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Hylia sighed as she wandered the sacred realm. Ever since she had ceased to be a mortal, she’d returned to her goddess form, but her reincarnation into mortal flesh had made her power diminish. She was bound here, trying to protect the Triforce when she could, but really having little power to do much of anything except watch her dearest Link fight alongside the latest Hero chosen by the Golden Three.
She used to be able to do so much for her people, for her world, for her husband. Now she was just a memory, trapped in a forgotten realm. At least the Sages could keep her company. Usually that made things better, usually watching Hyrule expand and grow warmed her heart, usually seeing her descendants thrive brought a smile to her face.
But today… not even their company could cheer her up.
Today was their wedding anniversary. Her and Link, so many centuries ago, so many millennia ago… she still remembered that night like it was yesterday. She still saw his glowing smile, his bright and excited eyes. She still felt the weightless joy of being spun around in the air, the deepest intimacy they had shared the next day, the peace of resting with him the night after.
Every year, despite the immeasurable time that had passed, she paused on this day. Every year, her joy would fade, her peace with her situation would crumble, and she would be bereft all over again as if she had just learned of her fate, as if she had just learned of the curse that bound Link in spirit to every new Hero.
And every year, it rained.
Hylia wasn’t sure if it was her powers or the Golden Goddesses who did it, and she didn’t really care. But it certainly didn’t help her mood.
Whispers interrupted her brooding, and she paused, listening. Prayers. They were prayers.
For a time, the people of Hyrule seemingly forgot about Hylia, mentioning a goddess of time without recognizing who it was. She honestly thought it had been better that way – she didn’t deserve recognition; she still hadn’t managed to entirely rid the world of Demise, after all. But nowadays, belief and mention of her had returned, and there were statues in her honor everywhere.
But none for Link. So little recognition for Link, for any of them. They deserved it far more than she did.
Sighing, Hylia sat alone, watching the statues. The one benefit of them was that they served as a conduit for her. She could sometimes make small differences in people’s lives, and she appreciated that. The sacred springs served as even more powerful means for her to commune with the living, but she could never quite get them to hear her.
Her gaze drifted towards one particular statue situated in one of the gardens of Hyrule castle. There, two of her descendants stood before it. The queen and the princess. Hylia smiled at them.
The two recited a prayer that had been spoken by many, an honoring and a petition for peace. The little princess stumbled over some of the words, still trying to memorize the prayer. Hylia’s smile grew.
She sometimes could speak with her descendants, but it varied from generation to generation. The late Queen Mother could hear her voice, could hear the voices of many of her ancestors, and the queen showed some indication of it as well. But the little princess was not old enough, was still confused at the concept of it all and very reliant on her mother. Hylia pondered the prophecy that had just been spoken of the oncoming storm, and she wondered how much such a burden would affect the queen as she tried to raise her daughter.
Her heart ached at the thought, and she turned her attention away from the two, unable to watch any longer. Not today. She couldn’t watch them today.
Hylia pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them, trying to block out everything around her. She missed Link so desperately.
“Dear Hylia… I don’t know why you’re sad, but I brought you some flowers so you’d feel better.”
Hylia gasped, her head shooting up. She looked around wildly, but none of the Sages were nearby. Who else would be in the sacred realm?
Was that… was that a prayer?
Slowly rising, she looked from statue to statue, her divine eyes quickly scouring the entire land, when they settled on a small statue in Hateno Village. A little boy stood there, arms filled with an enormous assortment of wildflowers ranging from nightshades to safflinas to silent princesses. Hylia squinted a little, and for a second, she could see her Link, her precious Link, holding the flowers as well.
The Hero. This was the new Hero, already chosen by the Golden Three though not known by the rest of the world. Not yet.
“Mama told me that the rain is because the goddess cries,” little Link said as he stepped closer to the statue. “And she said it always rains on this day every year. Papa says it can’t always be because you’re crying. He says sometimes you want to make sure everything grows and blooms. But I think… I think today it’s because you’re sad. So I got some flowers, because Mama loves flowers and they make her happy, so I thought they’d make you happy too.”
Hylia stared at the little boy, yet to be burdened by destiny, and gazed into his eyes from her view in the statue. They were soft, sweet, innocent. But for a moment, just a moment, they were ancient, loving, and concerned.
Hylia felt her eyes sting with tears, and she smiled, she genuinely smiled for the first time in what felt like an eternity. “Thank you, Link.”
The little boy’s face broke out into an enormous smile, and he hurried to the statue and placed the flowers in front of it. “You’re welcome!”
Startled, Hylia jumped, taking a step back, but the boy didn’t seem to notice.
“Link!” a voice called in the distance. “It’s dinnertime, come on!”
The child gasped in delight. “Coming, Mama!”
Without another word, he ran away, but he turned briefly to stare at the statue—at Hylia—one last time. He smiled, his face aglow, and waved, and then he continued on his way.
Covering her mouth as a gentle sob escaped it, Hylia let the tears fall freely, but she no longer felt alone and cold. Her tears slowly stopped at the sight of the flowers, and she reached out and could almost feel them. She smiled, her heart full.
The rain faded away, leaving a golden sunset that bathed the world in warmth.