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Every now and then, in the large expanse of Hyrule’s many mountains and valleys, oceans and deserts, rumors of a someone, or a something, would pop up. Whispers would creep across the stable network, as people huddled together in hushed tones about some uncanny hero who would walk straight into a monster camp and seem to understand the creatures.
Rarely did anyone try to get a closer look, but if they did they would have noticed eyes that were just a little too blue, piercingly artificial. The shade of the guardian beams. Teeth that seemed just a bit too sharp, a bit too perfect, and a smile that looked more like a warning than a greeting. Scars littered his body, spiraling, twisting, crawling up and down his figure. Scars that healed from wounds that should have killed.
The strangest thing of all was the elusive fairies that seemed to surround him and the silent princess flowers that appeared in his footsteps shortly afterward. Troublesome monster camps would disappear with no sign of a struggle.
Children’s grandparents would whisper “didn’t he resemble the fallen hero. The silent knight who died protecting the princess (may Hylia save her soul) from the calamity.” Children would echo the sentiment, not really knowing just what they were talking about.
Those who explored old ruins saw glimpses of him the most. In searching for treasure they saw what had to be a ghost or trick of the light, until they came across still warm embers of fire and a flash of a fairy in the opposite direction.
Link didn’t know how to interact with people. He had woken up covered in a blue sludge, jolting awake to a strange disembodied voice calling his name. After gracefully exiting the strange solution (read: flailing then falling out of) he became more confused as the voice called out directions.
“Grab the slate” it said. He stood blanky, having no idea what the “slate” was. A slate of rock? Eventually he seemed to find the right thing, and the voice gave him more instructions, but he zoned them out, staring at the device in his hand.
It responded to his random pokings and nudgings, and he found himself walking with it, exiting the cave, maybe stepping outside would fix that apparent map page. The voice echoed more instructions to exit the cave, a fondness seeming to creep through. Achingly familiar Link followed its advice and directions.
The interacting with people got worse after he found out the old man he had been following around and bugging was, in fact, a ghost. A ghost who rambled on about some sort of great destiny, and saving some princess (Wait? Was that the disembodied voice?). He zoned out part of the way through, as the old man rambled on about him somehow being a hero. Eventually his rant ran out of steam, and he asked Link a question. Looking up from his slate, he nodded yes hoping that was the reply the ghost wanted. Apparently it was as he was told to go to a village and talk to somebody who was not a ghost.
This was fine until Link actually left the plateau (he fought a talus and came away with a lovely diamond, wandering around more before he left the strange place he woke up) and met his first person. A traveler called out to him, offering to sell bananas.
He froze. Dread dropped into the pit of his stomach.
Slowly he turned around, eyes wide, and his fingers dropping down to the slate on his hip, ready for danger. The strangers' offers turned aggressive as Link quickly signed that he wasn’t interested.
The only sound was the pounding of his heart in his ears. His skin tingled and he felt his legs tense up ready to bolt. The stranger disappeared in a flash of gold and red, and before Link’s brain could connect to his body, he turned and ran, arrows hitting the ground where he was standing moments before.
He ran until nothing could be seen behind him, and darted into the forest. His back falling against a tree, he slid down until he was sitting on the dense forest floor. Arms wrapped around the legs pulled up to his chest as his heart still pounded, as he exhaled shaky breaths.
Brief flashes of blue light, surrounded by faceless soldiers in red, a glowing sword echoed through his mind. His teeth clenched together as silent sobs shook his body, the panic still running through his veins.
A small fairy came up to him, dancing around him before tugging at his hair. Old language seemed to echo into his mind, old and as familiar as the tree against his back and the susurrus crawling through the leaves of the trees.
His tense frame relaxed and a smile crept onto his face as the fairy continued to talk towards him.
Link avoided talking to strangers, people in general, slipping into villages late at night when he needed something (a shopkeeper would wake up to find clothing stolen but a diamond and a scrawled note of thanks hope this is enough in its place). He’d read notices of monster camps causing trouble and relocate them. He stuck to the ruins of old towns and cities, where it was furthest from the common man.
Sometimes, the disembodied voice, a little exasperated, would direct him where to help next.
Alone but never lonely, Link began to destroy the calamity.
When Zelda had scoped out the shrine of resurrection as a failsafe, she had looked into most of the possibilities. Purah and her ran multiple tests, before coming to the conclusion that yes. The shrine would heal. But it had a price, no great miracle could be without one.
A small cut on her arm had proved that when she placed it in to be healed, and then promptly after couldn’t remember the day before. It somehow affected memories. A life for a life in a way.
She grit her teeth as she added it into her contingency plan, praying that it never had to be used. And if it was that whoever needed such a miracle would be able to return to who they were.
When Link was hit by the beam of the guardian, the blue beam dealing a blow no man could heal from, she pulled out her final card. She had Link rushed to the shrine as soon as possible and watched as he slowly dipped in. Tears ran down her cheeks, clearing away some of the dirt.
Again she prayed deep in her heart that Link would return to her whole, the one who was her friend and protected her. She prayed she had been able to protect him in return. That he would heal quickly and maybe, this once, there wouldn’t need to be an equivalent exchange.
When she stood again outside of Hyrule castle, for the last time, she looked up towards the sky, golden powers twisting around her arms, clearly the goddess incarnate.
Words fell from her lips, that Link would be safe and come quickly, and she wasn’t too late. A prayer the failsafe would work better than expected. A prayer to see her friends again, safe and sound. One last word to the goddess to save their souls, as she stepped forth to seal away the evil attacking her home.
Her prayer was unanswered.