Hello folks! It's time for Chapter 113, and this week we conclude the Ocarina of Time arc. Link is about to take on Ganondorf, but how will things turn out from it... ...beyond what we already know from the game? Read and find out!
After succeeding in saving Nabooru from Twinrova, Rauru contacted Link with telepathy, telling him he had finally gathered the sages together, and that he was ready to take on Ganondorf soon. Rauru then said before doing anything else though, to go to the Temple of Time to meet someone there who would assist him further.
When Link arrived at the temple, he once again saw the mysterious ninja Sheik, who had a secret of his own to share with him. In a flash of light, the ninja vanished, and in his place stood 'his' true self.
"What?"
"Hello again Hero of Time, it's been a long while, hasn't it?"
Standing before him now was Princess Zelda, the sweet little girl he was smitten by before was now a fully grown woman. She wore an elegant purple dress with long straight golden hair. She was absolutely beautiful to Link, but he could also see a great amount of sadness in her sapphire blue eyes.
She went on to explain that she had taken on the identity of a man and trained in the art of the sheikah ninja by Impa to fight against Ganondorf and remain hidden from him. She said that she was also the seventh sage, the Sage of Time.
Zelda mentioned the unfortunate coincidence that the very weapon that could defeat Ganondorf, the Master Sword, turned out to be the only thing keeping him from getting into the Sacred Realm, and he had taken advantage of that through her own plan. Link grimaced at hearing that, a bad feeling that he had been thinking about for some time now was creeping up on him...
She then explained that when Ganondorf touched the Triforce to claim it's power, rather than granting his wish, due to his dark heart it had broken into three pieces and turned the Sacred Realm into the Realm of Evil to reflect it. Each of the Triforce pieces went to the three of them; Ganondorf received Power, Zelda had Wisdom, and Link had gained Courage. Ganondorf wanted all three pieces so he could obtain ultimate power and be invincible.
Despite how sorrowful Zelda was after having lost her father and her kingdom, it was clear she never gave up hope to save the land after all these years, and bestowed on Link the magic of Light Arrows, which was one of Ganondorf's weaknesses. But almost as soon as that happened, Zelda was captured by Ganondorf who now was aware of her true identity. The demon king challenged Link to go to his castle and face him in a duel to get her back.
Link scowled, he was about to feel that intense anger from before about all he had lost thanks to the demon king, but remembered what happened with Dark Link and held himself back, knowing he had to focus on priorities...
Link and Navi arrived at Ganondorf's castle, where Rauru, Saria, Nabooru and the others used their combined power to destroy the barrier that Ganondorf was using to hold back intruders. Link charged up the stairway to the demon king. Which each step he went up, he could hear a haunting organ sound get louder and louder, and he mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
Upon bursting into Ganondorf's throne room, Link saw Zelda encased in a crystal above the room while the demon king himself was playing a grand piano organ. He stopped and turned to Link.
"Greeh heh heh heh... so you've come, and you've hand-delivered the divine power I've been seeking." Ganondorf spoke, he brought up his fist to show the Triforce insignia on his hand, as well as the ones on both Zelda and Link's own hands, affirming what the princess said before.
"...I'm going to put a stop you Ganondorf." Link said narrowing his eyes, "I'm going to save Zelda, my friends, and all of Hyrule from you!"
The two broke into battle with Zelda and Navi both watching. Ganondorf's power was mighty and destructive, but Link saw the energy blasts he used were rather familiar. Recalling his fight against Phantom Ganon, he used the Master Sword to repel his magic back at the demon king. After a few volleyed swings, the magic blasted Ganondorf, and it stunned him enough for Link to use the Light Arrows Zelda gave him to weaken his defenses, and allow Link to attack closer. This kept up for a while until Link finally brought his sword down and slashed Ganondorf one final time across the chest.
"I-Impossible... I am... the almighty...!"
The Demon Gerudo King Ganondorf Dragmire fell to his knees and gasped out, coughing up blood, before he released a great amount of power that destroyed the tower's peak, and he collapsed to the ground lifelessly.
Zelda was freed shortly after that and appeared before Link and Navi once more, but then the tower started to crumble from the force of Ganondorf's last attack. The two of them ran through the crumbling tower, and with the aide of Zelda's magic and ninja skills to get through obstacles they managed to get outside just before the whole thing could collapse down on them.
When it was all over, Link, Zelda and Navi all stood before the ruins of the castle. But before they could even begin to relax, Ganondorf burst out from the rubble, still alive thanks to harnessing the Triforce of Power. In an attempt to finish them off, he transformed himself into a giant hideous pig-like monster with huge twin swords; he had become the Dark Beast-Man Ganon.
Link and Zelda combined their strength with the Master Sword and the power of light, and managed to bring the beast down to it's knees. Link delivered a final blow to Ganon, weakening the monster just long enough for Zelda to call out to the sages,
"Everyone, now!"
In a brilliant flash of light; Rauru, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa and Nabooru used their sage powers to seal Ganondorf up in the Realm of Evil, the demon king cursing out Link, Zelda and the sages as he vanished into the depths of the chaotic realm he had created from his dark heart...
Link and Zelda now stood among the ruins of Ganondorf's Castle. Having vanquished the demon king, the dark clouds had started to disperse, and the sun was shining down on the land that had been purified of the evil that once plagued it.
"It's finally over..." Zelda said with relief, "After all this time, peace has been restored to Hyrule."
"Yeah." Link said, "And now that it's all over, we can finally start making things right!"
"Indeed. The war's over, but there's still much to do." Zelda nodded with a smile, glancing at Link. She saw his gentle blue eyes, and the wind blowing through his hair. As Sheik, she had always watched him carefully, seeing how much he had grown over the years, and she found her heart slightly fluttered at the sight of the handsome mature hero as he stood now...
But then Link's mature gaze turned bright-eyed, and a huge goofy smile formed on his face, "This is great! I can't wait for Saria, Darunia, Nabooru and everyone else to return to us so they can enjoy this time of peace! I bet you'll be happy to see Impa and Ruto again too!"
"Huh? What do you-?" Zelda's small smile turned to confusion at Link's words, before it became a frown, "Oh dear..."
Link continued, "When they come back we're gonna have to have a huge party to celebrate! Maybe I could talk Malon into letting us have it at the ranch, and we can invite the Kokiri, the Gorons the Zora and, and...!"
"Link... I'm sorry to say... but your friends can never come back."
The young hero stopped in his words, with a blank stare in his eyes. He looked over to Zelda, "Huh?"
"Did you misunderstand them when they spoke to you in the chamber after their awakening? Becoming a sage is not something that can be taken lightly." Zelda spoke in a serious tone, "They must remain in the Temple of Light, even if it means never seeing this world or it's people ever again."
"But... ...why?" Link spoke, growing more panicked by the second, "The world is safe now! They did what they were called for, and Ganon's been sealed away forever!"
"And that's exactly why they must remain in their place." Zelda said, "They must keep the barrier over the Evil Realm intact, so that Ganon can never escape from it."
"T-That's... no..." Link stammered, before taking a step forward, "Then have them release Ganondorf from the evil realm and let me fight him again!" he said, taking his sword and holding it out, "I'll use the Master Sword and finish him off for good, so they don't have to do that!"
"Don't be foolish, that's impossible, even for someone like you." Zelda shook her head, "With the horrible dark energy Ganondorf possesses, along with the Triforce of Power, he can't simply be destroyed even with the Master Sword. He will just keep reviving as you saw when he became Ganon. I'm sorry, but there's nothing that you can do..."
"... …n-no..." Link spoke, his body was shaking, as he dropped his sword down to the ground, he fell to his knees, and then down to his hands, as tears started to form in his eyes "NOOOOOOOOO!"
Link had put so much faith in the idea of being able to save his friends not just from Ganondorf, but from their places as sages. He wanted them all to be free, to return to their homes and lives, make those like Mido and King Zora smile once again, and to be happy and at peace. He clung to that hope in order to get through each painful goodbye...
...but now he knew for certain that goodbye was always meant to be forever...
"It... it can't be..." Link trembled, "It's not fair..."
"That bastard Ganon..." Navi spoke, saddened at Link's own grief, "He took so much from you... from everyone... it's that big pig jerk's fault all this happened!"
Link paused on that thought, he looked out at the destroyed Hyrule Market Town, then down at the Master Sword beside him. He thought about what Rauru and Zelda had said about him falling into a coma for seven years, and it was then that he came to a realization,
"No Navi..."
"Eh?"
"Ganon may have caused all of this, but I'm the one that collected the Spiritual Stones... I opened the Door of Time... I pulled out the Master Sword and opened the way to the Sacred Realm... I'm the one that collapsed and let Ganondorf walk right in..." Link spoke, tears starting to pour down his eyes uncontrollably, "I let him take that power and bring all this pain to everyone.. all the destruction... the death... the sadness..."
He sniffled, "...and I forced my friends to become sages to stop him. It's my fault, because the Master Sword was too much for me... it's all because I was too weak to hold it... Because I was too stupid and too little and... and... too weak... I caused all of this... it's my fault... IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"
A gentle wind blew through the area, as Link stayed on his hands and knees, sniffling and crying out. Navi floated there but once again couldn't think of anything to say to make him feel better...
Zelda stared at Link, and sadly reached out her hand to him, "Link, don't grieve for your friends. They wanted to do what they could to stop Ganondorf, and they inherited the will of the sages before them through that. This was what the goddesses intended for them all to do. It was their destiny to become-"
"No... s-stop saying that 'destiny' thing!" Link trembled, clenching at his head to try and block out her words, "Every time I hear that word I lose something... my family, my friends... my home... every time I lose something important to me... I can't stand that stupid, stupid word!"
There was an awkward silence, as Link continued to sniffle and sob.
"Please stop Link, it pains me to see you so sad..." Zelda spoke, "You should be happy that your friends would make such a sacrifice for Hyrule's peace and happiness."
"Happiness? What happiness? They had to leave behind so many people that cared about them!" Link spoke, thinking about Mido, Link-Goron and King Zora in particular, "Why do my friends have to suffer like this because of Ganon, because of me?!"
"Link-" Zelda spoke, but was interrupted.
"And what about you?!" Link pointed accusingly at Zelda with angry tears in his eyes, "Princess Ruto was your friend and Ms. Impa was your nanny! Aren't you sad that you lost them both and will never see them again?! Don't you care at all about them, or do they not matter to you anymore?!"
Zelda grimaced, she was trying to be patient with Link before, but hearing him make those accusing words put her past her limit. She clenched her fist against her chest, and spoke out to him angerly,
"Of course I cared about them! It hurt me greatly to lose my dear friend and nanny, but I understood what they had to do! Do you know what I've gone through and lost in these past seven years? As the one who wields the Triforce of Wisdom, I have to make choices for the good of the world no matter how hard they are to make!"
"But-" Link muttered.
"Their sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, and as the hero of destiny you should understand that as well, but you can't stop feeling sorry for yourself! You need to stop grieving, grow up, and move on with the life and future you've been given by their selflessness!" she shouted out at Link.
Zelda gasped for breath as Link stared at her in stunned silence. She hated berating the man who just saved her and Hyrule like this, but she couldn't stand to see the great hero that vanquished Ganondorf act like such a whimpering child in what should be a time of celebration.
Link said nothing in reply, and just gazed downwards at the ground silently...
But then a small voice spoke, it was Navi floating right up to Zelda's face.
"Your highness? With all due respect, I want to ask you... to SHUT UP!" Navi shouted at her.
"Ehh?" Princess Zelda was shocked at the outburst from Link's fairy companion, but Navi continued before she could even reply.
"Link did everything you asked him to; he collected the Spiritual Stones by helping the Great Deku Tree, the Gorons and the Zora with their problems. He pulled out the Master Sword to put a stop to Ganondorf, only to find out that sword didn't think he was worthy enough to use it. He had to wake up after seven years and see the destruction of Hyrule and all his friends suffering by that demon king!"
"Navi...?" Link whispered.
"He was cast out of his home that he grew up in for ten years. He went into all those temples to destroy the evil inside by your guidance, he went through horrible battles and terrors that put him through a lot of pain and suffering!"
She recalled most notably in the Forest and Shadow Temples, when the ghastly images were tormenting him so much that he had to take breaks to retain his sanity.
"He had to see all his closest friends disappear one by one just because he was trying to do the right thing, and it brought him a great deal of anger and sadness! I should know, I've been with him this whole time... and I couldn't do a damn thing for him because I'm just a weak little fairy!"
Now Zelda was at a loss for words as Navi continued to shout, her voice quivering more as she did,
"H-He's been through so much so quickly, he's barely even familiar with his body anymore! He keeps feeling these weird sensations that he can't keep under control! It causes him so much pain and confusion, yet he forced himself to keep going for your and Hyrule's sake! His hope to save his friends from their fate was the only thing that was keeping him from losing it!"
"At least you had seven years to understand yourself and get over the grief of what you had to do, Link was just thrown into all of this without a chance to think or rest, as Sheik you kept pushing him into everything without a hint of remorse or compassion for what he's had to go through!"
"So don't you DARE tell Link to grow up and move on, especially when he never got the chance to!"
Navi gasped out from her long rant, her body turning a paler blue from running out of breath.
Zelda paused, taking in every word Navi yelled at her, and she realized what she meant...
'That's right...' Zelda realized, 'I had forgotten, while I've had the past seven years to grow and learn from this damaged world... Link never got that chance. He was in a coma for seven years... and while thanks to Rauru's magic his body was able to grow and mature into that of an adult's, his mind never changed during all that time...'
She looked over to Link, who was still sniffling and crying, he was sitting and hugging his legs with his arms, rocking back and forth as his head was buried in his knees.
'He may be an adult on the outside... but on the inside, he's still a small, sad, ten-year old child.'
Zelda found that annoyance she had over Link's crying turned to a growing, nurturing instinct deep within. Was it something similar to when Impa started looking over her after her mother passed away? She found herself thinking more about the time Impa looked after her, including the seven years they spent training together... and she found tears of her own were starting to go down her face, suddenly feeling like how Link did now, the feeling of losing the ones so close to you.
The princess walked over to Link, fell to her knees, and embraced him gently from behind, surprising the young hero. She held him gently in her arms and leaned her silky golden hair against his head.
"Link," Zelda whispered softly into his ear, "I'm sorry... I was so focused on my mission and restoring peace to Hyrule... I never considered your own feelings. You've been through so much, suffered and lost so much, and so quickly too. Though you may have persevered through it all, that doesn't mean it still can't affect you negatively, and I'm sorry I didn't understand that..."
Zelda thought to herself, 'Indeed, no matter how strong a warrior or soldier can be, or all that they endure, those experiences don't always necessarily harden and mature them. In fact, many veterans of war can never get over the pain and grief they suffer...'
The princess thought about times from whens he was a child, when soldiers of war would come to the castle traumatized and scared of what they had gone through and everything they lost. She'd hear about war veterans who would lose their minds and be committed to an asylum, or spend their days on the streets because they couldn't afford to live normally anymore.
'...and for one with a young mind like Link, that can only be worse. I had literally sent a child to war...'
'I've been terrible to him...'
Navi floated there, feeling somewhat relieved to see Zelda doing what she could to comfort Link now rather than lecture and scold him. She wished she could hug it out with Link in such a way, but was too small to do so.
Zelda continued to hold Link for a while after that, and the young hero felt a great deal of comfort in the princess' embrace. There was no words that needed to be said for the longest time. Eventually she broke from him and the two remained sitting on the ground, looking out at the world before them.
"So, what do you plan to do now?" Zelda asked.
"I dunno." Link spoke distantly, "I can't go back to the forest anymore... my friends are all gone so I can't live with any of them..."
He had considered staying with Malon at Lon Lon Ranch or the Gerudo at their fortress, but he didn't like the strange sensations and pain from his lower area that he was feeling around either of them, and he certainly didn't want to be alone.
"I feel like now that everything's over, I-I don't have anything left." Link said sniffling.
Zelda looked over at Link and reached her hand out slowly, about to put it on his shoulder and whisper to him, "You still have... m-"
But Zelda stopped herself, realizing how wrong it felt for her to say something like that, especially after all she had done to him, and finding out who he really was. She thought deeply about something, anything she could do for him. A thought occurred to her, and she decided to ask him...
"Listen Link." Zelda spoke, she stood up and took his hand, helping him up to his feet, "For what you've done for Hyrule and it's people, there's something I want to do for you. As both the princess of of this land and the sage of time, I'd like to grant you a wish. I'll do anything within my power for you to bring happiness to your life."
"A wish...?" Link spoke, staring into her sapphire eyes. He turned and looked back at the destroyed market town, then to the five areas of Hyrule he traveled to. He considered what Zelda said as both the princess and time sage. He closed his eyes and thought about his five dear friends; Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa and Nabooru...
"What I wish for..." Link spoke, opening his eyes, "Is for a chance to fix all of this, to go back and prevent Ganondorf from causing all this death and sadness... A chance to save my friends from their fate, so they can do what they want in life, to create a better tomorrow for Hyrule in their own ways... and be happy."
Zelda was taken back by Link's words. There was a silence for a short while, as she brought her hands up to her chest and smiled softly, small tears starting to form in her eyes. Link turned back to see her as she spoke out to him,
"You truly are a selfless person Link." Zelda said, "Very well, I shall do what I can to abide by your wish. Please, give me the Ocarina of Time."
"O-Okay." Link said, handing her the shiny blue instrument she had given him seven years ago.
"What're you gonna do Princess?" Navi asked.
"I'm going to send you both back, so that Link can reclaim his lost childhood, and create a better future in his own image." Zelda said smiling, "A tomorrow you can truly be proud of..."
"Thank you both for what you've done, for awakening me to the truth, and for everything you've done for me and Hyrule... we all shall never forget it."
With that, Zelda placed the Ocarina to her lips, and started to play the Song of Time. Link and Navi found themselves started to become engulfed in a bright light. Link reached out to Zelda, as he saw her sapphire blue eyes one last time before the two vanished.
"Thank you Link... and goodbye." Zelda whispered.
"Hey Link, snap out of it!"
"Huh...?"
The next thing Link realized, he was back in the Temple of Time, standing at the pedestal that held the Master Sword in it. He looked down at himself to see he was a child once again.
"Look at you, you're puny again!" Navi pointed out.
"You're right..." Link gasped out, "What did Zelda do exactly?"
"Beats me, we outta go check!" Navi said excitedly.
"Alright, let's get going!" Link nodded.
The two started to run out of the chamber, but Navi stopped in her tracks, and turned to look up at the window overhead.
"..."
As Link went running out, he came to a stop realizing the Door of Time was closing up. The Spiritual Stones were no longer in place as they were before, but in his possession. He also saw the tools he had acquired on his journey in the dark future were gone, and even the Ocarina of Time was missing.
But he also noticed his dear companion Navi was missing as well.
"Navi?" Link called out, looking around in confusion, "NAVI!"
Link went running out of the temple to try and find his fairy friend, only to see she was completely gone, without a word or even a trace of fairy dust.
"W-Where'd you go...?" Link trembled, wondering if he just lost another dear friend...
But then Link could hear a familiar tune in the distance, and he turned to see Hyrule Market Town, just as bustling and upbeat as before. He ran out into the town to see everything intact, the people were alive and well, and even the buildings Ganondorf destroyed were all as they were before the assault.
'What happened?' Link thought looking around, 'Did Zelda really send us that far back in time?'
He looked to see an old man in a blue cloak shuffling along down the street, and ran up to him calling out, "Excuse me mister!"
"Eh?" the old man spoke upon seeing Link, "You look like you've been through a lot young one. Is something the matter?"
"Mister I gotta know, do you know what time of the year it is?"
"Eh, the time of year?" the old man asked in confusion of a child his age asking him something as complex as that, "Well if you must know it's..."
Link took in what the old man said, and his eyes widened.
'This is... a whole week before Ganondorf launched his attack?!' Link thought to himself, he looked out at the castle, 'She really sent me back in time, just far enough to stop him! I can still prevent everything from happening!'
Link's cheeks turned upwards into a huge smile, he looked to the old man and bowed at him, "Thanks a lot mister!" before running off towards Hyrule Castle.
"Huhuhu, children sure are energetic these days." chuckled the old man, he paused and looked up into the sky, "Hm, how strange... that dark omen I felt before has been lifted all of a sudden..."
The old man nodded and walked off, "Guess we're going to have clear weather this week after all!"
In the Hyrule Castle Courtyard, a young Princess Zelda was peeking through the window of the throne room, gazing at her father the king speaking to an ambassador from some far-off region. By her side was her nanny Lady Impa of the Sheikah.
"Are you doing okay Princess? You seem tense." Impa asked.
"Yes I suppose." sighed Zelda, "I can't shake this feeling something real bad is about to happen."
"You sure you might just be unnerved about that banquet we're having next week?" Impa asked, "I know your father is trying to find you a suitor."
"No, I'm more worried about what Ganondorf might have planned..." Zelda said, "I hope Link comes back soon safe and sound..."
"I've noticed you worry about him a lot lately." Impa said with a small smile, "Don't worry though, he's a strong boy. I'm sure he'll pull through."
"Uh huh..." Zelda said with a light blush on her cheeks.
"Zelda!" called out a voice, the two looked in surprise to see Link rushing into the area. He slipped on a small spot of mud, causing him to stumble over and skid to a halt in front of the princess.
"Link, it's you!" Zelda said excitedly, she knelled down and hugged him tightly, not even minding getting some mud on her, "I'm so glad you're okay!"
Link was a little disorientated and blushed a bright red; after being with Zelda as a sorrowful but beautiful adult, it was a huge change to see her as a happy and sweet child once again. The hug she gave him was much more forceful, but still enjoyable as when her adult self hugged him...
"Thanks, it's real good to be back!" Link nodded with a big grin, with a bit more meaning behind it than the princess ever could have known.
"So does this mean you got the Spiritual Stones?" Zelda asked.
Link said nothing at first but instead looked up to Impa. The Sheikah stared down at him in confusion, as she saw the smile on his face. He looked as if he had been through a lot, and for some reason the sight of her seemed to brighten his spirits further. If he wasn't so young she might have been flattered.
He turned to Zelda and nodded, showing her the three stones, "Yep, got em!"
"Oh that's great news!" Zelda said smiling brightly, "Now we have to act fast, let's go the Temple of Time and-"
"Wait no!" Link shouted frantically, "We can't do that, we can't open the way to the temple!"
"Huh? Why not?" Zelda asked in confusion.
"It's Ganondorf, he knows what we're up to! If we try to open the door he'll just go marching right in and take the Triforce! He's even planning to attack the castle a week from now to get the Ocarina of Time!" Link explained.
"WHAT?" Zelda and Impa both shouted.
"Hang on a second, how did you know about all this?" Impa asked.
"It's hard for me to explain, but you have to trust me! We can't open the door!" Link said, "If we do then Hyrule will be doomed!"
Zelda stared into Link's unflinching eyes. She had no idea what he had experienced while he was gone, but it was clear he wasn't making anything up.
"You said Ganondorf is going to attack the castle one week from now?" Impa spoke up, "But why then?"
"...the banquet." Zelda realized, "That's right, Father mentioned Ganondorf was invited to it as well! He's gong to attack during the banquet when all the noblemen and ambassadors come! It would be the perfect way for him to take total control of all of Hyrule!"
"It was right there in front of us this whole time... the bastard!" Impa spoke, slapping her palm against her head. They had been so worried about the situation with Ganondorf they didn't consider this possibility.
"Very well." Zelda nodded to the young hero, "Link, please take the Spiritual Stones and hide them away so Ganondorf can't get to them!"
"No sweat, I promise I will." Link nodded, "I think I might know just the place to put them."
"Hey Little Hero, what do you have there?" Impa asked, gesturing down to the Silver Gauntlets on his person that he obtained from the Spirit Temple, "Isn't that a Gerudo treasure? I recognize the design."
Link did a double take as he looked down at the gauntlets. He had seen them before back when he checked for his missing things at the Temple of Time, but now that Link knew what time he was sent back to he realized how odd it was that he still had them, as he should had obtained them well after Ganondorf's attack...
'Could it be that everything I did in this time still happened...?' Link thought, 'If I have these then does that means Nabooru might still be...?'
"Link?" Zelda asked, seeing the worried look in his eyes.
"Y-Yeah, I got these over at the Gerudo's stronghold, it's how I figured out Ganondorf's plan!" Link said, "But what are you guys going to do about him?"
"It'll be fine Link, just go hide the Spiritual Stones away." Zelda assured Link with a confident smile, "We'll see about stopping Ganondorf ourselves!"
"...alright then!" Link nodded, "There's someone else I have to go help while I'm at it anyway. Good luck to both of you, and I'll be back soon to see how you're doing!"
With that Link turned and ran off, waving goodbye while Zelda waved back. Link was smiling brightly, filled with hope for the bright future, as he hurried to hide away the stones...
...and to go on a rescue mission.
End Flashback
"...and that was the end of my quest." Link spoke out to his family and friends in Gerudo Palace, "I saved Nabooru from Twinrova at the Spirit Temple after that, and we made a promise together to meet again in seven years, and I think you all know how that turned out." he added with a small smile.
Everyone else in the room had wide-eyes stares of shock on their faces, as some of their jaws were dropped at everything Link had just confessed to them.
"I... can't believe it..." Sir Knave gasped, "You actually traveled to the future, and defeated the demon king Ganondorf?! Are you hearing this Lackey?" he looked to his partner but saw the other knight motionless and speechless.
"So that's how you knew what was going to happen." Impa spoke, "You experienced it all firsthand."
"... ...this honestly explains so much." Nabooru spoke, squeezing at her arms, "Your knowledge of the Spirit Temple in order to save me... It also explains your abilities and knowledge you've demonstrated over the past years, and so much about your beliefs."
"Yeah... like the guilt someone can feel about the mistakes they make..." Aviel spoke, thinking back to how Link comforted her about all the incidents that happened at Dhaijialoft with the Rito and her being mistaken as the Sky Guardian priestess.
"About how revenge isn't the answer." Nemisa spoke, recalling her drive to kill the slaver Jayde so she could be the person she wanted to be.
"Being honest with yer feelings." Togau muttered, dwelling back to when she had first been turned into a Lynel and trying to cover up her sadness.
"Bearing the burden and pain of the world on your shoulders..." Sarami spoke, thinking of back when she used to work herself to exhaustion.
"Not being able to get over grief, and wantin' to hug it out with your loved ones." Reirousa muttered, recalling the pain she felt from the war.
"How every life is precious..." Korume spoke, thinking about the ritual they had almost been forced to do by Twinrova in the Spirit Temple.
"...and no one's is worth sacrificing." Kesuta finished with tears in her eyes as she thought about almost killing her sister, and then trying to kill herself.
"I can't believe you went through so much King Link!" Halei burst out with tears running down her face, as she was tugging at her Bunny Hood ears, "It's no wonder you worked to get Ganondorf captured!"
"My Queen Ruto..." Zopem spoke trembling, "...w-was supposed to become the new Sage of Water?"
"Not just her, but Ms. Saria, Chieftain Darunia, Lady Impa... and even Lady Nabooru." Ashe spoke, as they all looked over to the five of them.
"S-So that's what happened..." Saria sniffled, her hands shaking as Faete tried to comfort her, "That's what those dreams I had before about the Forest Temple meant... and Link had to go through the pain of losing all of us..."
"That's terrible..." Ruto sobbed out as well, "I don't know what hell I experienced in those seven years to make me willingly give up my marriage to Link to become a sage, I couldn't bear the idea of it now!" as she rushed over to embrace Link along with Saria.
"That's assuming you were willing." Impa said, "For all we know we might not have had a choice but to assume the sage's position." she looked down at her arms, wishing in that moment she could be holding her son Shikki, "And if that had happened, the Sheikah's future would had died with me..."
"I would have had to leave behind my brothers..." Darunia spoke solemnly, "I would had never been able to see my son grow up... To think a headstrong guy like me of all people would have become the Sage of Fire..."
"And Nabs was supposed to become the Sage of Spirit..." Sarami spoke sadly. The Gerudo women all looked over at Nabooru, she had her eyes closed, seeming to be lost in thought about this revelation.
"... ...go on Link." Nabooru opened her eyes and spoke out to him, "Your story isn't finished yet, is it?"
"No," Link shook his head, "After I freed you from Twinrova, I wanted to go out and find Navi. I wasn't sure where she had gone, but I knew I had to see her again."
"That's when you trained with me to prepare for your seven year journey." Impa nodded, "Now I see why you were so passionate about it, after all she did for you."
"So that's what the journey was about!" Saria gasped, "I'm surprised you didn't tell us about what happened to Navi!"
"I'm sorry Saria, I didn't want to risk you finding out about what happened with the dark future." Link explained, hugging both her and Ruto closely, "It took me so long to tell you all because I thought it would had been too painful to hear."
"It was... but it must have been even worse for you to experience all of it." Saria pressed her head against him affectionately, "You did so much for all of us, thank you Link!"
"It's because of what you all did for me. It was my gift to you for the sacrifice you had to make." Link smiled, giving her a kiss, "That's why I came back to the past; to stop Ganondorf before everything happened, to save all of Hyrule, and allow the five of you to live your lives the way you choose to, rather then just resign to what destiny wanted for you."
"That sounds like our husband!" Kesuta said proudly, "The man who defies fate!"
"Grk... guraa..." Darunia muttered, water filling up his eyes, before he burst out crying fountains of tears, "GRAWAAAHHH! You truly are my sworn brother Link!" he ran up and gave him, Saria and Ruto a big Goron hug, "I can never forget what you've done for me, for all of us!"
"Hey, leggo you big lummox!" Ruto protested.
"Chieftain, unhand the queen this minute!" Zopem shouted, only to get pulled into the bone-breaking hug himself, "Gack, unhand me this minute!"
"This Navi girl... she sounds kinda loud and annoying, but also a great friend to you Link." Tatl spoke up, "Wish I coulda met her myself."
"Yeah, I guess I saw a little of her in you." Link spoke after breaking free of Darunia's grip, "After my training with Impa, I borrowed Epona from Malon, while Zelda loaned me the Ocarina of Time, saying it might be helpful."
"From what Tatl told us before, it sounds like it served you well." Impa nodded.
Skuld realized, "Oh yeah, then I went and stole both your horse and ocarina! You came to Termina to get them back, and you wound up saving me and Tael..." he still felt a little guilty about what he had done all that time ago, "You even used the power of that Fierce Deity Mask to save the land!"
"Can you elaborate a little more about that Link?" Nabooru asked, "Tatl told us the gist of it, but I'm curious what you yourself experienced with that Fierce Deity Mask."
Link paused, "It's really hard to describe what had happened. Me and Tatl went inside the moon to put a stop to Majora's Mask, and we found this field and tree with four children running around inside of it. They all made me play hide-and-seek with them, and then a fifth child wearing Majora's Mask gave me the Fierce Deity Mask, saying something about playing a game, where they were going to play the hero and I was going to be the villain..."
"Those moon kids creeped me out." Tatl shivered, "But not as creepy as when we saw Majora come to life... it's a good thing Link absolutely crushed that monster!"
"It's so weird... when I wore the Fierce Deity Mask it turned me into an adult, and I felt nearly unstoppable." Link said, staring down at his hands, "It was kind of exciting, but terrifying at the same time. I could also feel this presence in my body... like a spirit had become one with me."
"And it seems that very thing happened to you again, right?" Nabooru said, "The Fierce Deity's soul is inside you now, just like how Togau's Lynel Headdress caused a spirit to enter her own body."
"Yeah, but the difference was the Fierce Deity's spirit left me when I defeated Majora, and I still had the mask." Link said, "I tried to offer it to my friend the Happy Mask Salesman after it was all over, but he insisted I keep it, saying it might come in handy for me some day..."
"So if that's the case, what happened to the mask, and how'd the spirit end up inside you anyway?" Togau asked.
Link gulped, "Well, that's another story I have to tell you all, when I went on another adventure... one that I think you two know just as well as I do." he said looking to Ruto and Darunia.
"Oh yeah, that time..." Darunia spoke.
"Link-darling, if you want we can tell them." Ruto said clinging to Link, "We know how much pain it caused you."
"No, I gotta be to the one to tell everyone this." Link shook his head, "It just wouldn't feel right if someone else said it... they need to hear it from me so they can really understand what happened."
"If you say so..." Ruto spoke with uncertainty.
"Well if this is going to be another long story we better order up some more grub!" Kesuta said, clapping her hands together and rubbing them, then gestured to a servant, "Bring in some more pastries!"
"Sister, I thought you said you were going to cut back on the sweets." Korume said sternly, "You're going to get fat soon enough."
"Hey, at the very least I'll have a nice pair of boobs, unlike you!" Kesuta exclaimed as a flame ignited on the end of her ponytail, poking Korume in the breast.
"Oof. As if I want those useless sacs of fat hanging off of me..." Korume sneered at her sister.
"Ahem, excuse me!" Sarami cleared her throat in annoyance of Korume's comment, "I'll have you know larger breasts can produce more milk, which is vital to the growth of your children. And since you two are guaranteed to have twins by your bloodline, you should count on it!"
"Ugh..." Korume cringed at the thought, "Fine Kesuta, you can bear my twins for me and let yourself get as fat as you want then."
"As if I'd do that just so you can keep your washboard chest!" Kesuta shouted with her mouth half-full of a pastry.
As the two sisters argued, everyone started laughing out together. After all the revelations and tears they endured through the story of Link's quest, they relished in the light relief their friends could bring.
"So Link," Nabooru spoke up when the laughter subsided, "Please, continue your story."
"Alright." Link nodded and cleared his throat, "After my journey in Termina, I found myself in a whole new adventure I never would had imagined before, and it made me understand a lot more about the world and my own path in life..."
"I found myself in a time of war, that was influenced by the past, the present... and possibly the future."
And that ends this week's chapter. Though Link is done with the story of he dark future, there's much more to tell. Next week he recaps an incident that went untold in legends...
One thing I had in mind when writing Link's Gerudo wives was that I not only wanted each of them to represent a different aspect of the Gerudo civilization, I also wanted each of them to relate to Link in various ways from the events of his backstory.
You may have noticed Link was acting somewhat oddly throughout the past two chapters. This was intentional, as I follow the idea that Link was still mentally a child since he had been in a coma the whole time. As for Zelda, despite her still being hopeful for Hyrule, she had grown hardened and bitter from all she had experienced in the seven years. As far as the present goes, Zelda will still be in line with the way I depicted her in past chapters.
Well I hope you all enjoyed this week's chapter, if choose to do so, drop me a like, follow, comment or a PM! You feedback is always encouraged!