POV Zelda
My gaze jumps from one Link to the other, still struggling to cope with the presence of several of them. It's unsettling how they resemble the Link I know so well... and yet are so different.
"Should we head back to the Castle then?" I ask.
"Eventually, yes," answers the Link who introduced himself as Time. "But first, you need to hear the end of the story.
"While Sky's adventure triggered the cycle of chaos and destruction cursed by Demise, mine had… slightly more confusing ramifications.
"During my mission, I was sealed in the Sacred Realm for seven years before I could claim the Master Sword. I was lucky: most who are unprepared to wield it die; I was merely… put on standby. The details of my journey aren't relevant to the topic at hand, so let's skip to the end. Once everything was resolved, the Zelda of my incarnation, seeing that I had lost my childhood in exchange for saving Hyrule, took pity on me and sent me back to the time when I was a child, using this Ocarina.
"The problem was that by doing this, she created several branches in the timeline. One housing the scenario where I returned to being a child and prevented the destruction of Hyrule in the past. Another, housing the situation where I saved Hyrule in the future. And the cosmic chaos at that moment was so great that a third timeline emerged as collateral, housing a parallel reality where I died in battle and couldn't prevent Hyrule's downfall."
I stare at Time, bewildered, as this makes no sense.
"Yes, it doesn't make sense," he sighs. "But that's how it happened, so let's not waste energy debating how plausible it is."
"And… which timeline are we in now?" I ask. This discussion is very interesting and distracts me from the worries that have flooded my mind over the past two months, so I indulge in the story they're telling me.
"In all of them," answers Time, succinctly.
Seeing my puzzled expression, he continues.
"You see… the goddesses are primarily responsible for creating worlds. But another function they have is managing the timeline of said worlds. And, as a rule, such a line is usually singular. However, as you may have noticed from Hylia's memories, the goddesses sometimes get bored with the redundancy of mortal dramas. So, a triple timeline was like a gift to them. And, for hundreds of thousands of years, they enjoyed maintaining the three parallel lines. Until that, too, became tiresome."
"And what happened then?" I ask, intrigued.
"Tired of keeping the lines separate, they simply decided to unify them again. That way, everything that happened in the three separate lines occurs in a single past—even if some things stop making sense. In the process of unifying the lines, they also ended up destroying the original Hyrule. The inhabitants of the land were preserved, but the energy released by no longer having three parallel lines allowed them to finally introduce a new mortal race. Unfortunately, they didn't remain long; but during the period they were active, they achieved great things. The goddesses eventually offered them the option to go to another plane, more suited to their intellectual capacities. Most chose to leave, and the few who remained died after a few generations. The tribe in question became known as the Zonai."
I'm surprised and excited by this information, and I feel eager to share this new fact with Purah and Tauro.
"Alright… all this is very interesting, but what impact does it have on us?" Link asks, disturbed.
"When the goddesses did the… let's call it a timeline reset, they also tampered with the Triforce. After so many Ages with mortals fighting over this relic, they decided it would be better to remove it from the land and keep it out of everyone's reach. Today, only the Zeldas can use it; from this moment on, when they manipulate Hylia's power, they also channel the Triforce—further amplifying their abilities. You must have noticed, Zelda, that its symbol shines on your hand whenever you use Hylia's power to its fullest."
I nod, understanding.
"The original intent of the Triforce was to be a symbol of hope for mortals. Something they could use on their own, without relying on divine beings, to solve their problems. By removing it from the land, the goddesses created other artifacts to fulfill the same role. This time, instead of a single piece of immense power, they opted to create small relics that would amplify the innate abilities of their bearer. They left the Zonai responsible for taking care of these relics.
"We can't see everything that happens on the land. But we have reason to believe that the last incarnation of Demise somehow got his hands on one of these relics. We think this allowed him to channel Demise's power almost to its full capacity. Our theory is that if you can release the remaining energy of this demon from within the Master Sword, this man will be able to absorb it, becoming effectively Demise again—but this time trapped in a mortal and weakened body. We're confident that destroying him will end the curse once and for all."
What they say makes a lot of sense and, for the first time in a long while, I allow myself to feel hope. I'm excited about the idea of finally breaking this cycle and finally freeing the soul of the unknown man.
Since we recovered the last memory, I have been tormented by guilt. I'm aware that Hylia's decisions aren't mine; but, at the same time, I feel as if they are. The idea of having trapped someone's soul in an eternal cycle of suffering just for the chance to meet him again… seems profoundly selfish to me.
And all this has also made me question Link's feelings. Is he really with me of his own free will, or is it simply the effect of a sick connection forged eons ago, where he has no choice but to be with me? Every time I look at him, I'm crushed by guilt, as if I'm imposing a destiny on him that he never asked for.
"If we break the cycle… what happens to us? The Spirit of the Hero and Hylia and all that?" I ask.
"We don't know, Zelda. Maybe this would be the last incarnation of him and the last time Hylia would manifest in a mortal. But these are assumptions; it's impossible to know," says Time.
I'm not entirely satisfied with his answer, but it's still enough. I look at Link and see that his face is furrowed, as if he's not happy with what he heard.
"These goddesses… it feels like all of this is just a big game to them," he complains, irritated.
"In a way… it is," answers Time simply, then falls silent.
"Well, that's about it. Changing the subject now," says Sky, standing up. "If I may, in my humble opinion, you two are the best pair of Zelda and Link since… well, since me and my Zelda," he laughs. Time just shrugs as if he agrees. "But I feel there's some problem going on and I think I know exactly what it is," and he looks at me as he says this.
I stare back at him, confused, as Time also stands up.
"Wild," says Sky. "Could you give us a minute? We'll borrow Zelda for a bit. Consider this a family favor, please."
And before he can say or do anything, Sky and Time take my hands, and I see the three of us glowing gold before disappearing. The next moment, I'm in a completely white and vast place, like the room Link described visiting when he was in the Dream Shrine.
"How…?" I ask, stunned.
"He had to be in the bed of the Dream Shrine because he's a normal Hylian. You have Hylia's blood; you don't need those formalities to enter our dimension, just our invitation," explains Sky.
"What am I doing here?" I ask, gradually getting more irritated with their audacity to kidnap me. "Take me back now!" I demand.
"Calm down, Zelda, we just want to talk," soothes Time, succinctly.
"We noticed that you've been strangely distant after learning the full story of Hylia at the last spring," says Sky. "We have access to your Link's memories and thoughts, remember?"
I feel myself blush at the thought of what other kinds of memories they might have accessed as well. They notice my shyness but say nothing, respectfully.
"I understood your concern immediately because it was something my Zelda also felt," explains Sky. "You see, she was the only other Zelda besides you to recover Hylia's memories. Like you, after everything calmed down and we had the chance to talk about our relationship, she was worried that being with her was an imposition."
I run my hand over my neck, feeling a tightness in my chest.
"Yes… I don't want him to be with me just because destiny demands it. It doesn't seem right," I confess.
Sky offers me an empathetic smile.
"That's why we brought you here," he begins. "For my Zelda, it was harder to believe me when I said that I, Link, chose her of my own free will; so I had to prove it to her every day until we died old next to each other," he says, his voice choked with longing. "But you have the advantage that many iterations of Link and Zelda have already passed through this land. Come, let us introduce you to the memories."
Time approaches me and offers his hand. Instantly, I begin to receive several flashes of his life as a mortal; from when he met his Zelda as a child, how she became a disguised warrior known as Sheik, how they defeated the threat of their time. There was never romance between them, only devotion and fraternal affection. This Link was in love with his childhood friend, Saria.
Another Link appears in the room and repeats the gesture. Upon touching him, I see that his adventure was at sea and that the Zelda of his incarnation was a pirate. In his case, there was romantic interest on his part, but their priorities didn't align, and their paths separated after the adventure's end.
One by one, several Links appear in the room, all offering me their memories. I watch dozens of iterations of Links and Zeldas, each relationship unique. Sometimes they fall in love and stay together for the rest of their lives. In other incarnations, they merely tolerate each other, and the only thing that unites them is the Spirit of the Hero's dedication to helping Hylia eliminate whatever evil threatens Hyrule that time. Sometimes, they even feel interest in each other, but circumstances don't converge for them to be together romantically.
"Do you see, Zelda?" asks Sky when I finish witnessing countless memories. "The connection between Hylia and the Spirit of the Hero only makes the forces of chance conspire to bring the Zeldas and the Links together. But your relationship is not predestined; both you and he still have free will. It's you who choose to be together."
Hearing these words, an immense relief floods me. Link came back to me because he wanted to, not because he was forced. He chose me, he wasn't compelled to be by my side. My heart aches thinking about how cold I've been to him in recent months, and an urgency to return and apologize overwhelms me.
"I think she's ready, Time," says Sky, satisfied. They both extend their hands to me. "Let's go, sis-in-law," he says, jokingly.
The next instant I'm back, alone, at the base of Hylia's statue. Link is pacing back and forth, distressed, with his hands on his head. When he sees that I'm back, he runs and takes me in his arms.
"I thought those damn guys wouldn't give you back," he complains, terrified. "I know I have no reason not to trust them, but… THEY KIDNAPPED YOU!"
I laugh at his concern, and I feel the laughter finishing to wash away all the fears that had possessed me. My heart aches seeing his joy at hearing me laugh, and I feel bad for making him suffer these past months.
"I'm sorry, Link. I… had some concerns. But it's over now. Thank you for waiting for me."
Link breaks into a happy smile. But then he looks worried, takes a step back, and runs his hands through his hair, as he does when trying to calm himself.
"Zelda, I…," he begins, disconcerted. "I've been thinking about what the Links told us… about breaking the cycle of destruction and all that. And how this might mean there won't be other Links and Zeldas and… well… there's a chance we're the last iteration. So I…," he tries to continue, but hesitates.
"You…?" I prompt, curious to know where he's going with this story.
"I don't want to waste this opportunity… because there might not be another. I love you, Zelda. And if this is our last life together… I want to be with you until my last day here," he says, and kneels. Stunned, I watch him take a small box from one of his pockets, open it, and hold it out to me. Inside is a golden ring, with blue and white stones symbolizing my favorite flower, the Silent Princess.
Time seems to suspend for a few moments as he gathers the courage to ask the question, and I wait anxiously to hear it.
"Will you marry me?"