A/N:
As always, massive thanks to Norkix (here on FFnet) for beta reading this chapter! I really appreciate the work he's put into helping this story shine; thank you so much!
Enjoy the chapter!
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Rivulets of pale light consumed Princess Zelda's bleary vision, branding a glow of dreamlike opalescence in its wake. Suddenly alert and disoriented, her squinting eyes staggered fully open into pure confusion.
She found herself stationed in front of an unwonted wall, eroded by age. Angling her head up, she observed her immediate surroundings amongst the dim lighting, catching sight of the whispering dust clouds that densely peppered the air and made her throat feel like it was coated in dry soot.
An onslaught of disorganized thoughts frothed to her mind's surface, and Zelda struggled to decipher just exactly what was going on amidst the mental clutter. Through the turmoil, one thought continuously worked its way into the forefront of her consciousness, parting the dizzying rush of her fragmented understanding: Why can't I remember anything before now?
In an effort to slacken her bruising heartbeat, she took stunted, grainy breaths. She brought her hands to her temples, delicately massaging the sore skin and striving to wash away the tension and fatigue bubbling beneath her receding sanity.
She felt adrift in her own body, insecure and microscopic, and it was at that moment that she abruptly registered that she was kneeling - propped up on her knees with her feet tucked carefully underneath the rest of her body. She hesitantly glanced down, noticing that she was also wearing a gown she hadn't seen before. The dress was long and billowy, adorned with glistening crystals on the bodice that accentuated the deep maroon fabric as it waned into a pale amethyst. Her sleeves were vented at the shoulder and extended just beyond her wrists, leaving shadowy tapestries in her wake.
Her confusion only grew stronger as she mulled over these realizations, wondering why she was positioned in this way, wearing something she knew wasn't hers.
Just where am I? How did I end up here?
Hesitantly, Zelda trembled upright onto her feet, akin to a newborn fawn, and began processing her whereabouts.
Mossy boulders jutted out from the fractured cement floor she stood upon, nearly swallowing the expanse whole. This strange room was narrow, but it scaled into a high, uneven ceiling, with walls coated in egg-white paint that was marred by dust and dirt. A small frosted window was stationed at the apex of the ceiling, letting in only a few ribbons of delirious sunlight. Looking directly behind herself, she noticed a thinning corridor leading into complete darkness.
A risk - or more likely, a trap… but one she felt hopeless to deny in her current situation.
Zelda hitched her peculiar dress up to her knees in one swift motion, actively deterring herself from dwelling on this uncomfortable situation any further. She wore a look of false intensity as she steeled her nerves and urged herself to remain strong, acutely realizing that she had to be self-reliant and composed when traversing into the unknown. Thankfully, her artificial demeanor left her feeling decently prepared.
As prepared as she could be in this situation, at least.
She slipped into the barren corridor and guided her hand on the drywall, impelling herself to continue onwards amidst the panic that swelled in her chest. Her steps were uneven, and she knew she must have looked ridiculous if not for the black shroud of nothingness covering her, but she didn't care. Her thoughts kept returning to why she was here, what reason there could be for her sudden consciousness, and she truly couldn't help but fear the worst. Whether or not a cruel fate awaited her at the end of this journey was unknown, though the foreboding atmosphere gave her ample motivation to collect herself and focus on possessing enough courage to confront anything.
After a slow and uneventful trudge through the passageway, a glint of light emerged in front of her. Reluctantly, and with narrowed eyes, she stepped into the strange territory that lay in wait on the other side.
Time folded around itself whilst Zelda painstakingly blinked away the sharp contrast in brightness, aiming to return her lucid eyesight. The second she could clearly see, she found herself awestruck by the immediate similarities she recognized between this room and the previous one she had initially found herself in. Impossibly large boulders blocked her way forward, and an ominous stained-glass window fastened in the center of the ceiling cast tatters of colored sun onto her face. The artwork etched onto the stained-glass window seemed distorted, somehow wrong… but Zelda couldn't decipher what it was trying to portray in its mesh of patterns and garbled hues. A sudden wave of nausea washed over her as she eyed the grandiose skylight, her feelings of trepidation elevating.
Peering to her right, she noticed another small corridor leading into what looked like a possible exit, brimming with a faint amber smolder.
Zelda dug into the recesses of her magic for mental stability, feeling a tense ball of anxiety coil in her stomach. How had she ended up in this strange place? Why did it feel so recognizable, and yet so deformed?
She turned her head, once more gawking at the stained-glass window above. The blur of each striking color and shape melding with the slight flood of daylight formed mystifying prisms aloft. Her desire to look away intensified, but her body felt embedded in the ground, her eyes unmoving.
"Zelda…"
Startled, her shoulders jolted back. She tore her gaze from the deformed window above, peeking around the empty room with ferocity. Could that have been…?
"Zelda, please help me…"
"Link?" her disjointed voice crackled out. "Is that you? Are you okay?"
Briefly, she clawed around the jagged topography and searched for Link to no avail. She fumbled around strings of moss and turned over any stone that her strength could manage before relinquishing her quest, feeling utter defeat. Was that really him, injured and seeking her help? Had she simply imagined his voice, wishing it had been him calling out to her? Though it had seemed pointless from the start, she still latched onto a dim flicker of hope that Link might have been here, hiding in plain sight somehow.
She felt more alone than ever.
Zelda's nerves bolted upright, and a constant hum of dread ebbed through her joints. As lost as she was, something felt unsettlingly wrong about her current situation. She knew this feeling wasn't just due to the bewildering obstacles she had encountered or the uncertainty of how she had appeared here. It felt like each area she entered was swathed in a thick coating of malice, dripping with ill intent.
"I can do this," Zelda stated above a whisper, pausing to take a lungful of brittle air. "Link would be able to do this."
With minor difficulty, she allowed herself a momentary pause to regain any semblance of confidence she had tucked away, yearning for the courage to ground herself.
With trembling fire in her eyes, she declared, "I know I can do this, too."
Zelda rubbed her tense shoulders, shook out her remaining fears as best she could, and bounded into the gleaming passageway that loomed ahead.
Strangely enough, she found herself entering the Four Sword Sanctuary. The once lively bushes that decorated the ingress appeared old and dried out, with the leaves crunching delicately as she reached to grab one. The previously spotless walls were dull and caked in dirt, and the pathway she found herself on was littered with debris. Everything was so incorrect, so uncomfortable, that Zelda couldn't help but shiver
"How did I get here?"
This was not the correct route to the Four Sword Sanctuary, no, Zelda could've directed herself from any floorboard of the royal halls to the sanctuary entrance blindfolded. Never mind that she had never seen those cramped and bizarre rooms that led her here before, or that she had no idea what she had even been doing before all of this started. Zelda's confusion, much to her dismay, rocketed to even greater heights.
"I had hoped that moving forward would give me answers, not baffle me further," she said in exasperation.
What exactly was the cause of all of this?
Cautiously, Zelda wafted down the Four Sword Sanctuary path, dodging fallen tree branches and stamping atop withered leaves. Rays of sunlight rippled into the room delicately, illuminating the Four Sword Sanctuary in a glow that normally comforted Zelda. Now, though, the delicate sunrays seemed threatening, patronizing even, and it worked to undo her mangled threads of confidence even further.
A crisp breeze toiled effortlessly against her pace, making her naturally brisk steps fall into a slow rhythm.
Her labored march gradually became slower and slower as a nagging concern augmented tenfold around her. Alarm bells began sounding off in Zelda's mind, and something fierce within her screamed for her to examine the Four Sword blade immediately; causing her to grit her determination and release her magnified fears. As she attempted to pick up her pace and move further into the shrine, she felt a resolute foulness that effortlessly engulfed the Four Sword Sanctuary, leading Zelda to harden her resolve even quicker.
Something was monstrously wrong.
Ever since she had been a child, she had been trained to cast aside her emotions in favor of protecting the people of Hyrule. Ensuring that the Four Sword seal remained intact was a duty she had long practiced, and perfected, for this very reason alone.
Zelda approached the blade, purposefully avoiding the gaze of the sinister mural depicting Vaati's overpowered appearance behind it.
With a deep breath, she closed her tired eyes and laid her index finger onto the blade's hilt, drawing upon the magic reserves within her mind. The aerated shapes of silver locks and bound metal chains flooded her internal vision, bringing her a crumb of peace. She allowed a few seconds to pass, ensuring with finality that the barrier was as strong as it had always been, before fluttering her eyes open again.
Her content changed abruptly to panic as a hellish sound rent the sour air of the Sanctuary, and she watched in horror as a jagged crack seared down the length of the Four Sword to her fingertip.
A gust of numbness rushed through her body and forced her still, just before she heard an all too familiar chuckle emanating from behind her.
"My, isn't this exciting?" the sly voice taunted, "Were you hoping to see me as much as I was hoping to see you?"
Warily, Zelda managed to scrape her heels around herself, pushing her back to the Four Sword pedestal and pressing her palms against the stone slab. Her eyes involuntarily widened as her fragile gaze met Vaati's amused stare.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come out. Small flurries of warm wind danced around her body, making her feel heavy,paralyzed - aiding in her complete discomfort.
"You don't want to talk?" Vaati said, tentatively taking his first step towards her. "No worries. I have plenty to say, so you can just listen."
His purple cape bustled behind him as he began a ruthless saunter towards Zelda, never removing his crimson eyes from hers.
"You know, I've had a lot of time to think about things while I've been trapped in that cursed blade." His eyes flickered to the Four Sword briefly, a look of hatred visible on his face. "I've realized now that I went about everything the wrong way… that there's a much easier course of action I should've taken to harness the ultimate power I seek."
Zelda's body felt like melting ice cream - viscous and pliable, yet frigid to the core as the dread within her mounted ever higher. She struggled in her attempts to move her body, talk back against the antagonizing sorcerer approaching her, or do absolutely anything at all to help her situation, but she was hopelessly trapped. Had he done something to immobilize her movements or silence her voice?
Vaati stepped contemptuously in front of Zelda, his sense of superiority evident even in his stance. He placed his hands atop the Four Sword pedestal on either side of her body, effectively caging her.
"Granted, princess, you'll need to comply for my plan to work," he sneered.
The closeness was dreadful. Zelda racked her brain to somehow gain control of this predicament or release herself from whatever spell Vaati was utilizing against her, but it was fruitless. It was as if she had been glued to the floor, and her mouth had been ironed shut.
Grinning deviously, Vaati lifted his right arm from the base of the Four Sword pedestal and tucked his hand under Zelda's chin, tilting her face up towards his. She grimaced, but her body continued to betray her, rooting her to the ground and succumbing to Vaati's touch. His broad grin quickly morphed into a look of smug satisfaction as he edged his face closer to hers.
"Ah, this will be much easier than I thought."
As he inched towards Zelda, her eyes shut close in anticipation, and she found herself traitorously submitting to a single thought: I'll never be able to escape him.
"Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda, please wake up!"
Zelda's eyes bolted open as she pushed herself up from the confines of her heavy quilt. A curtain of distress draped over her body, and she noted how rigid and exhausted she felt. What's… going on? Where am I now?
She blinked erratically, hoping to brush away the grogginess that clouded her senses.
"What's going on?" Zelda managed to croak out.
As her vision waxed into the material world, she took notice of an unassuming maid standing at her bedroom door. Although it held little importance now, she couldn't recall seeing this maid before, although she expected that she must have at some point in her life. The maid was holding a stocky girandole dripping with milky candle wax, providing a sliver of light amongst the twilight shadows. She was dressed in a common black uniform that appeared visibly disheveled in the dim candlelight, even to Zelda's sleep-dazed vision. From what she could see, the maid's thick black hair was clipped into a low bun with large strands tousled around her face, likely from her haste in getting here.
"You must come quickly, Princess Zelda!" The maid paused, inhaling a frantic breath before continuing, "King Daltus requires your immediate attention!"
Zelda's body took action first, with her thoughts sizzling as though they were frying in hot oil. She hurried out of bed and rushed to her antique wardrobe, pulling out the first long robe that stirred beneath her fingertips and draping it over her body.
The cloth had barely settled around her before she was pushing past the maid without a word of thanks, sprinting as fast as her feet would take her to her father's room. Fortunately for her, his bedroom was situated only a few hallways away. Even still, that didn't stop Zelda from doubling her pace, resembling someone who was competing for a gold medal.
As she darted down the darkened castle passages with her feet aching from the unexpected pressure, the haze in her mind gradually parted. At least I awoke from that awful nightmare, she thought, allowing that comforting realization to blanket her for a peaceful second.
Relief would not come, though, as she pressed her hands onto her father's considerable chamber doors and squeezed past them. Her adrenaline-fueled charge ceased as she locked eyes with the first thing she saw: An unassuming life-sized statue.
It was perched precariously by the moonlit window, standing tall and firm beside none other than King Daltus, who stared back at it with a look of vulnerability. The statue appeared clean, with no invasive plants leeching onto it or any crumbling details eroded by time.
Her ignorance didn't last long, as that was when Zelda noticed it. She wished she hadn't seen anything at all; she wished she had never heeded that maid's cry to action.
As she peered deeper into the beautifully carved eyes of the stone statue, she saw the fear roaring beneath its pupils and the humanity tucked away deep inside. She saw strength, courage, and raw power simmering within it, and she knew exactly what - or rather, who - she was looking at.
Link.
She was looking at Link. He had been turned into a lifeless stone statue, just as she had been all those years ago. Within the vast lands of Hyrule, Zelda knew of only one person who could do such a thing.
The world around her vaporized into the inky night, and the last thing she remembered was releasing an uncontrollable scream before endless silence devoured her.
A warm rag tenderly splashed across her forehead, waking Zelda from her lull. Her eyes slowly lifted open, meeting the concerned stare of her father. His luxurious fur collar tickled her clammy skin as he fumbled with the cloth placed upon her head, and his bejeweled crown diffused a cluster of rainbow light around her. It was a welcome sight - his shaggy gray beard and toasted blue eyes - but she couldn't help the nugget of terror that wavered just beneath her splintered disposition.
Zelda squinted, eyeing her vicinity. She was sandwiched in her bed, between her familiar mattress and patterned quilt. Her head had been propped up on her favorite pillow stuffed with cucco feathers, and her blonde locks had been pushed away from her face. Beside her on her nightstand was a silver tray loaded with freshly made bread, bulbous grapes, small cubes of cheese, and a glass of clear water. On the floor near her father appeared to be a bucket filled with steaming water which seemed to be utilized to keep the rag on her forehead at a comfortable temperature.
"Father?" Zelda rasped, her throat feeling far too raw to speak properly.
"My precious Zelda!" King Daltus placed his hands on Zelda's shoulders tentatively, a sad smile etched onto his face. "Are you feeling okay? I… apologize, about earlier… for not properly preparing you for what you witnessed."
Zelda regarded her father. His heavy eyes shifted uncomfortably, as if he wasn't sure what to say to rectify the situation. She could tell that he was likely pinning the blame on himself for her reaction, despite the fact that a mass of difficulties had actually led to her dismal outcome. She had not only fainted from her tiring sprint or the haunting realization of what had happened, but also from the crushing stress of her nightmare - something he wasn't aware of.
She contemplated telling him about her dream, but she quickly brushed the idea away. Her dreams were scarce, but when they did occur they had a nasty habit of becoming prophecies in one way or another, and she didn't want to add fuel to the fire right now. With Link turned to stone, the fear of Vaati's foreseeable return whilst their defenses were low was already distressing enough.
Zelda meekly nodded her head. "I'm okay, father. There's really nothing for you to apologize about. I'm sorry for my reaction."
King Daltus merely frowned, looking away from her. He squeezed her shoulders lovingly before removing his hands, instead grasping the food platter resting on her nightstand. He turned his attention back onto her, placing the platter inches from her face.
"Please, eat. You need to regain some strength," he said.
She plucked a sturdy slice of bread from the tray, reveling in the buttery touch of the freshly baked treat in her hands.
"Thank you," she stated, taking a small bite of her food. "I'm feeling a bit better now that I'm awake, so while I eat, please tell me everything you know regarding… this atrocity. How was Link found? Why is he a statue?" her tone shifted, concern swiftly enveloping her curiosity. "What is the condition of the Four Sword Sanctuary? Is the Sorcerer Vaati still… imprisoned…?" Her words died on her lips, the sudden claws of fear from her nightmare returning in full force.
With her throat suddenly parched, Zelda latched onto the glass of water placed innocently on the platter in front of her. She quickly took large gulps of the refreshing drink, indulging in the feeling of her sore throat being soothed, until she had fully emptied the glass. King Daltus stared at her in worry, a look of uncertainty written on his timeworn face.
"Are you sure you're ready to hear about this right now? You just woke up."
Rubbing her mouth to remove any lingering water droplets, she muttered, "Yes, father, please. I need to know… if not for my own sake, at least for Link's, then."
A brief spell of hesitation encircled the room before he ultimately relented to her plea. "Alright," he exhaled, shifting warily in his seat. His bushy brows knit in contemplation as he spoke, "I'll tell you everything I know, then: This transpired earlier today, right as nighttime approached. A guard was supposed to be stationed outside of the Four Sword Sanctuary, but our available number of men has been limited due to an illness going around."
Zelda listened intently, munching on sweet grapes and chunks of cheese as her father spoke.
King Daltus cleared his throat awkwardly and continued, "I had personally requested Link to watch the Four Sword Sanctuary due to our reduced number of soldiers, and he happily agreed - as he always would. Unfortunately from then on… I don't know all of the exact details of what happened," he said, shaking his head. "Link attended to guarding the Four Sword Sanctuary entrance, that I know for sure, but when a knight walked by later during his nighttime patrol route, he found Link turned to stone… the same fate you endured years ago. Worse yet, he noted that the Four Sword had been shattered, and the Four Elements were gone. After the guard found me and reported this urgent matter, I quickly surveyed the area and confirmed that Vaati no longer resided in the broken Four Sword."
As he relayed this information to her, Zelda's frown deepened in between bites of her food. That same web of panic she had felt during her dream resurfaced, but her focus shifted toward inwardly trampling down on that reaction. Instead, she directed her attention onto the bits of energy she regained from eating, her father's warmhearted care, and her snug, sumptuous bed to keep her calm.
Though she was still shrouded in a numb stupor, she knew she had to approach this situation with blunt force; she knew she had to do something to save Hyrule and Link, regardless of her inexperience.
A kernel of determination planted itself in her mind.
King Daltus carried on, "It appears that Vaati was able to break free, and once doing so he turned Link to stone before escaping. I've sent as many men as I can to search for him, but they haven't found a single clue regarding his whereabouts yet. I have faith in my men, though," he closed his eyes, allowing a soft sigh to escape his lips. "Please, my dear Zelda, believe me. I promise you that we won't let Vaati win. Even without the Hero of the Minish, we will defeat him."
Once finished with his speech, silence hung heavy in the air. Zelda carefully considered everything he told her, and she felt her earlier kernel of determination blossom in haste. The coals of her mind burned white-hot, and a sudden precarious, discreet plan seemed to emerge from thin air. She knew what she would need to do to save Link.
Her plan would entail her embarking on an adventure to retrieve the Four Elements and restore the Four Sword. In doing so, she could wield the Four Sword's revived power and return Link to the organic world, jailing Vaati shortly thereafter.
It's going to be tricky to pull off, though, Zelda mused. Even though she could ultimately request her father to send the castle guards to hunt for the Four Elements, she knew that they didn't have enough people to properly survey Hyrule Castle and simultaneously rummage for these artifacts. If she didn't put her own foot forward and try to find the Four Elements on her own, there was a high chance that eons could pass before even a single clue would be uncovered. And what if Vaati took the Four Elements? No one would be able to fight him, just like before.
On top of this sound logic, Zelda had to admit that there was a smidge of indebtedness surging through her, too - pulling for her to tackle this dangerous task alone. Link had gone on a considerably harder expedition when she had been encased in stone years ago; he had sleuthed out the location of the Four Elements with great difficulty, contended with hordes of monsters, and unlocked a multitude of bizarre and foreign areas. It only seemed right that she do the same for him now, no matter the mystery cloaking it.
Unfortunately, her ability to depart for such a lengthy and unknown amount of time as the princess of Hyrule seemed thoroughly unrealistic, as well. There were certain idealistic boundaries placed upon her very existence due to her royal blood, though she often just found them frustrating and absurd in every respect; routinely disregarding the implicit rules and chancing karma instead.
I may be the princess, but I'm not powerless, she thought. Her inclination and drive to implement this developing scheme expanded in full force.
If she wanted to successfully enact and execute her growing idea with minimal difficulty, she needed to ensure that nary a single soul within the castle walls caught wind of what she was doing. If anyone found out, she was confident a personal cocktail of guards and maids would be stationed to watch her every move, and something like that would only hinder her further.
It was then that her focus snapped back into reality, and she realized her father had been gazing at her in worry. He probably thinks that my silence after his explanation means I'm afraid, I'd guess.
Finally, with a tight smile, Zelda directed her full attention to her father. "I believe you," she said. She allowed herself a brief pause to bask in her reenergized durability, feeling the foundation of her internal walls constructed with renewed intent. She would not allow herself to feel weak in the face of despair any longer. "I know that Hyrule will remain protected."
King Daltus took a moment to regard her words. It was likely that he was testing her, Zelda assumed; ensuring that she wasn't putting on a tough act or covering up her fears despite her acceptance. She was suddenly very grateful for the substantial boost of vigor and adrenaline that rushed through her body, and it took everything in her not to sigh from sheer relief and give her true intentions away.
His measured inspection gradually transformed into a beaming smile, with moon-carved dimples evident beneath his mustache. He placed the half-empty food platter back onto Zelda's nightstand and stood up from his broad seat, turning towards the door.
Like leaden horse hooves on bouldered ground, the clacking of King Daltus' heavy shoes rebounded in the room. His hand reached out to grip the door handle before he paused mid-step, turning to look back at his daughter. "Let me know if you need anything. In the meantime, please continue resting." With that, he promptly exited the room, taking care to ensure that the large doors shut quietly behind him.
Zelda listened as his footsteps echoed away, feeling pleased that she was finally left alone to sow the seeds of her quickly evolving plan.
The sun had just begun to rise in the misty orange sky, and all of the patrolling castle guards shuffled inside for their daily morning report to the king.
Zelda knew this schedule too well, often extorting it to visit Link in secret. Today was no different; she currently had her back pressed into a vibrant bush, her dress already covered in dry twigs. She poked her head out slowly, confirming that all of the guards had left the vicinity.
She teetered onto the stone pathway with a faint smile, quickening her pace. Her current destination was Master Smith's house, as she was confident he would be able to harmonize the details of her evolving plan.
Zelda was going to save Link and vanquish Vaati, no matter what it took.
Her only worry was keeping her plan a secret, as no one within the royal staff would ever allow her to risk her life and adventure outside of the castle grounds. But if not her, who else? Link was now pinned into eternal nothingness until the Four Sword could be restored, and Zelda couldn't think of anyone more capable than herself to mend this issue.
A temperate wind silently birled around her, traveling in cadence with her steps.