Legend of Zelda: A Shade of Time

VI The War of Ruin

On the following day after his conflict with Dark Link as the dawn rose, Link begun to stir. The room was saturated in golden light as the rays infiltrated the house through the rustic windows. Link felt warm, and his minor cuts and bruises, while very sore over the night, had improved much. Moreover, the headache from the shadow's fist had also passed.

  As the Hylian stirred, his eyes were sobering by the second, and as he breathed in the morning air, he was revived as a bud and leaf in the breath of spring. Link turned to find Saria with her smiling face in her sleep along with her signature warmth. He was surprised how after what had happened the previous night, he awoke so early before her. However, for Saria, in her near expectancy, it was now customary to have late sleep. Saria's smile brought warm passion to Link's eyes, and his own smile was quite a match to hers. Saria could brighten anyone's day and Link's so much the more. She lay there in white sheets of hand woven linen, her locks of green hair splayed about her in long strands, one hand rested upon the bosom of her expecting joy, and the other held a jewel that gave illuminance that bespoke her emerald eyes, the Kokiri Emerald.

  The Hero stretched his hand forth and caressed her cheeks. Then memories flooded him in a moment of nostalgia. Link thought of the days he was raised by Saria and the great tree, and he vividly recalled of playing with her in tree, woods, and ponds. He remembered how often he fell into tears and she lifted him up, and then, of course, there were the times that Saria would tease him so that he would bust in excitement, fury, or enthusiasm. Also, he thought of how she waited for him, which pained him to think of, but he smiled gratefully to how devoted she was to him. All of those years, whether together or even while he was away, they had been inseparable, and their bonding life as a family was decidedly inevitable. They simply belonged together, and such days were blissful for the knight.

  After such mulling thoughts, Link stepped out into the village. The sun of the goddesses' world shined bright enough on the autumn's morn, and its light licked upon the colors of the forest in its collection of leaves and beautiful wood. It was warm still in the morning as the south lands still held onto summer's influence, but there was also the north winds that gave breeze to the oncoming change of the season. Yet there was shadow from the north that emphasized the winter's greeting, for a great cloud took forecast over the lands of Hyrule while yet Ordon stood free of its overcast in the pure light. The cloud was immensely dark, far darker than any winter's cloud should form so early in the year, and Link found it very odd. But then he shook his mind from it as he made way to a small clearing where a Deku Sprout should have been.

  For the most part, the Hero's time was spent in mulling thought as the gears of his mind turned over everything from past to present. He reviewed his 'original childhood', the coup of Ganondorf, the War of Time, his return in time, the banishment of Ganondorf, his leaving errand, the War of Termina, Majora's Mask and the Fierce Deity, his rebounding childhood, his new role as a knight, marrying Saria, expecting a child, and then, at last, he thought and meditated over his last moments with Gaepora and Hapora. Furthermore, he thought on the words of his shadow. On that thought, he looked north and pondered the great cloud. "Time and Earth will change as the Storm Comes" he recited to himself as he wondered if there was a connection to this seemingly unnatural overcast.

  But then, as if on cue, Fado returned and came to report to Link, and his face featured many dark emotions of dismay, fear, terror, and dread. "What is it?" Link enquired, "What of the message?"

And Fado answered, "I attended to their majesties to give report, but before the queen could decipher the message, the answer had already struck for us." The knight was bewildered to the reference as he cocked his head, and then after a sigh, Fado elaborated. "War is upon us in Hyrule." Link was taken aback as the young emissary took a deep breath before going on. "Ganondorf and his Gerudo loyalists have invaded Hyrule, and they have swiftly struck mainlands as they've swept across Hyrule Field and are making their way to Eldin. The storm, in overcast is unnatural as it has abode with the invading forces."