Holding Out For a Hero

The Great Sky Island

Was it morning already? Link had been sailing for the past few hours with no breaks or rests. He must have drifted off to sleep, he was that tired! The sun was already high in the sky, and he could see the massive landmass that was Hyrule. Link reached into his sack and grabbed a traveler's sword and shield. It would be hard to fight Ganondorf with one arm. Strapping them onto his back, Link grabbed the oar and continued to row. His arm ached and his muscles strained after rowing all night. Link couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the nations of Hyrule as he drew nearer to the shore. He gently set the oar down. His stomach was aching! Grabbing an apple and stuffing it into his mouth, he picked the oar back up.

"Little Hero...you've returned. You thought you could escape my power?"

Link jerked up. How could Ganondorf have known he'd come back? "Ganondorf! You will pay for everything that you've done!"

Ganondorf laughed, a cold, cruel sound."That's what Rauru said too, right before he died. Just as you will."

A loud rumbling sound echoed behind Link. He slowly turned around, slightly afraid of what he would find. A huge tsunami the size of Mount Lanayru was zooming towards him! Link grabbed the oar and frantically started rowing as fast as he could with one arm. He couldn't die like this! Zelda, Hyrule, everyone was counting on him! Link gave up and jumped out of the boat as 500 pounds of liquid came crashing down on him, roaring like a lynel. Everything slowed down. Link was mid-air, flying towards the water, desperately trying to get away. The water's roar was deafening, as it came flooding down upon him. Link was sure he was about to die. His life was literally flashing before his eyes. Drawing the Master Sword, meeting Zelda, facing the Calamity, going into the past, and everything else that followed. Everything seemed so insignificant now. For the first time in years, Link was actually afraid for his life. The long-dreaded moment finally came. On impact, the water first felt cool and refreshing. Then came the pain. The excruciating pain. Link screamed as he felt his back snap. The pops sounded like fireworks. Then he was plunged into the ocean. Salty water streamed into his nose, burning like sulfur. Link tried to swim, but his efforts went to waste. His equipment weighed him down like a rock. Link was starting to run out of breath. Delirious, random thoughts that meant nothing floated through his head. Where was his boat? Did it get washed away with the flood? It had some stuff he needed! His food! Ah. There it was. Right above him. The boat sank down, pinning him to the sandy floor, crushing his legs. Link tried to scream, but all that came out were bubbles. His lungs ached like a Goron was sitting on him. The water pressure was starting to crush him. He felt his bones start to crack. Everything was going blurry. He couldn't see. Was that a...hand? And with that, everything went dark.

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      Link jerked out of his slumber, his face covered in sweat. What had just happened? Where was he? Did he die? Using both hands to push himself up, he looked around the room. He was in some sort of stone building, under a dome of massive vines. Wait. He used his hands to push himself up. Both hands.

 Link looked down at his hand and gasped in shock. He had an arm! A glowing arm made out of some sort of Zonai looking tech. An arm that looked...familiar. Like he had seen it somewhere. 

Before he could place where he had seen it, an otherworldly voice echoed throughout the cavern. "Ah. Link. I see you're finally awake." What was that? He recognized that voice from somewhere! "You don't remember me? Well, you'll find out soon enough." The voice sounded disappointed. "Make your way out of this cave, and I will direct you from there." Link blinked as the mysterious voice dissapated. He slowly walked towards where he presumed would be the exit, still stuck on the fact that he had an arm. His new arm was, to put it best, weird. It was glowing, pulsing almost, and had strange blocks of Zonai tech sticking out of it. There was also always this constant pull taking him towards the exit. Link, tired of waking up in caves, continued his way out, following the pull. The rocky walls were well structured, as if someone had constructed them from stone. They looked ancient and mossy. Link, still getting used to his new arm, reached a platform that led to a dropoff.

"Jump."

And so he did, trusting the voice not to betray him. Link landed in water with a splash. There had been a small pool of water right where he had landed. And over there, Link gasped, the exit! Daylight! Streaming through the cave entrance! Link jumped out of the pool and rushed towards the light, drops of water flinging off of him. Out into the open and...

Link immediately halted, all the breath knocked out of him. He was in the sky, possibly thousands of feet above the grounds. Clouds were below him. He was standing on the highest of a group of islands that were somehow floating in the air. 

"You made it! For a moment I thought we were going to lose you again!" Link turned around, and immediately recognized the voice and the arm. "Rauru! You're alive!" Filled with excitement and hope, Link rushed towards Rauru and folded his arms around him. They went right through.

Confused, Link looked at Rauru, his arms still inside of him. "You're...you're not alive?" He asked, his heart sinking with despair. "No, alas, I am not. I failed my duty." Rauru replied sadly. "I fell to the Demon King. The least I could do was imprison him until he woke you up."

Link sighed. Of course Rauru was dead. Even if he had stopped Ganondorf, this was a couple thousand years in the future. 

Rauru looked Link in the eyes. "Look. I know you're disappointed. But we still have a chance. There are shrines located around these islands that will give you aid on your journey to defeat the Demon King. All you have to do is take a leap of faith."

Link glanced in the direction that Rauru was looking. He understood what to do. Mustering up all of his courage, Link ran over to the edge of the island. This was for Rauru, Sonia, Ilia, himself, and most importantly, Zelda.

Taking a deep breath in. Link jumped.