His Future Is In The Past

Chapter 8 - Arrival in the Past

Summary: Link arrives in the past, and Princess Zelda convenes a meeting of all the Champions to discuss what to do in light of this startling turn of events. Mipha struggles with her feelings as she realizes the Link she knew and loved is gone, replaced by a Link who remembers very little of her.

Link felt himself re-materialize in the Temple of Time near the statue of Goddess Hylia. The sensation of time travel had not been as unsettling as he had feared. It felt quite similar to using the Sheikah Slate to journey between travel gates, something he had grown quite accustomed to in his past.

As Purah had hoped, the Temple was silent and empty, nobody saw him appear out of nowhere. And no light shone through the windows, the only illumination coming from a pair of lamps burning on either side of the Goddess statue. So, clearly, it was nighttime.

But had he successfully traveled to the past? The temple was undamaged, of course, but was it the original temple from before the Calamity or the restored one from much afterward? A brief look around helped convince him it was the original, as all the masonry was old.

"It looks like it worked," Link muttered to himself with a sigh of relief, then knelt before Hylia's statue and said a brief prayer of thanks.

He had concealed his concerns about the process actually working out of respect for Purah and Robbie, who were both brilliant scientists. But not all of Purah's experiments turned out as she expected, so perhaps some concern was understandable.

Link surmised his alternate self, wherever he was, had just vanished from Hyrule. He likely had been alone in his house at Hateno Village so that nobody would notice. Anyway, nothing could be done until morning, so he lit a fire and settled in for the night. He wasn't sure he could sleep, but he knew he needed to rest.

The following morning dawned with fair weather, and he set out at once for Hyrule Castle. His first stop was Gatepost Town, situated right outside the gate to the Great Plateau. Most of the townsfolk were not up yet, but he stopped to speak with one of the guards on duty.

"Good morning. I'm hoping I can borrow a horse," said Link. "I have an urgent meeting at Hyrule Castle."

The response astonished him, but then he realized it probably shouldn't have.

"Yes, of course, Captain, right away," said the guard, and he signaled to his companion.

"Go fetch my horse for Captain Link, and hurry," said the first guard, and the second rushed off.

"Did something happen to your own horse, Sir? I've seen you riding her, and she is such a fine-looking animal!"

"Oh, um, we got separated, and my meeting is too urgent to delay finding her," said Link. "Forgive me, but what is your name? I'll leave your horse at the castle with instructions to return it to you."

"Sergeant Rollin, Sir, and that will be fine," said Rollin as the other guard returned with a horse.

Link gave the horse an apple he was carrying, then thanked both guards and galloped off. As he rode toward the castle it was even clearer this was the distant past, for Hyrule was thriving and undamaged. He passed fellow riders on the road, and the villages he passed were full of activity. It was heartwarming to see, and yet the crush of responsibility weighed on his mind. For unless he succeeded, all of this would be destroyed in less than a week. He needed to convince Zelda and the others what would happen.

It was mid-morning by the time he arrived at the castle and requested a private audience with Princess Zelda. Again, being known as her knight attendant no doubt made meeting with her easier.

"Right this way, Sir," said a guard who accompanied him. "Her Highness is in her study."

When they arrived, Link thanked the guard and knocked on the door.