Chapter Eleven
Link fought as hard as he could against the water, swimming harder than he ever had in his life.
It did nothing. The current still pulled him away, through the dark waters, further and further away from his friend. Even when the water changed, becoming dark and rough, he didn't stop. His limbs felt like they were full of lead, dragging him down, but he couldn't afford to stop. He had to get back to the King, to Hyrule. He had to help.
Eventually, the water changed yet again. It wasn't nearly as dark or rough, but it wasn't anything like the ocean he had grown up in either. This water was clearer than any he had seen before, lighter, almost glowing as he broke the surface.
He flailed around, trying to get any sort of grasp on his bearings, splashing in the suddenly shallow spring he found himself in, the ground seeming to rise up to meet him and trees surrounding the area. The water wasn't any deeper than his knees, shocking him.
What had just happened?
Link spun around, drawing his sword. This had to be a trick. It had to be! That's why the Triforce split! That's what happened! The Triforce let him and Tetra live, but also must've granted Ganondorf's wish as well! That's how this forest was here!
So that meant, Tetra and the King, they had to be around here!
Link spun around yet again, eyes peeled for any sign of his friends. He saw a gate, a path, and sandy beach bordering the spring, but no one else.
Ok, this was fine. He could find them. They had to be nearby!
Link ran, splashing through the water, towards the gate. Whatever had happened, it couldn't have pulled them too far apart. Hopefully they were just around the corner. Then, once he found them, they could finally go home. He could get back to Aryll and Grandma and everything would be fine. Ganondorf was dead, Link had driven his sword through his head, watching as the greatest evil the Great Sea had ever known had exploded before him. Everyone was safe, they just had to find each other.
Yes, they'd have to adjust to having Hyrule back and not buried beneath the ocean, but they'd all be ok! They had to be!
Link had barely taken one step out of the spring when he heard a voice speak up, the hair rising on the back of his neck.
"Wait…"
Link froze, turning around slowly with his sword at the ready. He saw an empty spring.
"Hero…wait…"
The voice spoke again. Link thought that it had come from the spring, but he couldn't see anyone around.
A drop fell in the middle of the spring and from it, light rippled out. The entire place began to glow, symbols appearing on the large stones that bordered the spring as the water turned gold.
Link watched in amazement as an orb of liquid light, shining as brightly as the Triforce, rose from the center of the spring. More light burst forth, surrounding the orb before taking shape, forming itself into an animal, the orb safely held in the center of its antlers.
Link stumbled back, falling to the ground as the glowing goat shook its head, finishing its sudden transformation.
"What the…"
"Do not panic, Hero." the voice spoke again, slowly and softly. Link's jaw dropped when he realized that the goat was the one speaking. "I mean you no harm."
"W-Who are you?!" he burst out.
"I am Ordona, a light spirit who guards this region of Hyrule."
"A…light spirit?"
The goat nodded, "I was appointed, along with my fellow light spirits, to help keep Hyrule in the light. To stop the shadow world from overtaking it."
Link blinked.
Ordona pawed at the water beneath her, but it didn't even ripple, "Something has happened Hero. I could feel the world, time itself, rip apart."
"Time itself?" Link's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to work through what the spirit was saying, "What exactly does that mean?"
"Someone has attacked time. I know not who could do such a thing, only that they must be stopped."
Realization dawned on him, "That's what that dark water was, wasn't it? The attack on time?"
"It was certainly part of it. It was what brought you here, among others, while stealing our own."
Link shook his head, "Wait, what do you mean? 'Brought me here' and 'stealing our own'?"
"You hold the spirit of the Hero." Ordona stated. Link nodded and she continued, "Others carry this spirit as well, the spirit of the original Hero."
"Right, the Hero of Time. I've heard the story."
"Not just him. Many others. Your history is only part of a large puzzle." she gently corrected him, "We had a Hero as well, but he was taken in the attack. I'm at a loss for where he is now."
"Wait, back up." Link sighed and finally stood back up, rubbing his forehead, "It almost sounds like you are saying-"
"You are in a different time Hero. This much is certain."
He could've sworn that his heart had stopped. If he was in a different time, then everyone back home, Aryll, Grandma, Tetra, the King, they were all-
Ordona unknowingly interrupted his thoughts, "You are not the only one lost in time. Others have fallen in this time. They will need your help. They were not lucky enough to land near one of my siblings."
"Hold on!" Link took a deep breath, holding up a hand to try to stop the flood of information the spirit was giving him, "If I'm in a different time, then my family isn't here!"
"That is correct."
"I need to get back to them!" he yelled, "They're going to need me! Stuff was happening in my time! They might be in danger! You need to send me back to them!"
"I cannot send you home, as much as I may wish."
"Why not?!"
"That is beyond my abilities." the goat dipped her head in apology. "Time magic was never granted to the light spirits."
Link groaned, "Ok, then how do I get home?"
"If time is repaired, then the Goddess of Time may be able to send you back to your family." Ordona suggested.
Link shook his head, "I'm not the Hero of Time. Time isn't even a physical thing! How do I repair time?"
"Find the others who have fallen here. Each of you is a tear in the fabric of time. By staying close together, the damage may be contained."
He sighed, trying to calm down, "Ok, that's easy enough. And after that?"
Ordona breathed out, a small glowing orb appearing in front of her. Slowly, it floated down to Link, the glow fading and dropped a small object into his hand.
Link examined it curiously. It looked like a small metal flower that hadn't completely bloomed yet. There were four total petals, three of them curled up in the center with one extended outwards, glowing with a pale white light.
"This is a vessel. Take it to my siblings. We don't have power over time, but if you receive their blessing and combine all of our power, we might be able to send a message to the Goddess of Time."
"Sounds like a plan." he said, smiling for the first time since arriving here and pocketing the vessel gently. "Any idea where these other people are? Or how to get to the other spirits?"
"Faron lies directly to the north. He is another light spirit. He can direct you to the next spirit from there." Ordona told him, "As for the others who have fallen here, one fell in a city in the sky and the other in a hidden village to the north. That is all I know."
Link sighed, "Ok, they'll be more complicated, but I've had to go on less in the past." He nodded, happy that he at least had a plan now.
"Take this as well." Ordona spoke up. The water began glowing again and when it faded, Link felt something bump into his foot. "It arrived just before you did, having also fallen through time."
Reaching down, he pulled a mask out of the water. It, strangely, looked like him, only with pale white hair and blue markings on it. The eyes had no pupils, giving it an eerie stare. Link suppressed a shudder and quickly put it in his pack.
"I'm not sure I want to know what that is, but thanks."
"Hyrule is the one that owes you a great thanks, Hero." Ordona said.
Link shrugged, "Happy to help. Especially if it gets me home."
"I wish you luck."
He smiled, waving goodbye before turning and making his way to the gate. If the next spirit was just north of here, then he wanted to find them as quickly as possible.
Someone was pressing something against her forehead. It was cool and wet and it felt like they were dabbing it gently. She groaned, more at the headache that was throbbing near her temples than at the actual contact.
Her breath caught after the groan, air so warm it almost felt like it was burning its way down her throat making her cough and sputter, desperate to catch her breath.
"Shhhh," someone said soothingly next to her, pressing a cup to her lips. Irene took it gratefully, gulping down the water. It helped a bit, but the warm air didn't go away. Irene already felt like she was laying in her own sweat from it.
"Gently now."
She groaned again, finally opening her eyes. A strange woman with red hair and a thin veil in front of her face stood over her, gently dabbing the cool rag back onto Irene's forehead.
"What happened?" Irene mumbled.
"You were unconscious outside my hut. I brought you in here. It's only been a few minutes." the woman answered.
That just confused Irene even more. Unconscious? How had that happened? Had she hit something while flying?
"Drink some more." the woman offered her the cup again. Irene sat up gingerly, the headache slowly fading, and took it, emptying the up in only a few moments.
The woman smirked, "You must've been very dehydrated to pass out like that."
"I…don't know?" Irene said, very uncertain, "I'm not sure what happened. I don't remember very much."
"What do you remember?"
"I was flying around, killing time, until Greenie needed me." Irene shut her eyes tightly, visualizing the scene before her as best she could, "He was on his way to face Yuga, trying to stop him. Then…water? I think?"
She groaned, it was all very blurry. She couldn't remember anything more than that.
"Flying around?" the woman asked curiously.
Irene nodded, "On my broom."
"This one?" At her words, Irene's eyes shot back open and she looked to where the woman was pointing. Next to the bed Irene sat on was her broomstick, propped up against the wall.
She grinned, "That's the one! Never let me down yet!" And, even better, she now had a way home! Walking all the way back was always a pain.
"Hmmm," the woman looked at Irene thoughtfully for a moment, "I take it this means you are a witch then?"
Irene nodded again, "Yep! Well, technically, I'm still in training, but I'm working on it!" she reached for the pitcher next to the bed. The woman didn't stop her as Irene poured herself another cup of water. "Hey, why do you keep it so hot in here? It's the middle of summer!"
"I don't." she responded, gesturing to the empty fireplace, "It's simply always warm here. Nature of the island."
"Huh, that makes sense I guess." Irene mumbled before the words sunk in. As soon as they did, she began coughing and sputtering again.
The woman looked at her in alarm as Irene choked out, "W-Wh-What?! Is-Island?!"
She nodded, eyes wide, as Irene moaned, "I flew all the way to an island?! Oh no, Gram's gonna kill me!"
"I'm…sure she'll understand." the woman said comfortingly. Irene continued to bemoan.
"'Always watch where you're flying! Don't get lost! Don't go outside the kingdom!' I'm never gonna hear the end of it!"
"Relax. Once you explain what happened, I'm sure your grandmother will forgive you." she said.
Irene huffed, slumping back into the bed, "I'm in so much trouble for this."
The woman smirked, "It's not as bad as you think. You could've ended up in far worse places."
Irene had to give her that point, "Where exactly am I anyway? Who are you?"
"I am Astrid." she bowed her head in greeting, "Fortune teller of the Isle of Ember."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Irene." she smiled up at her, "I really like fortune tellers. We've got one back in Hyrule and he's spot on with his predictions."
Astrid smiled back, "That's good to know."
"Thanks for helping me."
"It's the least I can do."
Irene stretched and finally got off the bed. For how bad her headache had been when she woke up, it was completely gone now. Looking around, she noticed that they were in a small, quaint little cottage. A crystal ball sat on a table across the room.
"Any chance I can get a prediction?" she smiled hopefully.
She had expected another smile in return, maybe even a laugh, but Astrid's face fell, looking disheartened.
"Hey, I was just joking. Is everything alright?"
The fortune teller shook her head, "I don't know."
"What do you mean?" Irene asked.
"Exactly that." Astrid walked over to the crystal ball, holding her hand over it for a long moment. The ball glowed dimly, vague shapes moving in the very center, but then faded away, "The last couple days, every future I try to read ends up the same."
"Which is…?" she prompted.
Astrid was silent, staring intently at the crystal ball. Finally, she sighed, "Pain. There is…pain, and someone cries out for help. I don't know who, or where, I don't know anything except that. Even trying to predict something as simple as dinner tomorrow night, it all ends with the same future."
Irene's heart fell, "That's…not good."
"I know, but I don't know how to fix it."
The young witch's brow furrowed in thought, "I might know someone that could help. Provided Greenie has done his job and saved her."
"You mentioned Greenie before. Who is he?" Astrid asked curiously.
"Oh, that's just a nickname," Irene shrugged, "Cause he only wears this dorky green outfit. His name is actually Link. He's a friend of mine."
Astrid's eyes widened in surprise, "Ah, yes, I know Link as well."
"Really?" Irene looked at her in disbelief, then huffed, "Well no wonder it took so long for him to save us! Coming all the way out to an island like this would take forever! Especially cause he can't fly!"
This time Astrid did chuckle, "Yes, I'd say so. I was able to predict him leaving to save his friend before my fortunes stopped. Suffice it to say, I have faith he will succeed. I'm glad to hear that at least part of his journey has been successful."
"If slow." Irene smirked.
Astrid laughed again.
"Anyway, I'm sorry about your fortunes. I'll pass along the message about the future, see if I can get any help." Irene offered, "But I should probably start heading home. If Link's heading to save her, he's gonna need help sooner or later. Thanks again for helping me."
"Of course." Astrid bowed her head again and Irene copied her, holding onto her hat so it wouldn't fall off her head.
"Do you think you could point me in the right direction back home? I've never been this far out before."
"Not a problem." Astrid said, grabbing a folded up map off one of her shelves. Spreading it on the table, she pointed to an island in the lower left section, "We are currently here."
Irene frowned, "I…don't recognize any of these places. Which one is closest to Hyrule?"
Astrid shook her head, "I'm afraid I don't know. I've never been to Hyrule."
Irene sighed, "Is there anyone else here that might?"
"I'm sorry, but I am the only resident here now since my assistant has passed. You'd have to go to another island for that help." Astrid pointed to an island not far away, closer to the center of the map. "I'd suggest Mercay Island. The Ocean King lives there. If anyone knows how to find Hyrule, it's him."
She nodded, "Ok, I'll head there then. Thanks!"
"Allow me to walk you out."
Irene grabbed her broom, making a mental note of the map and which direction to go. She wasn't the best with directions, but Gram had taught her a simple spell to help her always find north. It had helped her with her deliveries more than once.
Walking out, the heat seemed to double, feeling like a physical wall that hit them as soon as they stepped out of the house.
"Woah, how do you survive in this heat?" Irene mumbled, already wiping sweat off her forehead.
Astrid didn't look at all bothered, "I've lived next to the volcano for years. Suffice it to say, I've simply gotten used to it."
"Volcano?!" Irene burst out. "You live next to a volcano?!"
She raised an eyebrow at the young witch, "Of course. How else did you think the isle got its name?"
Irene wasn't listening, having spun around to look at the mountain in the center of the island, watching with fascination as smoke poured out of the opening.
"Do you not have volcanoes in Hyrule?"
She shook her head, "I mean, there's lava, sure, but no official volcanoes."
"Strange."
"I was gonna say the same about this place."
Astrid chuckled, laying a hand on Irene's shoulder to turn around, "Just head in that direction. In an hour or two, You should see Mercay. Ask around for Oshus and tell him I sent you. I'm sure he'll be happy to help."
"Will do!" Irene nodded, determined. Hopping on her broom, it was only a few seconds before she was circling the island.
"Thank you!" she tossed over her shoulder one last time before flying off in the direction Astrid had said.
Astrid waved her off, waiting until the girl was a simple speck in the sky before sighing.
"Forgive me young Sage." Astrid whispered, hanging her head with guilt.
She turned around and went back into her home, heading straight for the crystal ball. She held her hand over it again. To her, the vague shapes were startlingly clear.
So many people…a seemingly never ending battle. Link after Link, Zelda after Zelda, all clashing with foe after foe. Innocent lives lost, homes destroyed, the very fate of the universe in the balance, and pain. So much pain. She couldn't see the whole future, and she could only hear that cry for help, but each time she looked, she saw another piece of it and brought her more dread than before. The worst was at the end of every vision. Each one ended the same way, with glowing red eyes that pierced into her very soul.
"Forgive me young Sage." she whispered again, "But I have to think about more than Hyrule. More than the Ocean King's Realm. More than any of us. Something so much worse is coming and if you knew, if anyone knew, I'm not sure they'd be willing to pay the price."
Professor: To the guest reviewer who asked for an official list of the Zelda games I am including, here you go! I am only including ones in this story that I have beaten as I don't want to try writing characters/worlds I don't know anything about. I am trying to make every character/world they appear in to be obvious, but I know some of them aren't. Some of these games, or characters from them, may not have made an appearance yet though. I'll also include a current list of which character is in which world, just to try to help make things simpler. If I have missed anyone, please let me know!
Game: Current Characters in that world
Skyward Sword: Ravio, Sheerow, Tatl, Tael, Leaf, Neri, Ciela, Navi, and Zelda (OOT)
Wind Waker: Fi, Ezlo, and Link (TP)
Ocarina of Time: Shad, Zelda (MC), and Midna
Majora's Mask: No characters yet
Phantom Hourglass: Irene
Minish Cap: Link (OOT)
Spirit Tracks: Medli and Zelda (SS)
Twilight Princess: Link (WW), the Fierce Deity Mask, and two unnamed characters
Breath of the Wild: No characters yet
Link Between Worlds: Tetra