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Watching the sunset at Death Mountain on the Death Mountain Trail was an amazing experience. My only wish was that Zelda was there with me by my side. The sky was painted with colors of brilliant hues – a soft, delicate pink, a fading light blue, a darker cerulean blue, morphing into a deep purple. It was beautiful. "Link," I heard Sheik call.
I turned to face Sheik. "Yeah?"
"Are you ready for your next lesson?" he questioned, motioning to the Ocarina I was fiddling with in my hands idly. He held his lyre as though he was cradling a baby; I had learned from my time spent with Sheik that his lyre was one of his most prized possessions, after Zelda. It had been gifted to him by his mother before she passed away, and a harp had been left in the possession of Kirstin and Reneer Adema for the baby girl the queen was expecting. Sheik said that it was as though the queen knew she was going to die. Whenever Sheik spoke about his parents, which wasn't often, I would wonder about my own parents.
I was sure that they were more caring and understanding than Ganondorf. They couldn't be worse than Ganondorf, right? I held my Ocarina in one hand and ran the other through my unruly blonde hair. "Sure," I nodded, preparing to learn another song. Most of these were songs that the Hero of Time himself learned on his own journey. Now it was my turn.
Puffs of smoke poured itself out of Death Mountain Crater, the center of Death Mountain. It billowed to the lit sky in a ring formation, and I watched in awe.
Sheik began playing a melodic tune on his lyre.
I copied it on my Ocarina, playing the interesting song. Sheik harmonized on his lyre, and we played the song as the sun went down. I wasn't sure what this song would be used for. Zelda's Lullaby could be played to any race of Hyrule, and they would respond kindly. The Song of Healing could be played, and those around me would be healed of bad memories or injuries. Sheik's Song had the ability to either summon Sheik or allow me to communicate with him telepathically.
Sheik watched me carefully, a grin spreading across his face. "You remind me of your dad," he stated a bit gruffly.
"Really?" I questioned; the Ocarina dropped to my side, and I turned to Sheik, interested.
He nodded, gazing out at the now dark sky. It was now twilight, and I suddenly felt mournful and sorrowful. "You feel it too, don't you?" he questioned. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "The twilight is a lovely time, and it brings both sorrow and joy – memories – good ones of good times and hard ones from hard times. But, shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. That's what I've learned, being an honorary Sheikah." He turned away from me. "This world is a hard one – and a cruel one. My mother was taken away from me and Zelda at very early ages, and my father, grief-stricken, turned to wine and alcohol in large dosage. My older brother turned to a life of isolation and separation, shunning me and Zelda because we both reminded him of our deceased mother. Zelda had to deal with the otherwise pent-up contempt, anger, and bitterness of our father and brother.
"Both hurting terribly, they would lash out at her often for no reason at all. Zelda would receive their blows with dignity, always acting like the Princess she was from a very young age. Always living in fear of our abusive father and brother, she never got a childhood. We both had to 'grow up,' in a sense, trying to bear the burdens our father and brother placed upon us. I was basically Arvid's 'understudy,' learning everything I could about how to rule a kingdom. Secretly amidst the pain and hurt I had been dealing with and without the knowledge of my father, I learned the ways of a Sheikah, becoming an honorary Sheikah warrior.
"I learned with the intent and purpose of being able to protect both Zelda and myself. We were both too young to have been placed in a situation like that. Dealing with sorrow, grief, anger, and bitterness, I grew to take consolation from the twilight – the one time of day when I was truly able to unleash my feelings. Shadow and light both make up our world, and I believe that that is how it was meant to be. All this to say that the twilight is reminiscent of something that happened a long time ago – the Twilight Invasion," Sheik continued. His piercing red eyes then flickered toward mine. "Do you know of the Twilight Invasion, Link?"
I wracked my brain but came up with nothing. We had never really learned about anything of the sort at the Fortress besides for some stories about the original Hero of Time. Shaking my head, I absently began to play Zelda's Lullaby on my Ocarina; a feeling of comfort surged through me.
"The Twilight Invasion is a tale of a Hero of Legend from many years ago – generations ago, but the story is still preserved today," with that, Sheik launched into a retelling of the ancient story from generations, back and back and back.
We conversed for some time, discussing the Twilight Invasion and other occurrences that had happened generations ago and were now a part of Hyrule's history. Sheik's sole purpose in informing me of these events was to prepare me for what was to come, which would hopefully not be as bad as many of the catastrophes that had occurred throughout history.
"Link," Sheik began; his voice lowered, becoming serious and grave. "There's something else you need to know."
Brows raised, I stood, waiting for an explanation.
"You have to be the next Hero because you fit the description of the Hero perfectly. An ancient prophecy that has been passed down through the Royal Family for generations confirms your identity as well. Zelda had insisted for quite some time that you were the next Hero, but I chose to disagree. Giving you the Ocarina was really a test I came up with to see if you were the next Hero – to see if my sister was right," Sheik admitted. "She was. The Ocarina basically served as a trigger to evoke the power of the Triforce within you. It was dormant until you made contact with the Ocarina."
I paused, unsure of what to think. Zelda had known that I was the Hero for what Sheik had said was "quite some time." If she had known, was she merely trying to get close to me so that I would save her kingdom? Had she only had intentions of using me? What were her intentions?
"You're worried," it wasn't a question; it was a statement.
I gazed out at the starry sky. We had been talking for hours if the night was any indicator. The twilight was now gone, and the curtain of night had prevailed over the shadows, engulfing the Mountain with its beauty. "I am worried," I nodded, accepting the truth. But what was the truth? I had trusted Zelda, and she might have only been my friend just to use me. Could I trust her again? As far as I was concerned, the tight bonds of trust that existed between us were slightly severed.
"Zelda was truly your friend," Sheik stated. "She wasn't trying to use you. She simply wanted to be a companion. You showed her kindness and mercy when Ganondorf was ready to kill her, and she was so grateful to you. When I would sneak into her room to check up on her, she would always talk about how you had helped her out in some way or would retell the various times you had made her laugh that day.
"I know my sister, Link," he continued. "As much as it hurts me to say it because I'm her protective older brother, she cares about you – deeply."
With that confirmation, I breathed a sigh of relief; our tight bond of trust had been restored, though it was not as strong as it was before. It couldn't be. Not with the doubt I had and not until I could see Zelda and talk to her, face to face. With that now partially resolved, I chose to return to our previous topic. "What were you saying about a prophecy?"
"Ah, yes!" Sheik exclaimed, beginning to pluck his lyre once more; this time he was playing a song unfamiliar to me. It sounded sad and mournful as well as slightly reminiscent of the twilight; it brought tears to my eyes. "There's an ancient prophecy that has been carefully guarded and passed down the Royal Family for generations. Its telling was always skipped a generation, so my father was not a recipient of it. The prophecy was instead told to me by my grandfather. He was wise, knowing that Arvid wouldn't be able to handle something of such importance.
"At my request, he also told Zelda. That was before his disappearance – five years ago. I was twenty at the time, and Zelda was a mere fifteen. Nevertheless, the prophecy remains in my possession; Zelda is at the Domain and is guarding it with her life. Our grandfather has since disappeared," Sheik ended. He looked restless, so I began playing the Song of Healing, almost on instinct.
Sheik, looking calmer, spoke, "This is the prophecy:
'When two beams of light meet
Are enslaved by chains
And have to overcome
They must push past pain
Joined by shadow, fire, and water
Must transcend fear
Must not conform
Will wipe away tears
A new candlelight
A shadow native to light
Two tears
Burning rage and steadfastness
A shy yet cheerful joy
A shadow towering above all in status
Betrayal and chaos will reign
Treachery from royalty and people the same
The Hero and Princess will be broken from pain
Heartbreak, fear, and betrayal will stain
The grounds of Hyrule forever and ever
After destiny's game.'"
Thoughtfully, I pondered the words of the prophecy. With my new knowledge, I could understand that the two beams of light represented me and Zelda. The last part of the prophecy was pretty clear: Zelda and I would have to endure much pain and hardship as would the rest of Hyrule. So, I could make sense of the first and last stanzas, but in my opinion, the two middle stanzas were confusing. I continued to play on the Ocarina, unsure of the prophecy's meaning in its entirety.
"I can see that you are having trouble with the middle two stanzas," Sheik stated, and I nodded. "Their meaning is rather unclear to me as well, but I do know one thing. I am the shadow native to light."
Things started to click only slightly as I took into consideration the fact that much of the poem was figurative. The two tears had to be Aqua and Marine. That was the only explanation that made sense. I wasn't too sure on the rest, though. I supposed that things would start to unfold as our journey continued. "Aqua and Marine," I spoke; the Ocarina dropped to my side.
Sheik nodded. "I figured as much, although I wasn't positive. We need to –"
He was cut off by a rolling Goron – Darron. "Brother!" the Goron exclaimed. "Your help is needed! Volvagia has somehow been revived!"
His mood darkening, Sheik's eyes widened instantly. "No," he stated. He turned to me. "You must defeat Volvagia, Link."
"Who or what is Volvagia, Sheik?" I questioned, doubly confused. I tucked my Ocarina in a special pouch Sheik had given me – similar to his own. It had a magical ability, allowing its user to place as many objects in it, no matter the size, without worrying about whether or not it would fit – because it would. It was technologically genius, I thought.
Sheik looked as though he was about to speak but was cut off by Darron once again. "He's this huge dragon that devours Gorons alive! He was defeated twice by two different people – the Hero of the Gorons and the Hero of the Time. Now, he has been revived with the intention of eating us all!" Darron's beady black eyes were wide, and his gestures were animated and intense.
"I believe that this is your first test as the next Hero," Sheik stated in his normal calm and serious manner. "You have everything that you need, Link, and you know what to do."
I furrowed my brow. "I don't have a weapon, Sheik, and I don't know what I'm doing at all."
"Am I really that bad of a teacher?" Sheik questioned. "The song I taught you – It's called the Bolero of Fire. You can use it to teleport you to the Fire Temple, which is within Death Mountain Crater. And you know how to use a sword. I'm sure we can find some decent swords around here somewhere, what say you, Darron?"
"And little brother will need a Goron Tunic to protect himself from the heat in the Crater," Darron added. "I'll go find a Goron Tunic and a sword and bring it to you here. From there, you can go to the Fire Temple and defeat Volvagia."
I stuttered and stammered, unsure of what was about to occur. I definitely did not think that I was ready for the situation at hand. "Uh – OK?"
"Do you mind if I slip into your shadow?" Sheik questioned as Darron headed off, in search of some sort of weapon I would be able to use.
"Sure," I shrugged. Sheik tucked his lyre into his special pouch, and it morphed in size. He then literally slipped into my shadow with ease, as though he had done the sort millions of times before; I supposed he had. Perhaps that was how he was able to sneak past our guards back at the Fortress. He could have simply slipped into Zelda or any of the guards' shadows, effectively making it past our defensives.
I stood, waiting for Darron. By now, it was the dead of night, possibly around one in the morning. I yawned, slightly tired. Was I going to be able to defeat a huge dragon while feeling this exhausted? Around fifteen minutes went by with no sign of the young Goron until he returned with not a sword – He returned with a huge steel hammer. What in Hyrule was I supposed to do with that thing?!?!
I felt Sheik shake within my shadow and presumed he was laughing. Haha, so funny, Sheik.
"Little brother!" Darron handed the huge weapon over to me, and my arms were immediately weighed down by the steel hammer. "I couldn't find a sword, but I found this hammer! – It's not just any other hammer – It's the legendary Megaton Hammer! You know, the one used by the Hero of the Gorons and the Hero of Time?"
I adjusted to the weight by using both hands; there really wasn't any other possible way for me to carry it. "The Hero of Time used this?" I was slightly impressed. The Hero used this weight to defeat Volvagia?
"Well, he didn't use it to defeat Volvagia, if that's what you're thinking. He used it throughout his journey, though," Darron spoke, as though reading my mind. "You have to go, Link."
"So I play the Bolero of Fire to get to Death Mountain Crater?" I questioned. Sheik nodded from within my shadow.
Darron held the Megaton Hammer for a few minutes as I pulled the Goron Tunic over my head. I accepted the hammer back as well as accepting my fate, if you will. "Thanks for the help, Darron," I stated, whipping out my Ocarina. I could feel Sheik nodding in approval once more. I played the Bolero of Fire carefully and felt myself teleport away to Death Mountain Crater. The overwhelming heat was immense and insufferable. Sweat rolled down my face, and I began to pant.
There were multiple rickety wooden bridges, and red-orange magma flowed freely underneath them. I placed an unsure foot on the first bridge, testing its durability. Finding it to be alright, I stepped onto it fully, testing my full weight, along with Sheik in my shadow. I tucked my Ocarina away once more before walking to the other side of the bridge.
Wiping away sweat, I continued across all of the bridges and though a stone passage, the fiery red light reflecting off the walls. I came to what appeared to be a hole in the ground. After examining it for several moments, I discovered that it was the entrance to the Fire Halls and headed down a wooden ladder. I was in – Well, we were in, if you count Sheik.
I continued through another smaller stone passage, finally arriving at the actual Fire Temple. I began to step near the set of steps leading upward, but Sheik began squirming in my shadow, and I presumed it to be a trap. I heaved myself up above the side of the staircase, and flames shot up near the front of the staircase. Sheik was right – It was a trap. I climbed up the rest of the staircase, heading to the left. There, I entered a door and found a small chamber.
Darunia stood, eyeing me levelly. "What brings you here, Link?"
Panting, I opened my mouth to respond, Sheik squirming in my shadow – for what reason I wasn't sure. Holding up the Megaton Hammer to show my purpose in coming to one of the inner chambers of the Fire Temple, I cleared my throat. "I am here to destroy Volvagia." I could feel Sheik nod his head in approval from the depths of my shadow.
Darunia took in my stance, complete with the legendary hammer. "You are willing to wield the Megaton Hammer and defeat Volvagia?" he breathed.
I nodded confidently. "I am. I can do this." The Triforce on my left hand glowed brightly in response to my statement, while my stomach churned at the thought of facing a huge dragon. This was not what I was expecting to do when I left the Domain.
Darunia sighed heavily. "I suppose that I have no other choice than to let you in. Here is the key to the door that leads to the inner-most chamber of the Fire Halls," he held out a gold key. Although it was huge in its own right, it was engulfed in Darunia's large palms.
I accepted the big key, turning it over in my hands as I felt its smooth texture. "Does this sound OK to you, Sheik?" I questioned, knowing that if something wasn't right, then Sheik would know. I had begun to trust his judgment, both as Zelda's older brother and as a friend. He nodded from within my shadow, as I had begun to grow accustomed to. I panted; the sweltering heat was getting to me, even though I wore the Goron Tunic. Sweat poured from my face, and the flowing molten rock beneath seemed to mock me tauntingly.
Darunia stepped away from the entrance to the innermost chamber of the Fire Temple – home to Volvagia. "Good luck to you, Link."
"Thanks, Darunia. I think I'll be needing it soon enough," I stepped up to the door, inserting the gold key in its huge lock. Creaking, the heavy door opened, swinging on its hinges slightly. I entered, wary of any tricks this dragon may have. I jumped to a stone platform then to an even bigger slab of rock. The platform behind me broke, sinking into the rushes of magma. I had no way to get to the door when this was over. Would this even be over?
Wondering where the dragon was, I spoke provokingly. "Volvagia! Where are you, coward?" Peering around the chamber, I remained on my guard, walking around cautiously.
From within my shadow, Sheik fidgeted uncomfortably, and I felt the ground begin to shake uncontrollably. I then met with what I presume to be Volvagia, bursting from a hole he created in the middle of the slab. He had a fiery aura about him, which was to be expected. He had what looked to be a huge fiery mane, and, although he didn't have any wings, he could fly. He didn't look too happy to see me, though. Snorting, he began to breathe fire and launch attacks at me. In all honestly, I was in awe. He was such a majestic creature, but I knew that I had to end him and his tyranny. Should any Goron wander into this chamber, it had to be dragon-free, or else disaster might occur.
He lashed out at me, flames leaping from his opened mouth. I wasn't sure what his weak spot was and began to panic.
"Link!" Sheik's voice echoed within my head. "Focus and use your instincts! You know what to do!" I paused in shock momentarily before recovering.
"Telepathy?" I questioned within my mind, and Sheik nodded from within my shadow. I then focused myself and blocked everything else out, following Sheik's instruction and honing in on my instincts, which pretty much consisted of me attacking any open part of the beast's body in an obvious frenzied panic.
Volvagia approached, and I slid on the loose rock beneath me, scrambling, trying to get away from the monster. I had no shield because of the immense weight of the hammer. Squinting, I swung at Volvagia, not quite sure what or where I was supposed to swing.
The beast seemed to mock my attempts, flying high to the ceiling of the chamber, knocking rocks down. Because I had no shield or form of cover, I had to run quickly, dodging any rocks that came my way. Volvagia then flew downward, and fire rained down on me. Smoke overwhelmed me, and I coughed, fighting to breath. Tongues of fire taunted me, burning my delicate, exposed skin, although I wore the Goron Tunic.
Volvagia knocked more boulders down, and I rushed to the side of the platform, dropping the hammer on the ground and lowering my body on the side of the platform, clinging to the edge. My feet were dangling above the hot magma, and I could feel its scorching heat. Once again, the dragon began to attack me with his fire while my panic renewed itself. Grabbing my hammer and using my upper body to pull myself upward, I heaved myself back onto the stone platform, slipping a bit. Ready to meet the beast, I dashed toward the center, hammer raised. The monster watched me with contempt, lowering itself so that it was level with me, and looked me in the eyes.
Mesmerized by the evil creature before me and without much thought, I involuntarily stabbed at the beast's head, striking at him again and again, hoping that something would make its mark.
Volvagia let out a pained roar, and I knew that I had found his weak point. I was just shocked that I had found it by primarily using my instinct. Relieved, I waited for the beast to try to attack me once more. I swung with the legendary Megaton Hammer, and a battle cry ripped from my throat. The mechanics of the hammer were actually quite similar to that of a sword, although I still believed that a sword was easier to use. Perhaps my opinion came from the fact that I had always practiced with my sword growing up, excelling in it. I had learned from one of the best – Ganondorf.
I focused on the battle at hand – one between Hylian and dragon. I advanced, circling around the beast. Volvagia attempted to ambush me with sneak attacks, using boulders, playing dirty. I responded by retaliating with blows from the Megaton Hammer when he flew downward to make eye contact. Unfortunately, because of the hammer's weight, I had to use both hands, hindering the agility of my movements slightly so that I wasn't as quick on my feet as normal.
My panic had died down slightly, although fear still dictated many of my movements, acting on the defense. There were several instances where I forced the hammer to move, going on the offense, but for the most part, I wanted to preserve my strength.
The battle ended abruptly with me as the victor. I had tripped slightly, propelling myself forward, and the beast had happened to be dipping downward, trying to strike me. We ended up crashing into one another with my hammer held above me, acting like a shield against the beast. The dragon was thrown violently into the steady stream of molten rock waiting for him. He caught on fire, bursting into flames. Burning, the flesh on his body disappeared, leaving merely brittle bones in the dragon's place. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, relieved with the defeat of the monster while still feeling extremely exhausted.
"Excellent work," Sheik stated. He applauded from within my shadow. It was interesting. While he was in my shadow, I was able to feel all of his movements, and we were apparently able to communicate telepathically.
"Thanks," I responded gratefully. I was glad that was over with; carrying the hammer, I turned to face the door. The platform was restored, and Darunia stood, proud and tall with his arms crossed. Joining, I jumped, landing perfectly.
Tired with exhaustion, I stumbled to the open door, eager to escape this blazing inferno.
"Thank you, Link," Darunia stated. "You've saved us all from that monster."
I shrugged, panting heavily. "No problem," I answered. Staggering away, I made my way with Darunia back to his office.
"Are you OK, Link?" Sheik questioned worriedly.
"I'll be fine," I responded. We arrived back at Darunia's office, and Sheik immediately slipped out of my shadow, helping Darunia steady me. Completely wasted, I collapsed on the floor, temporarily withdrawing from the world.
Dreams flitted to my subconscious; I savored what felt like a few moments with my dream Zelda and parents, telling them about everything I had encountered on my journey so far. Those moments were short-lived, however, and I awoke to the sound of Sheik's lyre. He was playing the recognizable tune of the Song of Healing, and opening my eyes, I immediately felt soothed.
"Ah, you're awake," Sheik stated matter-of-factly, pausing in his playing.
"How long have I been out?" I questioned, rubbing the back of my head slightly. My head ached, throbbing with pain, and I could feel that some blisters had formed from the intense inferno heat.
Sheik shrugged. "About five or six hours. You're recovered now, so you need to learn your next song."
"But wait, Sheik," I commanded. "Didn't we go to defeat Volvagia in the middle of the night?"
Sheik nodded. "Yes; we need to leave extremely soon, though. Our time here at Goron City is over." He began to play the cheerful melody of his song and waited for me to speak.
"But we just got here today!" I interjected. We had just gotten here, and we had to leave already? That didn't seem right.
"Correction," Sheik began. "We got here yesterday. We need to leave today. You'll understand why once I teach you your next song."
I fished my Ocarina out of the enchanted pouch hanging from my sweaty Goron Tunic. "OK?" I responded uncertainly. I was tired, and I longed for those few moments with Zelda to return to me, even if they were just dreams.
"Alright; you know the drill," Sheik answered. He began plucking his lyre, creating a cheerful, joyful melody.
Memories from the back of my mind were pulled forward, triggered. A name was on the tip of my tongue, and I fumbled with what to say. I couldn't grasp it, so I placed the Ocarina at my lips, copying the jovial tune. After several run-throughs, I caught it, and the name burst from my lips, unbidden: "Saria!"
~~~
Hey again! This chapter was slightly longer than before which is why it took me a bit longer. I can definitely see me getting off schedule a lot, so seriously, please follow me or something. Your support means the world to me. And thanks to everyone that has done just that so far. You guys are awesome!
(But seriously – I have school, and I'm now beta-ing for someone on FFN, so yeah... O_O)
Um... I hope this doesn't seem too much like OoT. I'm trying to kinda stay off that path, but certain events seem slightly similar. Things will start to shake up as the plot thickens, though.
Song Obsession: Super Mario Galaxy Soundtrack
Anyways, LOVE!!! ^^
~Elsie {Zelda}
Total Word Count (excluding Author's Notes):
4,689