Chapter 7 - Visit to
the Hyrulean Library
‘The horses are too slow; we’ll never make it in time to the
castle!’ Day line was beginning to break over the fields of Hyrule, and time
was short. ‘Zelda, come! Jump up on my back!’ The wolf Link stood before her,
waiting. She mounted his back, grabbing his long mane hairs in her hands
tightly. ‘Are you safe? With me like this?’ ‘Don’t
worry Link; I will follow you wherever you go. I promise!’ These words
reassured the Hylian that she had accepted what he
was, and so he set off with lightning speed, as fast as his paws could carry
him. Zelda felt how his powerful back galloped under her, and she tried to stay
in rhythm with his fast pace, soon getting used to it and getting comfortable
the way she sat, with her legs tucked tightly against his sides. It went so
fast she got tears in her eyes. Hyrule
Castle lay far away into
the north from Faron Woods…
The Hylian had a strong back, and
this helped him as he ran, as he was a wolf, his stamina had increased
tremendously from that of a human, and he could run for long hours if he had
to. Added to his wolf self was the strength and speed of the wolf, making him
ever the more adaptable to any terrain in his path. It felt like he ran over
the sky, so light was Zelda on his back, and she gave him strength to carry on.
He had never felt this free when Midna had sat on his
back, commanding him with harsh kicks on his hips to make him go where she
wanted. Midna…where had she gone? He hadn’t seen her
for so long. ‘Midna…hasn’t been here in Hyrule since
you took farewell of her in the Arbiters grounds, hero of light. She was never
here; she just existed in your mind.’ Farore spoke to
him, as she felt his sorrow. ‘I just had that made up in my imagination?’ ‘The
only link between the world of Twilight and Light is forever broken. She cannot
come back, no matter how much she wishes to. She did it to save Hyrule from
future perils. You too, should realize that the Twilight Princess is not in
Hyrule anymore. Let your heart accept that which is true, and courage shall
follow’… Her beautiful voice faded from his mind, and Link finally realized
that Midna was never coming back…
‘Link? Why are you…whining so
sadly?’ Zelda whispered into his wolven ear. He
slowed down to a walking pace, not sure if he wanted to answer. ‘…its Midna isn’t it? I remember how sad you looked when she
parted…’ ‘It’s not like that.’ ‘Admit that you had feelings for her, I saw the
way you two looked at each other.’ ‘No, it wasn’t me who had feelings towards
her; it was her who had feelings for me.’ ‘I doubt that, you really looked like
you had something for her too.’ Link stopped, Zelda still on his back. ‘Maybe I
did have some kind of feeling towards her at one point but it faded away after
that I had met you. When I saw your lifeless body in the statue of the triforce, I felt that it was my fault, for not saving you
earlier, even if you saved Midna by sacrificing your triforce of Wisdom. I should have taken you away from
there, and not listen when you warned me of the guard, I could have beaten him
easily, even as a wolf.
’ ‘You never give up, do you? You really wanted to save me
there from the beginning, Zelda giggled; I actually laughed on the inside when
you stopped growling as soon as I turned around. You looked so surprised…’ She
petted him on his side, forgiving him for her jealousy that he may have had a
relationship with Midna. ‘Zelda, you will always mean
the most to me, more than any woman in the world, even Midna.
You are my destiny. Besides, we’re of different species Midna
and I, so I don’t see how that would work’…
‘I will always see Midna as a
friend, Link, I just wanted to be sure’…
They reached the castle, their arguing over and forgiven.
Zelda got off Link’s back, and Link himself retransformed quickly to his Hylian form, darkness flashing towards him and disappearing
as soon as he was done. Zelda wasn’t afraid of his wolf self anymore, she knew
that it would always be there as long as he had the triforce
of courage. Link shrugged a little, stretching out his back. ‘I wasn’t too
heavy for you, I hope?’ ‘Not at all, I’m used to carrying much heavier things,
like my sword.’ They sneaked into the castle library, a large hall with
countless number of books about all Hyrule, both past and present. Zelda lit a
lantern, its light shining faintly on her face as she made her way to the shelf
with Hyrule’s oldest history books. ‘The book of Mudora should be here somewhere…ah Link!’ Link had grabbed
her waist, making her blush slightly. ‘I can help you, you know that don’t
you?’ He whispered into her ear, kissing her neck silently, making her blush
even more. He wanted to comfort her, and assure her that she was the woman for
him…
Zelda enjoyed his emotions of love, tempted to give back to
him, but she had found it. She held an old, worn leather bounded book in her
hands. Link stopped his lovely kisses and sat himself by her, returned to his
serious self. ‘I wonder who my father was…’ They turned, page after page
carefully of the old document, written in ancient Hylian
together with depictions of famous scenes of Hyrule’s
history.
‘Hmm? Look Zelda. A wolf…’ A large,
white wolf stood on a battle field, its fur wild and covered by blood. Banners
of the Hylian tribe flew in the wind behind it, fires
coloring the sky a red tone. ‘Here stands Leader of
Knights of Hyrule, Link read. In battle, there are those who can assume the
form of a beast who has chosen them as their warrior by performing highly
skilled magic. There is among Hylia’s legends one
that speaks that this warrior assumed such a form when fighting against the
forces of evil. It is said, that evil trembles when facing a divine wolf. He
turned the page, seeing an image that reminded about him. Somehow, the warrior
in a green tunic with silver embroidery, armor
protecting his shoulders and chest, looked like an older version of himself. He
had a decorated red colored Hyrule wolf head on his armor chest piece. His hair was blonde and his eyes a dark
blue. He looked like someone who had been under the teachings of the sword
blade his whole life…
‘You…must flee…run before it’s too late! Link must be
saved!’ A burning fire colored the sky in red, a torn
battlefield in sight. A wounded knight loomed protectively over a Hylian woman and her baby boy. His chest armor was drenched in blood, and he bleeded
severely. The baby cried loud cries of sadness and fear, as the knight fell
over on his knees onto the ash black ground, dropping his sword.
‘I…I love you…Link will…lead Hyrule…to a new age!’ The Hylian mother looked at her husband, the father of Link, as
his eyes slowly faded away from a dark blue to but a mere shadow of light blue.
She bent down and held him for a long time in her arms, his blood leaving
stains on the blanket Link was in, as he stopped crying but instead grew silent
by himself. He felt something in his heart, even if he was just an infant. He
reached out his child hands towards his father’s scarred face, feeling how cold
he had become, all the warmth and comfort he had once known gone. Something
terrible, strange had happened. Why wouldn’t his father wake up?
‘…Come here Link…don’t be afraid.’ He heard his mother’s
tender, sad voice calling to him, as she took him back into her arms, holding
him tightly. ‘You’ll be alright…she sniffled and cried you’ll be alright…’ She
hugged him, and he seeked her warming safety, away
from all the distress and fear he felt. She got up and ran. Link looked back at
his father over his mother’s shoulder, why wasn’t he coming too? Why did he
just lie there and not get up? He started crying once more, wanting his father
to come with them…
‘…Link? Are you alright?’
‘When I was born…I encountered death. My father died on the
battlefield at the Hyrulian Civil war, Mudora says this. My mother…after bringing me to safety… He
turned away his head, closing the old book tightly in his hand, making dust fly
over the floor. I…I can’t bear to read anymore about my past…I just can’t. It’s
too terrible, too sad, and it breaks my heart and leaves my mind restless,
Zelda. I get nightmares about my past if I know more about it. Dark dreams,
filled of long gone memories…’
Zelda sat still, the lantern’s dim light still burning a
bit. She didn’t know how she could help Link other than to comfort him, and
remind him of that those ages of darkness were since long gone from Hyrule. The
Hyrule they lived in, that was the true Hyrule. Not a Hyrule of darkness, wars
and greed, but a united kingdom,
blessed with green forests and tall mountains.
‘Link…Do not try to think so much about the past, but of the
present. She moved closer towards him, feeling his warmth. We are destined by
the Goddesses themselves to live in the land they have created for us, you must
never forget that.’ His eyes shone a bit, his glance apprehensive. Zelda
reached out her hand, caressing his cheek softly, making him drop his guard. He
flinched at her touch, at how comforting, forgiving it felt against his skin.
‘Don’t worry…I’m here for you’ Zelda whispered slowly in the darkness. He felt
much safer now. But still, Link felt that anguish within him, despite Zelda’s
love. He hesitated. ‘…I...have to go, Zelda…I’m sorry, I just need some time
for myself…’ Link carefully took Zelda’s wrist and pulled down her hand from
his face. ‘I understand. Take the time you need Link, I will wait for you…’ She
smiled, but felt a little rejected on the inside. Sure she understood his
reasons for leaving her, but why wouldn’t he let her care for him like he cared
for her? He had showed his feelings in the forest; she wanted to give her love
back to him…for once she felt happy with her life. The life of a royal was
solitary and full of responsibilities and duties to be fulfilled. But love…love
never had come into her life. She had been alone, all alone in the Twilight
with no one to help her or comfort in the way Link did. She had never felt love
before, or that special attraction to someone. But with Link, she did, it was
like they belonged together, and she didn’t wish to be left out in the dark and
not be able to be by his side. ‘Link...you are the only reason why –I feel
alive, why I can keep going although I wish not to, to be free of all the
responsibilities of a ruler, to love you, to be with you! Let me care for you
as you care for me!’
She came to him, embracing him, kissing him on his lips. He
kissed back, comforting himself in the love she showed him. Closing his eyes
silently and holding her tightly in his strong arms. Yes, this was what he
needed. This was what he lived for, in a time of peace and prosperity, and his
eternal precious love. Whatever happened in his past was over. This is where he
belonged, and not in an old, not united Hyrule of War and despair. ‘Zelda…’ He
moaned, holding her closer and tighter against his body, not wanting to risk
losing her. She held him back, just as tight and felt that nothing in the
world, neither evil nor goddess could ever split them apart in any age, in any
life. Their triforce’s shone of golden power, as if
rekindled once more by their love…