The Hyrulian Valhalla Saga
By Queenie Z
The Visitor (Part 1 of 6)
Civil wars are the inevitable consequence of a diverse group of people refusing to peacefully coexist; no one knows this better than the dead, who spend their days watching history unfold and, unfortunately, repeat itself many times over. And though the Heroes' lives in the beyond were filled with joy and splendor, watching the land they loved descend into war and strife was never a pleasant experience.
Sky furrowed his brow as he watched some event unfold in the pages of one of their magical tomes. Unsatisfied with what he saw, he shut the book and sighed deeply, causing the Heroes surrounding him to turn their heads.
"Well?" asked Engie, tilting his head as he rested his arms on the back of the bench Sky sat on, "Did they reach an agreement?"
The elder Hero shook his head. "They're still at a stalemate. Neither side wants to make any compromises."
"They never do," said Twilight, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall of a nearby building in a perpetual sulk. "That's why they fight, even when they should know better."
Lying down in the grass and looking up at the clouds, Wind spoke up. "You'd think at times like this the goddesses would send another Hero."
"Settling disputes between races isn't our job, Wind," said Sky. "The people of Hyrule have to reconcile themselves; we're only needed when the threat is too great for them to handle."
"Well they clearly can't handle it," grumbled Twilight, "if they keep fighting like this every few centuries!"
"But that's just the cycle of war and peace," said Engie. "This conflict will die down one day and make way for another period of peace. That's how it always goes."
Twilight narrowed his eyes at the ground. "I know. ...That doesn't make it any less depressing."
"Tell me about it," said Wind, closing his eyes. "Sometimes it feels like the work we do to keep the world safe is just... thrown away when this happens. Like it's not even worth keeping it up."
"Wind!" cried Sky, "Don't say that, we - "
He was silenced when they all heard the sound of boots hitting cobblestone road. Looking to its source, they saw what appeared to be a fellow Hero; he had the green hat and tunic, the sword on his back, and the entire heroic aesthetic they were all used to by now. One by one, however, they came to realize that this was not any of the Heroes they knew.
His pale blond hair framing his stern face and his blood red mantle rippling in the breeze, the unfamiliar Hero stared at them for a moment before tilting his head and curling his lips into a condescending smile.
"Come now," he finally said, "surely you're all made of sterner stuff than this."
The other Heroes looked to each other. Then, with a glare, Twilight approached the mysterious visitor.
"And who the hell do you think you are telling us that?"
The man chuckled at his forwardness. "You were always one of my more hot-headed incarnations," he said before looking towards Sky. "I see you've been keeping your successors in line, Sky! I apologize for coming back after you went through the trouble of taking me back to the gods."
"After I..." Sky blinked, confused. Then, his eyes widened as he finally put the pieces together in his head. He stood, walking over to Twilight and placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Twilight, he's - he's one of us. ...I think."
"You think?" asked Wind nervously.
"Wait a minute," interrupted Engie, "you're not - you're the Spirit of the Hero, aren't you? The one who keeps getting reborn as one of us?"
"What!?" cried Wind and Twilight, looking back at the man in fearful amazement.
"You're telling me that this guy was inside me when I was alive!?" asked Twilight, pointing at said guy.
Wind sat up. "Don't say it like that, that sounds wrong...!"
The newcomer laughed heartily at their reactions. "Like I said, I apologize for showing up unannounced." The Spirit shook his head in amusement. "But when I saw you all moping about like this, I had no choice."
"Nevermind that!" said Engie, jumping over the back of the bench and approaching the Spirit excitedly. "I just can't believe you're actually here, talking to us! I thought you were just a little green ball of light Sky had to carry around!"
The Spirit looked down at Engie with a soft smile. "That 'little green ball of light' had a form of its own, once, just like you."
"You mean you were alive once?" asked Wind, joining his successor in questioning the visitor, "Then, how come we never knew about you!?"
"I never took the time to make my story known. And, besides, I had a job to do."
Even Twilight seemed amazed to see this almost mythical being in front of him. "But your clothes," he said, motioning to the Spirit's cape, shoulder plates, and gaudy red gauntlets, "you weren't a knight, were you?"
"As a matter of fact, I was. I served in Hylia's army against the Demon King."
"No way!" cried the three, their eyes lighting up in admiration.
"That makes you even older than Sky!" said Wind.
"You must have been really tough!" added Engie.
"A bona fide badass is more like it!" finished Twilight.
The Spirit raised a hand sheepishly. "I wouldn't go quite that far..."
Meanwhile, Sky simply watched the exchange in stunned amazement. The Hero's Spirit was an actual person? And he existed even before he himself had? But, then, that would mean he was no longer the first Hero! He took off his hat in silent shock. Had his position in the line of Heroes, one he'd held with pride since time immemorial, suddenly been usurped? It wasn't as though he didn't respect the Spirit - far from it, he was just as awestruck by his arrival as the others - but there was a small part of him that was more than a little blindsided by this sudden revelation.
"...I'll go tell the others," he muttered, although he was pretty sure that they were ignoring him all together in favor of their new "First".