The First of Us

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My eyes flashed open as I was back in the shallow waters with the endless sky. I was down on my hands and knees, looking into the glassy water. What I just saw was someone else's life . . . the life of the person who all the daughters of Hyrule were named after, Zelda.

The water rippled, and I quickly glanced up to see the blonde girl whose life I experienced. She smiled down at me, beaming like no one I've ever seen before. The last I saw of her life was her being enclosed for thousands of years. She let go of what she loved most.

"Hello," she said, extending a hand out to me. I took it, standing to my feet.

"Hi," I uttered, amazed by how positive she was.

She closed her eyes, as she gave a small laugh, "I'm sure you're probably wondering what happened next. But we'll get to that later. Right now, I want to explain a few things to you. As you have lived my life, I have helped you battle Calamity Ganon. We are all connected you see, but each of us is bonded in different ways. But there is only one thing that links us together."

Remembering when the power awoke in me, I realized that she was the first face I had seen. "You were the first one to call to me," I gasped.

Another smile, "Yes. Seeing your pain reminded me of my own, which leads us back to that one connection we all have. Your chosen hero's name is quite fitting, don't you think?"

My heart softened as I spoke his name, "Link."

She nodded, "No matter how many times the spirit of the hero is brought to the land, the hero always looks after it, even if it kills him."

Her smile faded a bit as she walked past me, a hand clutched to her chest. She scanned the beautiful view of the sky and the water. No horizon could be seen as it simply went on forever.

"So are you acting as Hylia or as Zelda?" I asked, confused about the matter.

She turned back to me, "I think it should be noted that there are some differences between us. Yes, I am Hylia reborn as a mortal, but she eventually had to become a goddess again. After that, I simply became Zelda, but her power blessed my lineage with wisdom and grace. I am sure you'll understand it soon enough. But for the time being . . . we were one and the same until Demise sucked the majority of her spirit away from me."

I understood what she was getting at. She was Hylia, but only for a time. In the end, she was still her own person and separate from the Hylia I had spoken with earlier.

"What about the spirit of the hero?" I asked.

A big grin came to her face, "While spirit can refer to a soul, it also can be defined as someone's character and personality. More than one person can share a divine trait. Your appointed knight is yours only, but his spirit of courage is just like any of the chosen heroes. It is our experiences that make us who we are, is it not?"

"I see."

She tilted her head, "Would you like to know what I experienced when I went to this realm as I slept?" She paused, then picked up again, "I was able to see all of his steps. For one-third of it, I thought it was a cruel fate. I watched him strain himself and wasn't able to do or say anything to him. During the other fraction, I was proud of him and laughed at his adorable reactions."

"What about the last bit?"

She crossed her arms angrily, "I was wondering why he wasted his time flirting and breaking everything he sees. I thought I knew just about everything that boy did until then." She relaxed with a laugh, "I guess it was kinda fun to see though. It isn't every day I witness him knock a chandelier to the ground."

I laughed along with her as I remembered when Link broke a pot when he noticed me eavesdropping on Father. It made me wonder what thoughts ran through his mind at that time.

"Does the guilt ever go away?" I suddenly muttered, ruining the happy atmosphere.

I heard her take a deep breath, then she stepped over to me. Before I knew it, she had me in a tight hug. Slowly, I hugged her back.

"No, it never goes away, but he is not dead. Just remember that. He is not dead." She backed away a little so I could see her bright face. "Now shall you fight my battle while I fight yours? I was sleeping during my thousand years, but you're combating darkness during your hundred. Fight for him. The spirit of the hero is our connection. I came to you first because of your love for him."

Immediately I felt my face begin to warm. I hadn't even said that phrase aloud before. Hearing someone say it made it a reality for me.

"Aww, look at that!" she said, then as if she read my mind, she added, "It took me a long time to say it too. After all that happened, I truly thought I wasn't worthy of his love. He came running even when he knew he couldn't reach me. In return, I kept crushing his heart and used it against him to forge the hero I needed."

"And I couldn't play my part . . . at least not until everyone was on the brink of death," I whispered, the Champions' faces running through my mind including Father's.

She giggled, which shocked me at how quickly she could pick up her smile again. It reminded me of how I acted when Mother died, staying strong for my people. We had more than just our love for our heroes to connect us. We both shared the same kind of confidence.

"I think perhaps we should finish with a happy ending," she said as my sight was drowned once again.

"I think perhaps we should finish with a happy ending," she said as my sight was drowned once again

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So there was your little break. It also gives me a chance to compare Zelda's Lullaby. I'll probably do something like this for each one. Vote, comment, and tell me what you think of how I pictured the spirit of hero and Zelda. To me it seems unfair for Zelda to be a completely different person each time while Link's soul is constantly reborn.

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