The old man was finally willing to give him the paraglider. He'd said to come to the very top of the Temple of Time.
Link's able to see it from the top of the Sheikah tower. The Temple still stood, after a hundred years, standing as a constant presence throughout time.
A snort works its way from his mouth, his mind making a connection. Temple of Time.
But it was weathered, damaged and crumbling. Where there was once clean, polished stone, there was now chipped and cracked rock, some with twisting vines growing over them, hiding them from view. Half of the roof had been missing, most likely having collapsed into the temple and decayed over the years. One of the spires was also broken, its material becoming a heap of rubble on the side.
At the very least, there were only a few monsters prowling around the place. Link guessed it was something to do with the presence of the Goddess Statue within the structure, warding off monsters. It must've also been what allowed it to stay standing for so long.
But now he was almost off this rock, and he could get moving again, back to doing something, with the ultimate goal of freeing Zelda.
The old man was King Rhoam.
King Rhoam, his liege, the man he'd vowed fealty to.
King Rhoam, who'd treated Zelda like an object, like nothing more than a means to an end.
King Rhoam, whose actions regarding Zelda seemed to come from a soldier, rather than a father.
He felt his heartbeat quicken with fury, pulsing within his chest. He realises, in the back of his head, just why he hates the old man so unnaturally. His mind's recognised him, even through the disguise.
And now, he's saying words, but Link can't hear them over the rush of blood in his ears.
He opens his mouth.
"Stop."
The spirit quiets, mouth still half-open, clearly taken aback by the command. Link then notices the blue flames licking at his body, how he seems to be transparent, and how he floats off the ground a bit, never quite touching the floor.
He was dead.
Good, a part of his brain says, the part that's still furious at his treatment of Zelda, that still wanted nothing more than to skewer the man.
But he holds it down, the other, more rational part being stronger, as it always had been throughout his life.
The spirit's back to reality now, having gotten over his shock. Rhoam's eyes narrow. "Pardon?"
Link takes a deep breath, thinking about just what to say. It's a habit he feels he's learnt from a young age.
His hands move up, another thing he doesn't make a conscious decision about, but registers in his mind all the same.
"I don't take orders from you anymore." He signs, his hands moving through the movements easily, muscle memory doing most of the work for him.
Rhoam's posture slackens, and his face falls. "Of course." His tone is thick with regret and disappointment. "I understand why."
"You were a King, a well enough one, but not a father. Not when you were needed." Link's words seems to cut into the spirit even deeper, making the former King almost deflate.
Rhoam says nothing, his face still fallen, eyes still watching the ground, much like a scolded child. Except in this case, he knows what he did was wrong, and there's no way to make up for it.
"I wish I could turn back time, knight. I wish I could treat my daughter better, treat her how she deserved." The King's tone turns mournful. "There is nothing I can do to atone for my mistakes. But I can do my best to help you, which in turn will help her."
Link regards the spirit coolly, his previous rage still present, but now disappearing slightly. At least the King understood his mistakes.
Rhoam speaks again. "I... I know I have no right to ask this of you. I know you are free to do whatever your heart desires. But I implore you, please, to find a way to help my Zelda. I... I had no desire to make her suffer, only to see her safe, even if I was blinded by my duty. Please, Link, save her from the Calamity."
He holds his hands out, and a bright light flashes, manifesting the thing Link's come here for. Link takes it without a word.
And the spirit moves back, his flames already dimming, fading from view with the rest of his body. "And if you would, tell her... tell her I love her, so very much, and I'm sorry."
The knight nods, and taps the Sheikah tower icon on the Slate, not looking back to see the dead King disappear.
Link doesn't waste a moment. He takes a running start, and leaps off the tower, the paraglider materialising in his hands thanks to the Sheikah Slate.
And then the paraglider catches the air, and he's gliding.
It feels right somehow, but not quite, as if his body should be going faster, have slightly less, but at the same time, more control over the air.
...If that made any sense.
His,(but not really his, it's Zelda's)Slate shows a yellow point marked far away from his current position. It's accompanied by a heading, Seek Out Impa.
Impa. The name is familiar to him, but again, like with so many things, he can't remember exactly.
But he knows the area somewhat. Kakariko. A name, better than asking random strangers if they knew an Impa. The map of the Slate shows it as a uniform black and blue, but he'll just have to find the tower for the area. Easy job, with the scope attached to the thing.
He's got everything he needs, at least for what he immediately needs to do.
The knight spares another glance at the mass of swirling crimson in the distance, tinged with bits of black. Even the sight of it strikes fear into his heart, even though he's far enough away from it to not be affected.
He grits his teeth and steels himself. There was no question about this. He was charged with her protection, and even if he wasn't an official knight anymore, he'd be damned if he wouldn't help her.
He just had to keep going.
Chains of golden energy hold back the Calamity, being reinforced again and again by her will.
She can feel her power dwindling, slowly but surely, the Calamity sapping her strength the more she spends time in this realm.
The realm in question being a constantly shifting place in Hyrule, a place she's been before. First the throne room in the Castle, then Hylia Bridge, then one of the springs, then Purah's lab...
And she knows the Calamity's intent, can feel his power trying to make all these places appear destroyed and ruined, trying to make her give in, accept defeat.
But her holy light overwhelms it, more often than not restoring the place to what she remembers, what she needs. It's a reminder of what she's fighting for.
Zelda grunts as Ganon roars again, her light chains flickering. If only she had unlocked this power earlier, so she could have some more practice and experience...
Ganon's maw opens, a red light building in his throat, and Zelda shifts her chains into a different form, now more like a spherical cage of glowing points to restrain the writhing force of evil. The thing almost seems to chuckle, the beam now dying, and glares at her.
YOU THINK YOU CAN HOLD ME FOREVER, HYLIA'S CHOSEN?
Zelda says nothing, facing his glare with defiance. Ganon laughs, and his tone turns mocking.
IT HAS BEEN A CENTURY SINCE THIS LAND HAS FELT MY WRATH. A CENTURY YOU HAVE HELD ME HERE, BUT ALSO A CENTURY YOU HAVE NOT RESTED.
The beast rises into the air, above Zelda, still within the boundaries of her prison.
YOUR POWER WILL FADE SOON ENOUGH, AND THEN I WILL RAIN MY POWER DOWN ON THIS CURSED LAND!
Zelda grits her teeth, and says a single word. "Never."
Ganon shrieks, plunging the sky above her into a looming red, the moon the colour of blood. She can hear the cries of monsters around her, even though they are nothing but illusions. Sometimes, Ganon summons her friends, her family, people she knew.
But she knows something he doesn't. She knows that Link is awake, roaming Hyrule. She knows he's heading for the Divine Beasts, to free Hyrule of the corruption that had settled on its land. She knows that he's getting stronger, and will come to free her soon, and seal the Calamity.
And she takes smug satisfaction in the fact that the beast never summons the knight himself to try and plague her. She can tell that it's realised it will give her nothing more than determination, making her draw power from her memories of him to keep going despite the odds, just as he did for her.
She'll hold back the Calamity for as long as it takes.
Bro, why the FUCK is so difficult to USE? Why do I gotta use some stupid doc manager, then upload it here. AND WHY DO MY ITALICS EAT SPACES