His senses returned to him far too slowly. First was the pain, of course it had to be the pain. It started as a dull ache before increasing to a sharp, stabbing pain that ran along the side of his left leg. He definitely did not miss the constant, agonizing sensation of the gloom that remained fused to his wound. His body felt incredibly heavy in comparison to how he felt a few moments ago in the Spirit Realm. His arms and legs felt like they had turned to stone, and he was currently unable to lift them. It took Link another few moments to realize that he was lying on his back; he could feel the grass poking up underneath him. His breathing felt much more laborious than usual, and Link groaned before squinting his eyes open against the afternoon sun that was far too bright.
Immediately, the weight that he never noticed was on top of him shifted away, and his breathing became much easier. Against the backdrop of the sun, a shadowed figure loomed over him and he heard them gasp in surprise.
"Link? You're awake! Oh my goodness, are you alright?"
The figure turned and shouted to someone behind them, "Do you think you could carry Link inside to Purah's lab?" He could hear the sound of rustling grass and clinking metal as whomever they called to approached him and peered over from above, completely blocking out the sky.
"Thank goodness he wasn't out for long. Link, welcome back. We are glad to see you awake, you had us quite worried." The large figure said.
Link's brain was still far too muddled to make sense of his surroundings. The switch between realms must have been too jarring of an impact for his mind as it struggled to catch up with the rest of his body. He could not even identify whom it was speaking; he could only guess that they knew him since they called him by name.
"His arm is no longer glowing, and his eyes are open, but it seems like he cannot hear us…Link? It's us, Zelda and Mineru. We're here outside of Lookout Landing. You've only been out for a handful of minutes," the smaller figure said, her voice full of concern.
A handful of minutes? Link thought, but…that's impossible. I was in the Spirit Realm for so long! Wasn't I? He truly did not know how long he was there for, but he had surmised it was longer than a few minutes based on everything he had gone through.
"Urphm…" Link tried to speak to the figures next to him, but found that his voice wouldn't cooperate with him either. What were their names again? Mineru? And Zelda? Link urged his brain to think harder, to snap back to focus, as both names sounded so familiar to him. Especially the latter. Zelda…she was particularly important to him he knew. But the shock of returning to his physical body from the Spirit Realm also seemed to have a paralytic effect on both his mind and his body. Link let out a quiet groan of frustration.
"Something is wrong," the figure named Zelda said with an edge of panic, "Mineru, let's get him back to Purah. Quickly."
Link felt cold metal on his skin as the large figure, Mineru, picked him up off the ground. He briefly puzzled over why he would be feeling metal, but he became more concerned when he still couldn't move any part of his body. After Mineru settled with Link in her arms, Zelda came over and tucked his arms and legs in closer so that he wasn't awkwardly sprawled out.
As they passed through the gates and entered Lookout Landing, Link could hear the gasps of astonishment from passerby in the square, and he shut his eyes in embarrassment. Maybe if he pretended to be asleep, they would ask fewer questions.
"Is that Link?"
"What's going on? Is he injured?"
"Could it be monsters? Are they close by?"
"We don't stand a chance if they took down the hero of Hyrule!"
Too late, Link thought exasperatedly, and he tried to curl himself in tighter to hide from these well-meaning strangers until he remembered that he still couldn't move his body. He heard Zelda rush out toward the concerned people and gave the excuse that "Link had simply exhausted himself too much while he was training out in the field." She urged them to return to their business and to let the hero have his much-needed rest. This seemed to be good enough for everyone, as they trusted their princess, and the usual sounds of the bustling square returned.
While Zelda settled the townsfolk, Mineru continued the trek toward the stairs to Purah's lab. Link cracked his eyes open and saw that his vision was no longer blurred. He fully opened his eyes and looked up at the large construct carrying him. And like a lightning bolt of realization striking through him, he finally understood whom it was that held him. Mineru, the Sage of Spirit, sister of Rauru, and a Zonai who fought alongside Link against Ganondorf's monster horde deep below Hyrule Castle. And the person with her, Zelda. How could he have forgotten about the woman he loved? Traveling to the Spirit Realm must not be taken lightly if it could cause such powerful after effects, Link thought. He had the sudden urge to be by her side once more, to feel her warmth and comfort. He longed to see her face again. When he no longer felt the eyes of so many people staring at him, Link attempted once more to communicate.
"Min…eru…" he managed to croak out.
The Sage of Spirit paused halfway up the stairs and snapped her head down at him. "Link?!" she exclaimed in surprise before noticing the way she drew attention to them and lowered her voice to a whisper. "What's going on? What happened to you?"
"Can't…move…body," he struggled to say, but thankfully she understood his words and continued her trek up the stairs.
"We'll figure this out. Just hang on a bit longer."
He still had so much he needed to say. "Zel…da…where?"
"Zelda? She's trying to pull herself away from the last person. It looks like they really want to continue their conversation. But I'm sure she'll join us soon."
Link closed his eyes for the remainder of their short walk, feeling disappointed that she couldn't be there beside him. It wasn't until he heard two voices deep in conversation that he finally opened his eyes again. Link watched as Mineru slowly approached two Sheikah discussing something about a balloon. He couldn't really make out much of what they were saying, but he did hear that word in particular. The younger woman in red glasses is Purah, and the older Sheikah man is Robbie, his mind recalled. Link was pleased that his brain was almost back to working order again. He was also starting to regain feeling in his fingers and toes, which he tested out by giving them a little wiggle. Perhaps the shock is starting to wear off, he thought with relief. It would be quite problematic if this paralysis was permanent.
Purah cut off what she was about to say when she noticed Mineru approaching with Link in her arms. "There you are! Robbie and I have been working out some of the details with his balloon, which he so graciously let us borrow for a while."
Robbie let out an angry "hmph" and folded his arms across his chest. "As if I had much of a choice. You better bring it back here in one piece," he muttered while shooting the Sheikah woman a glare.
She waved him off, "Bah, you always get too attached to these inanimate objects Robbie. But fine, I promise that we'll be careful with your balloon."
Her words appeared to reassure the elderly Sheikah, as he unfolded his arms and sighed. "It's a good thing I forgot some of my supplies or I would still be in Hateno right now. I guess I'm stuck here until you return. I'll go see if Josha needs any assistance." Robbie adjusted his goggles before taking his leave down the stairs.
Purah turned back to face Mineru and only just now noticed that Link's eyes were open. She gave a surprised gasp and said, "Link! You're awake? What happened earlier? Are you hurt?" She guessed that he would have walked here on his own if he could have, and since he had to be carried, something must be wrong with him.
"I…" Link started, but to his relief, Mineru took over for him.
"He said he can't move his body right now, and it's hard for him to speak. I think it's best if we bring him to your lab to recover. We don't want too many prying eyes down in the Emergency Shelter."
"Yes, yes, of course! Let's bring him in."
They walked over to the door before Mineru gave pause. "Umm…I don't think I will be able to make it inside."
"Ohhh, right…well luckily, I see the princess coming this way. Just lay him down in front of the door and we'll figure something out," Purah said as she opened the door to her lab.
Mineru knelt down and laid the hero out in front of her as gently as she could. Link could now move his feet and his hands in small circles, and was able to tilt his head slightly from left to right. "I...can move around…a bit more," he said, the words coming out more easily.
"That's good to hear. I'm sure you'll be back to the way you were soon. Then you can tell us what's going on," Mineru replied. Her voice was filled with warmth, but it sounded oddly weary, which was an immediate cause for concern. Hmmm…I wonder…he thought. Link focused on her and moved around his spiritual energy in the same way he had in the forest when he sensed the spirit creatures. It was good opportunity to test out his newfound ability and see if he could identify her spirit within the construct. He focused inward and shut out what he could see with his physical senses. Before long, through his spiritual senses, Link saw a dim, orb-like flame dwelling deep within the construct. Trails of energy flowed outward from the small orb and poured into the construct's arms, legs, torso, and head. This confirmed what he had already guessed; she was using her own spirit energy to power the construct. He squinted his eyes a little harder as he pushed himself to see her spirit. Link was so focused on Mineru that he didn't notice the way his arm began to glow with a dim, greenish gold light.
"Link? What are you…?" Mineru started to ask, a little unnerved by the hero's intense gaze, but stopped when she noticed the faint glow of his arm.
Link continued to press on, until finally, he saw her. Mineru's spirit. Her Zonai form which dwelled within the metal exterior of her construct. Link smiled at his accomplishment. Until he saw the signs of heavy exertion clearly visible on her features, and his smile vanished quickly. He chose to press forward with the more positive aspect of his discovery.
"Mineru…I can see…you. I see…your spirit," Link said warmly. Her eyes widened and she looked down at her spirit self in awe.
"You can see me?"
Link nodded his head with a little more range of motion then he previously could.
"Is this one of your abilities? Just how did you learn it so quickly? I don't see your secret stone on you…"
"Link!"
They all turned to look at Zelda, who was quickly making her way over to her three companions. At her voice, Link lost the focus he was maintaining on Mineru which, as a result, broke the connection. The light on his arm faded away and he could no longer see her spirit.
"I'm so glad to see you doing better than when you first awoke!" Zelda exclaimed with a warm smile, kneeling down beside him. She placed one hand on the side of his face as he stared up into her deep, green eyes.
All of the tension in Link's body released in an exhale as he felt her hand on his cheek. He returned her smile with his own and leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he did. "Zelda," he stated simply. He knew that she would be able to hear the relief and joy in his voice. She could read him pretty easily these days. And he found that he let her just as often.
"Should we bring you inside?" Zelda asked him, never once breaking eye contact. "It'll be more comfortable in the lab."
Mineru responded quickly, "I'll wait out here. Maybe you or Purah can fill me in later on everything that transpired."
"You can join us too, Mineru. Why don't you leave behind your construct and just come in as a spirit? Like all the other times?" Zelda questioned.
"I…well…" the normally well-spoken Zonai fumbled with her words as she tried to come up with something to say. Link, however, understood the reason, for he had seen her spirit and the state it was in. He saw how dim and weakened her energy was, and he knew that she didn't have much time left. There must be a reason why she didn't want to share that information with Zelda quite yet, so he spoke up.
"I would prefer to stay out here, if that's alright." All eyes turned to him, and he continued, "The more time passes, the more movement I recover. I think my voice has completely returned, and look…" Link lifted his arms a little off the ground, "I can start to move my arms and legs again!"
Zelda looked at him in shock, "You weren't able to move before? Or speak? So that explains the state you were in earlier. Well, it's wonderful to hear that it was only temporary. If you're sure, then that's fine with me. Purah, let's sit him up against the wall."
Once Link was resting comfortably against the outside wall of Purah's lab, he explained everything that happened to him while in the Spirit Realm, starting from when he first opened his eyes, to when he faded away in front of Mato and the other spirit creatures. The afternoon sun creeped over to evening by the time he was finished.
"And then I woke up here, only to find myself unable to move and hearing that mere minutes have passed in all that time I was gone." Link looked around at the others as he finished speaking. The shock and disbelief on their faces made for a funny sight, and Link gave a small grin at seeing them. In all honesty, he probably would have reacted the same way if it had been him hearing something this incredulous, so he couldn't blame them.
"Incredible. To think that you've actually visited the next realm and came back alive. I don't think it's ever been done before by someone who isn't a native of the Spirit Realm." Mineru said, her voice filled with awe.
"I still can't believe there's another realm connected to ours! I mean, it makes perfect sense now and explains so much of the phenomena observed of spirits here. But still! This is an amazing discovery! I have so many more questions." Zelda lifted her hands in excitement, her mind completely switching into researcher mode. Link laughed at Zelda's reaction, which was so very her and also so endearing to him. He loved seeing the excitement in her eyes whenever she reached a breakthrough in her research or discovered something new. Seeing it in her now filled his heart with joy.
"Ask away. I don't mind."
In the time that he told his story, Link had regained full control of his body once more, and it was practically begging him now to stand up and give it a quick stretch. However, he completely forgot about the state his leg was currently in. When he attempted to stand, a shooting red hot pain flared up in his leg as he tried to bear weight on it and he dropped back to the floor with a surprised cry of pain. Gasps of worry surrounded him, followed by the call of his name. But Link couldn't hear them. A sudden frustration raged through him and he let out an irritated shout followed by a swift punch to the wooden floor, which splintered under the force of his blow. He had been given a small taste of freedom in the Spirit Realm, and now he was back to this pain-ridden body that moved far too slowly. When would he finally be free of this pain? He was useless if he couldn't protect…
"Link!" Zelda's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was suddenly right beside him, and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Hey, it's alright. Everything is going to be fine." She had seen the anger flash in his eyes and knew that he was starting to go back to the dark place he had been in before. "We have a plan, we just need to wait a few more days for the other Sages to return. I've heard from Harth that Tulin will be here tomorrow; he just had to fly home to let his parents know what's going on. So please, hold on just a bit longer. Stay with me, Link." Zelda pleaded to him with tears in her eyes. All of the anger and frustration that he felt just a moment ago melted away. He had to be stronger than this. Zelda had worked herself exhausted for his sake; he could be patient for a few more days.
Link sighed, then nodded his head wearily, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You've been through so much," Zelda pulled him in a tight embrace, "but never forget how important you are. And not just because of your accomplishments. You are important to me, Link."
He returned the hug by wrapping his arms around her. It was a bit awkward given they were both sitting on the ground, but the sentiment was there. "I know," he replied, "you're important to me too." The two sat there in each other's arms for several moments more, until a light cough off to their side broke through the spell and they begrudgingly pulled apart.
"Hi, yes it's me Purah…we're still here, remember?" the Sheikah researcher said with mirth. Mineru was shaking her head slightly back and forth, but she was secretly happy for the two of them. They were clearly meant to be together.
Zelda blushed and sheepishly looked away, "Oh, right…ehem…well anyway. Link, I have a few more questions for you. Where did your secret stone go? I don't see it anywhere on you."
Link looked down at his chest and placed his hand where the diamond-shaped ornamental bracing had once been. "It was here with me in the Spirit Realm. I think it fused onto my spirit somehow."
"Very peculiar. I've never heard of a secret stone imbedding itself within the holder's spirit. Could it be because you are this 'Spirit of Legend' the creatures referred to you as? Perhaps the secret stone recognized this and acted accordingly."
Link folded his arms in confusion. "Just who is this 'Spirit of Legend' anyway? Is it the same as the ancient hero from 10,000 years ago with the first Great Calamity?" It was something he had been meaning to ask, and if there were anyone who might know about the Spirit of Legend, it would be one of these three brilliant women who sat beside him.
"Well, it's quite a long story." Zelda said with hesitation.
"I've got nothing but time." Link responded quickly.
Zelda gave a small sigh. But she sat back and began to share what she knew of the story of Demise's curse, Hylia's sacrifice, and her chosen hero's unbreakable spirit and ultimate victory over the ancient evil. It was a long tale, even if Zelda skipped over a lot of smaller details. At some point during her story, Josha came up and brought them all some food, much to Link's gratitude. They ate as Zelda wrapped up the legend she spoke of.
"And that's why whenever an ancient evil threatens the land of Hyrule, the Golden Princess of the age and the reincarnated spirit of the hero also rise up to defeat it. Together." She finished her tale with a smile in Link's direction, but her hero was staring blankly at his plate of food. He didn't know how to feel about this story.
"Is that why I can wield the Master Sword? Because I am the reincarnated ancient hero?" Link asked softly, still staring past his plate. Zelda's smile slowly fell from her face. She could tell that his mind was a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts as he processed this information.
"Yes. Based on all that we know from the ancient records, only the chosen hero is able to wield and utilize its power. The Master Sword only recognizes the spirit of the hero."
"Why have you never told me this before?" Link looked up at her now and stared directly into her eyes. If she knew all of this important lore that pertained to both of them, why did she wait so long to share it with him? He was a part of it all, too. He had a right to know his own story. It wasn't as if he wasn't smart enough to handle all of the information either. Link's quick thinking and ability to solve complicated puzzles are what got him through most of the Sheikah shrines and Shrines of Light, which were designed to test his problem-solving skills. However, due to his humble upbringing, he never learned much of Hyrule's history or other facts about the world around him. He relied mostly on Zelda's wisdom when it came to book-knowledge. She was, and still is, a researcher at heart, and knew vast amounts of information that he could only dream of possessing. Link learned so much new knowledge from Zelda in the past several years following the Calamity. He was confident that if he did not know something, that Zelda would happily be able to fill in the gaps. Which is why he was so shocked that he was only now finding out about his own lore.
Zelda let out a heavy sigh and lifted her hands to rub at her tired eyes. "I know…I'm sorry, Link. I should have told you sooner. It's just, we were always so busy with all of the reconstruction projects going on…I never really stopped to think much about it. I thought that, with the Calamity gone, everything would be fine. But I know that doesn't excuse my thoughtlessness."
She looked so weary and regretful, that Link couldn't fault her for long. He understood her reasoning; after all, he had been by her side throughout Hyrule's reconstruction. He had seen how the princess worked tirelessly for her people and her kingdom. Link set his half-eaten plate of food on the ground beside him, and reached over to pull Zelda into a comforting hug. And this time, he really didn't care who saw them.
"It's already forgotten. No worries, Zelda. Thank you for telling me now."
The tired princess rested her head against Link's shoulder and closed her eyes, looking as if she could fall asleep on the spot. Purah set down her plate as well and stood up to stretch her arms above her head.
"I think it's time that we all head to bed. We have a busy couple of days ahead of us. There's still much that we need to prepare before the other Sage's arrive. Link and Zelda, you both can stay here in my lab if you like. I've got some spare bedding you can both use. Separate bedding." Purah enunciated her last words with a smirk. At seeing both of their eyes snap open and blushes creep on their faces, she cackled like a madwoman before whirling around and headed inside of her lab to set up their lodgings. They heard her say, "Those two make it way too easy" just before she closed the door. Zelda rolled her eyes at her friend's antics.
"I'll go ahead and take my leave too. It's my turn to take watch at the western gate tonight." Mineru stood from her kneeling position and turned to go, before Zelda suddenly jumped up, startling Link in the process, and went over to her Zonai friend. She smiled up at her as she spoke.
"Thank you, Mineru. You've done so much for us; more than we could have ever ask of you. I'm so grateful that you're here with us."
Mineru paused a few moments before responding with a voice that seemed a little forced. "Of course. It is my honor and privilege to serve Hyrule once more. Rauru and Sonia would be proud of the work you are doing. Besides, it's not like I need any sleep; standing guard is the least I could do."
She gave a quick bow to the two of them before taking her leave. Zelda turned back around to face Link and gave him a warm smile before saying, "I'll go and grab your crutch from the lab. Purah brought it with her after your visit to the Spirit Realm. I'll be right back!" She leaned forward and gave him a quick hug before stepping back, giving him one final smile, and ran inside. Link let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Thankfully, she didn't notice the fading light of his arm that he hid behind his back. Before Mineru left, Link had been using his newfound ability to see her spirit. He saw her reaction to Zelda's kind words, and saw her expression as she responded afterward.
She looked absolutely heartbroken.
Late in the night, Link awoke to the sound of a door closing. He rubbed at his eyes before opening them slowly, shaking off sleep's hold on his mind. It was a tiny sound, a tiny click of the door. Whoever left through it had tried extremely hard to make sure he didn't wake. But after years of hypervigilance, it was probably an impossible task. He had trained his body to wake from a deep sleep at the smallest of noises, in case it might be an ambush from enemies. Link had relaxed his standards after the fall of the Demon King, as monsters were becoming increasingly rarer to find now that they no longer came back after being killed, but old habits were tough to break.
He sat up and looked to the bedding on the floor at the opposite side of the room, where Zelda was sleeping. Or should he say, should have been sleeping. The make-shift bed lay empty much to Link's rising concern.
Don't panic…I'm sure she just went outside for a minute. This place is probably the most guarded area in all of Hyrule, except for maybe Gerudo Town. She'll be alright.
Despite one part of his mind attempting to calm him and bring him back to sleep, Link threw off his blankets and reached over for his crutch. Sleep would never come to him if he didn't know exactly where his princess was. With a quiet grunt of effort, Link pushed himself to standing using the crutch and began hobbling toward the front door. The cool, summer night air greeted him, a pleasant breeze blowing through his hair, and Link took a deep, involuntary inhale of the fresh air. The full moon shone down over Hyrule and illuminated the land in a soft white glow. It brought him great relief to know that it would never glow blood red again. Out on the landing by the balcony, he spotted his princess gazing out toward Hyrule Castle, her back toward him. As he walked over to her, the soft thud of his crutch against the wood floor alerted her to his presence, and she whirled around in fright before seeing who it was.
"Oh, Link. It's only you. I'm sorry, did I wake you? I was having a hard time sleeping so I thought that maybe some fresh air would do the trick." She smiled at him through sad, tired eyes.
Link chose not to answer her question, but instead responded, "May I join you?"
Zelda nodded and reached a beckoning arm out to her knight, inviting him by her side. "Of course."
Link stood on her left side and wrapped his right arm in a comforting hug around her shoulders, giving her a light squeeze. "Are you alright?" he asked her with concern.
Zelda gave him a genuine smile, touched at his show of affection and concern for her. He wasn't a big physical touch kind of person, and others who didn't know him even wrote him off as being standoffish. It wasn't until recently that Link would go out of his way to connect with her, and her alone, through small gestures of physical touch. A comforting placement of his hand on top of hers; a warm embrace when she was feeling upset or anxious; making sure his presence was always close to her whenever she was speaking in front of a crowd of people. It brought such comfort and joy to Zelda to know that he felt close enough to her to display this side of him. One that was only reserved for her.
She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply. "Oh…I don't know, Link. Ever since I awoke from my slumber as the Light Dragon, I've had difficulty falling asleep. It's like my body knows I was gone for so long that now it doesn't want to rest. There's just so much we still need to do. We need to travel back to the other regions and re-establish our reconstruction efforts, and that's in addition to helping them recover from their own disasters caused by Ganondorf. Then we need to meet up with Hudson in Tarry Town so that their work in Castle Town can continue – we wanted to get it done by this time next year…but now that definitely won't happen –"
"Zelda." Link turned the rambling princess toward him and brought her into his arms in a tight embrace, cutting off her anxiety-fueled thoughts. "It'll all be ok. I know it might seem like a lot, but we'll get it done. After all, we are the Golden Princess and the Chosen Hero. Together, there's nothing that we can't do." He smiled and placed a hand in her soft, gold-blonde hair. He could feel her tension melt away as she took a deep breath in and released it into his shoulder. She pressed herself into his embrace, and Link felt his own worries evaporate from his mind. All was right in the world, as long as they had each other. Tonight is the night…tell her that you love her. Do it! His mind yelled at him.
"Zelda…" he let his voice trail off. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her gently but slid his hands down into hers, holding them like they were made of precious gemstones. "I…"
"Yes?" Zelda looked at him with hope shining in her eyes.
"…I will always be by your side. No matter what."
Zelda's face flashed with a glimpse of disappointment, so short-lived that if one blinked it would be missed, before she gave him a warm smile. "I know. Thank you Link. I'm grateful that I always have someone I can depend on. We'll get through this, together." She pulled her hands away from his and rubbed at her bare arms. "I think I've had enough fresh air for the night. Shall we head back in?" Zelda turned and slowly walked toward the door to Purah's lab, expecting Link to follow.
Link, however, stood still with regret and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. Ugh, you spineless fool! You can face down hordes of monsters with ease but can't muster up the courage to speak your feelings? How pathetic! Link didn't miss Zelda's crestfallen look, and it pained him to know that he had been given the perfect chance to tell her, but cowardly backed out instead. Some Spirit of Legend I am…all of the other heroes must be rolling in their graves.
"Link? Are you coming?" Zelda stopped just outside the door and held it open for them in waiting.
"Sorry…yes, I'm coming." He hoped his apology could extend back for his cowardice too.
Tulin returned to Lookout Landing the following day, excited as ever to see Link awake. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, the two of them spent the afternoon training with the bow while simultaneously conversing about Link's impromptu visit to the Spirit Realm. Tulin's reactions to all of the events lifted Link's spirit up in a way he hadn't felt in quite some time. Link also attempted to demonstrate some of the abilities he had practiced all morning with Mineru, but all he could see of Tulin's spirit was a bright, orb-like flame that took on no other appearance. He supposed that spirits only took shape after they were not attached to a physical body. This led him to wonder if he would be able to see the original form of the Poes he collected down in the Depths. He shared this information with the young Rito.
"That's so cool, Link! Are you still able to summon the spirit I gave to you? Can I see it again?" Tulin asked with bright eyes.
Link placed his hand under his chin, "I couldn't in the Spirit Realm," Link thought aloud, "but I don't see why I wouldn't be able to now."
He quickly rearranged his energy in the same pathway he had done hundreds of times on his adventure. It was such a natural thing to do now that he had no trouble summoning the Wind Sage's spirit. A bluish green glow of spiritual energy sprung out of the ring brace on his right hand. The Wind Sage's spirit took on the same appearance as its original source except that it illuminated with the same bluish green light and its eyes glowed white. The spirit flew around the pair, sending gusts of wind that whipped around them. Tulin and Link, who was holding his hair back out of his face with one hand, smiled as they watched it fly freely above their heads. Finally, it came over and hovered in front of Link, flapping its wings in a steady, even rhythm. Its glowing eyes stared directly into Link's own bright blue ones.
The smile on his face fell. Link could immediately tell that something was different with the spirit. It had never acted in such a way before. It was as if it were trying to communicate something to him. Link stared back into its empty, white glowing eyes as he tried to decipher what it was trying to tell him. He stared hard into the very depths of the glow, and out of his peripherals he could see that the light around them grew brighter until only white surrounded them both, obscuring everything else from view. He faintly recalled the sound of Tulin's voice somewhere out in the distance, but it faded from his mind quickly as he focused entirely on the spirit hovering in front of him. After several moments, the spirit tilted his head down as he glanced at the hero's chest. Link followed its gaze to discover that his secret stone only visible in the Spirit Realm was now clearly evident in its ornamental bracing. The spirit appeared to be satisfied with what it saw, for in that moment, it nodded once to Link and took off into the air above him. It flew around in a large circle overhead before landing several meters away, and began to furiously flap its wings, creating strong gusts of wind around him. Caught off guard, Link let out a yell of surprise as he was blown backward into the air. However, thanks to his quick reflexes, he rapidly twisted his body midair and managed to land on his hands and feet. The pain in his leg was no longer there, giving Link an indication that they must be somewhere spiritual. He blinked back the wind and squinted at the glowing spirit, who continued to send a torrent of wind in an attempt to blow the hero away. Link pulled himself to his feet and, in an incredible show of strength, began walking toward the Wind Sage's spirit. It widened its eyes in mild surprise and seemed to realize that the hero would be upon it before long. Suddenly, the Wind Sage let out a screech and the secret stone around its ankle began glowing with a bright, green light. With the power of the secret stone amplifying its energy, the wind speed increased dramatically. Link felt like he had just hit a wall of stone. He was trying to walk through a tornado without getting swept off his feet.
Link planted his hands on the ground as he fought against the onslaught of harsh winds. His long hair blew around his face wildly, and Link suddenly wished that he had worn his trusty blue hair tie. Be that as it may, he was never one to back down from a challenge.
With hands and feet grasping at the ground below him, Link roared with a feral growl of strength and pushed himself forward. His eyes never wavered from the Wind Sage's own glowing ones as he pressed onward against the mightiest winds ever created. Crawling on all fours, he felt like a wild animal, and it was then that Mato's words came back into his mind: "they say that the Spirit of Legend takes the form of a wolf, a sacred creature that embodies great courage." He felt like one in this moment; it probably wouldn't even surprise him if he were to look down and see that he had paws and fur.
Finally, after several long agonizing minutes of crawling through the unbearable gusts, Link was within arm's reach of the spirit, and he gave one last enormous leap forward in hopes of tackling it. It was his hope that he could stun it long enough to stop the torrent of wind and figure out what was going on. He was startled when, instead of hitting the spirit, he phased right through it and fell to the ground. Regardless, it seemed to do the trick; the incredible winds ceased as the Wind Sage stopped its flapping and slowly turned to look at him. Link quickly scrambled to his feet, unsure of what it was going to do next. To his complete surprise, the spirit began speaking to him in the way that spirits do; emanating outward from its core rather than from its mouth.
"O' brave Spirit of Legend, through your courage and determination, you have passed my trial. I am the essence of the innate power over Wind. In a time long forgotten, I was once a mighty god of wind. However, those times are long past. Now, throughout the ages and with the passage of many bloodlines, I have planted the seeds of my power in numerous individuals worthy of manifesting and controlling the wind. Predominately, I have been kept to the people of the Rito, but now, with your skills and power over Spirit, I am able to manifest within you as well." Although its appearance was still that of Tulin, its voice was much fuller and lower.
Out of all the things he was expecting, this was not one of them. Link shook his head as he tried to make sense of the spirit's words. "Wait…but I don't understand. How can it be that I could have two innate abilities at once? And I'm not a Rito, how would I even go about controlling the wind?"
"Your spirit is special. The Spirit of Legend is not limited to just one specific power. Over the ages, it has manifested many different abilities for the hero that possessed it. Some heroes could wield magic, while others could perform many various abilities at once. As you are now, you are the culmination of every reincarnation of the same legendary spirit, the latest in an incredibly long line of heroes with each one building power on top of the last. And now, with the power gifted to you by that arm of yours, there is finally a hero that can utilize its energy directly." The spirit that looked like Tulin shook out its wings and took a several steps closer to Link.
It continued, "Your role is not yet over. Although the ancient evil was defeated, fate has decided that you are the one to bear the responsibility of protecting our two realms. Eons of conflict between your realm and the Spirit Realm have left deep wounds that have never healed. Only you, the reincarnation of the legendary hero with the power of Spirit, are able to bridge the great divide and restore balance between our realms."
Link looked away feeling completely overwhelmed. Hadn't he done enough already? Weren't the sacrifices he had made for the sake of his kingdom satisfactory to the gods? Link had thought, believed, that when Ganondorf was defeated, it would finally be the end. No more evil, no grand battles, and no more losing the people he loved. Just spending the rest of his days by Zelda's side, helping to restore their kingdom, and maybe, just maybe, relaxing without worrying over anyone's safety. But now, he's learned that he has so much more to do; everything up until now…it was just the beginning. Now, he's expected to protect not just Hyrule, but their entire realm. And not just their realm, but the entire Spirit Realm as well. Link closed his eyes as he fought for control of his breathing, panic beginning to rise from within him. He was just one person. How could one person protect not just one, but two realms from danger? It seemed impossible.
The Wind Spirit seemed to sense the rising panic in the hero, and quickly said, "Your power is far greater than you know. You are certainly capable of completing your given task. Don't forget that you faced against the ancient evil, and won. Believe in yourself, as the gods of old also place their faith in you."
Link turned his head back toward the spirit. Its words doing as intended and reassured him, if only slightly. He nodded his head once in acceptance of his new mission. "I will do my best."
It was the only thing he could say that he believed.
His words were deemed good enough to the Wind Spirit. "Good. You will need to acquire the other elemental powers before you attempt to return to the Spirit Realm. Swords and other weapons afflict no damage there, and although the legendary sword you wield utilizes your spiritual energy, you will be unable to bring it with you to the Spirit Realm. Your only weapon, and line of defense, will be the innate power you accumulate. Prepare yourself well before you go. Now, it is time."
The spirit brought Tulin's wings together and began gathering a tremendous amount of energy into a compact orb. The strong winds from earlier picked up once more, and it swirled and coalesced into the orb that glowed with a brilliant green light. Over the roar of the gusting wind, the spirit shouted, "Receive it well, hero, the power of wind!"
The orb shot forth in a blur straight into Link's chest. A surge of energy electrified his body with power and Link yelled out in shock. Pain unlike that he's ever felt before ripped through his entire being as his body fought to contain the sudden rush of tremendous energy that was forced inside of it. It felt as though his spirit was being torn apart. He squeezed his eyes closed; it took all of his focus just to remain upright. A small cry managed to escape his lips.
"Fight through it! You must subdue this power before you can ever hope to control it! Claim it as your own!"
The spirit's words rang clear in the hero's ears. Link snapped his eyes open. Against the soul-crushing pain, he cleared his mind the best he could and started to gather his own spiritual energy within himself. As soon as he did, Link's secret stone also began to glow with a bright greenish gold light. As he continued to build up his power, the pain that he felt all throughout his body receded away from his extremities, his own energy herding the foreign power back into a small, compact orb once more. It swirled and spun in a circle of furious energy deep within his chest. Link placed one hand over it, right where the bracing and the secret stone lay fused to his body, and whispered with determination, "You are mine."
The roaring orb in his chest settled and quieted as it dissipated into his spirit. Link lifted his hand away and glanced down to see that the small green emerald at the top of his bracing now shone with its own tiny green light while the rest of the gems remained darkened and unlit. He looked back to the Wind Spirit with confidence, a small smile gracing his lips.
The spirit with Tulin's appearance bowed its head deeply, "You have successfully claimed my power as your own. Now it is up to you to cultivate and grow that power." It raised its head and looked thoughtfully into Link's eyes. "I think you are now worthy of seeing my true form."
A blinding light flashed before the hero, who quickly raised his arms to shield his eyes. The light faded long before Link's eyes could adjust to see the figure standing before him, but when he finally did, he let out a small gasp.
A large, bluish-green frog hovered in front of him from atop a green, swirling cloud. A tall hook-like antennae stuck out of its head and two bushy eyebrows sat above its beady eyes. The frog's skin was covered in markings, one of which was above his lips in a pattern that looked curiously like a mustache. Its body glowed with the same bright greenish gold light that both he and Mato did while in the Spirit Realm. The frog chuckled at seeing Link's astonished expression before clearing its throat and stating very plainly,
"I am Zephos, the ancient god of Wind."
Zephos floated closer to the hero until it was almost within arm's reach, and looked him up and down before smiling. "You know, I've gifted my power to another hero in a time long past. I see a part of him now…yes, I can see that hero's sense of adventure and caring big brother personality in you."
The statement startled Link. "Big brother? Do you know if I was a big brother to someone?"
The Wind God shrugged simply. "I don't know, but I just get that sense about you. Now, before our time together ends, I have something important to tell you.
I sense another evil being lurking in the shadows. One that, like the ancient evil, threatens the very balance of Hyrule's fate. And although this being may not be as powerful as the ancient evil, it is extremely cunning. It's innate power seems to be sourced from the hatred and sorrow from the denizens of the Spirit Realm as a result of the endless conflict. You must be extremely careful when dealing with this evil entity, for even I cannot see what it is capable of. But I do know this: your skills with a sword will not be enough to defeat it. Attempting to cut it down with a blade would be like trying to cut through at your own shadow."
Link swallowed his apprehension and tightened his hands into fists, courage flooding through his veins like blood. "What do I need to do? How do I defeat this evil?"
Zephos smiled at the hero's unhesitating selflessness. He quite liked this reincarnation. The deity lifted his hands and counted off the tasks for Link on his fingers, "Gather together the four elemental powers. Cultivate and grow them until you have mastered each one, then, and this one is important: gain mastery over your own power of Spirit. You must be able to travel to and from the Spirit Realm uninhibited to complete your quest. Find the sources of the major conflicts in the Spirit Realm; you will notice large areas of dark energy, corrupted spirits, or places covered in a mist of shadow. You must resolve and bring light to those places. It will significantly weaken the evil entity. Then, and only then, will it be enough for you to face the unknown evil directly."
"Do I really need to go through all of that just to defeat it? You said it yourself that it was weaker than Ganondorf, and I managed to defeat him as I am now."
Zephos crossed his arms in front of his body. "Do not underestimate this being. Although it is not a spawn of the Demon King Demise, it is still a wicked evil from long, long ago. I am afraid that there are countless dark, evil spirits that wish to gain enough power to rise up and destroy your realm. This is just one that was able to regain enough strength. You must not let any others do that as well."
Link took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming his nerves. "I understand," he replied to the god.
Zephos nodded his head, "Good. There is one final thing I must warn you of, and I must do it quick. Our time is almost up." Zephos' body started to fade as the light surrounding it flickered.
"You must not be defeated while you are in the Spirit Realm," he stated seriously.
The air between them suddenly turned dark and Link noticed the god's quick change in demeanor. He held his breath as he waited for the rest of the words to come.
"If your spirit is killed while in the Spirit Realm, your physical body will also die with it."
Link swallowed against the small lump that formed in his throat, but the deity was not finished speaking.
"Not only that, but since you are the reincarnated Spirit of Legend, if you are killed in the Spirit Realm then the reincarnation of the hero will end with you. The hero's spirit will no longer be born to stop the ancient evil that endlessly rises from the Demon King's curse, and the balanced cycle will be tipped in evil's favor.
In other words, if you die in the Spirit Realm, the entire world will fall to ruin with no hope of salvation."
A/N: These chapters just keep getting longer! I'm not sure why...it just sort of happens. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this important chapter! As always, let me know what you think! I hope you all enjoy your week! :)
