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The sun slices through the transparent windows, it rays illuminating the darker, empty classroom. It's a neat workspace with a large blackboard at the front, several notes and diagrams illustrated on it with chalk, doodles drawn on by children in one corner. Desks and chairs, all lined up into sets of four rows cover the rest of the classroom.
Inside of this classroom, right at the front row desk, sits a child with a special destiny laid out for him. His head lays on the desk, arms covering his eyes to shield them from the bright sunlight. He is dressed in a stained, but proper outfit. It's a navy long sleeved v-neck shirt, with matching navy pants. Four white buttons just for show are stitched onto the shirt. The sleeves are rolled up, up to his elbows, and his hands are covered by dirty, brown gloves.
His red hat is placed on the side of him, leaving his golden hair to be in direct contact with the sun, warming his head up.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, BAM!
The door is abruptly slammed open, a child around the same age as him standing at the doorway, a giant grin plastered over his face.
"Link! Link, get up!"
The child shouts, his voice echoing throughout the whole classroom. More footsteps coming towards him tells Link that the child is quickly approaching, hardly able to contain himself. He aggressively shakes Link, trying to get him to wake as he has his eyes covered by his arms, daydreaming again. Although annoying, Link tries to make them give up by staying still, not moving entirely.
"LINK!!"
He shouts directly into his ear, in a loud, squeaky voice. Now for sure this time he would wake. Slowly stirring back to consciousness, he blinks both eyes open, still drowsy from the sudden wake. He shoots a slightly irritated glare at the other kid, who gives him an apologetic smile.
"Sorry 'bout that, Link! But it's worth it; come with me!"
His grin gets wider, looking hopefully at the young trainee.
"Go with you where?" He asks, slowly getting up from the chair he was sitting on while napping.
"To Adoba! Haven't you heard, Link? The King's sister is coming to Adoba! Aren't you at least a bit excited!?"
"Huh..? When did you hear that?"
Link squinted his eyes as though trying to look for something as he jogged through his memory, trying to find when he might've heard such. "Just yesterday!" The kid replies, "Wow, you sure are forgetful, Link! I'm surprised you even train here at this engineering school!"
Link narrowed his eyes into another glare, and the kid made an even more apologetic and nervous smile.
"Well, are ya coming?"
The kid is already back at the door, impatiently tapping his foot and crossing his arms. Link rises from the chair and leisurely stretches, still trying his hardest not to flop back down into sleep. A slow but sure nod, he goes with the kid out of the engineering school and down towards the station to hop on a train back home.
Even while on the train, Link was thinking about locomotives and of course sleep, having to be constantly bugged by the other student next to him if he wished to stay up. Many kids didn't like Link for this. They say he's too lazy and weird, always daydreaming.
Link tries not pay attention, focusing more on his studies, but sometimes their words get to him. Their taunts and mockery engulf him in a sea of despair so deep you wouldn't be able to see the sun.
The rhythm of the train is soothing, it runs along the tracks with only some small and momentary bumps. Link was getting ready to close his eyes and drift off when--
"Next up, Aboda Station! Aboda Station!"
The conductor's cheery voice makes Link sit up and awake, loud through the speaker.
The student runs out of the train and towards Aboda Village, a slow and still drowsy Link trailing behind. Up ahead there's quite a large crowd - nearly twenty people - shuffling excitedly. The friend that woke Link up has already joined this group, and he is forcing his way to the front.
Link can barely get a glimpse of the king's sister with his short height and the mass amount of people around her. The crowd is shouting questions at the poor old lady.
"Can you tell me about the king?"
"What's it like on your island?"
"I made something for you!"
In the midst of all the chaos and noise, the old lady locked eyes with Link who was still standing in the far back. She started approaching him, and the confused crowd fanned out to let her get by. Link blinked a couple times, unsure of if this was real or not.
"What's your name, young one?"
Her voice is soft and quiet, her words like a soothing blanket. He just stands there for a second, surprised that the king's sister would willingly talk to a nobody like him. He adjusts his red cap to cover his eyes, as he doesn't want her to see him acting so nervously.
"My name is...er... Link.."
It's his own name! Why did he pause to think about it? He tries to speak again, but as he grows more nervous words fail to form. In the end, it all comes out muffled and quiet while he refuses to look up. Luckily, his caretaker joins the crowd and pushes his way to the front.
"Aryll! I haven't seen you in years!"
Old Man Niko.
That's what the townsfolk - including Link - call him, but whether people believe it or not, he's a much greater person than his name shows. When Link returns home from his daily training, it's Niko and his slideshow that constantly remind him about the man's stories.
Though, like everyone else that has heard the tale, Link never really believed him. He also may have been daydreaming all those times but--
The two elders have a friendly hug, both of them murmuring things to each other. Link continues to watch and he's confused why they're having a friendly embrace. He picks at the dirt in between his nails until Niko finally directs his words to him.
"Link! This is the king's sister and one of my dearest friends, Aryll! I watched over her on our ship when she was first rescued, but now it looks like she watches over me!"
The old man laughs, and Link realizes that although the are both old and well... short... The king's sister is visibly much taller than him. Aryll smiles, and turns to the trainee as well.
"Link... That's a wonderful name. And not just because it's my brother's name, no!" She chuckles softly, "I know that many here are named after my brother, but I've never seen a single one of them that looks exactly like him when he was younger!"
Niko nods in agreement, "That's what I've been telling him all these years! A perfect replica of him."
Link forces a smile at the two, but it forms into a natural one not long after. Many have told him he looks like the king's doppelganger, but hearing it from the king's sister herself was a whole nother level of happiness.
"Th-thank you!"
He stammers, still feeling awkward. Niko turns back to Aryll, but he still means the words to Link.
"I was the one to invite Aryll down to Adoba, actually! I wanted her to meet you, and especially get to have some time to talk with anyone else!"
Smiles return to the crowd's faces, and children quickly dash and circle around her. They jump up and down, waiting for a story. Link backs away out of habit, but is trapped by all of the other kids. He's forced to stay with them a bit longer. He doesn't feel like an outsider now though.
Quietly - but wholeheartedly - he requests something, "Can you... Tell me about your story?"
All the kids instantly stop talking and freeze. It's almost as though someone just muted all of them because the abrupt silence was almost too perfect. All eyes are on the trainee, and most of them are cold.
Why should he get what he wants? What's so special about him?
The same type of thoughts run through all the children's minds. To them, Link was only a ghost; a silent kid that never bothered to interact with anyone, always being caught in his own dreamworld. For someone as important as the king's sister to answer his wish while the rest of them have to sit there watching made hatred rise in them.
Aryll only melted the cold in their eyes with her warm gaze. She gestured the Link and the children to sit down in front of her.
"I would love to," she says. "Everyone can listen to this story, actually."
"It's not much of a story, I suppose. More like a song."
People gather 'round, eagerly waiting for her to begin. Our lucky child gets to sit in the front, right where he can hear her voice the clearest.
That day, when the sun was the brightest it had ever been, the tides the calmest, and the breeze most certainly the most comfortable. That day, when the destined boy was blessed to have been awoken by a friend so he wouldn't miss this event. That day, years ago...
She began to sing.
---
Spirit takes a deep breath, relishing the familiar salty scents in the air.
It had only been a couple months since he left New Hyrule and had joined nine other Links, all with different styles and stories, on an adventure to restore order to the ages. He was one of the youngest, but at least he was able to connect with another Link. A Link who was also his hero.
Wind, Hero of Winds.
Spirit now realizes what Old Man Niko had been saying about the many similarities between the two. They both shared the same blond hair, the same eye color, and even the same smile! The only difference between them (other than their clothes), were the many freckles that dotted Spirit's face.
Spirit knew early on that there was something familiar about the young sailor, and it only took a matter of days before he asked what his hero title was. Since then, the two acted like twins. You would always see them together doing anything. Wind would come out to look more outgoing, but if you look close enough Spirit also has a taste for pranking and mischief.
Now, although their journey is no where near it's end, Spirit has returned to New Hyrule. For him, the few months that he'd been away from his home felt like years. It felt great to be back.
The gang was able rest at his place with Niko, and the elder was overjoyed to see his friend again even if he was much younger. Spirit had found time to talk with Princess Zelda and inform her that he would be away for a long time. The princess agreed that he should leave on this trip, and that his pay grade would not decrease.
Right at this moment, the team gets to relax in Spirit's calmer Hyrule and actually enjoy themselves. Spirit was so excited to be back, that it looks like he's left to Castle Town. Unbeknownst to him though, a curious Wind stealthily trails behind...
The engineer is still humming the same tune even after he has left the train. Wind quickly picks up the noise and follows him through the train and into town. Wind has to admire how advanced and beautiful the place is, and especially because this is the place that he founded.
Spirit easily walks through the large crowds in the bustling town, while Wind is having a harder time as he's never been in a place with this many people. The only way he can track Spirit down is with his humming, that is all too recognizable to Wind for some reason.
Spirit is endlessly walking around the place, either just looking glad to be back or stopping to buy certain items from the shops.
Why does it sound so familiar? Where have I heard this song before? Wind asks himself.
The two walk around what seems to be the entirety of the town. Wind's feet start to hurt, and his stealth dulls as he starts to fumble around lazily. Maybe he shouldn't have done that because Spirit clearly takes notice of his stalker.
"Wind? What're you doing here? Have you been following me around for the whole day?"
He doesn't seem mad, but the engineer is quite surprised.
"I um... Was... Just curious about the... Uh... Song you were humming..."
He awkwardly mumbles, embarrassed that he's been caught. Spirit doesn't seem to mind though, as a smile quickly forms on his face. He flips open his pocket watch to check the time before approaching Wind.
"It's still only about 4:30 right now. I mean uh... It's close to sundown," he corrects himself when the sailor - who has not seen written time - tilts his head in confusion. "Let's head back to Aboda Village. I'll sing the song for you there; it'll sound much better then."
The two boys are able to catch the train to go back, all while laughing and enjoying themselves. Spirit had to nudge Wind awake several times since the poor sailor was so tired after all that trekking.
"Wind, we're here!"
The train halts to a stop and Spirit excitedly drags the sleepy sailor to the shores of Adoba. He looks out onto the horizon, the beautiful gradient of orange fading into blue reflecting on the waves in the distance. Wind takes his boots off and sits down next to him. The engineer smiles, looking at Wind, "I'm not that good at singing, but I'll do my best."
"Wait before you sing... Who made it? It's been bugging me all day because it just sounds so familiar...but I can't put my finger on who has sung it to me before..." Wind asks him, and Spirit's smile grows wider. "Oh! It's um... Your sister made it."
That's where I've heard it from! Huh, wow...
Spirit clears his throat, getting ready to sing. Wind eagerly waits for him to begin, returning the smile on the engineer's face as he begins...
A tale I know, from long ago
Kept safe within the sea stream flow
I know it well so I will tell
The tale of the Hero
Wind is instantly swept away into a storm of his own memories. He feels like a spectator, just watching everything that's happened to him in the past. He's blown away to the first time he heard her hum this tune to herself. Sandy shores, crystal blue waves, golden sun...
A tale from my homeland
Passed down through time
I wrote in the beach sand
Your name, oh big brother of mine
Years of the same sunny days. Even when it rained she was like the sun, putting a wide smile on anyone's face. Though they had their sibling feuds, she was Wind's beloved sister. The warmth in the fireplace.
It's been so long, I was still young
The churning waves roared loud and strong
He played with me, there at the sea
So careless, young, and free
He's brought to another station of his memory. Laughter and squeals of joy filled the air. He can't help but smile at the memory. This was at least two or three years before the incident. They were careless, letting themselves get soaked in the saltwater. He can perfectly remember the scolding they had from Grandma that day.
A tale from my homeland
Passed down through time
I wrote in the beach sand
Your name, oh big brother of mine
Calm waves turn to tsunamis, chaos takes control and suddenly the world he knew is a totally different place. It's difficult to see, the rain almost blinding. He feels like he could almost fly away in the breeze from how harsh it was, yet his feet don't budge. An earsplitting screech echoes inside the walls of his mind, and the scene is all too familiar.
A calming sea, but suddenly
A dark bird came and kidnapped me
It took me high, up in the sky
I flew across the sea
Her screams send signals through Wind. Fear, desperation, and the strong urge to get her back where she belongs. Just reach out your arms far enough, maybe he could grab her. Just a bit closer...
A tale from my homeland
Passed down through time
I wrote in the beach sand
Your name, oh big brother of mine
This was the call of the hero. Something Wind had forgot about but now returned to him. This was the feeling of wanting to do something, to fix it. Make things right again. The brotherly love he felt for his sister at full force. The desire to help the people closest to you.
I was alone, all on my own
On a dark island, strange, unknown
I screamed, I cried, was terrified
I wanted to go home
That hurt. That really hurt. What made it worse waa he couldn't actually talk with her until the very end. He wasn't even sure where she was until he floated back to the surface, and he saw her on Tetra's ship.
A tale from my homeland
Passed down through time
I wrote in the beach sand
Your name, oh big brother of mine
It felt like his head was being thrown around. The repetition of the words were starting to sink into his mind, and every time it was repeated he felt worse and worse...
But all for me, he crossed the sea
He fought the dark and set me free
He showed no fear, hen storm drew near
He'd give his life for me
The cold is instantly swept away. Warm sunshine glows in the walls of his mind. She knew he would do everything to save her... Even acknowledging it in the song. There was something about that that made him feel peace.
A tale from my homeland
Passed down through time
I wrote in the beach sand
Your name, oh big brother of mine
These words don't seem so haunting anymore. They sound positive. Wind can imagine the bright smile on her face as she traces words into the soft sand. His name.
So brave, so young, and yet so strong
And now we are where we belong
Set sail, be free, explore the sea
"...'Goodbye, brother, so long'... Whew, that was a long one... Wind? Are you okay? Oh, oh no..."
In a blink, Wind is back to the shores of Adoba, the sun already set and the moon dimly illuminating the area. Some lampposts helping brighten up the place. Spirit looks at him worriedly, and it takes a while before he realizes why.
Tears
He touches his wet face as more tears streak down. He quickly tries to stop them, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve, but they just keep coming.
"Oh no... I-I'm sorry if I hit a nerve Wind... I didn't mean t-"
"It's fine."
"...What?"
"Really, I'm serious. It's alright."
His voice is croaky and quiet, but it's confident and sure. These may be tears from all the trauma and pain he has gone through, but also happiness. Pride. This song... This song isn't only a story for little children... It's a treasure. A present written just for him by his little sister.
The amount of emotion, sadness, and gratitude that is in this song must've caught him in a weak spot. But... That was okay.
"Do you... Want to be left alone?"
Spirit asks, still concerned for his friend. Wind nods, thankful. "Yeah, I'd like to for a bit."
The engineer returns a nod of understanding and gets up. He brushes the sand off his pants and heads back to his house where everyone else is.
"Take your time, but don't stay out for too long! It's already pretty late."
Spirit says lastly, before stepping inside the house. Wind sighs, still smiling. The weather was nice out, tonight. The clouds are absent, leaving the moon to shine it's brightest. He looks up at the stars that wink at him.
Thank you Aryll.