A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game. Second note: His singing lines are demarked "like this," and her lines are demarked "like this." Them singing together is demarked "like this."
"Okay, you're gonna have to start over." Link said, staring at both Romulus and Zelda with an annoyed look of confusion on his face. "What the hell is the Fierce Deity? And why is it such a big deal that we're in his tomb?"
"By the spirits, he doesn't know…" Romulus muttered in stupefied awe. He turned to Zelda. "How could the hero not know about this story?"
"Be fair, Romulus. How did you hear about it?" Zelda asked. Romulus scratched his wispy beard in thought.
"A fair point. I live in these desert lands, and the stories of ages past are spread like sand scattered on the wind. Oral history is the way that things are dealt with, and I guess they were telling the legend of the Fierce Deity for a very long time, or at least whatever warped version of the truth that I heard." Romulus said. "How did you hear about the Fierce Deity, Zelda?"
"Through a few fairy tale books." The princess admitted. "I never thought that he was real, either. My father was skeptical that he existed as well. He figured that the Fierce Deity was something that someone had made up once, and then the story got twisted and corrupted over time to that of a legend, and then even a-"
"Guys!" Link said, frustrated at being kept in the dark. "You still haven't answered my question." He said.
"Oh! Sorry." Zelda said. "Well, it's kind of fanciful to explain. But…long ago, long, long before there was a Hyrule, there was a hero that walked the earth and supposedly was the light against the darkness. He was a man that could not be harmed in battle, who could not be bested, and who carried a sword that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying to behold. And when he died, they say that he didn't even die but was allowed to ascend a higher plane of existence. And…over time, his feats went from acts of heroism, to acts of legend…to the work of a demigod."
"So…he was a god amongst men?" Link asked. "That's…awfully high praise to give to someone." He said.
"Link, you are the chosen bearer of the Triforce of Courage!" Zelda said, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you of all people skeptical of this?"
"I…it's just, there must be a catch." Link sputtered lamely. "If he was truly as mighty and just as you say he was, then surely his exploits would have been preserved and he would be remembered as more than a pulpy hero mentioned in passing." He looked around the stony darkness that surrounded them. "And yet…"
"And yet what?" Romulus asked. Link sighed.
"There's something in me that makes me want to find out what this place is for sure." He said. "I don't know. It's foolish, but I guess I want to know the truth of this place." He said. Romulus clapped him on the shoulder with a smile.
"And that is why you are the hero of Courage, boy. Lead the way. We shall follow you."
The aged Bulblin gestured forward and, as he grabbed the torch from the aging warrior, Link led them down the darkened stone hallway deep beneath the earth.
…
"Gah hah ha! It's brilliant!"
"Princess Zelda is going to hate this."
They were standing around the war table, deep inside the castle of Goro-Boro, with several of the Honor Guard respectfully standing off to the side. Darunia was leaning over the table, gazing at the planned pieces of the board with awe and childlike glee. High King Petra, still shocked that he was in the presence of a man that was as legendary to his people as Darunia, kept glancing over at the former Goron king as if he feared that he'd disappear into thin air. Lady Shiftlett reiterated her point.
"I'm serious." She said. "Zelda will hate this plan of attack."
"It isn't like we have the best of options, is it lassie?" Captain Dorias asked. He shrugged. "This be the strength of the Goron people. If we're about to make the best use of it, then we have to deal with the fallout."
"I agree with your analysis, Captain Dorias. By my calculations-"
"Screw your calculations!" Renee shouted, surprising everyone else at the table. "You're asking for the Goron artillery to open fire on Castle Town? Do you have any idea what damage that will cause? What pain and suffering that will cause?" She asked. She turned accusatorily towards Petra. "In fact, the mere existence of these long-range catapults and ballistic weaponry simply raises even more questions that I don't think I'll like the answer of! What on earth were you building long-range boulder cannons for?"
"Protection. Defense." Petra said with earnest. Renee frowned.
"Against who? The Zoras? They live underwater and they consider fighting to be anathema! Who does that leave? Oh gee, what a surprise: us!"
"Sister Renee, please." Darunia said. "You have to consider it from Brother Petra's position."
"Oh, I am." Renee said, folding her arms and frowning. "I don't like the idea that there are catapults that can easily fire into Hyrule without having to be dragged to the battlefield and assembled there. That really changes the game."
"We were planning designing to have them inspected checked at the next treaty negotiation." Petra said. "I agree with your worry concern, Lady Shiftlett. I would never fire attack my guns on Hyrule if I could avoid it."
"This is just a trying time!" Darunia said. "And I like it no better than you, Sister Renee."
"Then why are you so in favor of it, chap?" Dorias asked, stepping in to play middle man. Darunia smacked his fist into an open palm.
"Because that bastard Ganondorf will have no idea what hit him! He will expect us to bring artillery to the field. He won't expect to be bombed from somewhere he can't even see! It's the best of all possible outcomes!"
"It's the cold equation." Fi said. "No matter what you do to balance it, someone will be unhappy. People will die either way."
"That's…quite morbid, miss Fi." Dorias said.
"And yet…she has a point." Renee said quietly. "Let's…let's at least suggest this idea to Zelda first, okay?" She asked. "I want to at least give her a chance to hear the proposal before we go through with it."
"That is a fair proposal." Petra said. "Shall we deliver send the message now?" He asked.
"I will do it." Renee said. "I…I would like to see the princess again and the others. Just to let them know that I am alive." She said. Captain Dorias clapped her on the shoulder.
"I will go with you, my lady. We brought some Loftwings with us on our journey over here for the sake of faster travel, and I would not be opposed to using them. It cuts a several hours long journey into something considerably less." He said. Lady Shiftlett nodded. She'd seen the bird-like beings lounging outside with the rest of the coalition and had wondered if they were for the return trip. She also did not know a thing about flying them, so she figured that it would be best to go with an expert.
"Then it is settled! Miss Fi and I shall stay here with the majority of our travelling party. The two of you should make haste back for the desert camps! Time is of the essence. It is only a matter of time before Ganondorf realizes that we are up to something most devious." Darunia said.
"Right. Well, chaps, it's been fun, but we'd better get going! I do hope we see each other again." Dorias said. He and Lady Shiftlett bowed, and then briskly walked down the hall of the castle towards the Loftwings that were waiting for them. As soon as they were gone, Darunia turned towards Petra.
"Brother Petra, would you consider yourself a drinking man?"
For a moment, the High King snapped out of his stupor at being addressed by Darunia, and looked positively offended.
"Heart promise, Sage Darunia." He said indignantly. Darunia smiled.
"I bet I could take you."
"It is your funeral." Petra said with confidence.
…
They sat there with a restless air hanging about them. Earlier in the morning, Lord de Gaulle had made his way out to the banks of the River Hylia to drop his letter in the water. He did it the same way every time: placing the message in a bottle, and then letting it float in the water before it was yanked beneath the surface as if it was a fish sticking on a lure. So far, he had not returned. That, he promised, was how it always went. He would sit outside and go for a constitutional, and then by the time he returned, he would have Hydre's response. But for now, they were all stuck waiting.
"Someone should have gone with him." Matthew finally said, breaking the silence.
"Not wise, Red-Demon." Balrok Stone-Crusher replied. "If there are agents of darkness watching the lord's moves, to see him with someone else on his walk would imply that something is wrong."
"Really?" Ruto asked, perking her head up. She'd been leaning against Matthew in the chair. One of the Zora guard, who'd been standing at the edge of the room and peering out the door defensively, nodded.
"Indeed." He said. "Seeing people at his house implies guests. That's one thing. But him going out in the morning every morning is simply habit. Anything changes…and they'll know that something is up."
"Great. So we're stuck here?" Matthew replied. "That's wonderful." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. Balrok laughed.
"What is so funny about the situation, Bulblin?" One of the Zora asked, prickily.
"Dolphus, be nice!" Ruto scolded. Balrok laughed heartily.
"Nothing in particular, Zora. The boy simply reminds me of me at his age. All antsy and wishing for action." He took a sip of the warm tea that the Lord had prepared. He found that, despite being a rough-and-tumble fellow, he liked this human delicacy called 'tea.' "I cannot say that I blame him. Fighting is much more preferable to sitting around…though these are comfortable chairs, I will give the old man that."
"Agreed. He really does appreciate a well-decorated home." One of the other Zoras said. "Our people are rubbing off on him."
"Rubbing off on him?" Balrok asked with a laugh. "He's practically one of you already?"
"I fail to see how that is a bad thing." The Zora named Dolphus said. One could see, if one squinted, that he was smiling. Balrok noticed.
"Hah-ah! I knew I'd get one of these stiffs to crack a grin by the end of the night!" The Bulblin seemed mighty pleased with himself.
"Do not treat it like an everyday occurrence." Dolphus said, though his smile had not disappeared.
…
They were all stirred from their bored musings when the door opened, and a rather flustered Lord de Gaulle walked in.
"Oh! Oh, goodness what a development!" He said. He seemed particularly giddy.
"What? What's going on?" Matthew asked. Lord de Gaulle held up a letter on blue stationary that was most certainly not his, and then unfurled it and began to read.
"'My dear sweet Gustav, your words fill me with a bright light of hope that I can scarce say I've had in weeks. The revelation that little Zelda is alive and well warms my heart, and sends a shiver of relief through my people. It is a testament to her that she curries such favor, and I do hope you extend that to her the next time you see her. The news that you have a strengthened army from all corners of the world (and perhaps outside of it, if I am reading correctly into it) gives me the confidence to start opening the lid I have kept upon my people, and I will start sending some of my best troops to the surface in due time. Perhaps I should send them to your abode while they await further orders? I do not wish to impose. Please let me know if that would be best for you, and let me know when you've ordered another batch of that specialty tea of yours: the minty-flavored one. I do dearly wish to come visit as soon as this is all over. With deepest and most sincere love, Hydre.'"
Gustav finished his letter, and stared gleefully at the rest of the room.
"By the Goddesses, I guess we're getting some help after all." Matthew said.
"Zoras always come through in the clutch." Ruto said with a grin. She turned to the rest of the room. "Someone should head back to the desert camps and let them all know what is going on! I could always do it but…I don't think I should go alone." She trailed off somewhat poignantly.
One of the Zoras glanced pointedly at Matthew. He widened his eyes for a second, gulped, and then spoke up.
"Uh, I can help you get back to the camp, Ruto. No problem. Maybe the rest of us should stay here and help guard Lord de Gaulle? Who knows if Ganondorf decides to come back and check and see if Gustav is really worth keeping beneath suspicion." He said.
"A fine plan!" Balrok said. He stood up from his chair. "I shall prepare two warbeasts for riding. One for me…"
"…and one for us!" Ruto said, hastily pulling Matthew off of his chair.
"…Be safe, your highness." One of the Zora said. Lord de Gaulle gave Ruto a hug, and then one to Matthew.
"Be swift as lightning, you three! And please, never be shy to stop by! I might not be able to fight in the upcoming storm, but I do hope that I have played a worthwhile part in the fight."
"Of course, Lord!" Balrok said. "You and your sharp words on the paper are just as important as the sharpness of my spear." He said. "The Bulblin confederacy shall speak highly of you and your hospitality."
"Your words mean much." Lord de Gaulle said with sincerity. "And know that there is plenty of tea for you as well in the future, dear Balrok." He turned to the three of them. "Now get going! You must make haste."
…
The three of them went out to the stables. Balrok went off to the other side of the building, looking for sufficient supplies to nourish the three of them for a several-hours long trip. As Matthew was about to unhook the ropes that held one of the warbeasts in place, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, what's u-" he was cut off by Ruto pulling him in for a kiss. She held it for a pretty long time. "…gwuh?" He managed to sputter out as she broke it off.
"Don't you dare die on me." She said sternly. That snapped Matthew out of his reverie.
"What? Why? I mean, I don't plan to but why is it that important to you?" He asked.
"Because you aren't just the cutest boy I've ever kissed, you're also the sweetest boy I've ever gotten to know." Ruto said in a surprisingly stern tone. "And I would like to know that I can still know you after a near-apocalyptic battle and war, you understand?"
"Of course." Matthew said after a pause. Ruto smiled.
"Good. Now c'mere."
She pulled him in for another one.
…
It was dark and damp. Even though the torch was wonderful in keeping things somewhat alit, there was an oppressive feel to the dark that surrounded the three of them. Each footstep they took echoed off of the walls with a tinny sound, and if they listened carefully they could hear dripping water here and there. But above all, the silence was overwhelming.
"Something." Romulus said, breaking the silence. The others looked at him.
"I'm sorry?" Zelda asked, turning to look at him.
"I said 'something.'" The Bulblin said, turning to look at her. "The silence was starting to get a little too much for me. And I am sure that it was getting to you as well."
"I…appreciate that." Zelda said. "I'm still slightly overwhelmed to be here in the first place." Zelda said. "I've always had an idea of what to expect for the resting place of legends and the locations of great religious and spiritual importance but…this is a legend that I never thought was real. I didn't think…"
They were interrupted by the sound of Link drawing the Master Sword, and pointing it in a direction away from them.
"Link?" Zelda asked. "What's wrong?"
His response was chilling.
"I think I saw someone watching us."
"Where?" Romulus asked. Link gestured towards the position that he was pointing to with his sword, and the old Bulblin squinted as he peered into the darkness. He cleared his throat.
"Whatever it was, it is gone now. But perhaps…" He took the torch from Link. "I will carry this, and you will have one less thing to carry if you see your phantom stalker again."
They continued making their way down the hallway, noticing that it was getting progressively smaller and less open. Zelda shuddered as the slight claustrophobia set in.
"I don't like this." She said. She kept looking at the walls as she walked. "I'm reading these runes, and they're getting progressively disjointed. Manic, even. They're talking about a calamity that I've never even heard of before…but they're so confusing. And they keep repeating the same name over and over and ov-" She was cut off by the rough hand of Romulus grabbing her and pulling her back. "What on earth?"
"Not another step." Romulus said. He gestured to the ground. "Look."
They all peered down at the ground. Romulus gestured to the tiled floor again. They were all ornate and well-designed, but there was one of them that was ever so slightly raised above the rest of them.
"A trap panel." He said quietly. "Stand back, and observe." He said. He made sure that the rest of the group was safely behind him, and then reached out with his cane and pushed down on the panel. There was a creaking and rumbling noise somewhere in the distance, and Zelda let out a scream as a pair of ancient-looking axes swung through the air in horizontal slices a few feet ahead of where the panel was. They swung twice, and then disappeared into the darkness again.
"G-Goddesses." Zelda said. "That was close." Romulus snorted.
"Please. That was the warm-up. There are most definitely more dangerous traps ahead than that one."
Zelda and Link looked at each other and gulped, but then followed the ancient Bulblin deeper into the hallway.
They entered a room with what appeared to be several pedestals, placed apart from each other in a strangely triangular set-up. There were also random artifacts lying on the ground, scattered about and covered in varying levels of dust. There was a doorway ahead of them, but it was clearly covered by a stony gate. The gate itself looked like it had a pair of eyes carved into it, and was staring at them unnervingly.
"What is this?" Zelda asked. She looked around. "I don't…"
There was a rumbling noise. They turned around and saw that the way that they had come through was shut tight by a slab of stone. They were trapped.
"Well, that's certainly not the best thing." Romulus said, somewhat cheerily. Link turned towards him.
"You're taking this rather well." He said, feeling a degree of panic rising in his chest. He wondered if they were in a vault, and then in turn wondered how much air was left in this place. "How much air do you think we have?"
"Oh, not much I imagine." Romulus said. "But I'm not terribly worried." He said. "Clearly this place was designed to let those that get inside a way out…provided you figure out what to look for." He gestured to the three pedestals, and then the various potpourri sitting on the floor. "I think it has something to do with the pedestals in here, and the things on the floor. Quickly, let's see what we're dealing with." He walked over to one of the pedestals, and brushed off the top. He lit up. "Aha! There is lettering on these pedestals. This whole place is a riddle! Your majesty, I cannot read these ancient glyphs. Would you care to lend a hand?"
Zelda walked forward, and then peered in close to read. Romulus held the torch close, and she started to translate.
"I walk on land, though there I do not live. I fight with fury, but only to defend. I live and love, and hate to fight. My music touches both worlds above and below light."
There was a pause. Zelda threw up her arms in exasperation.
"Oh, it's useless! I don't know what that even means!" She said. "It's barely legible, and barely makes sense as a rhyme. Usually there's some sort of clue, but this…I just don't know."
"There, there. Take your time, your majesty." Romulus said, patting her comfortingly on the shoulder. "You will discover the answer, soon enough."
They were aware of the fact that Link had said nothing so far. They turned to look at him.
"Link?" Zelda asked. "Are you okay?"
He didn't answer. He couldn't, really. Because he felt himself thinking things he never knew he was capable of thinking before. It was as if another had entered his head, and was gently tickling him somewhere deep in his mind. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that they were not alone in this place. And that, inconceivably, he had been here before. He stared into the blackness, and thought he saw a pair of eyes staring back at him. They were powerful and terrifying eyes, less looking at him and more sizing him up. Dark and mysterious, and yet he did not feel fear. He thought that they were testing him. And he was ready to do battle with whatever it was that was in here.
And in that moment, something clicked.
"Zora." He said.
"What?" Zelda asked.
"It's Zora." Link said. He was speaking hurriedly and rushed, as if he could barely get the words out fast enough. He began to look through the potpourri on the ground, and then found what he was looking for. "Zora scale!" He tossed it to Romulus. "Put it on the pedestal." He demanded. The Bulblin looked at it, and then placed it. It looked strangely like a guitar pick. The piece, to his surprise, fit perfectly into the gap on the top of the pedestal. There was a faint rumbling in the deep, but nothing else happened.
"Link, are you o-" Zelda was cut off.
"Goron." Link said. He was acting as if he was not in control of his own body, his eyes scarce believing that he was doing and saying the things that he was. He frantically scattered through the pieces, and pulled out a massive piece of junk and tossed it to Zelda. "Catch!" He said. She grabbed the thing, and brushed it off. It looked like the cover of a drum head. She wrapped it over the top of the first un-touched pedestal. When she saw that it didn't fit, she raced over and stretched it over the third one. That fit correctly. There was another rumble in the deep, though this time it was even louder.
"We're getting somewhere…" Romulus muttered. Link was frantically digging through the remaining pieces of junk on the floor.
"Link, what is it this time?" Zelda asked. "What are you looking fo-"
"NOT NOW." Link snarled. Zelda eeped in fright, and Romulus flinched in surprise as well. For when Link had replied, it didn't sound like it was just his voice that had spoken.
Finally, Link dug through the pieces of junk, and found what he was looking for. He stared at it like it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Though skittish to get close to him, Zelda and Romulus saw what it was.
A Deku seed.
Eagerly, Link placed the seed in the slot on the third pedestal, and then stood back. Suddenly, he clutched his head and moaned, as if he'd had a massive headache hit him unexpectedly. He stumbled backwards, and Zelda grabbed him from behind in a protective hug.
"…Gwuh?" Link managed to sputter after a moment of silence. "What just happened?"
"You don't remember?" Zelda asked. "You were telling us to put the pieces of junk on the pedestals, and then you snapped at me…"
At this last bit, Link whirled around and looked her in the eyes. It was the most heartbroken look she'd ever seen.
"I…I snapped at you?" He asked meekly. Zelda looked him in the eyes, and saw that there was a genuine sorrow there. He truly had no memory of what had happened.
"It's okay, baby." Zelda said, pulling him into a hug. "I know you didn't mean it."
"But whatever it was that you did do, it seemed to have worked." Romulus said. "Look."
He pointed behind them, and they saw that the eye-masked stone slab was slowly descending into the ground. Behind it was an empty void, but it was better to go there than to remain here. Slowly, they made their way into the darkness.
There was a gust of wind. The torch went out.
"Shit!" Romulus growled. "Hold on, let me get some flint and a match out of my pockets."
He was kneeling down when the lights came on.
First, it was a pair of torches embedded in the stony ground, one on either side of them. Then another pair of torches, perfectly in line with the previous two, flicked on. Then another pair. And then another. Slowly, they watched as a veritable roadway of torches lit up the massive room that they were in, all going up what appeared to be a stony and ancient stairway. Finally, there was a pause, as the relatively-timeable pause between pairs of torches being lit up was interrupted.
Then, there was a loud bang. A pair of large torches at the very top of the stairway lit up. They illuminated the altar at the top of this haunting façade with a pallid yellow glow. At the center of the altar was a rectangular object, cast out of pure white marble. There were runes written into the marble, but they were impossible to be read at this distance.
It was a sarcophagus.
And perched on a small stand that rested directly in the center of the sarcophagus, was a small object that they scarce believed their eyes when they saw it.
It was a mask.
"Oh…my Goddess…" Zelda managed to whisper.
"No. Just me."
…
There was a massive flash. They shielded their eyes, and when they opened them they were greeted with a most incredible sight. A massive man stood before them, easily at seven and a half feet tall. He was adorned in grey-blue armor that shone with a hue that did not belong in the mortal world, and his hair was a faded grey, though he looked youthful and in his prime. But that was not the reason that the three of them were cowed into silence.
Aside from a slightly grey complexion and war paint in faded red and blues that adorned his face…the man looked just like Link. Identical.
On instinct, Link rushed forward. Brandishing the Master Sword, he swung it with a horizontal chop. The blade passed through the man in front of him as though he was not there. Link stared at this impossibility, and then hacked and slashed again and again until his arms wanted to fall off from exhaustion. Each and every time, the blade simply passed through the massive man as though he was not there. Finally, the man raised a finger and caught the Master Sword mid-swing. Link tried to pry himself free, but the man's grip was like a vice.
There was a tense silence, before the man spoke.
"Not a bad toothpick you have here, boy." He said. He seemed slightly amused. But then his amusement disappeared. "But it isn't a sword."
While still holding Link's Master Sword as though it was a flimsy stick by his finger, the man held out his other arm. There was another flash, and he was now holding a sword of his own. But this sword was unlike anything that they'd seen before: a massive, double-helixed monstrocity that was almost as long as the man himself. He stared at Link, and then glanced over at his weapon with smug pride.
"This is a sword."
There was another flash, and then he was gone, causing Link to stumble forward now that the massive weight holding him in place was released.
Only the man wasn't gone. He was standing at the top of the stairway, directly in from of the sarcophagus. He had planted his sword point-first into the ground directly in front of him, and was resting on it as though he was a guardian. He stared at the three of them inquisitively.
"The very fact that you have disturbed me of my slumber piques my curiosity." The man said. "While normally I would simply smite you where you stand…there's just something about you. Who are you and…if I might ask, what brings you to my resting place?"
"Th-the Fierce Deity…" Zelda managed to whisper. The man in question raised his eyebrow, and frowned.
"Deity? My word, you mortals come up with the most fantastic things." He said. "I am no deity. I was simply a man." He then smirked. "But then again, I was a man."
"What are you now?" Romulus asked, somewhat demandingly. "Are you alive, or are you dead?"
"It all depends on your point of view, I suppose." The Fierce Deity replied. "Am I dead, simply because my natural life is over? Or am I alive, because I stand here before you? I don't think that that is the question that needs to be asked. Because the answer is: I am here, and so are you. Is that not good enough?" He asked, somewhat testily.
"It is…fine." Zelda said with a pause. She looked around. "We…well, I guess…" She trailed off. She looked down at the ground. "Truthfully, we did not come to seek you out. We…stumbled upon your tomb by complete accident. I…We did not know that you existed."
There was a pause. The Fierce Deity looked at them somewhat thoughtfully. And then he spoke.
"Then my penance is nearer at hand than I thought." He said. "The world itself has forgotten me, and forgotten my name." He raised an eyebrow. "But regardless of whether you did not intend to find me or not, you have found me. You have solved the puzzle, and avoided the traps to get here. Even if this was not your original plan…you are here. And that makes you interesting to me."
"What…I'm sorry, it's just that I have so many questions." Zelda said. "Who are you? What is your name? And where…what…is this place?"
"Quite eager for a mortal." The Deity said. "I am what you believe I am, and so much more than that. As for my name? Forgotten…lost to the pages of history. For now…" He smirked somewhat knowingly in a strange manner. "…Oni…will do. Only because I despise the notion of being worshipped. So don't you dare grovel at my feet!" He said, pointing his finger at them threateningly. "It's so depressing." He added with a trace hint of annoyance. "And this…this is my prison."
There was something very deep and prominent about his voice; a baritone that was rich and echoed through the tomb. It was both pleasing and unnerving to the ear to hear. Equally unnerving was his barely-noticeable tendency to annunciate every syllable of every word that left his lips. It was as if each word and each syllable was a slab of marble hitting the ground.
"Your prison?" Romulus asked. "Why would you final resting place be your prison? Did you anger the spirits?"
"In a manner of speaking." Oni said. "But not in the manner you think. I angered them out of a sense of disappointment. And this prison is one of my own choosing. Of my own penance."
"But…you were a hero." Zelda said. "You saved the world. Why would you imprison yourself if you-" She was cut off by the sound of Oni's laughter. It was not mirthful, instead it was bitter and resigned.
"Oh, a hero! Whatever does such a word mean? Does it mean that at the end of the day, you are the last man standing?" For a moment, Oni looked impossibly bitter. "Because, if that is the sole criteria…then I suppose I qualify."
"Why are you so reluctant to embrace your role?" Zelda asked.
"Because the very fact that you're calling me a hero pains me." Oni said. "It makes me seem like a knight in shining armor. I wasn't. Well, I thought I was…once upon a time." He looked down for a moment, and then stared at the three of them. "Tell me, mortal, suppose you were faced with an incredible evil before you, and you knew that you must stop it no matter the cost. Would you truly be willing to go to whatever lengths you could to put this monstrocity down?"
"Yes." Zelda said, her gaze stern. "You act as though I have no idea what facing evil is. I am a ruler driven to desperation, pushed out of my ancestral home by an ancient evil. My people are dying, and you dare to assume that I would not understand the costs? I would face ALL of them, for the sake of saving the world! Every last one, I could put on my shoulders! Without question!" She was shouting now, and Link saw that tears were starting to form in her eyes. There was a silence. Oni gazed at her, and then finally spoke.
"…I thought the same. But that's because I did not realize that that is not the point: it is not about willing to go to any length in order to vanquish evil…it is about being able to live with yourself afterwards." He looked at them. "Permit me, if you will, to tell a story. And at the end, I hope that you understand why I am reluctant to leave this place. Why I am reluctant to agree with you that I was a 'hero.'"
"Long ago, I was a simple boy. My family and that name and life has long since faded from my memory. But there is something I do remember: there was a darkness that enveloped the land. It covered the world like a smothering cloth, and all that did not capitulate were suffocated by the darkness. It was evil in its most undistilled form: wild, uncaring, and chaotic. It had a name…a name that mortals feared to speak."
"What was it? Was it Ganondorf?" Link asked, breaking his silence. Oni shook his head.
"No. The evil I faced was…more primal. More wild, and impossible to understand. Impossible to reason with. Driven to consume, and consumed with the insatiable desire for destruction. A…less civilized darkness for a less civilized time, I suppose."
"What was it, then?" Zelda asked.
"…Majora.*" Oni said. "A sorceress of great power and terrible might. She ruled the world, and treated it and those that lived in it as her personal toys. Things to throw around, and then throw away when they broke." He gazed upwards. "She burned down my village one day, searing my skin and leaving me the only one that survived. She had been bored one day, and randomly picked a village to destroy from the top of her ancient tower. That was her entire motivation. Mine was the unlucky one she chose. Not a single care for those who lived there. She simply blinked…and they were all vaporized. All but me." He said. "And oh how I screamed and cursed her name, promising that I would go to any lengths to stop her. No matter the cost. And that was when she came to me…"
"She?" Romulus asked. Oni nodded, and continued.
"A girl. She looked scarce older than I was at the time. A cherubic face, with sparkling eyes, dress as green as the grass before Majora had burned it to crisp before me. She picked me up off the ground, and asked if I meant it…if I meant that I would be willing to do whatever it was that I could to save the world. And I said I would." Oni's eyes were glazed, as if he was reminiscing. "She took my hand, and whispered something in my ear. An ancient language, something that I had never heard before and never have since. It shivered every bone in my body, and when I blinked she was gone. My scars and burns were gone, the pain no more. And at my feet…" He lifted his sword. "A gift from the Goddesses. With an inscription that swore me to the service of the Goddesses, to protect the world from the great evil that threatened it." He smiled slightly at the memories. "And oh, did I give the people hope! I came like a great wind, destroying all the enemies in my path, teaching the hunter what it felt like to be the hunted, and in the end…I found myself at the top of Majora's tower, staring her in the eye."
There was a pause. Oni seemed to be collecting himself.
"It was a terrible battle. When it was over, I scarcely had the life left in me to crawl, let alone stand. But she lay beside me, dying of mortal injuries. At first I felt relief, knowing that my life's work had been accomplished: I had finally killed Majora. I had rid the world of a great evil. But then she turned over to me, and said something." He seemed profoundly disturbed at the memory. "An empty, glazing look in her eyes as she expired, but a satisfied smile on her lips. And when she spoke, the words were like poisoned honey: 'Was it good for you, too?' Upon these words, she died with a twisted smile on her face." He paused. "And then I looked up and gazed upon the world from high on her tower."
He paused.
"The world was burning and burnt. Utterly, utterly shattered. And like a tidal wave, every terrible memory came flooding back to me: the people who died because I wasn't fast enough or smart enough to help them, the ones that died because they weren't important in my quest to destroy Majora. The places that had been destroyed, the ancient lands forever gone…it was all a wreck. Termina was gone. In the course of saving the world…I'd destroyed it."
"I crawled away from her corpse as fast as my knees could bear, and managed to grab my sword. I could not bear to face this horrible reality. A reality that was of my own creation. But…" He trailed off. "I stopped myself. I determined that if there was one thing that I could do that separated me from Majora, it was that I would admit the monster that had lurked within me, all this time. For she had seen everything before her as a twisted sort of game, with no real consequences to her actions. Perhaps I did, myself, at first. But I was determined to prove that she would not beat me here. I set my sword down, and stared out on the horizon of a world that I'd played a critical part in ruining. And that's when they came to me." He looked them in the eye. "Din. Nayru. And my dear Farore."
"The Goddesses?" Zelda asked, her eyes agape. "You saw them?"
"With my own two eyes." Oni said. "I threw myself before them, prostrate and sobbing. I had finally seen what a terrible fool I had been: in my quest for revenge, I had doomed the world. I begged them to punish me for this. Whatever penalty they had for me, I would take it." He said. "And Nayru…Nayru spoke. She said that though I had disappointed them, they would forgive me. They would forgive me…and they would rebuild. I…I simply had to accept that, over time, my name would be lost to history. Eventually, the world would forget that I ever existed. And I would be kept on this world, unable to pass on, until I had truly earned my penance." He then smiled wistfully. "But right before I willingly accepted my fate…Farore spoke. She told the others that there was something in me that did not deserve to be locked away forever. She asked them to let her pass it on, so that in a way, I would always have a chance to repay the damage I had caused." He smiled. "She took my spirit, my courage, and allowed it to be continually reborn through the ages to battle whatever evil would arise. And they knew that the balance would be restored. There would be worse threats than Majora to come. And there needed to be something to stop it. They took a small piece of my essence, and scattered it through the ages."
There was a pause. He walked slowly down the steps, until he stood directly before the one he desired. And then he laid a hand on Link's shoulder.
"In all of my existence, I never truly believed that I would lay eyes upon one of my descendants."
Link felt weak at the knees.
"W-what?" He managed to squeak out. Oni smiled.
"I was the first unofficial champion of Farore. You are the latest in the long line of official champions to her grace. But there is a difference between me and you…" He said. "You understand what it is that is asked of you. And you learned from your mistakes."
"Not always." Link managed to say, still trying to digest this incredible revelation. "I've…I've screwed up every now and then."
"But you knew when you screwed up. That is what is important." Oni said. "You understood, even in retrospect, the consequences of your actions. You were willing to strive to make yourself better. You are willing to listen to others. And that makes you more worthy of my accursed title than I ever could deserve." He said. But then he looked sad. "My greatest regret, now that I lay eyes upon you, is that you are cursed to repeat my quest ad naseum for all eternity. You and your soul shall never know peace, simply because I didn't get it right the first time."
There was a pause. And then Link spoke.
"You make it seem as though this was written in stone. That it is an endless cycle." He said. "You make it seem as though I'm your clone, destined to repeat the same thing, again and again and again." He said. But he stared the Fierce Deity in the eye when he said his next words. "But I don't hold it against you that this is my lot in life. How on earth could I? Even if I am the reincarnation of the champion of Farore…each and every life I've lived has been different in some way. We've-I've always had the chance to live my life the way I wanted to live it. And I am not in the least bit sorry or bitter about it. Especially now. Now, when I'm pushed to the edge of my rope by the darkness that threatens the world today." He cleared his throat. "You might think that your time has passed, that you are better off to wallow in here for eternity as a sign of your penance. And that is very noble, I'll admit, but the world needs its hero. And…I can't do it alone. Even with the help of others, I can't defeat Ganondorf with the entirety of the Triforce in his possession. Not by my lonesome. I need all the help I can get. I need your help. However you can." He said.
There was a silence.
"You would be this noble to me? A demon from a time long forgotten? Without a trace of a grudge?" Oni asked.
"However the world was left in your lifetime, it has rebuilt in the eons since." Link said. "But now there is one who threatens to destroy it again. And if you ask me, you have given penance long enough. Besides…grudges are overrated." He said with a wink.
The Fierce Deity looked at him with awe.
"Then truly you are the champion of Courage." He murmured. He closed his eyes and smiled. "You will find what you need in my tomb. My final gift, I leave to you. I only have one request."
"What is that?" Link asked. Oni looked at him.
"I want to be there, to see the look in darkness' eyes when you banish it from the world."
The look on Link's face gave him all the answer he needed.
…
It was late at night. The sun was setting, and there was a frantic sense in the air of the camp. While representatives from the Goron and the Zora expeditions had still returned, there was no sign of Zelda or Link or Romulus. It had been long enough, and despite the pleadings of Proxi, Impa decided that there was no more time to wait.
"We must go in after them." Impa said, instructing the bravest of the soldiers she could find. "We have no idea what happened to them in ther-"
She was interrupted by a rumbling, and earthquake that caused everything in the camp to shake and people to huddle in fear and alarm. Impa and the others gazed towards the source: the ancient ruined temple. There was a brilliant flash that came from the inside, the light shooting out from the entrance. When the light faded, there they were.
Zelda and Romulus were on the sides, looks of sheer determination on their faces. But it was Link that had everyone's attention. Those that had seen him earlier in the day remembered him covered in wounds and wearing battered clothing hardly befitting a hero. What he wore now was more befitting a god. Armor of an ancient make, in shades of blue and teal and grey, linked together by what was clearly an ancient magic. His wounds and cuts were healed and gone, and he seemed to be walking taller and with a pride that they'd never seen before. Impa wasn't sure that she was really seeing this or not, but she could have sworn that there was the faintest shadow of a massive man walking in the shadow of Link's every step.
A crowd formed around the foot of the temple, as the three of them made their way to the bottom. Impa pushed her way to the front, and finally spoke up in the silence.
"Where in the name of the Goddesses were you?" She finally demanded. Zelda smiled mysteriously.
"Awaking an old legend." She said. Impa rolled her eyes.
"Crypticism is overrated, especially when you're at war." She said. "Well? What is the plan, your majesty? The agents of the expeditions have come back to the camp, and all bring good news."
"Good." Zelda said. "Have them sent to my tent, and we will plan. And then we take the next step." She said. She started walking. IMpa also noticed that she was carrying herself with a great confidence as well. So she spoke up, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Oy! What is the next step, Zelda?"
Zelda's response filled her with delight.
"Liberation."
A/N: Whew! Quite the chapter, with quite the exposition, if I do say so myself. I decided to expand on the Fierce Deity's backstory a little bit, hope you don't mind. And if you're wondering what he sounds like, the answer is Benedict Cumberbatch. Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek. Good luck getting his creepy awesome voice out of your head.
Hope you enjoyed, and leave a review if you want! It's not the end of the story…but I can see it from here.
Buckle up.
HYRULIAN CODEX
Majora – An evil so ancient that many have forgotten it ever existed, if it ever existed at all. Majora was allegedly a woman sorcerer of indeterminate origin, and very determinate insanity, and seemed to have a titilliation for random violence and death and destruction. Indeed, the legends go out of their way to emphasis the fact that inflicting pain and misery on the world around here was equivalent to a form of self-stimulation for the sorceress, who was not so much evil as completely and utterly insane. She was defeated, as the scraps of the legends tell, by the man that became the Fierce Deity. However, the battle was so massive and terrible that there are some historians out there that posit that it was the end of an age: the land of 'Termina' was irrevocably destroyed, and over time the centuries would pass as the world began to heal…and a new nation and world would grow in its place. A nation known as Hyrule. Of course, there are also historians who virulently disagree with this thesis, instead suggesting that Hyrule and Termina have always been separate of one another, and that the great destruction of that age was limited to Termina and Termina alone.