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Contrary to popular belief, Link does not pray to Hylia. Not in the same way Princess Zelda does nor the rest of the Hylians. In fact, he does not pray to her at all. This is not to say that Link does not believe that She exists for that would be blasphemy. Link has prayed to her before, in his chambers late at night after a long day at the Princess’s side. For days, weeks to be more accurate, he has watched her pray, whether it be in her bedroom or a sacred place with Statues that rise above the trees. However these efforts as of late have been to no avail.
He knows not to give up so easily, for if he had given up when life got hard, he would not be where he is now. At night, Link lays awake, not only because he has to, as the frequent monster attacks do not stop for the Princess to sleep, but because he is worried for her. He has always worried for her, even in the beginning when she was standoffish and cold towards him. He knew that she would warm up to him eventually, despite the slight language barrier and misconceptions most people had about him.
“Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside that sword on your back. Can you hear it yet… Hero?”
Hero. Hero had slipped from her tongue like a curse, a hex from Hylia herself. Some kind of insult at first, Link is sure. It seemed as though the Princess had not yet believed he was the Chosen one, as most of the other Champions had also assumed when they all met for the first time.
Link knows that he is not exactly the poster child for Chosen Hero or Hyrulean Champion. It is only through his patron goddess, Farore, that he has been granted the courage to wield the Master Sword that has been passed down to each and every Hero of Time. Unlike Zelda, Link has actually been successful with speaking to Farore and he does so when he accompanies the Princess on her sabbaticals.
Zelda stands in the water, hands clasped in prayer as she speaks aloud to the statue looming over her. Link stands guard, the Master Sword in its scabbard in his hands. From the distance, Link can’t hear everything Zelda says but he can put pieces together every now and then.
“Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away… Or so I’ve been told all my life,” she doubts, head falling down a bit.
At his makeshift post, though never letting his guard down, Link prays too, calling out to Farore in hopes for an answer.
Why? He asks. It’s too broad and vague but the desperation that seeps into the single word is enough to bring the Goddess to his aid. She has opened her heart to Hylia and yet… there is no answer. What is the Goddess waiting for?
There’s a momentary silence before Farore answers. Hero… The cycle has been continues and starts again with you, the Princess and the Calamity. The Goddess is weary and will no longer be of your Princess's aid.
Link frowns. He is not a god but he does not understand why Hylia has given up on her people. The cycle continues, he knows this. For ten thousand years, Hylia has been ready to help. What is so different about the Legend this time that Hylia remains silent in a time of need that was bound to come again?
“What is it?” Zelda’s pleading voice catches Link’s attention. The presence of Farore has faded away, signalling the conversation has ended, despite zero answers She had given him. “What’s wrong with me?!” Zelda asks, head tilted up towards the statue.
Link sighs quietly. She is getting nowhere, he thinks to himself. He slowly enters the water, wading over to her. He places a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It’s getting late,” he whispers, as if afraid that any louder would shatter his friend.
Zelda turns and looks up at him. Her eyebrows are knit together in frustration and anger, her eyes full of sadness and defeat. Sometimes it is still hard for Link to express himself. He’s conditioned himself to not let anything show, to set an example for all those who watch him, whether their gaze be full of adoration or fierce scrutiny. With Zelda, he tries to let his walls crumble even if just for a moment, to give her the reassurance and empathy she craves.
“We must return to the Castle,” is all she says, her previous facial expression now replaced with a blank stare. She walks ahead of him, out of the water and onto the ground. “I shall tell my Father that little progress is being made, to satiate him until we travel to Mount Lanayru.”
Zelda turns to Link, an expectation expression on her face. Link nods and keeps the plan in the back of his mind for tomorrow when they meet the King.
They ride back to the Castle in silence. Getting no response has forced Zelda into her own thoughts and the conversation Link had with Farore is clouding his own mind. Still, he can’t help but glance at the Princess next to him every so often.
Again, his mind begs the question: What is the Goddess waiting for?
The fire crackles in front of Link, casting a light on his face. Sitting here, with the other Champions and Zelda by his side, Link feels heavy as his burdens weigh on his chest and his conscience. His duties as Zelda’s knight, as the Hyrule Champion. That stubborn part of him wants to keep what he knows inside, buried in the back of his mind as something only he should worry about.
However, anything that has to do with the Calamity is the Champions’ and Zelda’s business as well. If any of them had found out what he kept secret, it would raise all hell within their circle.
Because it is not uncommon for Link to keep to himself, his friends around him continue to talk amongst each other. He doesn’t miss the glances Mipha throws him every few minutes but they are not filled with anything Link should worry about it.
“Right, little guy?” Daruk laughs, elbowing Link a little too hard though nothing severe, jolting him in his criss-cross position. If Link had been paying attention, he would have let a very small smile slip to show that he was listening but his delayed reaction had him in the full attention of his friends.
Zelda, Daruk and Mipha eyed him with worry, Revali with suspicion and Urbosa with intrigue. Link was a quiet person but never unattentive.
“What’s on your mind, boy?” Urbosa cuts to the chase. Link’s fingers itch to sign, to get everything off his chest but his habits overpower the want. His mind tells him he needs to keep this to himself for his sake and theirs. But he would never forgive himself if something happened to all of them because of a secret he decided to keep.
Link looks at Zelda, who shifts closer to him. She always translates for him when his voice betrays him. “He knows something,” she dictates. “Since two weeks ago. A-at the Spring of Power?” Zelda asks him.
Link nods. His hands are quite shaky but he controls his movements. He doesn’t want to show his nervousness for it may be perceived as some other kind of emotion that is not accurate.
“The Goddess Farore had spoken to him.” Zelda’s voice trails off at the end. This is what hurts the most. He did not want Zelda to be discouraged, knowing that his patron goddess is easily accessible while hers is not. Link already knows his constant presence was a reminder of her own failures. Revealing this information only added onto that, he was certain.
“And what did this Goddess tell you? Hylia is the only one you should be listening to,” Revali leans back. His posture seems relaxed but Link knows he’s interested and wants to hear more. “How is this going to help us?”
The question brings Link to a halt. How is this going to help ? Revali had asked. How? How could Link tell them now, that there would be no help? That the Goddess Zelda has spent many nights risking her health just to hear one word from is never going to come?
Link signs, albeit a little reluctantly. Knowing that Zelda would have to relay what he said to the rest pains him but it was out there now. “The Goddess is…” Zelda closes her eyes. “She has gone silent.”
A small gasp comes from where Mipha sits. “That cannot be,” she exclaims with disbelief. The rest are stunned into silence. Though Link always has a stoic facial expression, the one he wears now is a bit more grave and telling that he is telling the truth.
The sacred Goddess of Hyrule has given up on her people and will not return, even with the threat of Calamity Ganon creeping upon them as the days pass by. It is only a matter of time before he reawakens to ravage the land with Malice and Hatred.
The silence between the six of them is deafening. Link had told them all he knew. There wasn’t much Farore had told and Link was sure if he were to ask again, it wouldn’t prove to calm their nerves. Based on what the Goddess had said, it was safe to assume that no matter how much Zelda continued to pray, she would still not get an answer.
“This is impossible,” Mipha frowns. “How could Hylia abandon you… Us?”
No answer.
“So we are destined to-to lose?” Zelda whispers, staring at her hands. “I’ve spent my life praying for it all to be futile?”
“ No ,” Urbosa interrupts Zelda, taking her hands. “Somewhere in there, your sealing power lies dormant. We will continue to aid you in your quest to seek it out, whether you pray to Hylia or begin to find your own way to accessing your power.”
“We are Champions!” Revali exclaims. “With our combined strengths,” he begins, though side eyes Link, who has become an expert in ignoring the Rito’s instigations. “We are sure to win. There can never be a doubt in our mind that we will lose.” He finishes, a stern look on his face illuminated by the fire in front of them.
“I’ll drink to that,” Daruk laughs. The rest agree and hold up their cups, passing the beverage. Link and Zelda remind the other Champions that they are only sixteen to which Daruk waves a hand in dismissal. “We’re the adults here! We’ll take care of you, now until the Calamity and far after that!”
If we make it after that, Link thinks.