The courage to find me

Chapter 2: The Hero of Hyrule

POV Link

After reluctantly leaving Zelda alone at the chalet, I head to the village inn to try and get some sleep, which quickly proves impossible. Every time I fall asleep, I soon find myself in a nightmare that transports me back to the battle against Ganon, only to — contrary to what actually happened — be subdued by him and have to watch him kill Zelda and finish destroying what remained of Hyrule.

Waking up for the third time in less than two hours, I give up and decide to go for a walk. I head to the forest located just before the village entrance. Two days ago, it was still infested with Ganon's monsters. Today, however, it's peaceful, with only the sounds of nature around me. Strangely, instead of feeling peace with the new situation, I feel only... emptiness.

I sit on the ground and lean against the trunk of a tree. Still tired from the previous days, I stare at the forest in front of me without being able to focus on anything. Slowly, some memories, once lost, begin to flood my mind. This has been happening more and more frequently, and I feel like I am recovering much of what I had forgotten. And, the more I remember, the more the lightness I felt upon waking in the resurrection chamber fades. All the weight of who I used to be seeps slowly into my flesh, my bones, my spirit.

There was never a moment in my life where there was uncertainty about what my next step would be. My destiny had been written before I was even born. My father was part of the royal guard, and as soon as I could walk, he took me to at least watch the royal army's training. As soon as I had the strength to hold the wooden practice swords, my own training began.

And I exceeded all expectations from day one. Even as a child, I battled adult soldiers and won almost every time. My ability to predict their attacks and exploit their openings made me quickly rise through the infantry ranks.

Then, one ordinary day, out of sheer curiosity, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule ordered that I be taken to the Lost Woods, where the Master Sword was kept. Just to see if I, by any chance, could awaken it. It is common knowledge that the Master Sword chooses its wielder, not the other way around. And if I wasn't deemed worthy by it, I could have died in the process of pulling it from its pedestal in front of its guardian, the great Deku Tree.

But fate decreed that I was the hero of the prophecy, and so I managed to take possession of the sword. From then on, the training intensified even more. And the more was expected of me, the more I withdrew. The less I spoke. The more I honed my skills. The less I interacted with the people around me. And, somewhere along the way, I became known as the Silent Soldier.

At no time did I question what was required of me. I only knew that I was fulfilling my destiny and, consequently, my duty.

Eventually, I was appointed Princess Zelda's bodyguard. From that moment on, I dedicated every second of my existence to ensuring her safety and well-being. At first, she opposed the idea. She ran away many times without telling anyone, just so I wouldn't be following her. But, gradually, she accepted my constant — albeit silent — presence. More than that, over time she began to open up to me — and to try to get me to open up to her. She told me about her fears, her insecurities, her plans, and her expectations.

I never allowed myself any indulgence. No desire, no dream beyond what was imposed on me. The expectations placed on me were so intense that I didn't allow myself to speak more than necessary. So, when she insisted on knowing why I was so quiet, I explained my reasons succinctly and quickly redirected the conversation back to her.

I never allowed myself any indulgence. But on those afternoons when we walked alone through the fields of Hyrule, sometimes, instead of focusing on my training while she read under some tree, I allowed myself to stop for a few minutes just to listen to her talk. About anything: the latest book she read, some epiphany about the ancient Sheikah technologies being discovered, some crazy curiosity about plants or frogs she had read in an encyclopedia.