Zelda knelt on the clay floor, soft Gerudo fabric protecting her knees from scratches and scrapes. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, holding them before her face. Her eleven ears still picked up the witches' magic and their quiet chants and laughs.
She ignored the warmth, the witches, the magic. Powerful and wise as Koume and Kotake may be, they were not the golden goddesses. They weren't strong enough to bring an end to Link's wicked rule. But they seemed to think Zelda could.
She wanted to believe them. She wanted to prove them right.
Zelda opened her mouth and began to pray.
"Golden goddesses, please hear my prayer. My kingom is ruled by a tyrant and I have not the strength to reclaim it a kingdom alone. However, in you, all things are possible. Please give me the courage, wisdom, and power to rid my kingdom of this blight and return it to its former peace. Amen."
Strange. Zelda didn't feel any better, let alone any different. She was no more courageous, wise, or powerful than she was before. Perhaps this was the goddesses' will. Perhaps Hyrule was simply due for a dark age.
Something about made that Zelda's stomach churn. There was no way that could be true. The golden goddesses couldn't just abandon them.
They couldn't just abandon her.
A gasp crashed from her lungs. It felt like chains had been bound around her chest. She couldn't breathe. She could only close her eyes and fall. As her back slammed against the clay floor, visions began to flash behind closed eyes.
They only took a second or two each, but she breathed in each as much as she could.
A serpent breathing fire…
A princess dancing with butterflies…
A red-nosed sailor raising an empty bottle…
A cowardly rabbit hiding in the underbrush…
A traveler covering his face with a fox mask…
A young mage peering through portals…
A mermaid opening her mouth to sing songs of old…
A fairy dancing through cloudless skies…
A knight marching bravely up a snowy mountain…
A pirate unswayed by the thunderstorm she was caught in…
A large dog digging branching tunnels deep into the earth…
Two figures led the unfamiliar silhouettes into battle. The Gerudo king and the Hylian princess. They were strong enough to fight. They were strong enough to win.
But not yet.
First, she had to find the eleven heroes.
"Princess?"
The old voice seemed so far away.
"Sheik, are you alright?"
This one was closer.
Zelda's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening. She didn't remember falling or laying down. She just remembered praying.
And then she remembered. The vision. The goddesses had spoken.
The witches watched over Zelda with concern in their eyes. They didn't need to worry. She didn't want them to.
So she smiled and nodded slowly.
"I… I believe so," she said. Her voice was hoarse. Funny. She didn't remember losing her voice. "I had a vision."
"We know."
"The map filled in with your thoughts."
"Filled in?" What was that supposed to mean?
They didn't explain. They didn't even show her the map. They just readied themselves to go. Koume helped the princess onto her broomstick and began to leave. Kotake followed behind, yellowed world map in hand.
No explanation. No nothing.
"Are we returning to Ganondorf? "Zelda asked.
Koume patted her arm. "Yes. Ganny needs to know about this."
"After all, he appeared in your dream too."
Zelda's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
The witches smiled wide, toothy grins that made Zelda rethink her question. They had been alive for many, many years. They had to know things Zelda couldn't even imagine. But she didn't correct herself. She just waited for an answer.
Kotake gave her one: "Our son is unlike any Ganondorf before him. He's a hero at heart."
"We just want him to follow the best path. We are his mothers, after all."
Zelda wasn't sure what to say so she gave them a weary smile for a few moments. Finally, her words – and her voice, to an extent – returned to her. "You two are good mothers."
Koume laughed. "We really try," she said. "We aren't evil people, you know."
Yes. She knew. Of course she did. Ganondorf kept telling her that. Koume and Kotake kept telling her that. And she was so tired of hearing it. She knew she used to be blind and stupid. She wasn't anymore. At least, she liked to think not. She liked to thank the goddesses for that.
But then there was sun and warmth. The entrance of the temple. The goddess of the sun watched over them. Din…
And then she saw the Gerudo king.
"Mothers!" He leapt from the floor faster Zelda thought possible from a man of his bulk. "What did you do to Sheik?"
He took Zelda from his mother's broomstick. He held her gently, carefully wiping a stray hair away from her forehead.
Funny. She never thought him gentle either.
"Mothers?" he repeated.
"We didn't hurt her, Ganny. We only helped the goddesses hear her," Koume said.
"By helping her faint?"
"That had nothing to do with us," Kotake raised a shoulder lazily. "You know the people in Zelda's lineage are prone to prophetic dreams."
Ganondorf drew in a breath through grit teeth. He slowly exhaled. A wave of heat washed over Zelda with that.
"I'm fine," she said softly. "It had to be done."
He looked down at her, golden hues quickly softening. He cared so much about returning Hyrule to its former glory, just like she did. That's why he invested so much care in her.
Strangely, she appreciated it.
"Are you certain, Sheik?" His gruff tone wasn't enough to hide his concern.
She didn't question it. The prophecy was the only important thing for now.
"Yes," she said. "And now we have a way forwards."
As if that was her cue, Kotake floated over to them, the rolled up map still in hand. Without a word, she unfolded the yellowed paper and held it towards Zelda and her son. The continent was still detailed on the paper, but was now littered with moving symbols. There were thirteen in total.
What caught her eye was the sun and moon and in the Gerudo Desert. That had to be Zelda and Ganondorf.
But there were also eleven others. Likely they were the silhouettes from her dream. In Lorule there was a ghost. A rock was in Holodrum. A flame and clock were in Labrynna. A snowflake was in the small southern country of Ordon. King's Ocean and the Great Sea held one image each – a teardrop and lightning bolt respectively. A tree was in this country's Castle Town. Finalyly, there was a mask, a music note, and a tornado in Termina.
Perfect. They really had direction from the goddesses now.
Zelda smiled proudly at the map before it was turned over. There, two notes were made in unfamiliar handwriting.
The first: "sun – Zelda".
The second: "moon – Ganondorf".
So that was how they'd know if they found their heroes. The goddesses really thought of everything. She prayed a silent thanks to them.
"So now we just have to find the others," Zelda said.
Ganondorf nodded. "Yes. But, first, we rest."
"Rest?" Zelda struggled to sit up in his arms. But she couldn't. The vision took too much out of her. "But now we know what we have to do. We have to gather our allies before things get worse."
"If we leave without a plan and rest, you will get worse." His stared down at her. "You are resting until you get better. That is final."
His narrowed eyes silenced all the arguments Zelda had. A part of her even agreed with him, if only a little bit. There was nothing should do now. Nothing, but agree.
"Fine. As you wish."