When Link awoke, it was nearly one in the morning. 'Holy goddess, it's cold!' He quickly realized as soon as he got out from under the blanket. He packed up his weapons and clothes, intending to head out as soon as he said his goodbyes.
As he stepped outside the inn, making his way to the plaza, Link noticed Urbosa and some of her guards. It seemed they were getting ready to depart as well. "Urbosa!" Link called out while running towards the tall women.
"Are you departing as well, Sleeping Beauty?" Urbosa said as soon as Link reached them.
Embarrassed, Link could only nod. 'It's not my fault I haven't had a decent night's sleep years!' His nightmares - his failures - flashed through his head.
"We have just finished preparing and sent word to the Hyrule Royal Court to expect us soon. I'd rather not delay on relaying your message." Urbosa finished with a playful smile. It was then that Link realized that they already had their seals saddled. She sure was quick.
With their goodbyes and promises to see each other again soon said, Urbosa and her women headed out of Gerudo Town and into the cold, harsh desert.
Link sighed as he walked out of the peaceful town and unconsciously walked to where a shrine should have been. 'There must be a trace of the Sheikah… Where is Impa and those wacky scientists?' It still didn't feel real to Link that the Sheikah were nowhere to be found. This timeline stuff was starting to piss him off more due to all the questions that were more than likely going to be left unanswered.
Changing into his warmer and far less revealing outfit, Link set out to the Gerudo Canyon stable where his horse was, determined to get there before the sun rose.
\***/
Saddling up the mighty steed, Link had to find something out. 'It'll be a long detour, but I need to see what Kakariko Village looks like.' Would it even be there? The Great Deku Tree has said it had been many centuries since the Sheikah were last around. Maybe a clue had been left behind by the long dead tribe. Link sighed. He had many tasks to complete and places to go, however he felt like he was on borrowed time.
"Being the Great Hero of Legend is no easy feat, huh pipsqueak?" The fairy's twinkling voice rang out in his head. 'That damn fairy!'
"If you're not gonna help, get out of my head." Link grumbled annoyed as he urged his horse into a gallop. An indignant hmph! was all he got for a reply.
He knew that if they took a few breaks, his horse could easily make it past Proxim Bridge and well into the Dueling Peaks before the sun set. Hopefully he could switch out horses at the stable and make it to the village before the sun rose the next day. That meant no food or sleep. He closed his eyes dejectedly. After the great sleep he had been able to obtain in Gerudo, Link hadn't realized how badly he had needed it. The sun rose to take claim of the sky as he was nearing the exit of the Canyon Pass.
\***/
As the great split mountain got closer and closer, Link's marking began to dully throb. 'That's a good sign... right?' He asked himself sarcastically.
It had been nearly eight hours of constant riding excluding water breaks.
Many things looked the same, but their circumstances couldn't be more different. Many of the proud structures that were nothing but ruins to him some time ago, were still standing tall in all their glory now. However, many had been overtaken by the foul beasts that he was all too familiar with.
Even the monsters couldn't escape the subtle differences he noticed. Firstly, they were stronger and a lot more ferocious. Secondly, the beasts didn't look right, their features slightly distorted making them look even more unsettling. And thirdly, they all had horribly sharp teeth that could rip a chunk of one's flesh with ease… and it seemed like many did do that.
As soon as he had crossed the large Proxim bridge, the difference was immediate. It was like entering a ghost town. The monsters roamed freely and in large numbers, much like they had when he first awoke from the Shrine of Resurrection. The only other monsters he confronted were the ones that had been deep within the Korok Forest.
Then something dawned on him. The stables he had visited so far had certainly been busy. There had been zero beds left - not that he had money to spend on one anyways - and there was a great number of people in Castle Town. He remembered the young child and lovely couple that had given him food. Had they been forced out of their home due to these monsters? But people looked happy and content. It made Link wonder just how long this Hyrule has been suffering.
He found it odd however, that Gerudo didn't seem affected at all. His trek and stay in Gerudo Town had been ridiculously peaceful. 'Well except for my sparring session with Urbosa' Link thought sheepishly.
Something wasn't adding up. The royal family not knowing about the state of the Korok Forest, the overcrowding in Central Hyrule, and the monsters roaming the lands freely. The obvious danger and signs to an impending doom were clearly here but why was everyone so slow to act? 'Is that why Urbosa took everything I said in stride?' Link thought to himself pensively. She had left rather quickly.
Link knew the Hyrule army was the largest and most formidable in all of Hyrule, so why weren't knights being sent out to fight these beasts? He sighed in utter frustration. It seemed that as soon as he accomplished one thing or had one of his questions answered, a mountain of tasks and questions fell to quickly replace them.
If there wasn't a stable for him to rest until he got to Hateno… this detour was going to prove useless. Leaving his horse unattended while he traveled on foot - which would take too long - was not an option. He recalled an old map he had seen at the Gerudo Canyon stable earlier that morning. Kakariko Village was not on it, but he had hoped to find something.
"Perhaps your time to visit that place has not come yet, hero." The fairy's voice spoke into his ear. Even though he was aware that the fairy was probably prying into his thoughts right now, he was still grateful that it had taken it's small physical form to speak directly to him.
"You're probably right, pipsqueak." Link replied with a sad smile. It seemed like he had to go speak with the Hyrule Royal Court after all.
He pulled the reins on his horse, making the steed slowly turn towards the way they came, towards the castle. Link couldn't bring himself to make the horse go any faster than its slow trot. With the mountain behind him, Link noticed the sword on his hip seemed to become a lot heavier and the throbbing from his marking became more painful.
Mipha would have to wait longer once more.
\***/
It was now fully dark by the time Link and his horse made it back to the barracks. He figured he should look as official as he possibly could and also make sure that his companion was safely put away. As Link finished fastening his shoulder pieces to his chest piece of armor, he noticed himself in the mirror. He looked like he always had, now a little older with the passage of time, but nonetheless the same. The only thing that made him seem much older and battle hardened was the look in his eyes. Link wasn't sure how he felt about himself at that moment so he turned away.
With the Master Sword attached to his hip and his helmet put firmly on his head, Link made his way to Castle Town.
The lack of sunlight did not deter everyone from still being out and about. The sounds of people eating, conversing, and just going about their business could be heard. Link also noticed how he heard the sounds of children still playing and laughing. He knew better than anyone that life still found a way to thrive under horrible conditions. 'How long has this been a problem?' He mused to himself. If people were accustomed to this way of life…
With a final deep breath, Link made his entrance into the grand castle. The throne room his destination.
Sweat was beginning to gather at his temples with each step he took. Link dryly noted that the strings of fate pulling him forward felt a lot more like chains at this moment.
He hoped Urbosa was also in the throne room, her presence alone would give him the strength and wisdom to pull through. The giant doors greeted him in an almost menacing manner. Link nodded towards the guards, "I have important matters to speak with King Roam regarding the Master Sword." Link's voice sounded surprisingly strong and sure to his own ears.
The guards glanced at each other and slowly opened the giant doors.
Link immediately noticed how sickly the proud king looked. To say he was at death's door was certainly an understatement. Link kneeled before him. "My king, I come to you as a humble servant of the goddess Hylia. My name is Link, a knight of Hyrule. I have retrieved the Master Sword from the Korok Forest." Link unsheathed the rusted and now severely chipped sword and set it down in front of his kneeled form.
"I am relieved Hyrule now has a fighting chance. It is all due to your presence, young knight. Urbosa's news has lifted a great weight off my shoulders." The king's voice sounded hoarse and extremely tired. Just like the Deku Tree.
Link stood, "my king, what will be the plan going forward?" He gulped, praying to the goddess for things to be different this time around. You fool, things already are so different.
"Knight of legend, tell me everything you know." The tired king looked at Link with a small smile.
"My king, I… am not originally from here. The Hyrule I occupied faced off against the Calamity with the help of champions - Urbosa being one - that hailed from different parts of Hyrule and the Sheikah tribe. Their technology is what made the defeat of Ganon possible." Link began, however he was unsure just how much he should tell the king.
"The Sheikah?" The king's small smile disappeared and in turn a worried expression came over him. Link noted how much older the king looked.
"However, it is not Ganon that I need to face here, but Demise. I must find a way to defeat Demise, the Deku Tree told me I must secure the Triforce for myself in order to be successful against him..." Link trailed off, feeling a mix of guilt and resentment. He felt guilty for burdening the already sickly king, and he wasn't sure where to point his feelings of resentment.
"I see. We've known for some time that a horrible darkness would sweep the land. It all seemed hopeless. Our knight of legend missing, our princess not yet ready, and our knights and soldiers being stationed within Central Hyrule in order to protect it, causing the land to be lost to those horrendous monsters bit by bit… things indeed have seemed bleak for a while now." The king drooped.
"Link, knight of legend, I will soon perish and leave behind this world. I ask of you to defeat Demise and to keep Zelda safe." The king seemed to be getting smaller and more haggard as the seconds ticked by.
Link put his right fist over his heart and stood as straight as a pin. "My king, I will fight with all my might and defeat the evil threatening this land. I will not fail you nor the people of Hyrule." Link replied with absolute conviction.
"My trust now lies with you and our goddess Hylia, young knight." The king's tired voice echoed throughout the grand but empty throne room.
Link wanted to ask if he was going to be granted the freedom to travel. The Triforce, the restoration of the Master Sword, and locating the rest of the champions were the priority on his list. "My king…" Link slowly began, unsure how to word his wishes.
Suddenly, a side door opened to reveal Urbosa walking through. But Link noticed she wasn't alone. Next to Urbosa's tall frame, an incredibly small Hylian girl clung to her skirts. She had golden wheat hair and very big blue-green eyes.
The pair looked very surprised to find Link there. Urbosa however, recovered quickly and covered the distance between herself and the Hylian knight. She had a smile on her face.
"D-does Princess Zelda have a child?!" Link choked out in a very quiet tone, his look of shock evident on his face. The child was a spitting image of Zelda!
Urbosa just raised a lone eyebrow at him. "This is the princess of Hyrule." Urbosa looked down and smiled at the small child, "say hello to Link, little bird. He will become very dear to you soon." The small child that had hidden behind Urbosa at the sight of him, now peeked out.
"Hello." Zelda's small voice called out shyly to him.
All the questions that had been plaguing Link all day suddenly disappeared. Things were in a much worse state than he had originally thought.