The rattling and ticking of gears filled Link's ears as he looked around the interior of the tower he had been transported into, the canal and water wheel powering the entire thing, the rickety bridge spanning the rushing water, and the turning wooden beams above. All of it was so—
"Different?" Time's voice echoed. Link turned to see Time standing behind him, his arms folded. "Yeah, I thought it all looked pretty strange, too."
He stepped over as he looked his spiritual descendant up and down.
"You look good. I wore that garb when I was around your age," he continued. "Eh... I might've been a little younger."
Link looked down to see himself wearing a green outfit, one much brighter and simpler than the one Twilight had given him, with a white undershirt and tight white pants underneath. Yet, despite the differences, it still felt oddly the same. He raised a hand, placing it on his chest before looking around the tower again.
"Where are we?" he asked.
"Why don't you go outside and look?" Time replied, gesturing toward a set of large double doors, presumably the exit.
Raising an eyebrow out of curiosity, Link stepped to the doors and gave them a hefty push. The doors cracked as they were forced open, allowing the morning light to shine through, momentarily blinding Link as he stepped out into the open air. What he found was a town, different from any he had previously seen.
The tall, sandstone-yellow buildings making up the town square were adjoined, giving the appearance of one continual building, with paintings and other markings covering their walls. Behind him was a large, tall clock tower with an intricate pattern portrayed on the clock's face; and directly in front were the beginning stages of preparation for an upcoming festival. Workmen filled the town square—hammering and shouting at each other as they prepared the stalls and tents—all wearing the same blue vests. Link had even seen a dog run by and yet, through all of this, what stood out the most though was the large moon overhead, with a ferocious face carved into it. Its red and orange eyes stared down at the town, unable to blink from its lack of eyelids.
"What in Hylia's name...?" Link murmured, staring at the oversized celestial rock above. "Time... This is not Hyrule. Where is this?"
"You could tell this wasn't Hyrule," Time said, stepping out of the clock tower. "I'm impressed you put it together so quickly. It took me a bit of time to figure it out; granted, I was still only nine at the time...technically."
"Does the moon not give it away?" Link asked incredulously, still looking the moon in the eyes.
"Still nine...technically," Time replied, now looking up as he stood beside Link. "Welcome to Termina, a...different land to Hyrule where the main settlement is Clock Town, where we happen to be."
"And...how did you end up here?" Link asked, finally pulling his gaze away to inspect the town around them. "What does it have to do with my 'remaining time?'"
"That's an interesting question," Time said. He walked a few paces into the town, gazing around at the construction in progress before turning back to Link. "Have you ever felt lost?"
"Lost?" Link repeated.
"As in... You don't know what to do with yourself," Time said. "You don't have anyone around you that can understand what you're going through, not even yourself. You're going in circles... Wondering what might have been... Maybe what you could have done differently...?"
"Oh... Y-yeah," Link said with a frown, thinking back to the past few months of his life. "Yeah, I've been there."
"Those feelings? That feeling of not knowing what to do... That's what brought me here," Time said, placing his hands on his hips. "You saw him, didn't you? The Great Deku Tree?"
"I... I did," Link said, furrowing his brow. Time nodded before turning away.
"He... He raised me," he explained. "He placed a curse on the forest I grew up in, and while I was able to destroy the curse with the Master Sword before I was sent back, I couldn't break the curse in the present. The Deku Tree never returned, at least not in my lifetime."
With a deep breath, Time continued walking through the festival construction, prompting Link to follow.
"Did you see the village? The little one in the forest?" he asked. When Link nodded, he continued. "I used to live there, in the little tree house on the edge of the forest."
"I kinda figured," Link replied, to which Time chuckled.
"You have good deduction skills. That village was where the children of the forest would live; children who never grew up, and I used to live among them," he explained.
"Children of the forest... Koroks?" Link asked, watching as the small, white-haired dog ran past their feet. "You used to live with Koroks?"
"Close. They were called the Kokiri back then," Time said, smiling at the dog that was now barking at some of the construction workers, "and they looked a lot more like actual children in my time."
"How do you know they're the same?" Link asked.
"They're both the children of the forest; the Great Deku Tree's children," Time replied. "It's not too hard to piece together, though the Sacred Realm may also be giving me a bit more wisdom than I usually have. Regardless of what they are though, without the Great Deku Tree around, those children of my time eventually vanished, and I couldn't go with them."
"Because you weren't one of them," Link concluded, causing Time to smile.
"Smart knight," he said. "What gave it away?"
"Well, you don't exactly look like a child," Link replied, "and the Lost Woods doesn't appreciate outsiders."
"It doesn't," Time replied. "I used to think I was one of them, you know. A child, one who would never grow older, yet I had always felt different from them. Something felt off... Maybe it was because I never had a fairy like the rest of them did."
"A fairy? Koroks don't have fairies, at least not in my time," Link mused, but Time shook his head.
"Back when they were Kokiri they did," he said. "The Great Deku Tree would grant a fairy to a child of the forest to watch over them–to guide them when necessary. I never had one, at least...not until I was sent away. My fairy was the last thing the Deku Tree gifted me..."
With a sad look in his eye, Time came to a stop near the walls of the town before turning to look back at the large clock tower and moon that was staring down from above.
"Did...something happen?" Link asked, stopping next to Time. It was hard not to recognize the shadow of loss behind Time's eyes. It was a shadow he knew well.
"She left," Time answered simply. "She helped me on my adventure, assisted me with every puzzle, and even took on the Evil King alongside me, and yet..."
With a deep breath, Time shrugged, still frowning deeply.
"She couldn't stay by my side. Maybe it's because the Deku Tree was no longer around, or maybe it was because I was a Hylian and not a Kokiri. Either way...she was gone," he replied, his voice gruff with emotion. "And...that was something I couldn't accept."
After a pause, Time reached back and pulled out the blue ocarina again.
"You asked me what this town has to do with my teachings of remaining time," he continued. "It's that lack of acceptance—not just with my fairy, but with everything—that made me lose my way. It cost me my remaining time."
He brought the instrument to his lips, causing Link's body to involuntarily tense. He expected to fall, or for some void to take him away, but that didn't happen. The notes from the ocarina didn't sound like the Song of Time. They started slow, notes repeating twice over, getting faster and faster with each note. Suddenly, the ticking of a clock echoed, its cadence accelerating along with the song.
Before Link could even wonder what this song could do, he noticed the shadows of buildings and festival stalls beginning to change. They were stretching and twisting, as if the sun was moving faster than before. The barking of the dog and the shouts of the builders became higher pitched and quicker, while the people working around them moved so fast, they were a blur. Link's eyes widened as he looked around at the scene, before finally looking up, watching as the sky turned from a bright morning blue—with many more dark clouds in the sky—to a fiery sunset, until eventually the darkness of night enshrouded the town, revealing a sea of stars.
What is happening? Link thought, watching as the light of dawn reappeared. Shocked, he looked over at Time, who was still playing his sped-up song. Is this the Sacred Realm? But... He called that the Ocarina of Time. Is this all his power?
Bewildered at the hero's power, he looked back up at the sky, watching as the blue sky reddened once more, yet this time, something alarming stood out to him. The moon was much bigger than before, and noticeably growing, getting ever closer to the town with each passing hour. Soon, the third morning arrived, followed by the afternoon, until eventually, sunset had returned, but this time it wasn't the glorious orange and red.
The sky darkened to a deep, vibrant purple; the stars shining brighter than before. Soon, the clouds began to spiral, changing from white to a blood red. The moon, also projecting a bloodred aura, came ever closer, its nose pointing further downward, as if aiming its tip toward the clock tower below, a tower that was spinning as it shined a bright beam of light into the sky.
Suddenly, Time's song stopped.
While the festival decor was up, most of the people had vanished from Clock Town's streets. One carpenter remained, shouting at the danger in the night sky. What was supposed to have been a joyful celebration had turned into a showdown with the moon and the town, and it was obvious which one had the advantage.
"Time..." Link said finally as Time put his ocarina away, both of them standing in the deserted street. "Don't tell me you had to stop that..."
"What? The falling of the moon?" Time asked. "No, I had to stop something far worse."
"Worse?" Link asked, giving the old hero an incredulous look. "I don't understand..."
"I already told you," Time said. "This is where my inability to accept led me. It led to this town's final hours; a town where everyone was trying to figure out what to do with their remaining time. Come."
Time began to walk through the streets of Clock Town again, the town far more quiet besides the yelling of the lone construction worker and the rumblings of the ground beneath their feet. They passed stores and curved stone staircases, across parks, and through alleyways, all empty and abandoned.
"You asked me how I came to be in this place," Time suddenly continued. "I told you I was lost, and I wasn't lying. Once I was sent back to the past, I stopped Ganondorf from taking over, but he did get away in the end. I had lost the future where I was remembered, lost the fairy friend I had grown close to during my travels, the father figure I had...and the home I had grown up in. I was even too young to become a knight, so for the time being, I decided to leave Hyrule."
"You left?" Link asked, to which Time nodded.
"I couldn't accept the losses, and was determined to regain at least some of them," the ancient hero explained. "I decided I was going to look for my missing fairy in the Lost Woods, where many other fairies had disappeared. Accepting my decision to leave, the princess entrusted me with the Ocarina of Time, the key to Master Sword, so that Ganondorf couldn't threaten them again. And so, I disappeared into the forest, and after an encounter with a mutual friend of ours, I found myself here."
"Our mutual friend?" Link asked. After a brief pause, he realized. "Skull Kid?"
"That's the one," Time said. "He too was lost and confused, unable to accept the friends that had left him. It was him I had to stop from bringing the moon down."
This caused Link to stop in his tracks.
"Skull Kid...? Skull Kid is the one bringing the moon down?" he asked. "But... He's just a kid."
"A kid who got tangled up in trouble because of his sadness and frustration," Time said, stopping to look back at Link, the ground once again shaking underneath their feet. "It's something I can relate to, and it may be something you can relate to as well, isn't it? You did say you knew what it meant to feel lost earlier."
Again, the silhouette of the Yiga flashed in Link's mind. Noticing the shift in his features, Time nodded.
"See?" he continued, gesturing for them both to keep walking. "When we've lost something, we're afraid we'll lose more. It's a terrifying feeling, one that is so strong it has the ability to guide our actions, and a lot of those actions we take, we regret."
"We sure do..." Link mumbled. "So, how do you deal with it?"
"Hm?" Time asked as they walked through what looked to be an empty marketplace.
"I've been trying to figure out how to deal with such guilt, to accept the past so my future isn't affected by these...dumb choices of mine," Link explained. "If you're teaching me this, then you found a way, right? It sounds like you have the answer for me."
"I may," Time said. "But I want to ask you something first. Why do you ask?"
"What?" Link asked in return, confused by Time's sudden question.
"Why do you want the answer?" Time asked again. "Why do you want to know how to accept?"
"Because... I don't want to fall into that darkness again—I shouldn't fall into that darkness again. I need to be better than that," Link answered after a moment of thought. "I've talked to a few close friends of mine, and they had great advice, but you're a hero like I am. You actually understand, so maybe you can tell me how to stay...okay. You have the answer, don't you?"
"I do, but I think you've got a slight misconception here," Time said. When Link furrowed his brow in confusion he continued. "You're under the impression that we, as heroes, aren't supposed to go through these things, at least not to this degree, and I'm sorry to tell you, but... That's impossible."
Link's face fell upon hearing this, which Time noticed, yet it seemed to be expected as he came to a stop in front of a building.
"I want to show you something," Time said, opening the building's front door.
Gesturing inside, he disappeared through the entrance, followed shortly by Link. It was a small building, with large vases and plants decorating the corners of the room, a replica of the clock outside on the clock tower, and posters promoting an event called the Carnival of Time. Benches were stationed in the lounge near the elongated front desk for comfort—the desk itself was closed off—and was connected to a wall, behind which was a staircase leading upstairs. Link approached the desk, leaned over it, and glanced at the check-in book that was laying with its pages open.
"The... Stock Pot Inn?" he said. "We're in an inn? What does this have to do with our conversation?"
"Come upstairs and I'll show you," Time said, gesturing toward the staircase.
Curious as to what it was Time wanted to show him, Link followed the hero up the stairs, each step creaking as they received his weight. Reaching the top, they arrived in a long hallway with doors lined in rows–rooms all waiting to be used by guests that were no longer here. The inn, occasionally rumbling and shaking, was seemingly abandoned.
That's what Link had assumed, until he heard a high-pitched, muffled voice.
"You really stayed?" the voice rang from behind one of the doors.
Coming to a stop, Time reached out and slowly creaked the door open, remaining just outside the threshold, and staring into the revealed room. Intrigued, Link stepped closer to Time before leaning in to take a peek at what it was he was staring at. His eyes widened at the sight of the little boy dressed in green, standing with his back toward them near the door.
"I didn't realize you were still a child while dealing with this," he said in shock. "You don't even have the Master Sword..."
"To you and everyone else around me, I was just a child, but inside...I wasn't," Time said. "My age isn't what I've brought you here to notice, though. I came here to show you her."
Tilting his head up, Time gestured toward a thin, red-haired woman sitting on a bed while staring at a gold mask in her hands, her eyes red and puffy from the tears she had shed before Time and Link's arrival. Before Link could ask who she was, the high-pitched ringing voice from earlier spoke again.
"Anju... You really have trust in him, even after he left you for so long?"
Only then did Link notice the yellow ball of light flying near the child's shoulder, its wings flapping to stay in the air.
"A fairy... You found your friend?" Link asked, but Time shook his head, gesturing for him to keep listening to the conversation.
"I do, and I'm going to wait for him," the woman named Anju answered the fairy. "I feel guilty for many things. I always find a way to make simple mistakes on even the most basic of tasks, but the thing I feel the worst about is almost allowing my faith in him to disappear. If it weren't for you, then I possibly would have gone with my mother to the farm. If I had done that, and Kafei really did keep his promise and arrived...I could never forgive myself."
"Both of you are really stupid," the fairy rang, "but, I guess I'll pretend to understand."
With a huff, the fairy flew closer to the boy's ears.
"Do you think he'll make it on time?" she whispered quietly, forcing Link to strain his pointed ears to hear her. "That idiot... If he hadn't run off so quickly, we may have been able to use the ocarina and get him here a lot faster!"
The boy didn't respond, simply giving Anju a worried look, only looking away when the room shook again, this time far more violently than before. Chairs and tables vibrated as their wooden legs rattled against the floorboards. Vases fell and crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces while picture frames jumped from the walls. The mannequin near the bed, sporting a beautifully crafted white wedding dress, shuddered violently, barely maintaining its upright position.
The boy—along with Link—stumbled, needing to lean against the wall for support. The fairy began to shake in the air as her ringing echoed in the room. With only the sheets to grab as support, Anju fell from the side of the bed and onto the ground, landing on her knees with a thud. The mask slipped from her fingers and slid a little bit away. She looked down at the shaking floor as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
Just as the shaking began to subside, a new sound echoed through the entire town: the booming of the clock tower bell striking midnight.
"We're running out of time..." the fairy said nervously, glancing over at the green-clad child, who had pulled out what Link recognized as the Ocarina of Time from one of his pouches. "Link, I think we may have to just leave! I don't think there's enough time to do both!"
The boy gritted his teeth, still staring at the instrument in his hands.
"Link, we can't wait! Even with our unlimited time, our hands are tied! We can't solve everyone's problems at the same time!" the fairy shouted angrily. Despite the fairy's ire, the boy shakily brought the ocarina to his lips. "You can't be serious! We have what we need to stop Skull Kid now! If you restart, we'll have to do so much over again! You can't solve everyone's problems and stop Skull Kid all in three days! You can't!"
This caused the boy's hands to pause just before the ocarina's mouthpiece reached his lips. The fairy looked on as the boy continued to vacillate, looking between the ocarina and the woman. Suddenly, the building shook again, the booming of the clock tower increasing in volume. Unsure of what to do, the fairy turned to Anju, who was still on all fours on the floor.
"Anju! Even if Kafei is on his way, there's no way he'll make it in time through all of this!" the fairy cried. "You need to get to safety! There isn't any time!"
"I won't!" Anju yelled back. Slowly, she reached out toward the golden mask that had fallen and took it into her hands once more. "I will keep my promise, even if it means this is the end. I...wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I left. I'm sorry."
"Ugh! Link, we need to go!" the fairy shouted.
The room shuddered violently again while the tolling of the Clock Town bell grew louder with each ring. The boy's weapons rattled on his back as he maintained his balance with the wall again, clutching the ocarina as if it determined his own fate. Upon seeing the boy still struggling to make a choice, the fairy rang in anger before flying right in front of the boy's nose.
"We have to stop this now! You need to stop this! We don't have any more time left!" the fairy shouted again. "We can't get wrapped up in every little thing! If we fail, this whole situation will sunset. At least if we beat Skull Kid, maybe these two will get their happy ending. If we don't go now, we're also going to—"
Suddenly, the fairy stopped talking. Everyone's pointed ears perked up at the sound of the inn's front door opening and closing, followed by footsteps. Suddenly, another young boy appeared at the top of the staircase, panting as sweat ran down his face. He was covered in dust from his long purple hair to the bottoms of his oversized shoes. Running to the door, Link and Time subconsciously stepped aside as he entered the room.
Not taking much notice of the green-clad boy in the corner, he continued forward before stopping in front of Anju, who stood from the floor at the sight of him. It was as if time had stopped. The rumbling, the bell, and even the moon seemed to pause for just this brief moment.
"I..." Anju began as she stared into the boy's tired red eyes. Her legs seemed to give out as she collapsed to the floor once more directly in front of him. "I've met you before. What a familiar scent. Long, long ago... Yes, that's right. We were still young, weren't we? Back then, we made a promise, didn't we?"
Anju looked down at the gold mask in her hands.
"The masks of the sun and the moon..." she said slowly, looking down at the mask's empty eyes. "We were to exchange them on the day of the Carnival of Time..."
"Yeah, we were," the boy said, raising his hand to his heart. "Anju... I'm sorry I was late."
Anju paused before a smile formed on her face.
"Welcome home," she said. "Kafei."
Unable to control himself any longer, Kafei jumped into Anju's arms. He wrapped his own arms around his lover's neck, who returned the hug by wrapping hers around his tiny body. The two tightly embraced, refusing to part from each other ever again. From across the room, the two who had helped the lovers in their time of need were watching on. The green-clad boy smiled at the sight before glancing over at his fairy friend, who couldn't help but sigh.
"I hate to admit it, but this is nice," she said. "Though, even though they're lovers, when Kafei's like this, they look just like a mother and child..."
After a few moments, the couple finally pulled away.
"What do you think?" Anju asked with a gentle smile. "Should we do it now?"
"We might as well," Kafei answered with a nod, pulling a silver mask from his belt. "It is the Carnival of Time, just early in the morning."
"Then with that in mind," Anju said, holding out her mask.
"Just as we promised," Kafei continued, bringing his mask forward.
"Let us exchange the promised masks."
The faces of the masks touched. Both began to shine a dazzling white light, forcing Link to raise a hand to shield his eyes the brighter it got. Finally, the light died down. He slowly lowered his arm to see Kafei and Anju, both holding out a newly formed, simple-looking opal mask to him, while their free hands were now clasped together.
"We have exchanged our oaths and have become a true couple," Kafei said as they looked at the green-clad boy and fairy. "With you both as our witnesses, we humbly offer you this. Please accept this mask as a token of our gratitude."
"But this mask symbolizes your love for each other, doesn't it?" the fairy asked as the boy slowly stepped forward. "Are you really okay just giving it away like that?"
"We are, especially after everything you both have done for us," Anju said assuredly. "Please, take it."
Without further question, the boy took the mask from them and looked down at its color. Upon closer inspection, its opal color was even more lovely than he could have imagined, with a hint of blue that gave a wonderful sheen. Suddenly, the building violently shook again, forcing Kafei and Anju to clasp their hands together now that the mask was out of their grasp.
"Great! Glad everyone is happy!" the fairy chimed, bouncing up and down in the air. "Now, you two should really take cover before–"
"Please, we insist you two go take cover on your own," Anju said kindly. "We are fine here."
"What?" the fairy rang. "What do you mean you're fine here? The moon is going to crash! You need to get out of here!"
"It's bad enough that Anju and I brought the both of you, especially at such a young age, into our adult issues," Kafei said. "You deserve a chance at life, even if it's a slight chance. Anju and I shall greet the morning...together."
"But you two just got back together!" the fairy shouted. "We didn't go through all of this just so you two could—"
"You still have someone to save, don't you?" Anju asked with a peaceful smile. "Your brother, wasn't it?"
"I-I..." the fairy stuttered. "I do..."
"Then go save your brother and get as far away from here as possible," Kafei said. "I promise you that Anju and I are fine. Everything is okay. Please, go on without us."
"B-But... Link, say something!" the fairy said, turning in the air to face her partner; however, Link had already turned around. "Link?"
Slowly, the child began to walk toward the door, refusing to look back at the couple behind him. As he walked, he balled his hands into fists, gripping so tightly that his hand began to shake. The fairy floated in the air, looking back between the couple and the green-clad child before flying toward the door after him.
"Are you really okay with this?" she asked as the boy reached the doorway, now standing directly in front of Time. "Before, it seemed as if there was no hope for them, but now—"
"Link."
The boy jolted at the call of his name, though he still refused to turn around.
"Please... Don't feel bad," Kafei called to him. "You did the best you could with the time we all had left. Though a child, I'm sure you know that taking refuge is pointless."
"Kafei?" Anju asked, yet the purple-haired boy shook his head.
"He's smart, Anju," he explained. "It's rude of us to try and hide it after all he's done for us, especially when he fully knows that everyone here is going to die."
The boy's balled fists became tighter.
"Let me repeat myself," Kafei continued. "Don't let regret hold you down. You did the best you could. I thank you for everything you've done for me. For Anju. For us."
Still refusing to look back, the boy stepped through the doorway. With a quick glance back, the fairy flew through the doorway, hurrying after her partner. Before he could get out of earshot though, everyone heard the young boy speak:
"I will save you both."
Breaking into a run, the boy disappeared down the hall, leaving the couple alone, along with Link and Time.
"I'm confused. Are they mother and child?" Link asked, looking at the couple who were now sitting on the floor together in embrace.
"Actually, now they're husband and wife," Time corrected, continuing once he saw Link's confused features. "That boy you see in the woman's arms is an adult, turned into a child by the Skull Kid's corrupt power. This didn't deter him from his marriage; in fact, it was the loss of his mask that ended up sending him into a crisis. He had limited time to see his fiance, but because of his shame and guilt, he used his time trying to locate the mask, instead of returning to what truly mattered. While he had accepted his fate, he'd wasted his remaining time."
As the building rumbled again, Time turned to Link.
"Kafei was a regular man, put in a strange and horrible situation, and he reacted as any man would. He panicked, became scared and paranoid about what his fiance would think when he'd lost his mask, and in the end, he made snap decisions he'd eventually come to regret," he continued. "Yet, as bad as his situation was, it was paltry to the catastrophes you and I dealt with. So let me ask you this... If a man will make decisions like this simply because he was afraid his future wife would be mad at him for losing his mask, what makes you think we won't make decisions we'll regret with all we've gone through?"
"I..." Link stammered. "We're supposed to be the heroes..."
"And while that's a burden that falls on us, we are still people," Time said sternly. "We are still just a couple of Hylians—"
Reaching out, Time placed a hand on Link's shoulder, looking directly into Link's eyes.
"We are still just men."
Another rumble occurred, shaking the building. Link almost fell over once more, but this time, the rumbling didn't come to a stop. Suddenly, the sky outside began to glow red, its light visible from the window Kafei and Anju sat next to.
"It's not about becoming perfect," Time said, who seemed unaffected by the building's shaking. "It's not about finding ways not to fall into that darkness."
He began to walk away from the door, heading back down the staircase from whence they came. Stumbling due to the shaking of the building, Link barely managed to follow, trying his best to stay upright with each step. He tripped down the stairs and swayed across the inn's lounge before finding himself outside again, where Time now stood with his arms crossed, staring up at the blood-red sky.
"My lesson to you is about recognizing when you're in that darkness," Time said, as Link fell to his knees due to the ground shaking, "and how to pull yourself out. Every second matters, especially with those you love—"
Link looked up at the sky, the clouds swirling in the air as the moon drew ever closer, the air around it bursting into flames. He watched as asteroids fell from the sky, slamming into the fields, destroying trees and buildings, the world shaking as the tip of the moon's nose began crushing the clock tower.
"—because you never know when the last time you'll see them may be."
The high-pitched, wailing scream of a child echoed through the crumbling city, as if the owner of that voice was the one who was summoning the moon himself. The roads cracked beneath Link's palms, the piercing sounds of gears and wood splintering from afar filled his ears as the clock tower crumbled.
"Hey! You stopped this, didn't you?" Link shouted over the destruction, watching as the moon's glowing, rage-filled eyes came ever closer to the surface. Horror filled his face when Time didn't respond. "Time? Time! Argh!"
The air ignited as the moon's flames engulfed the town, his clothes and skin beginning to sear. On his knees, Link screamed in pain, bringing his arms up to cover his face as the explosion decimated the town, blowing him away. The building burst into flames and was reduced to rubble. The explosion scorched the fields and trees, while snow caps melted and the oceans evaporated. It seemed to happen in slow motion. As everything slowly burned away, time slowed down further and further before coming to a complete halt. Everything remained paused before a ticking sound started, echoing across the suspended landscape. While the ticking increased in both volume and speed, music notes began to flow around the frozen flames of the town's remains.
Slowly, everything began to reverse. Steam turned back into water and snow reappeared on mountaintops. The flames from the moon's impact receded toward the point of contact, reversing the damage to every leaf and blade of grass that had burned away. Every floating piece of rubble that was paused in mid-flight returned to its place. The exploded moon reformed and rose back into the sky as the city started to reconstruct, with the top of the clock tower as its final project.
With a gasp, Link had reformed, his face beaded with sweat as he clutched his bright green tunic around his fast-beating heart. Still in shock, he looked around at the town renewed, listening to the powerful notes that echoed through the town. A new song had begun, but instead of time altering, something new happened. Voices joined along with the music.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake again, yet this time it wasn't the moon causing the quake. Link watched in awe as a giant leg stepped into the town, followed by another, both holding up a giant head, old and wrinkled with a large nose and beard. Bewildered, he watched as this colossus stepped over him, realizing this giant wasn't the only one. Three more giants stepped in, all surrounding the falling moon. Chanting the same notes in unison, the giants raised their arms, all working together to stop the moon in place just before its descent could flatten the clock tower. Still on his knees, Link watched, mouth agape at the sight.
"I think we've seen enough of this," Time finally spoke, bringing out his ocarina again.
With another song, time began to speed up again. Link watched as the giants struggled to keep the moon raised, fighting against its attempt to fall, until soon, the morning sun arrived, followed by a sudden flash of light. Rubbing his eyes, Link found himself now sitting in a field of grass, outside the walls of the town. Astoundingly, the moon had risen back into the sky, the giants now standing over the town.
"This... This is a lot to take in... Did we move? Are we outside the town?" Link asked tiredly, to which Time chuckled, still standing next to him as he held the ocarina.
"We are," he answered. "Where our forest friend finally accepted his past and his present."
He pointed, prompting Link to look out into the field. It was there he saw Time's child self, a couple of fairies, and Skull Kid, looking up at the giants who were looking down on them.
"The giants were his friends at one point," Time said, "but because of their responsibilities as deities, they couldn't remain by his side. Skull Kid couldn't accept this, and made mistakes because of it, just as any other person would. He tried to get their attention."
"He brought down the moon to get their attention...?" Link asked.
"It wasn't fully his idea. His pain was abused and manipulated," Time explained.
Suddenly, another figure appeared nearby, one Link wouldn't have noticed had it not been for his strange laugh. The tall, lanky man was staring down at something; an odd, wood-carved mask with spikes and large, orange eyes similar to the moon's.
"Still, even without evil's influence, Skull Kid was going around playing pranks," Time explained,warily eyeing the mask the man held. "It was here he finally accepted the loss, knowing his connection with them always remained."
"Hm..." Link hummed thoughtfully, watching as the man with the mask walked away, leaving the green-clad child and Skull Kid alone. Watching as the Skull Kid sniffed his younger self, Time smiled.
"This was also where Skull Kid and I became friends," he said, watching as the young boy climbed onto a small, chestnut mare.
"What happened to those two lovers?" Link asked, finally picking himself up from the grass.
"They got a second chance," Time answered, turning toward the town wall.
Link turned as well, noticing the small gathering of people near one of the town's entrances—a wedding ceremony—where the bride and groom were waving to the young boy riding away toward the forest.
"And... What about you?" Link asked, watching as the child disappeared into the forest. "Did you get your second chance?"
"I did," Time said, a frown appearing on his face, "and I wasted it."
As his sad tone, Link faced Time again, meeting his eyes.
"Are you ready for your true lesson, from me to you?" Time asked.
Curious, Link nodded, noticing the shift in atmosphere between them. Accepting Link's answer, Time raised the ocarina to his lips again, playing what he recognized to be the Song of Time. Again, the world turned white, the ticking of a clock echoing around them, the ground beneath them vanishing as visions of clocks began to swirl around him, taking the heroes through time once more.
...
Just as before, the moment Link opened his eyes, the world around him had returned. Once again, his feet were planted in lush green grass, each blade swaying in the light breeze. Rubbing his eyes as the ticking in his mind faded, he looked around him. The field was bigger than the one he had just been in and felt far more familiar. He even recognized the sight of the stone walls in the distance.
"We're back in Hyrule," Link sighed, bringing both his hands up as he ran all his fingers through his bangs. "Thank Hylia..."
"Come on, Termina wasn't that bad," Time joked.
"I don't think I'll be able to look at the moon the same ever again," Link retorted, only half jokingly. "So, what are we doing now?"
"We're heading there," Time answered, pointing across the field.
Link had expected for him to gesture toward the castle, but instead the ancient hero had pointed out a rather small plateau with only a few buildings on it. Before he could ask what this place was, Time had already begun walking, prompting Link to follow after him. By the time the two had reached the plateau, the sky had turned from a bright blue to an array of colors; a sign the sun was setting. As twilight set in, both Link and Time walked alongside the stony walls of the plateau before reaching a grassy slope leading up to the top, decorated and supported by wooden beams.
Arriving at the top, they walked between two fairly close buildings before encountering a wonderful sight. It was a large field situated at the top of the plateau—its edges fenced off, with a secondary inner fence in the center of the field—where a herd of horses could be seen grazing. Suddenly, something felt strangely familiar to Link. It was a different kind of familiar to what he'd felt when he first saw the Castle Town walls when they arrived back in Hyrule earlier. No, this was very familiar, as if he had been here before outside of the Sacred Realm. After a few moments, it clicked.
"Isn't this...Lon Lon Ranch?" he asked.
"It is. How'd you manage to piece that together?" Time asked as they came to a stop in the ranch's field.
"It's in Hyrule Field in my time," Link answered. "I always liked that place, even if it was destroyed. I can't remember how I felt about it before the calamity, though."
"Well, I sure hope you enjoyed the place. This is my home," Time said with a warm smile. When Link gave him a confused look, he chuckled. "At least, it is now. I couldn't go back to that little tree house, remember? Not that I could have lived there forever; I would have outgrown it at some point."
Receiving a nod from Link in understanding, Time turned his attention back to the field, pulling his ocarina back out again. Bringing it to his lips, he played another song, one that didn't turn the world into a ticking void, but was still a song Link happened to recognize from somewhere. Suddenly, a neigh could be heard, followed by the sound of powerful hooves clopping across the grass. Before long, a chestnut mare with a short-cut white mane appeared before them, stopping just before Time. The moment she stopped, she pushed her long nose into Time's cheek, who laughed.
"Hey there, Epona," he chuckled. "It's good to see you. I'm home, I'm home, don't worry."
"Epona... That song..." Link mused as he watched Time soothe his horse. "I know that song—"
"I know that song!" a voice called from behind them.
Both turned around to see a woman exiting one of the buildings, holding a bucket in both of her hands. She was a beauty, wearing a white blouse with an accented yellow scarf, a long purple skirt, and fairly dirty brown boots. Brushing her long red hair out of her face, her large blue eyes met with Time's as excitement filled her features.
"You're home!" the woman shouted, dropping the bucket and dashing surprisingly fast toward the ancient hero. With a leap, she wrapped her arms around Time, allowing him to hold her up by the waist. "My wonderful knight in not-so-shining armor!"
"You didn't need to add that last part," Time chuckled, holding the woman in a tight hug as he spun her around, her giggles echoing across the ranch. "I'm still a knight, aren't I?"
"A pretty easygoing one. You're the most laid-back knight I've ever seen, spending your days here at the ranch with me most of the time," the woman giggled as Time placed her back on the ground. "But, I guess that's what makes you the perfect knight for me."
"You don't say?" Time chuckled. Suddenly, the woman looked over at the person standing next to them.
"Who's this?" she asked, her large, blue eyes looking Link up and down. His own eyes widened in shock, surprised that he too was able to be seen.
"Ah, Malon, this is...a relative of mine, to say the least," Time said. "He'll be staying with us for a while."
"I'll be what?" Link replied as the woman raised an eyebrow.
"A relative, huh? I didn't know you had those," she said. "He does sort of look like you, and he's wearing the same kind of clothes you had when we met. Does this relative happen to have a name?"
"His name... Um..." Time hesitated as he looked at his relative. "His name is...Ravio."
"Ravio? That's a pretty name, wouldn't you say?" the woman responded, yet she shrugged and gave Link a kind smile. "Well, pretty or not, it's nice to meet you, Ravio. I'm Malon, Link's wife."
"A-a pleasure—wife?" Link repeated in surprise, staring at the red-haired girl. "So you're who she meant when she mentioned farm girls..."
"Who meant what? What nonsense are you mumbling?" Malon asked, placing her hands on her hips, yet Link simply smiled and shook his head.
"Nothing. I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just thinking of something my own lover said once."
"You two must be related if you tend to get lost in your head the same way he does," Malon teased before giggling. "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch, Mr. Relative. Please make yourself right at home, and I do mean that 'cause you'll be put right to work—"
"—tomorrow," Time chimed in. "It's been a long day, to say the least."
"I don't mean now. You really think I'd put the boy to work the moment he arrived?" Malon asked with a frown. "I'd scare him off if I did that."
"And I'm still afraid you may scare him off tomorrow," Time chuckled, taking the farm girl by the waist. Rolling her eyes, Malon pushed Time away by the chest of his armor.
"Whatever you say, now go get changed outta that dingy armor and get him somewhere to sleep," she said. "The weather's gettin' nice and you know what they say—"
"Make hay while the sun shines. I know," Time chuckled. "I'll be right inside once I get him situated."
"Alright then. It was nice to meet you, Ravio. I hope you enjoy your time here," Malon smiled at Link.
Giving the knight a peck on the cheek, she turned on her boots and headed back to the building she had come from, making sure to grab the bucket she had dropped.
"I'll be helping around the ranch?" Link asked as they watched Time's wife disappear. "Is this your lesson to me? Ranching?"
"That's what we'll be doing, but it's far more than that," Time said. "No, I want to help you figure out how to use your remaining time; how to pull yourself out of that darkness once you realize you're in it. My lesson to you—"
He reached out and patted Link on the shoulder.
"—is how to live once again," he finished with a smile. Dropping his arm, he turned and began to walk off toward the building Malon had disappeared into. "I'll come get you when your bed is ready. Go ahead and relax for now."
"Relax..." Link said. After a few moments of silence, watching as Time disappeared inside as well, he looked back at the ranch, watching as the glow of twilight enveloped whatever it could reach. "I guess I do need to learn how to do that again, huh?"
Link eyes snapped open the moment a loud banging noise echoed through the building. Shooting up, he sat in the bed he had found himself lying in, rubbing his eyes as the banging continued to echo.
"Up and at 'em! Rise and shine!" a woman's voice sang along with the banging. "It's time to get the day started! Everyone downstairs!"
As the banging stopped, Link remained sitting in bed, his mind still catching up from the unusual awakening. He looked around the building, its walls old and even cracking a little, before looking down at the bed he woke up in, also old and rickety, and yet he felt surprisingly cozy. He didn't even remember falling asleep the night before.
"Is this really still a trial?" Link yawned, stretching before looking over at the purple-winged hilt of the sword leaning between the wall and the bed's headboard. "Am I being led into a false sense of security? This seems a little too easy—"
Suddenly, the banging sound echoed through the house again, causing Link to flinch.
"I only see two of us down here! Where's my guest?" Malon's voice echoed again.
"Maybe I'm judging my situation a little too early," Link mumbled, shaking the ringing out of his pointed ears as the banging ceased.
Link stood and stretched again before throwing on the green tunic Time had magically dressed him in the day before. With his boots on, he glanced over at the sword, instinctively reaching out for it, yet paused before his fingers could wrap around the handle.
My lesson to you is how to live once again...
After his brief hesitation, he pulled his arm away. Giving the sword a quick glance, he left the room and disappeared down the staircase, leaving the sword alone in the room. The moment he reached the bottom floor, he was greeted with a cheerful voice.
"Look who's finally awake! Good morning, you," Malon greeted cheerfully, holding up a bucket in one hand and a large ladle in the other. "I'd have been surprised if it took three tries to get you up."
"Good morning, Ravio," Time said, leaning over a countertop with a piece of bread in his hand. Instead of his armor, he was now wearing much simpler garb: a green shirt with a pair of bright blue overalls. "Hope you slept well."
"Yeah... yeah, surprisingly well," Link said, coming to stand next to him at the counter. "Given... Well—"
"Hey now, you callin' this place uncomfortable?" the ranch woman asked. "I know it ain't all that pretty, but it sure is homey once you get used to it."
"N-no, I didn't mean it like that—" Link backtracked, yet Time simply handed a piece of bread over to him.
"She's teasing you," he said simply. "Don't take what she says at face value."
"Hey, I'm only having a bit of fun now," Malon giggled. "Oh, take this to go along with your bread—"
Setting the bucket down, she reached over to the other side of the counter and grabbed one of the bottles grouped together. With a confident smile, she placed the bottle in front of Link, its white contents sloshing around before settling.
"You can't start your day without a glass of Lon Lon Milk," she said cheerfully. "It's important to always have a glass of this a day."
"That she does mean," Time said, earning him a glare from his wife.
"Lon Lon Milk?' Link questioned as he looked at the bottle, eyeing the cow on the label pasted on its clear glass. "Is this any different from fresh milk?"
"I beg your pardon?" Malon suddenly exclaimed. "Either you've never had a glass of Lon Lon milk, or you don't have any taste buds."
"I promise you it's the first one," Link quickly corrected, noticing the look in Malon's eyes. "At least... If I have had it, I don't remember it very well."
"Well, let's jog your memory. Go on!" she said excitedly.
She watched expectantly, waiting for Link to take a swig, which he did. Suddenly, his eyes widened as his tongue was covered in the white liquid.
"This is amazing," he said after finishing the bottle. "I've never had milk this delicious before."
"I told you now!" Malon said excitedly. "We take pride in our special cows here at the ranch. Lucky for you, you'll see just how well we take care of them today!"
"Right, I'm helping out today, aren't I?" Link asked, looking over at Time, who simply nodded as he took a sip of his own bottle of milk.
"You sure are!" Malon said, verbally answering Link's question for Time. "Because this one occasionally has knightly duties, I'm left here on the farm a lot of the time—"
"You wanted a knight to come sweep you off your feet—" Time stated, only for Malon to talk even louder over him.
"—so, whenever I get an extra pair of hands around the farm, I'm gonna use 'em!" she said cheerfully. "Which will be starting now, since I see both of you have finished eating! Come on, fairy boys, it's time to get to work!"
"Fairy boys?" Link repeated in question as Malon strolled out of the kitchen and house. Chuckling, Time patting him on the shoulder.
"An old nickname you might as well get used to now," he explained. "Come on, we better get moving, lest she grab that bucket of hers again."
Dawn had just barely broken as the three ventured out into the plains, where Malon quickly put the two to work. As the sun rose higher, Link had been tasked with cleaning the cow and horse stalls, along with the cucco coop, both of which took hours by itself. Following this, eggs needed to be gathered from the coop after its cleaning, which the cuccos weren't too fond of. Still, regardless of the struggles (a majority of them being the battle against the occasional cucco), it seemed as though Malon was impressed.
"All that cleaning, and yet you barely have a drop of sweat comin' from ya," Malon said as Link exited the coop with a basket of eggs, feathers falling from his sandy bangs. "I'm always thankful when someone can handle those cuccos. I think you beat my husband's record in dealing with them."
"Well, I had a sister who loved them way back when. I guess it runs in the family," Link said nostalgically, yet Malon frowned.
"Way back when?" she repeated.
"O-oh, uh... It's a long story," he said. "I guess...doing this work brings back a few memories of her. It's a good thing, don't worry! I'm having a good time."
"I guess I'll take your word for it if that's the case..." Malon said. "You and my husband really are alike—"
"Malon! I finished with the horses! They're all groomed!" Time's voice suddenly came from the ranch. Both Malon and Link looked over at the oval fence, where inside Time could be seen with horses trotting around, their coats now shiny.
"Aw, I missed horse grooming?" Link asked.
"Ah, I shoulda known you'd like horses as much as he does," Malon said apologetically. "I wonder if Epona would get along with you the way she gets along with him. It surprised me to see how strong a bond those two have."
"I understand that bond, more than you think," Link said, watching as Time gave the chestnut horse in the herd a pat on the side. Malon raised an eyebrow.
"Confident, are we?" she asked, taking the basket of eggs from him. "Well, I hope you keep that same energy while doing this next task. Ima have you and hubby there do it together. Fairy Boy! Come teach your family how to milk our cows! I wanna make sure it's done right!"
"I'm coming!" Time called back, still petting Epona's mane. After a few more strokes, he gave her a final pat on the neck before jogging over, meeting the two where they stood.
"You don't trust him to milk the cows, huh?" Time asked, brushing blonde strands of hair from out of his eyes.
"Not the cows that produce our famous Lon Lon Milk, no," she answered, adjusting her grip on the basket. Time, noticing this, held out his hands, ready to help her if need be, but a simple smile told him she was perfectly fine. "Make sure you both treat my cows well."
"After all these years, you still have so little faith in my milking skills?" Time asked.
"I have a lot of faith in your milking skills, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you to watch over him," Malon explained. "I just don't have total faith in your milking skills. You still have some kissing up to do before you get that. Now, get a move on, boys."
With a cheeky but kind smile, Malon turned away, walking back to the house with her purple skirt billowing at her ankles.
"That woman..." Time sighed. "Well, let's get to it. You saw where the cows were while cleaning, right? Come on, let's go."
The two walked side by side to one of the buildings, where inside, the cows were lined up in stalls, all ready to be milked.
"We're gonna start with this one," Time said, opening one of the stall doors to reveal an old cow. "She's my favorite. In fact, she's technically mine."
"Yours?" Link asked as Time pulled up a stool to the cow's side.
"Mine," Time clarified, reaching over to grab a bucket nearby. Placing it under the cow, he continued. "It was a gift from Malon, my own personal cow. I got it for beating her horse riding time around the fence out there. Now, watch carefully how I do this. We can talk, just make sure you're watching my hands."
Link nodded, crouching down to watch as Time took the cow by the udders. After a few moments Link spoke up.
"So... Malon..."
"Yeah?" Time asked, staring down at the udders he was currently squeezing.
"How'd that happen?" Link asked.
"Well, I couldn't go back to the forest," Time explained. "I looked for my old fairy as long as I could, but eventually I had to come back to Hyrule. I ended up getting knighted, and occasionally, between missions, I'd bring Epona back here to see Malon. She's the one who raised her as a filly after all, and well... Things grew from there."
"Hm..." Link hummed in thought. "What...happened to you and the princess?"
"The princess and I... Hm," Time wondered, his hands somewhat slowing as he pulled on the cow's udders. "I wanna make something clear: the princess is wonderful. She has a strong heart, and I care for her, but..."
Pausing, Time looked down into the bucket's thin layer of milk at the bottom.
"I guess... I never got over being sent back in time," he said finally, continuing to move his hands. "I know she had good intentions, and really, if you think about it, it wasn't even this Zelda that sent me back, but... Yeah."
The ancient hero took a deep breath.
"There's something I want you to understand," he suddenly continued, without looking up from his work. "We, as heroes, are bound to the princess by fate. No matter what era or timeline, our paths will always cross to stop whatever evil stands between Hyrule and peace. While this might be the case, that doesn't mean we're bound to stay together. The princess's insistence to send me back to the past, and my own stubbornness to accept things caused a rift between us. I care for her, and I know she cares for me, but romantically, things didn't work out."
As Time finished squeezing the last of the milk out of the cow's udders, he looked up to see Link's crestfallen face.
"Don't look so sorrowful," Time said, rubbing his hands together. "If anything, you should take that as a sign. This means your love for your princess is yours and real. No fate shall force you romantically together, nor is it guiding any of your emotions. Every time our spirit reincarnates, our actions are ours to control. We all happen to choose to save the kingdom each and every time—granted, with some guidance no doubt—but what we do after or who we choose to pursue is up to us."
Picking up the bucket, Time stood.
"I love my wife," he said. "Just as you love your princess, but that also goes to show that your love for each other can wane. It all goes back to what I'm teaching you now. If you don't want to lose her, remember to cherish what you have with her, and to show her that cherishment as well."
"You sound like my friend Prima from the town I live in," Link chuckled, catching on to what Time was saying. "She told me I wasn't giving Zelda enough attention, and I guess she was right. I really neglected Zelda while in Hateno..."
"And yet, she loves you all the same. Her love for you is real as well," Time said with a kind smile. "Though, I recommend you listen to that acquaintance of yours."
"Yeah... I will," Link said with a small grin of his own.
"Here, let's finish milking these cows, and then we can take a break," Time said.
"You think Malon will let us take a break?" Link chuckled, receiving another pat on the back from Time.
"As long as we milk her cows properly she will, so don't screw this up," he said. Nodding, Link and Time stepped to the next stall over, ready (and praying) for Link to milk the cow properly.
...
The noon sun rose high in the sky, beaming its rays down upon the ranch. As many of the horses on the ranch were relaxed, grazing away at the grass beneath their hooves, one dark-coated mare was galloping on the other end of the fence, whizzing around the oval-shaped course that had been erected on the outside. Link skillfully guided his steed around the bend, spurring it forward as they raced down the straight against the fence wood.
"Come on, Girl! Almost there!" he called to his horse, who blew her snout in response. As he and the mare rounded the next bend, a much shorter fence could be seen blocking the path. With a grin, Link urged his horse even faster. "Hiyah!"
With a leap, he and his mare sailed above the fence pikes, landing on her hooves with a thud as she continued on. Rounding the next bend, he could see the red-haired ranch woman in the distance at the end of the final straight, waving her hand in the air the moment she saw Link headed her way.
"Come on! You're so close!" she shouted cheerily. "Bring her home!"
Come on, come on, come on! Link thought as he gritted his teeth with a grin. Leaning forward, he brushed his fingers through the galloping mare's mane. "You're doing great! We're almost there."
The horse neighed in response, continuing her gallop. As the finish line drew closer, another mare appeared at Link's side. It was the chestnut mare with the short white mane, being urged forward by Time.
"You didn't think I was just going to give you the win, now did you?" Time called over the wind blowing between them.
Before Link could respond, Time spurred Epona forward, overtaking Link and his own mare with ease. With Epona crossing the finish line first, Malon gave an impressively loud whistle, signaling the end of the race.
"And that's time!" she shouted. "Twenty-five seconds! That's a new record!"
Epona came skidding to a stop and reared on her hind legs before proudly clopping around as her rider stroked her mane.
"Great job, Epona," Time said as Link brought his horse to a stop. "That's a good girl."
"You two have one heck of a bond," Malon said, as Epona came to a stop next to her. Reaching up, she patted the mare's neck. "You two are unstoppable together, aren't you?"
"I had to really try there. He almost had me," Time said, looking at Link, who was currently still praising his mare for doing a good job. "I'm sure if he had his own mare, I might not have won. Might."
Link grinned, giving Time a look, yet decided not to say anything. Malon giggled.
"So competitive," she giggled. "Though, if I wasn't so outmatched, I'd be the same way. I've been trying to get my record of fifty seconds down, but I just can't handle horses like you two can. I guess it runs in your family."
"You'd be surprised," Time chuckled.
"Well, I need to go take this record down, and I might as well make lunch while I'm inside," said Malon, who gave Epona a few final pats. "No racing while I'm gone, boys. I need to be here in case the record is broken again."
"Yes, Ma'am," Time said as his wife walked away. With Malon gone, Epona began to shake her mane. Time chuckled. "I know, I know. I'll give you your reward."
Allowing Epona to start trotting, he pulled out his blue ocarina and began blowing into it, playing the familiar notes Link had heard the day before. Guiding his own horse, he urged her forward to trot next to Epona.
"That song," Link said the moment he was next to Time. "I've heard it before... Yeah, a bard named Kass plays it at each stable! You're the hero that used that song to call his horse?"
"I am," Time said, bringing the ocarina away from his lips. "Though, I suppose Twilight plays it as well, using that horse call of his."
"So all of these songs you've been playing, those are the songs he wants to discover," Link said. "Wait, do you happen to know a Zora Princess named Ruto?"
"I do," Time said. "I was technically engaged to her at one point..."
"You're the hero the Zora Monuments referred to..." Link said thoughtfully. "Meaning... Everything started here? This is where Ganondorf's evil began? This is the Calamity's beginning?"
"Yes and no," Time said as the two continued to trot around the course they had finished racing around. "This is the beginning of Ganondorf, who in turn, became what you know as the Calamity Ganon, but this isn't where everything began. That is for someone else to teach you."
"The final trial..." Link thought out loud. "I can't say I'm not curious to know how this all started."
"You'll learn in due time," TIme assured him. The two trotted silently for a moment, taking in the afternoon breeze, before Link spoke up again.
"So... What happened to Ganondorf?" Link suddenly asked. "You said he got away, but... Did anything else happen?"
"Ganondorf did indeed get away," Time explained. "For years, he vanished, but his magic only grew stronger, his monsters growing ever more powerful. Every now and then, he'd attack Hyrule, trying to get into the Sacred Realm. It was one of the reasons I became a knight, to defend the kingdom and keep him in his place. I wasn't the one who captured him, though."
"You weren't?" Link asked, to which Time shook his head.
"Ganondorf's magic is like no other," Time said. "As you've been told before, above all else, Ganondorf is a sorcerer, and his magic comes from a source even he doesn't understand. That, again, is something you will learn later. All you need to know is that he lived far outside my life. I never got to see his capture."
"Hm... And...what happened to you?" Link asked. "I've been putting off asking, but you told me all of these lessons were to ensure I didn't make the same mistakes you made, that you couldn't accept things. What...actually happened to you?"
Time didn't immediately answer, and it wasn't until they rounded the second bend of the track that he spoke again.
"I want you to go grab your sword," he finally said.
"The Master Sword?" Link clarified. Time nodded.
"We're gonna spar," he said. "Make sure your sword skills remain sharp."
"A-alright," Link said, curious as to why Time suddenly shifted focus. Noticing the hesitation, the ancient hero chuckled.
"What? Do you think I can't take you on?" he asked. "You may have trained with Twilight, but who do you think helped train him?"
"Y-yeah, that's true," Link said, accepting Time's switch up.
"Go on, go get your sword," Time said, gesturing forward.
Though he was still curious, Link spurred his horse forward, passing Time entirely as he headed toward the house where he had left the Master Sword. Bringing his mare to a stop, he climbed down from the saddle and reached out for the door to the farm house. The moment it opened, however, there wasn't a kitchen or a wife to be seen. Instead, what he found was what looked to be a small shrine, different from the Sheikah-crafted ones he had known, for it looked a bit more traditional.
"Is this what Time actually wanted me to see?" Link wondered out loud.
Confused, he stepped through the door and across the small shrine, before reaching another door. Stepping through it, this door slammed close behind him, forcing him to turn and look at the building, which was more akin to that of Hylian architecture, stone built and angular, unlike the strange swirls of the Sheikah. This wasn't the strangest thing in the room, though.
What caught Link's attention was the void. From beyond the stone platform he stood upon, there was a calm, flat, and shallow covering of water on the ground that stretched for miles. The sky above was misty, if it was even a sky at all, and in the center of the room was a lone tree, its branches bare. Beyond that, on the other side of the tree, was another building—a mirror image of the one that Link had just walked out of. Keeping his guard up, Link slowly stepped out into the water, splashing as he stepped.
"Is this Time's version of the Sacred Realm?" Link wondered as he walked toward the tree. "No... It's similar, but this feels different..."
Carefully, he walked past the tree to the other end, where the opposite stone temple sat eerily waiting. Arriving at the door, he looked back at the water, yet nothing jumped out at him. Still guarded, he turned and reached toward the shrine's door handle, but the door didn't budge, regardless of how hard he pulled.
"Alright," Link mumbled, stepping away from the door. "Clearly something's here..."
Even more lost than before, he turned back and looked around the void and the lone tree sitting in its center.
"Time?" Link called out, stepping back onto the water. "Hello—? Huh?"
Either he hadn't noticed them before, or they had just appeared. Regardless, there was now someone else in the void with him, one that looked eerily familiar, and it wasn't Time. This person had sandy-blonde hair, their tunic a bright blue with white accents, a leather shoulder guard, and a curved, pink-tinged, burned blade. They looked tired and worn out, yet their eyes were filled with such anger and malice. Link's eyes widened.
He was staring at himself.
"Hey..." the tired champion spoke the moment his eyes met Link's. "I thought I said to quit it with the games..."
"Huh?" Link said again. "Wait, hold on—"
"No, there is no hold on. You challenged me to this duel," the champion said, pointing his burned Windcleaver blade toward Link. "You think this will get to me; you changing into me? You changed into Zelda...and that is something I'll never forgive. I'm finishing this."
Suddenly, everything clicked in Link's mind.
That's me from the time I fought the Yiga? he quickly deduced as the champion prepared an attack. "Hey, wait! I'm not the Yiga!"
The tired champion didn't listen. He bolted forward, water splashing at his heels as he ran, twirling the long curved blade between his fingers. Quickly clearing the gap, the champion, his tired eyes filled with rage, swiped at Link, who managed to just barely dodge the tip of the curved blade. Gritting his teeth, Link reached up, ready to grab his sword only for his fingers to wrap around nothing but air.
Confused, he looked back, only to realize he had never gotten to grab the Master Sword. Furrowing his brow, he focused back on the champion again, who was now lifting his blade to swing again. Risking it, Link leaned in toward the champion, managing to catch his wrists before the blade could properly be swung. Realizing his sword hand had been trapped, the champion went for a punch with his free one, only for Link to grab his shoulder.
"Hold on! Snap out of it!" Link shouted as the two struggled against each other, locking eyes with his panicking counterpart. It was as if he were looking into the eyes of a feral beast, blind to the damage he was causing. "Come on! Zelda wouldn't want you to act like this!"
"Don't you dare tell me what Zelda would want!" the champion growled back. "Not after everything you've done to her! I'm ending this! I'm ending you! Right here and now!"
With a swipe of his feet, the champion kicked at Link's ankles. Losing his grip, Link fell onto his back in the water. Wincing, he looked up to see the champion above him, the curved blade raised high above his head as he prepared to strike down. Yelling, he swung, the blade quickly coming down toward the water, yet before it could strike Link, he felt a powerful tug by his green collar.
Flying back, he landed on the steps of the second shrine that was right behind him, the door wide open. Confused, he looked back at the champion, who now had his blade sparking against another's, facing down against the eyes of Time, still dressed in his farmer's outfit as he calmly pushed against the tired champion. The champion flew back, splashing and rolling away across the water.
"It's time to leave," Time said simply to Link.
Though he had heard this, Link remained with his back against the steps, watching as his stressed counterpart managed to pick himself up from the watery ground.
"There are two of you?" he asked, baring his teeth. "I'll just have to finish you both off... Then everyone will be safe..."
"Link," Time suddenly said, his voice still as calm as before.
Finally listening, Link picked himself up and exited through the hall. As he ran, he heard the clanking of blades again, the shouts of his previous self echoing in his ears, until finally, he exited through the door. Stumbling through, he landed in the grass of Lon Lon Ranch again. Rolling through the grass, he found himself lying on his back, looking up at the bright and cloudy sky above him.
"You alright?" Time asked, calmly appearing through the doorway, closing the door behind him. "That's a room which conjures up the physical manifestation of the darkness inside you."
"Zelda had to see me like that," Link said in a flat voice. "That was the me she had to deal with..."
"She did," Time said, coming to stand next to Link, still lying prone in the grass. "I wanted to show you that because Malon had to deal with that side of me, too."
"You let yourself fall that low?" Link asked, glancing over at him.
"Malon had to see me fall even lower," Time said. She's the reason I almost managed to pull myself out. Almost."
With a deep breath, Time also looked up at the sky.
"I was frustrated," he said. "Being sent back in time... I lost my family, I lost my friends, I lost the Great Deku Tree. I had even lost my deeds and status as a hero. No one remembered me, and deep inside, I was frustrated with the princess, for actions that weren't even her own, in a way. I became a knight to try and fend off Ganondorf's return, yes, but I also joined simply to try and be recognized for who I truly was. I ended up dying in battle, unable to return back to Malon. That is the fate I wish for you to avoid."
"You died in battle?" Link asked. Time smiled.
"You made it back home... I didn't," he said softly. "And even after death, I was still filled with regret, my spirit lingering on, wishing for something to be rectified. It wasn't until Twilight appeared and saved me that my spirit was finally able to rest in peace. But, as grateful as I am to Twilight..."
With a sad gleam in his eyes, Time looked around at the ranch that surrounded them.
"I still regret what I couldn't see I had gained," Time said. "I wish to spare you the same fate."
"The way to pull yourself out of that darkness is to remember the special things you have here and now..." Link said, sitting up in thought. "Like you said, don't get stuck in the past..."
"I ask you again," Time said suddenly. "If given the chance, would you go back in time and stop the Calamity? To alter the life you have now?"
"I..." Link hesitated again. Suddenly, Zelda flashed in his mind, along with those in Hateno, Riju and Buliara, Teba and Tulin, Sidon, Yunobo, and everyone else he had encountered on his journey. "No... I don't think I would. I love the life I have now."
"I see," Time replied simply. Suddenly, he held something out, something Link hadn't noticed he had been holding. "That room you were just in challenges the worse sides of you, the darkness within. At some point, you'll have to confront it again when you're ready. Shall we prepare you?"
Link looked at the purple-winged sword Time was holding out, gleaming in the sunlight, as though inviting him to take hold of it. With a smile, Link took the sword by its green strapped handle and pushed himself up, ready to spar with the ancient Hero of Time.
For hours the ranch heard the clanging of swords echoing, even after the sun had started to set. With the glow of twilight once again upon Lon Lon Ranch, both Time and Link stood eye to eye, their swords prepared. With a confident gaze, Link dashed forward, yet Time was ready, back and forth on his feet as he waited for Link to close the gap. With a smirk, he knocked the Master Sword's blade away with ease, before twisting on his heel, creating the largest spin attack Link had ever seen. Flying away, the Time's opponent was once again on his back in the grass, breathing heavily after his duel.
"You and Twilight...are no joke..." Link chuckled as Time sheathed his sword.
"We just have a little more experience than you do. If you had as much as us, neither Twilight or I would stand a chance against you," Time said, holding a hand out to Link. Taking it, he pulled him up to his feet. "Still, you gave me a nice training session as well. I had to stay focused, and I don't need to do that often."
"Same honestly, at least when it comes to other knights," Link said with a smile, wiping the sweat from his brow, his breathing still heavy. Sheathing the Master Sword, he noticed Time giving him an almost sorrowful look. "Time?"
"Hm? Ah, my apologies," Time replied, as if jolting back to reality. "I got a little lost in thought there for a moment. Here, why don't we call it a day? You look exhausted."
"I wish I could say I wasn't, but you're right," Link said. "You know, thank you."
"Thank me?" Time asked.
"For showing me all of this, how to live my life again," Link said. "I know I won't remember you, but... I'll remember the things you've taught me, right? I'll be able to help around Hateno more with the farming tips you and Malon have given me. I'll be able to be more a part of the community, something I think I need after all that's happened, so... Thank you."
After a brief pause as though he were digesting all of what Link had just said, Time smiled.
"No problem, son," he said, placing a hand on Link's shoulder. "Go on and get some rest."
"Aren't you going to rest?" Link asked, yawning through his words.
"I'll be right behind you. I've just got a few more things to take care of here on the ranch," Time said. "You know how Malon can be."
"I guess I do," Link said with a chuckle. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yeah," Time said. "See you later."
With that, after a quick stretch, Link headed back to the house, disappearing inside before heading up the stairs. Crashing down into the bed after a long day of sparring and more ranch work, he looked up at the ceiling as his eyes grew drowsy.
Learning to relax and live my life again... he thought as his consciousness started to drift. I miss being able to loosen up like this. I should relax with Zelda when I get the chance. I'm sure...she'd be...happy... I know I...would be...
As Link drifted off to sleep, Time still sat awake, sitting in the grass of the ranch while Epona sat next to him, her tail occasionally swishing, watching as twilight faded into the darkness of evening. With the moon now high above, he began counting the stars that appeared, right up until his pointed ears twitched as he heard footsteps coming toward him.
"So, I see your 'relative' is fast asleep," Malon said, taking a seat next to her husband. "Why didn't you tell him your time with him was coming to an end?"
"Because...I don't think I can handle another goodbye," Time said truthfully with a tiny chuckle. "That's not very courageous of me, is it?"
"Oh, you know very well you'll always be courageous in my eyes," Malon sighed, pressing her shoulder against his. "Do you think Link will actually be alright?"
"I have no doubt he'll be alright. He's learned well," Time said. "Honestly, I think he would've been fine without us, but...I'm glad we were able to help him get to the answer a little sooner."
"That's good. You should be proud. You were able to teach him a lot, and he looked like he was having so much fun," Malon said, taking one of Time's arms into her own.
"You made it fun as well," Time chuckled, placing his free hand over one of hers. "Though, I think your bucket early in the morning is still a bit too much."
With a giggle, his wife pushed her weight against his shoulder, trying and failing to knock him over before resting her cheek against him. For a time, they sat together silently, with Malon quietly singing the song that had brought them together in the past, before eventually she spoke once again.
"I missed you," she said in a hushed whisper, a gentle smile still on her face. "... I'm glad I got to see you again."
"And I'm glad I got to see you. Thank you for putting up with me," Time said. "I never... I never got to say that before—"
"Shush," Malon said, raising a finger to Time's lips. "In these moments, a kiss will tell everything you want the girl to know."
At this, Time smiled as the world around them began to vanish, clouds beginning to cover the grass and obscure the buildings around them.
"I love you, Fairy Boy," Malon spoke softly as she drew closer. "My knight in not-so-shining armor..."
"And I love you, my cheeky singing beauty," Time said quietly.
Leaning in, the two's lips met, just before they too, vanished into the Sacred Realm.