An Hour Later
“Where are we going?” Zelda stopped to catch her breath “We’ve been going through alleyways this entire time, why can’t we just take the main road to get to where we need to go?” she asked the young man. He stopped and put a finger to his lips and pointed at a hole in a fence.
She walked over to the fence and looked through the hole. She saw two men in black suits of armor carrying large swords and two lizard creatures carrying daggers and shields. She looked back at the young man “Guards? Are they looking for us?” The young man nodded and gestured to keep low and to keep following him.
She knelt down and continued to follow him through alleyways, dodging anyone and anything that could see them until they got to a steel wall at the end of an alley “It’s a dead end?” Zelda asked. The young man shook his head and pointed down at a steel plate. He took out his sword and used it to lift the plate revealing a deep hole with a ladder and motioned for her to climb on.
She nodded and grabbed onto the ladder, making her way down slowly until she reached the bottom. She looked up as the young man pulled the plate over the hole to cover it up. When get reached the bottom he lit a torch and continued through the tunnel.
After a little while they reached another ladder. The young man handed the torch to Zelda and began to climb; he got to the top and moved branches and leaves revealing an exit. He looked down, gestured to drop the torch and climb up.
Zelda dropped the torch and began to climb. When she reached the top he grabbed her hand and helped her out of the hole. She looked around and saw fields of nothing and a grand wall containing Gannon’s castle and the surrounding area. “What is this place? I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
The young man covered the hole and pointed to a forest in the distance. “Is that where we are going?” she asked. He nodded and began walking towards the forest, Zelda following behind.
Along the trip she saw ruins of old buildings and signs, one of the signs she was able to make out the words Lon Lon Ranch.
They reached the edge of the forest and were greeted by a small green creature that wore a large leaf as a mask “Welcome back to the Kakori forest…. I see you have brought a companion. Please, make your way to the camp. Follow the music and remember not to get lost or you will never leave the forest.”
The young man started walking into the forest, Zelda followed. She could hear a faint sound of what sounded like music. She would look one way and the music would fade and look another and the music increased in volume. After several minutes of what felt like going in circles the music was at its peak. Zelda could see torches just passed the next tree, after they passed them the music faded.
“I see you mission was a success. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.” A voice behind them said. Zelda, spooked, turned around quickly to see where the voice was coming from. She saw a woman with white hair and what looked like an eye tattoo on her face. “Where did you come from?” Zelda asked.
The woman smiled “We Sheikah have our ways of sneaking around when we don’t want to be spotted. Welcome to our camp, we are the last of the Sheikah tribe. I am Impa, the leader of this small tribe”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Zelda looked around; there wasn’t much in the camp. There were people with the same tattoo as Impa and there were what looked like refugees “What happened?” she asked
Impa stepped in front of them “That is a story for later, for now I need the two of you to accompany me to my hut.” She began walking towards a large building made of trees, leaves and branches still attached. She stopped “Come along, we haven’t any time to waste.”
The young man started following Impa which in turn caused Zelda to follow. They entered the building seeing Impa sitting in the center near some blue glowing rocks with symbols on them “Come you two, sit around the rune stones, we have much to discuss.”
Zelda and the young man sat across from each other around the stones “What do you people want with me?” Zelda asked. Impa grabbed a large stick “We need the two of you to save Hyrule and defeat Ganon!” she said as she poked the stones, causing them to show images of a man in green and a woman in royal attire. “The two of you are the reincarnations of Princess Zelda and Link, the wielders of the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage.
Zelda looked at her hand “The Triforce of Wisdom? Is that what that glow was?” Impa nodded “Indeed, which is the proof that you are the one chosen by the goddess Hylia.”
The young man looked at his hands confused. “We believe you to be the one holding the Triforce of Courage; however it seems to not have awakened with you yet. This may be the reason you were captured by Ganon and held prisoner for such a long time.” Impa said trying to reassure him “You showed much courage during your imprisonment and that is why we believe you are the wielder of Courage.”
Zelda looked at the young man surprised “How long were you imprisoned?” The young man looked down at the rocks. “Please forgive him my dear.” Impa cut in “He cannot speak; during his imprisonment he was tortured in an attempt to awaken the Triforce of Courage so Ganon can take it. After he failed Ganon decided to cut his tongue out and let him bleed to death. That is when our rescue party reached him, we were little too late and he paid the price. We saved his life, but he is unable to speak anymore. His name is Link, same as the hero of the past.”
Zelda, saddened by what she heard reached over and placed her and on his “I’m so sorry to hear that. I apologize for bringing up any horrible memories.” Link placed his other hand on top of hers and looked at her “Mmm” he shook his head. At this point both of their hands began to glow.
“Ah, would you look at that. This proves it, the two of you are destined to save Hyrule and defeat Ganon.” Impa said happily as she stood up “But before that I have a gift for you Link.” She walked over to a bookcase and pulled a book out causing the bookcase to swing open. She entered the hidden room and came out holding a green garb and a box “This was worn by all those before you when they defeated Ganon” she handed the clothes to Link “And this” she reached into the box pulling out a hilt of a broken sword “is the Sword of Evils Bane, The Master Sword.”
Zelda looked at the broken sword then at the images the stones were showing “It’s broken. What happened to it? How is he supposed to defeat Ganon with a broken sword?”
Impa looked at Zelda “Yes it is indeed broken, but Ganon has the shards of what used to be the Master Sword. I believe if we can retrieve them we can restore the sword back to its former glory. We have found out where three of the shards are located so far, the rest will be up to the two of you to find. There is one hidden deep beneath Lake Hylia, one in Death Mountain, and one hidden deep in this forest. Each guarded by a creature created by Ganon.”
Zelda slumped back “I don’t know how I can help, I can’t fight.” Impa grabbed her stick “Oh but you can, in your past lives you actually fought alongside Link.” She touched the stones revealing several of Zelda’s past lives. She was enchanted by what she saw. Her past lives using the power of the Triforce of Wisdom to Hold Ganon at bay for 100 years, giving a past link the ability to traverse time when the world was threatened by a moon falling, she even saw herself disguised helping a past Link. “These are all me?”
Impa held the stick upright next to her “No, these are not you. But if you train you can be better.” Zelda stood up and looked at Impa with determination in her face “Then, I will train. Tell me what I have to do.” Link closed his eyes, smiled and stood up “Are you going to train with me to Link?” Link looked at Zelda and nodded. The both of them looked at Impa “When do we start?”