorf. He was upset that the Hero of Time had managed to defeat his ancestor.
A few seconds later, a golden light was emitted from my hands, engulfing and bathing the Ocarina in its pure, comforting warmth. The stinging had mostly subsided by now, and a symbol had imprinted itself on my left hand. Looking up at Sheik, my cobalt eyes conveyed a series of emotions, confused, desperately trying to grasp what he meant. "Sheik?" I questioned.
"You're the next Hero, Link," Sheik stated, shattering my whole life with those five words.
Frozen with shock, my breath caught in the back of my throat. What? Did I hear him right? I was the next Hero? My body refused to move, and I nearly dropped the Ocarina. Trying to speak, I sputtered and stammered without actually even really saying anything. "What?" I was finally able to say that one word semi-coherently.
Nodding solemnly, Sheik began playing a different song on his lyre. It sounded vaguely familiar, and I tried to pinpoint where exactly I had heard it before. Then, I remembered. Zelda had hummed this same melody several times when she had become very sad. Sheik continued to play its sweet song, soft and beautiful-sounding when played on that golden instrument. "You remember this song?" Sheik questioned.
I nodded wordlessly as he finished. "Good," he motioned at the Ocarina. "Play," he commanded.
My brow furrowed. Was he serious? I have never played an instrument in my life, and he expected me to play this thing with no trouble? I reluctantly lifted the artifact to my lips, and, surprisingly, the notes tumbled out of the instrument with no problems at all. In fact, it almost sounded – good. It sounded almost identical to the melody Sheik was playing.
Sheik applauded. "Well done. I knew you were the one. You picked up Zelda's Lullaby with no trouble at all just by ear. Play it again."
Obeying Sheik's command, I kept on playing, and he joined in on his lyre. Zelda's Lullaby. I repeated the name several times in my head, thinking about the Princess that had changed my life forever. Zelda's Lullaby. We played in harmony for some time, and I savored the song that reminded me of Zelda so much.
"Besides being known as Zelda's Lullaby, this song is also known as the song of the Royal Family," Sheik spoke. His hood slipped off, revealing his face – at least the part of his face not concealed by his cowl.
"What does this mean?" I questioned, referring to the mark on my hand.
Sheik smirked slightly. "I think you know."
The Triforce. I knew what it was. Ganondorf had a similar mark on his own hand, although it was on his right – his dominant hand. He had bragged about his mark for quite some time, saying that a Hero had yet to show up and stop his plans. Well, here I was now. He would throw a fit if he knew that I was the Hero. Or, maybe he did know that I was the Hero. Maybe that was why he had kidnapped me in the first place. Regardless, I was now placed with the responsibility of stopping him.
"I'm the Hero, and I am the bearer of the Triforce of Courage," I stated slowly, allowing the idea to sink in. I fingered the Ocarina. It felt so familiar, being in my hands, and I lifted it to my lips once more. Remembering the song Sheik had been playing before, I attempted to replicate it. I succeeded, and Sheik watched with pride as I effortlessly played the haunting melody – the Song of Healing.
"Excellently done, Link," Sheik encouraged. "You're going to learn many songs in no time, I'm sure. You're a natural!"
My smile widened under Sheik's praise, and I clutched the Ocarina like a lifesaver. I was the Hero of Time! I was! No one would be able to stop me – not even Ganondorf. I gave a contented laugh – the first genuine laugh I'd given since we had left the Domain, also leaving Zelda and her presence behind. "Thanks, Sheik," I breathed.
Meeting Zelda had been one of the best things that had ever happened to me, and leaving her was one of the hardest things I had ever done. I jutted my chin out resolutely, deciding that I would do whatever it took to protect Zelda and defeat Ganondorf.
Sheik absentmindedly began plucking out another melody – it was happy and joyful. I liked it and after his first run through, began playing along with him. "What's this called?" I asked; my curiosity was piqued, and I paused in my playing.
"It's called Sheik's Song," he responded with a cheeky grin.
"So both you and Zelda have songs?" I questioned.
He nodded in return. "Yup. You've learned both of them along with the Song of Healing. Don't forget them."
"OK," I agreed.
Sheik pulled his hood up once more. "I have a quick errand to run, so I'll see you later, OK? We'll work on another song then, but just practice for now." He stashed his lyre in what I supposed was an enchanted pouch. I would have to ask him about it some other time because it could prove useful another time in a pinch. He left silently, his feet making no sound on the stone ground.
I began to play Zelda's Lullaby softly to myself. It brought a sense of security as well as longing – for Zelda I was sure. She had looked so distraught when we left. The guilt I felt weighed me down to no end. I had hurt her, I knew, but I was also pained. What was going to happen to – us? Was there even an us? Was there something more or were we just close friends? Did Zelda want to be more than just friends? My head was swimming, and I poured all of my frustration into my rendition of Zelda's Lullaby.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and halted in my playing. Aqua stood with a slight smirk. "Thinking about a certain someone?" she questioned smugly.
My jaw went agape, and I looked at her incredulously. "How'd you know?"
"You're acting like how Marine acts when Cove goes on a five day scouting trip. Link, what's wrong?" she asked.
"I mean, how would you feel if you just found out that you're the Hero of Time, and you're adopted father who is also hunting you down is actually the King of Thieves? Aqua, I hold the Triforce of Courage, and Ganondorf holds the Triforce of Power. How does Zelda fit into this picture?!" I ended my tirade, going back to playing Zelda's Lullaby with both vehemence and vigor.
"I think you're forgetting one part of the Triforce, Link," Aqua smirked. "Don't you remember the legends? What about the Princess of Destiny?"
I about dropped my Ocarina in surprise. "What are you trying to imply by that question, Aqua?" I questioned; my eyes went wide with both shock and fear.
"What do you think, Link?" she asked cryptically, and I knew.
Now, along with guilt, my heart panged with fear for Zelda. Should Ganondorf and Ren pursue and trace us to the Domain, they wouldn't hesitate to terminate Zelda. Thankfully, I knew for sure that they didn't know of Zelda's identity as Princess of Destiny, but they could find out at any time. Why did I leave her?
"We left her," I breathed, more to myself than Aqua.
Aqua nodded solemnly. "I know – But Zelda's a strong girl. She can take care of herself for right now. Besides, she has Nabooru and Aziz. I know that my father and the rest of the Zora won't hesitate to protect her with their lives."
Thoughts of everyone I had met so far came to my mind. Relena – or Rey as I became prone to call her. What became of her? Had Ren or Ganondorf captured her? Had they figured out that she had helped us in our escape? Or was she safe? There were so many unanswered questions floating around in my head, and I could only do one thing to soothe my aching heart – Thinking of my Princess, I lifted the Ocarina to my lips, playing Zelda's Lullaby.
Phew… That chapter took a lot out of me even though it wasn't too hard to write. I know, I know, it's Sheik's Theme not Sheik's Song. I did that on purpose. ^^ Also, my writing schedule is going to shift to just Sundays because I'm trying to prioritize my time a bit better with school getting more hectic. :( Pretty annoying, but it's life, y'know? ^^
WE HAVE 26 INCHES OF SNOW WHERE I LIVE, PEOPLE! I live in NYC, so we got hit pretty hard. I was shoveling for FOREVER yesterday. :P Anyways…
Thank you to anyone of you awesome people that have "subscribed" to this story. I love you guys so much! Thanks to those that also "subscribed" to me as well. You are the best!
Thanks to both Night Watcher 7 and Flik98 for reviewing last chapter. Night Watcher 7: Thanks for the support, and I can't wait until the next chapter of Essence of a Hero. :) Flik98: You're always so sweet in your reviews! You're awesome! ;)
In response to AnriMia24: This separation is killing me, and it's only been one chapter! Ugh. I do have my reasons, but they're definitely reuniting soon. Don't worry, this is a Zelink story. ^^ Hmm… My first Impa requester. I have no clue if she'll turn up somewhere. (I do ^_^) There are a ton of characters that have yet to enter the story, but I'm working on it. ;)
Anyways… I'll see you next week. LOVE YOU GUYS! *smiles* :D
~Elsie
Total Word Count (excluding Author's Notes):
3,061