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Zelda squinted as the overhead sunlight broke through the trees. They had left the castle early this morning, a small entourage consisting of a few guards, Herself, her Father, the Champions, and the recently selected Hero candidate. She turned her head to look back at him, riding his horse, Epona, at the back of the train. She hadn’t talked to him that much, after all, he was just selected. She wasn’t even there- but Urbosa, who was, had told her of how he had taken down every opponent with quiet solemnity. She frowned.
If he did manage to draw the Sword that Seals the Darkness (and secretly she was a little skeptical, he was shorter than her, for Hylia’s sake!), this boy, “Link”, as he was called, would surely be assigned as her bodyguard. Zelda hoped he was a little more sociable than he appeared if that was the case.
Sitting astride his brown mare, his eyes were almost closed, barely guiding the horse. She scoffed. Even her own mount, a beautiful horse with a pure white coat named Blessing, was not that well trained. And the royal stables had worked on her until she was perfect. A strangely shaped sack was strapped to his back, on top of his sword. Oh how she itched to open it up and see what was inside.
As she watched, another horse rode up beside him. An older man drew his horse parallel and started a conversation. That was right- Link’s Father was one of the guards riding with them. Zelda found it amusing that if Link successfully drew the Sword, he would technically outrank his father. Satisfied with her assessment, Zelda turned around.
They were heading towards the Lost Woods, where the Sword was recorded to be sleeping. Zelda could see the huge canopy of The Great Deku Tree even from here. The mist that the woods was famous for hung about it like a cloak. At this rate, they would be there in under an hour.
Zelda spurred her horse forward, maneuvering it so she could talk to her close friend, the Gerudo Champion Urbosa. The woman was too tall for a horse, so she walked alongside the others. Even mounted, Zelda could just meet her eyes without stretching her neck. “Hello.” She greeted.
“Sav'aaq.” answered Urbosa back, a smile stretching across her lips. “How are you holding up, Princess?”
Zelda couldn’t help but smile back. “Oh, you know me, I simply adore riding. I don’t envy you though- having to walk!”
This provoked a chuckle from the Gerudo. “Don’t worry about me, Princess. We Gerudo are tough.”
They chatted pleasantly for the remainder of the ride, and Zelda promptly forgot about the strange feeling that Link gave her and her worries about his assignment.
When they arrived at the forest, they had to dismount, leaving all the Guards but Link’s Father to protect the horses. Stepping down from Blessing, Zelda smoothed out her ceremonial dress and brushed horsehair from the pleats.
Link dismounted a little ways away from her, and paused a moment to stare into his horse’s eyes. Whatever could he be doing? She saw his mouth open the slightest bit, but could hear no sound.
Wandering a bit closer, she could hear a faint melody. He was singing! His song seemed to relax the horse, who closed its eyes to listen before walking to join the rest without any guidance. Another oddity, she supposed, apparently Link could ‘talk’ to horses?
Inside the Lost Woods, Zelda made sure to stand close to the entourage. The place was… unsettling. Link, however, didn’t seem affected by the thick fog and eerie song. The strange bag was still on his back, despite being told to leave all belongings with the horses.
A few turns here, 3 terrifying seconds when their touch had burnt out and they had to re-light, and one stubbed toe later, the party passed through a
Massive hollowed-out log. A curious plant that looked suspiciously like a giant pea pod illuminated the path. The fog was thinner now, but the song was stronger. It had… changed tone somehow. Before it was foreboding and full of malicious mischief. Now it was fun, and playful.
The party walked into the most beautiful area Zelda had ever saw, a clearing surrounded by trees and full of sunlight. An ancient looking dais was in the middle, made of stone said to be from the creation of the kingdom.
“Link, prospective Champion of Hyrule, step forward and prepare to draw the sword.” Boomed her Father’s voice. Zelda took her place around the Dias with the other champions, as Link stepped up onto the stone.
“You may begin.” Ordered her Father. For a moment Link just stared at the sword. Was he nervous? Then he reached behind him, and drew the pack off of his back. Zelda could see her Father desperately wanting to tell him to focus, but tradition dictated that the ceremony be done with silence from the observers.
Link opened up the bag, and drew out- a harp? It was a beautiful thing, gold and engraved, and Zelda was pretty sure she had seen it in a history book before. Link threw the empty bag to the side, and held the harp in a playing position.
“Fi.” He spoke softly, startling the onlookers, “It is me. I remember. I have missed you since the beginning of this lifetime. Won’t you sing with me?”
There was silence for a beat, and Zelda wondered if he had gone mad. Then-
The sword flashed once, twice, before a blue and purple shape flew out of it, leaving a trail of reddish-brown flakes, like rust. Zelda gasped with the rest of the crowd. A young girl, looking to be around Zelda’s age, floated in front of Link, who now had a wide smile on his face.
The girl’s skin was blue, and her face looked like it had been molded out of the same material, like an unpainted doll. She had on a strange blue and purple cloak that covered her arms. Actually- Zelda realized as it flapped in the wind that only affected the girl- they were her arms.
“Master, I will always sing with you, and always have. Whether it you knew of me or not, I was there. In the shadows of Twilight and between Worlds, waiting for you to remember me.”
The clearing was silent as Link ran his fingers over the harp. Beautiful sound came out of each note, like it was a new, just made instrument.
“Could you sing the song that guided me so many years ago?” The Girl bowed.
Link quickly started to strum the strings, playing a tune that Zelda recognized in the back of her mind.
The girl sang.
“Oh, youth, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky, bring light to the land-“
It was a happy, triumphant song, but Zelda could feel tears form in the corners of her eyes. The two sang until the song was over, the final note ringing in her ears. Link set the harp back in his bag, and walked towards the sword, still dormant in the stone. He pulled it out almost effortlessly with one hand. The crowd parted as he descended the steps, still in shock. Link gently pried the ceremonial scabbard from the grip of a Guard, who was too busy staring at him with huge eyes to offer it to him.
A noise like bells, and the girl was suddenly in front of Zelda, examining her closely.
“Does Her Grace remember as well?” She asked.
“Fi, back up a little, you’re scaring her.” Came Link’s voice. Zelda couldn’t see him, she was too busy focusing on the being in front of her, but she could hear the laughter in his voice. “And no, she doesn’t. It’s a little different for her than it is for me. This one is actually the many-times daughter of the one we knew.”
Zelda felt a little insulted being referred to as “this one” but she let it go in favor of trying to understand what this all meant.
“Very well.” And Fi(?) was off, spinning back into Link’s sword. The party stood there, dazed, for quite a while, before a loud thump, and the subsequent loud curse, broke them out of whatever trance they were in. Link was already halfway out of the forest.
Zelda wanted a nap. Answers, yes, but a nap first.