A Link Without Zelda [COMPLETE]

3. Energy

Owins is at the temple as per usual. She performs all types of ceremonies from welcoming married lovers and their newborns to bidding farewell to the departed. In addition to that, she comes from a long line of spiritualists. Her ancestors understand the spirit world. The questions one seeks can often be found through thoughtful discussion with Ownis and her kind. Whatever it is that Link is experiencing, she is the first one to go too.

Link watches her from a short distance as she lights some candles in preparation for tonight's ceremony.

"Strange seeing you here," she says. Link is surprised. He thought he was keeping his presence at a minimum.

He darts his eyes to the ground then back at her. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

She lays the candle in a holder then turns to face Link. She smiles at him. A genuine smile which catches Link off guard, especially when he considers how he spoke to her the other day. She was only trying to help him, but Link wanted no part of it.

"Please don't ever apologize for coming to our temple. This is a place free of judgement and full of grace. I am happy you're here. Please, come in," she says, watching Link. He shuffles back and forth on his feet. "Unless, you don't intend to stay for long."

"It's not that I don't want to see your ceremony... actually, I am in a bit of a situation and thought you could help me."

She brushes her long hair back and ties it at the nape of her neck. "I am not as wise as those who came before me but I certainly will try. What is it you are wondering?"

He pauses. Everyone is aware of his efforts to get back to Hyrule. He doesn't want to look desperate but...

"It's about the other side."

He pauses watching her reaction but when she gives a little nod, he feels comfortable enough to continue.

"When I was at the shrine, I was able to connect with Adel on the other side. I don't know why or how. I'm not even sure if it was experiencing it in reality or if it was just some premonition," he said, his voice trailing off to how he felt when he heard Adel's words, and the desperation he felt to protect her.

"Go on," she says.

"Well... that's it. I want to know more about what happened at that moment. Was it her? Was she trying to reach me?"

Ownis frowns, "Link," she says, sighing. He doesn't like the sound of that. "As far as we know, Adel is alive. My expertise lies within the spiritual realm. The place for those who have passed on."

Link lets out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding.

"What I can help you with in connecting you with our divine Goddess to help you make peace with the reality that you are currently facing."

"I understand what you're saying. But when I saw Adel, one of the strongest women I know, nearly coward in fear because of some shadow, I knew that I couldn't let that go. I thought that you were my first--"

"A shadow?" says Ownin.

"Yeah. Something like that. Well, that's what she said in that premonition or whatever it was that I had. Even though Gannondorf is dead, Hyrule is being plagued by what Adel described as a shadow. I saw her begging at the shrine, the threshold to Hyrule and Elrule, looking for answers. You know Adel too. Don't you think it's out of character for her to be scared of a shadow?"

Ownis is looking at Link as he speaks but he knows that her mind is somewhere else.

"I said something, didn't I? Something that got your attention."

"I have only heard about such entities. I have never experienced one, nor did my grandparents for that matter. I bet I would have to go back generations to find someone with a first hand account of such things."

"When you say entities, are you referring to a shadow?"

"Aye," she says.

"Well tell me everything you do know."

She sighs. "All that I can tell you is that a shadow is not something that exists in reality. It is a spiritual representation of previous life."

"A spiritual representation..." his voice trails off again, "you mean a ghost?"

She lets out a little laugh. "Something of the sorts, yes."

"I didn't know ghosts could be dangerous," he says dryly, thinking how ridiculous that logic is.

She smiles. "Follow me." He does just that, following her out the back of the temple and into a serene garden, the only thing that can be heard are a few birds chirping.

She kneels down next to some flowers and pushes them aside. "Here," she says, taking Link's wrist, as she guides his hand into the dirt, pressing firmly on the top of his hand. Link can feel the cool moist dirt as it comes in contact with his palm as is wraps tightly around his fingers when he applies pressure. Then she lifts his hand up, revealing his handprint in the damp dirt.

Link brushes the dirt off his hand as he waits for Ownis to state her rationale.

"Now... tell me what you see."

"My handprint," he says, unamused.

"Aye. And if you left this room and went out to the fields, what would happen to your handprint?"

"Well... if I were in the fields I wouldn't see if but it would still be there, I guess."

She chuckles. "And what if I did this," she says as she smooths the dirt over, making it look like it was never tampered with."

"Well now I don't see my handprint. It's like I never touched it."

"That's based on what you see. You may have smoothed the dirt so that it looks the way it did before, but does that mean that the dirt did not come into contact with your hand?"

"Well no, it still happened. I'm not sure I understand."

"What I am saying is that while you may not see it, you still made an impression. Even after many years have passed, that dirt was still tampered with by you. The effects of what we do now, ripple on into eternity. Even if we can't see it, even if we think it's fixed. You see, it's about the energy, the life force that drives everything and everyone. What we spiritualists understand is that energy can never be destroyed. So, when a force, evil or good or something else, has been destroyed, their energy, never goes away."

Link ponders her words a moment. "You mean to say that we killed Gannondorf but that does not necessarily stop the evil that dwelled in him."

She shrugs. "More or less. But I am not saying what Adel described is Gannondorf. I would have to see and analyze it myself. But that's what comes to mind. Especially in light of Gannondorf's recent death. In that respect, it makes sense."

"Alright. So what do we do about that?"

"You're asking me how to fight a ghost? That I'm not so sure about. I think that's your territory," she says laughing.

Link's head drops in defeat. He got an explanation but not a solution. "Thanks for your help," says Link getting up.