Between Timelines: A Legend of Zelda Fanfic

Chapter 4

The passage is cold and dark and damp, and I feel something in my ankle twinge a little when I land. I hear whispering and a little bit of crying around me when I stand up, limping a little. I move away from the hole just in time for Link to gracefully fall the 6 feet or so down into the passage, pulling the trap door shut behind him as he jumps through.

Luckily, Link happens to have some brightbloom seeds on him, and he drops one on the stone floor, its leaves unfurling and bright flower blooming on impact. There are 11 of us in the small tunnel, and I can tell now that it is lit up just how long it has been since anyone has been down here. The stone walls are crumbling a little, and moss grows in spots where small trickles of water flow down the smooth rock. The wooden ceilings are rotting and bloated, and the floors are covered in dirt and mold.

Link stands behind me, bathed in the light of the brightbloom flower. He's changed since I last saw him. He's a year older than me, he turned 19 last month, I think. His face and his features have matured more, and he looks a little taller. His hair is down, and he's wearing his signature sky blue traveling clothes, the ones that match mine. Suddenly, I wish I was wearing those instead of my stupid ceremonial dress. His deep blue eyes are serious, and for a few seconds, we make eye contact, separated from the rest of the world in a strange acknowledgement, until he turns to the group and addresses them in sign.

"We have to get out of here quickly," he signs, and some of the older members of our group translate for the children who don't yet know sign, "they'll be looking for us, especially because you're here, Princess. This passage leads out into the woods across the river, closer to the base of the Eldin mountains. Once we get there, we can set up camp and figure out our next move."

No one contradicts him, and we walk in silence for a while, everyone processing what just happened. Regaining my thoughts, I speed up so that I'm walking next to Riju, near the front of the group.

"Hey," I say, wary, "so... what was that?"

"What was what?" She responds in a monotone voice.

"You- the lightning, Ri," I whisper, exasperated, "the literal lightning that you just summoned or something."

She sighs and stares down at her open palms, as if she doesn't recognize her own hands, and turns to me.

"I don't know," she says, "I've never... summoned lightning before."

"So it just... happened?" I ask.

"Yeah, pretty much," she says in a small voice, "I was- that little Gerudo girl? That's Addison. I know her parents and everything. I went to Terry Town for her baby shower- not to mention Rita, and all the other children there. I just- I got so angry... that someone would... would ever hurt them?" she says, framing it like a question.

"So you summoned lightning." I state.

"Yes, and you can stop sounding so incredulous and sarcastic," she says annoyedly, "it was like, I felt so helpless, and powerless- and it just started to build, and all of the sudden I just- I knew. I knew what I could do to help."

"I'm not incredulous and sarcastic," I tell her, but she just rolls her eyes, "that was actually... exactly how it felt to unlock my power."

"Really?"

"Yes- the only difference, I guess, was that I always knew I was supposed to have some power, but then suddenly... I understood that I really did. It was right before Link was taken to the shrine of resurrection, you know. I guess the people we care about bring out power in us."

Through the light of the latest brightbloom flower link has (somehow?) pulled out of his pockets, I can see Riju smirk.

"Stop it!" I protest, "I didn't mean it like that!"