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Link woke with a gasp, his body dripping in sweat. He could still feel the heat from the flames. Their screams rang in his ears. When he closed his eyes, he could still see how the flames engulfed the young hero and the Sheikha warrior standing in front of him. There was no way they had survived that.
Link took another shuddering breath, trying to tell himself it was possible they’d lived. He’d seen heroes survive worse before. One had survived being tossed into the sea after failing to save his sister at first. Another had survived a transformation that ripped him of his humanity. Link had also had a number of close encounters. He could only hope such was the case of the warriors in his most recent dream.
Link sighed. He’d probably find out when he fell asleep again. Every night was the same. He’d see another moment of a hero’s life, or death. So much pain and suffering. If only he’d been faster, he could have stopped it all. The cycle of rebirth never should have started. He was chosen by the Goddess herself. He should have been able to kill Demise before the monster spoke the curse. But he’d failed. He’d been too slow and weak and he could see the consequences. What else could these visions be? They had started after defeating Demise. It was the only thing that made sense.
Link got out of bed. He didn’t particularly want to sleep anymore. He might as well get up and do something.
- - -
As soon as he opened his eye, Link knew that he was in another vision, He didn’t recognize the medical ward nor the two injured patients in the room. The younger of the two was a boy in a all too familiar tunic. Link winced. That tunic seemed almost a curse. As soon as any of them put it on, it meant trouble.
The boy groaned as he sat up. He held his side and breathed heavily. Link wondered what had happened. He recognized him as a younger version of the captain he’d seen several times. It hurt to know he had started adventuring so young.
The boy’s groan must have woken up the older man beside him. “Uh my head,” The man winced. “Did they hurt you, Link?” Of course the boy was also named Link. They always were. The man continued. “And what happened to the princess? Did she escape unharmed?”
Link could see the conflict on the boy’s face. Something terrible must have happened, but it seemed the boy didn’t want to worry the older man while he was injured. Unfortunately, the man must have noticed his expression because he continued. “As long as I’m laid up, you’re responsible for her safety, Link!”
Link winced. That seemed like a lot of pressure to be placed on a boy. He could see how the boy seemed to tense, his shoulders stiffening at those words. While his face held determination, Link could see his worry as well. Was there no one else that could help? He didn’t want to believe that the soldiers he’d seen in those visions were so useless. Unfortunately, he’d seen enough in other visions to know the knights rarely did much to help and sometimes made things worse.
Once the injured man was finished lecturing, the boy limped away. Link wasn’t so sure he should be moving about yet, but goodness knows he’d done the same. He once more felt the weight of his guilt. If these dreams were to be believed, all his successors had inherited his worst traits.
The boy continued down the castle corridor, Link somehow following, though he hadn’t moved. He had no real agency in these dreams.
The boy talked to several guards along the way, each proving to be just as useless as the last. Link could see his growing worry. The boy had started fidgeting more, eyes darting around. He looked so young and overwhelmed. Link wished he could do something to help. That was the worst part of these dreams. He couldn’t do anything. Oh how he wished that he could.
Link noticed a light dart down the hallway at the same time as the boy. The boy startled so bad, he nearly fell over. Link reflexively tried to catch him, but it was no use. His hand went straight through him. As much as it felt like he was there, he wasn’t. He could only watch the boy steady himself and hurry forward.
The orb of light flashed, before expanding, revealing itself to be a young girl. The girl looked so much like Zelda, it made Link’s heart ache. From her blond hair to her eye shape, she could have been the Zelda he remembered from his childhood. She may wear fancier clothes, but worry painted her face the same way it did Zelda. Her brows nit and her mouth pulled into a frown. Link almost went to her to comfort the girl before remembering it would be pointless.
He heard the boy’s gaspe beside him and turned to see the blood had drained from his face. His eyes were wide with horror. “No.” He gasped.
Link didn't have time to process what he meant before the girl was speaking. “Hello! Hello! Guards! Please help me!” The girl cried, her voice distorting and echoing on itself. The unnatural sound sent shivers up Link’s spine and he could see it had the same effect on the boy. Link could see how the boy’s throat tightened and tears gathered in his eyes. Link was finally hit with the gravity of what must have happened.
The boy had said that the princess had been kidnapped, but this appeared so much worse. The girl was translucent and floating in the air. She wasn’t just kidnapped, she was dead. Link couldn’t imagine the guilt the boy must be feeling in that moment.
The girl floated off, begging any guard she passed for help. Nothing she said got any attention. Her cries quickly dissolved into tears. “Why can’t anyone hear me?” Link wanted so badly to give her a hug. He’d felt that way so many times. Each of these dreams was that same nightmare. He knew exactly how helpless she must feel.
The boy followed after the girl’s spirit, as if in a daze. His eyes were downcast, his movement unnaturally slow. It was painful to watch the pair, each caught in their own misery.
Zelda floated into a room without opening the door. They could hear her sobs even through the door. The boy hesitated only a moment before opening the door. Zelda knelt in front of a desk, her head in her hands.
“Princess?” The boy asked. Link couldn’t have been more relieved to hear the boy speak. He’d seemed so listless just a moment before. The girl was up in an instant, her eyes filling with hope.
“Can you.. see me, Link?” She asked.
Link watched the boy’s face crupple before his eyes. “I’m so sorry.” He sank to his knees. “I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough. I’m so sorry.” He cried. Link watched in horror as the boy broke down before his eyes.
Link wanted to tell him that it wasn’t his fault. He was just a child. The responsibility never should have been his to begin with. He wanted to tell him that he’d seen his future and knew that the princess would somehow recover. Nevermind the pain that was to come, they’d at least make it through this moment.
But he couldn’t. That wasn’t how the visions worked. He could only watch the boy cry. It wasn’t fair. What was the point? Why did he have to watch these events when he couldn’t do anything about them? As always, he didn’t get his answer. The dream faded away, leaving Link only with the knowledge of his successor's suffering.
- - -
Link wandered into the headmasters’ office and went to the bookshelf, looking for something to read. He normally wasn't a big reader, but he needed something to do and he couldn't carve. Well he could carve, but it wasn't wise. Zelda would be really upset if he cut his hand while whittling when he should be sleeping. She'd given him quite the ear full last time.
Logically, Link knew he should go to bed. His eyes were already irritated and he felt the beginnings of a headache. But the last thing he wanted to do was sleep. He knew it wasn’t healthy, but sleeping meant dreams. And dreams often meant visions, or nightmares or whatever they were. He was tired of it. They’d only gotten more frequent as time went by. It was too much.
Link grabbed a random book and started reading. His eyes ran over the page, but the words refused to give up their meaning. He reread the same page, then closed the book in frustration. Clearly he wasn't awake enough for that one.
He put it down and grabbed another. This book was no better. He couldn’t focus. He sighed, and stubbornly tried another book. He refused to go to bed. Not yet at least. Seeing that man drown had almost broken him. The old hero had a child and wife waiting for him to return, yet he never would. Link had wanted to yell at him for leaving them in the first place. But that hero hadn't been able to hear him anymore than the others had.
He’d had to watch as the man died at sea. He’d seen the man mouth his silent apology as the water claimed him. Even thinking about it now made his stomach turn and his heart ache. He didn’t want to go through that again.
So Link kept grabbing books, hoping it would distract him. He knew he was only delaying the inevitable, but he had never been one to give in. He dragged his tired eyes over page after page, even as the words blurred into another.
He couldn’t take another vision that night. He’d just have to stay awake.
- - -
Link opened his eyes to a large field. The hills of grass almost seemed endless to him. It reminded him of the ancient sea he had sailed in his own quest. He would have wanted to appreciate its beauty, but as always in these visions, his attention was drawn elsewhere.
There was a familiar hero, sitting astride a long legged beast. His eyes were practically sparking with the intensity of his glare. Across from him, though several yards away, was one of the biggest Bokoblin he’d ever seen. It rode a giant four legged beast that was much more robust then the one the hero rode. Horns curled out of the sides of the beast’s head not unlike one on the bokoblin’s head.
But what took his breath away was neither of the man nor the monster. It was the tiny form he could see tied to the top of a pole. The Bokoblin was displaying a CHILD as some sort of perverted trophy. Link felt his heart go into his throat. He couldn’t even tell if the boy was alive. He could see blood slowly dripping down the side of his temple and more on the pole. It was impossible to know how injured he was at this distance, but it didn’t look good. No wonder the hero looked livid. Link would have been.
He couldn’t help but wonder what their relationship was. He didn’t remember him, but he'd seen so many things, he lost track of some details. Maybe he should start taking notes.
The bokoblin snorted and gestured the hero forward, his derision plain in his sneer. The hero bared his teeth like he was a wild animal. Link was taken aback by the expression. Was that how he had looked when Ghirahim took Zelda?
The chase began, each combatant urging their mounts to breakneck speeds. Link didn’t know how he kept up, but somehow he was dragged along. Of course he wouldn’t be able to get out of even a moment of what happened. He'd have to witness everything.
The bokoblin treated the fight almost like a game, taunting the hero at every turn. He led the hero around the field in circles, with a satisfied smirk. The hero, on the other hand, acted with almost reckless abandon. His swordplay went wide more often than not. It was clear his rage was blinding his judgement.
Link wished he could do something. How easy it would have been to sweep in on Crimson and save the boy. The boy could have been healed by then. Instead, he had to watch a sick game of tag.
The bokoblin blew on a large horn and smaller bokoblins came to his aid. The hero didn’t seem to even notice. Link wanted to grab the hero by his shoulders and shake him. The child needed him to focus. He could deal with his emotions later.
But Link couldn’t shake the man, so the hero didn’t notice until one of the minions shot him in the side. The hero gave a small cry. Link’s stomach lurched. Unaware of Link’s concerns, the hero ripped the arrow out. Link could only sigh. That wasn’t how you treat arrow wounds. Unfortunately, there was nothing more he could do about the Hero’s recklessness, no matter his endless frustration.
The hero turned his fury on the smaller bokoblins. One after another they fell before the hero’s blade. Once he was done, the Hero spurred his long-legged animal back after the bokoblin king. The progress was agonizingly slow. The monster seemed able to take endless amounts of damage. Worse, the hero still wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. Link could see him being led towards a large stone bridge. If the fight was taken there, the hero would have far less maneuverability. The stocky beasts would have a clear advantage in a standoff there, even Link could see that and he didn’t know how to ride either one of them.
Still, the hero didn’t seem to care. He had one thing on his mind it seemed. Link couldn’t bring himself to blame him too harshly. He likely would have been the same in his place. Fi had scolded him repeatedly for his own single-minded stubbornness. Link hatted seeing his own faults mirrored in his successor.
The large bokoblin jumped a barricade and charged across the stone bridge. The hero wasted no time in following him. As Link had feared, the ends of the bridges were set on fire, trapping them both in.
Link looked down into the dark chasm below the bridge and swallowed. He wasn’t normally afraid of heights. He still wasn’t for his sake. He didn’t think it was possible for him to die in these dreams and even if it was, he had a sail cloth. He could slow his fall before landing.
It was one thing to face heights himself; it was an entire other thing to see a land-dweller so close to one. From what he’d seen in these visions, they had no idea how to fall properly and they rarely had a sail cloth or anything else in case of such a thing. That seemed careless to Link, but he was still getting used to the different geography of the surface compared to Skyloft.
The battle between the bokoblin and the hero started again. Both of them charging at each other, screaming their battle cries. The hero turned out to be better at this than Link had hoped, which was a good thing, because Link imagined his long legged beast would go flying off the edge of the bridge if it was hit by the bokoblin’s beast.
The hero landed hit after hit, but his aim was still sloppy. His cuts sprayed a lot of blood, but weren’t life threatening. Link gritted his teeth. He wanted this to be over. He wasn’t sure how long the boy tied to the pole had left.
After the next pass, the hero did something incredibly stupid. He leapt off his charging beast and slammed into the bokoblin. The bokoblin let out a shriek as it was knocked off of his beast. The hero grabbed onto the beast’s horn at the last minute to keep from falling off himself.
At last the battle was over. Link felt like he could finally breathe again. The hero wasted no time in getting the small boy down. He barely made a sound as he was untied which was very concerning.
With shaking hands, the hero fished a potion out of his bag. I looked about ready to shove it down the boy’s throat if he had to. Link felt a momentarily flare of alarm that he was going to choke the boy in his rush to help him.
Thankfully, something Link couldn’t see seemed to catch his attention and he finally slowed down. He carefully poured the potion into the boy’s mouth, going very slow to keep from drowning him. Even so, the boy coughed up the precious fluid several times. The hero seemed to grow more tense each time he did.
Still, Link could see that progress was being made. Slowly color was returning to the kid’s cheeks. Link could have cheered when the boy finally opened his eyes. “Link?” He rasped.
“Collin.” The hero choked out before pulling the boy close and weeping into his hair.
- - -
“Link, Link please.” Zelda begged. Link ignored her. The one peace he could find now was flying. He refused to let that be taken away from him. He walked stubbornly towards the edge of the island. He ignored the black spots that danced before his eyes and how the world spun around him. He’d fought through worse on his quest. A leisurely flight wouldn’t be a problem
Link was about to jump off when a large hand grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Link had to take a moment for his head to stop spinning before he could start cussing whoever it was out. Finally, Groose came into focus, and Link let him have it. He held nothing back as he tried in vain to escape from his grasp. The stupid brute wouldn't let go.
Only when Link was done did Groose speak. “You’re in no condition to fly right now.”
“Who’s the best rider in all of Skyloft.” Link spat.
“Not you, in the state you’re in.”
That sent Link into another tirade, but this one did no more to convince Groose than his last one had. It may have in fact increased his friend’s resolve. Link couldn't help but wince when he noticed he was slurring his words together. He didn’t want to admit that Groose was right, but it seemed he was.
He finally went silent and hung his head in defeat.
“When was the last time you slept, Link?” Groose asked softly. Link shrugged. He didn’t know. It had been a while. Everytime he slept now he had more visions of the future. He wasn’t getting any rest from it anyway, so what was the point?
“Link, you have to sleep.”
“No.” Link almost screamed. “I can’t take it anymore, Groose. I can’t watch another person’s life be ruined because of me. I can’t do it. Please. I can’t…” Link trailed off into incoherent sobs. He was grateful Groose didn’t try to convince him it wasn’t his fault. He wouldn’t have believed him anyway.
Groose wordlessly led him back to the academy. It was mostly a haze if Link was being honest. He didn’t notice Zelda join up with them, but she was there when they arrived at his room. Link didn’t want to be there. It held nothing but pain now. He fought against Groose again to free himself.
Groose may be bigger and stronger than he was, but Link had more actual combat experience. He’d had to improvise against much worse monsters before. In his delirious panic, Groose seemed no different. Link kicked and dlawed, but he couldn’t get free. He cried out for help, but no one came to help him. It was just like when the kid was taken by the cultist. His eyes stung with tears at the memory.
After a few moments more, Link went limp, absolutely exhausted. His breath came out in painful wheezing. His mind screamed at him to escape, but he didn’t see a way out. Groose pushed him into the room and Link could do nothing about it. He hatted how hopelessness seemed to plague every moment of his life now.
“You’ll feel better after some rest.” Zelda promised. Link knew she was lying. He had to find a way to escape. He had to. Despite his exhaustion, his nerves screamed to flee. Groose only let go of him for a moment, but it was all it took. Link saw his opportunity and took it. He ran.
He vaguely heard yelling, but that only pushed him to run faster. He didn’t care that he slammed into walls, or tripped over his own feet. He had to get away. He couldn’t do this again. He somehow made it outside. He gasped in the fresh air, eyes widely looking for his pursuers.
Link wasn’t really sure where he was running and he didn’t care. He just knew he had to keep running. Any moment they would catch him and make him go back and make him sleep. He didn’t want to…
Link was tackled to the ground by a yellow form. The two of them tumbled across the grass. If Link was more aware, he would have been grateful that his knight’s uniform protected him from road rash. As it was, that was the last thing on his mind. He was once again wrestling for his freedom. He knew he was going to lose.
It didn’t take the other person long to pin him. It was almost pathetic how easily he did so. Link sobbed into the grass. “Please. Don’t make go back. Please.” He whimpered.
“Link, I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to.” Pipit said. Link didn’t believe him. He was already pinning him to the ground. Link heard the others arrive. He closed his eyes in despair.
“Let me handle it. Go back to the academy. “ Pipit said. Link blinked in surprise. He watched in a daze as Zelda and Groose left after a little more coxing from Pipit.
“Now if I let you up, will you stay calm?” Pipit asked. Link nodded. He didn’t have much of a choice anyway. Pipit let him go and helped him to sit up. “Now, what do you want to do?”
“I don’t want to sleep, please don’t make me.” Link begged.
“I won’t. What is it that you do want to do?” He asked again. Link blinked. He hadn’t expected Pipit to actually let him stay up. Even in his current state, he knew Pipit wouldn't let him go flying, but…
“Can we go for a walk?” Link asked. Pipit nodded and helped him to his feet. Link still couldn’t believe he got a choice in the matter.
They walked about Skyloft for a time. Link’s feet clumsy and stumbling while Pipit’s feet were steady. Link didn’t know where they were walking half the time, but Pipit stayed with him and supported him. It was nice.
Somehow, they ended up sitting in front of the waterfall. The pretty view swam in and out of focus. The roaring of the waterfall was somehow comforting. It drowned out his own thoughts. He didn’t even realize he was resting his head on Pipit’s shoulder until he was jerking awake again. Panic taking hold of him once more.
Pipit held him until his sobs subsided and his breathing slow. Link found himself nodding off again. He didn’t want to sleep, he knew a losing battle when he saw one. He knew he was going to have to rest whether he wanted to or not.
Link jerked awake a few more times, but each time, Pipit was there to calm him down again. Eventually Link lost the battle to his own exhaustion and drifted off to sleep.
- - -
Link wanted to throw something. He’d fallen asleep, again. He hadn’t meant too. He hadn’t wanted to. Yet here he was, in a barren wasteland, watching a young man storm across the countryside.
Link was pretty sure he’d seen this one before, though he had been much younger then. He’d have to check his journals. He wasn’t sure why he recorded these dreams, he didn’t want anyone to read them. It just felt like a way to honor the poor souls he was watching. It also helped him process what happened. He didn’t want to talk to Zelda about this. She had already gone through enough.
The young man stormed his way into a town. The villagers took one look at him and got out of his way. Link didn’t blame them. There was literally lightening lancing off of him. That must be new, Link was sure he would have remembered something like that.
Link couldn’t help but wonder what had made the young man so angry. When he had been a lad he had been such a gentle soul. Unfortunately, he doubted he would find out. The young man was still as silent as ever.
The young man made his way into the basement of a building. Link didn’t like that basement, it felt off. It felt more like another dungeon rather than a place you might store food. The cold air stole his breath away as soon as they entered the stairway. A faint light from the blow was the only thing providing any light at all. Small symbols glittered on the wall, what little light there was reflecting off the unusual lettering. Link didn’t know much about magic, but even he could sense the power coming off of them. Yet the young man either didn’t care or didn’t notice.
The young man came to the bottom of the stairs and walked down a hallway until he saw a figure, leaning up against the wall. It was a withered old man. The man’s skin was so leathery and wrinkled, Link almost wondered how he was still alive. Then again, he had known Impa. There were sometimes ways to linger in the mortal world far longer than most could expect, even if Link didn’t know them.
The young man stopped and folded his arms. He looked at the old man expectantly.
The old man glanced in Link’s direction before focusing on the young man. Link felt a shiver run up his spine. No one had ever seen him before. He hadn’t thought he was physically there. Yet he could feel how cold the air was in the room. But that wasn’t unusual in and fo itself. He’d noticed things like temperature and humidity before. This dream wasn’t special in that way. Was there something different about this man?
“Ran into some trouble again, young hero?” The man asked. His voice was surprisingly smooth, almost melotic. Something about it set Link’s teeth on edge. He didn’t like this. He rarely saw good things in these dreams. He had a sinking feeling that the old man was going to do something terrible.
The young man didn’t answer, only sighing and looked away. Even so the old man nodded as if he and gestured him closer. “I know just the thing that should help you.” Link had so many questions. Who was this guy? How did he know the hero? What did the glint in his eye mean? Link suspected only the last question would be answered.
“What are you planning?” Link demanded. The older man glanced at him and smiled widely. Too widely. Why did the young man trust him at all? Link glared back, but the older man’s attention was back on the young man that was now standing right in front of him.
Link knew it was pointless, but he had to try anyway. He grabbed at the young man’s arm. His hands passed through him. “Don’t. There’s something wrong. You shouldn’t--”
The older man interrupted him. “This magic word will give you power.” He raised his arms above his head and began muttering. Link moved in front of the young man, but it was no more effective than his previous attempts to help him.
He saw the flash of light surround the young man from the corner of his eye. He screamed. The blood curdling scream echoed against the walls of the basement, seeming even louder then it would have otherwise.
The young man collapsed to the ground and started convulsing. Link stared at him in horror, for a moment before turning on the older man. “What did you do!” He snarled. He tried to grab the man’s collar, practically growling when he couldn’t.
The older man smiled. “The boy asked for my help. He will now be able to do what is needed.” Link couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How could the man think he was helping? The young man was screaming.
Link turned away from him angrily. Link could only remember one time he had wanted to kill a man so badly, and that had been when the blasted sword had taken Zelda. Yet that time, he had been able to do something then. This time, he really was powerless. He screamed in frustration before turning back to the boy writhing on the ground.
Link’s eyes widened as he saw the blood littering the ground. The same blood stained the back of the boy’s tunic. No. Link fell to his knees. He didn’t want to believe this was how the boy died. The boy somehow looked smaller than he had before. Even his cries seemed softer than they had just moments before.
Link’s vision became blurred as he watched. If only he had been faster. If only he had struck down the blasted Demon before he could utter the curse. This wouldn’t be happening right now. It was all his fault.
It took far too long for Link to realize that the young man didn’t just appear smaller. He was smaller. He was shrinking. Link tried to close his eyes, but found that he couldn’t. Neither could he look away. Of course he couldn’t. For some reason, the Goddess thought he needed to see every last agonizing detail.
Why couldn’t that witch leave him and Zelda alone? He’d done what she wanted. He could only conclude it was punishment for failing to finish the job properly. Either that or it was supposed to prepare him for another quest. He didn’t even want to consider that possibility. Surely, she wasn’t that cruel? He already knew the answer to that.
Abruptly the boy’s screams stopped as his tunic ripped. Two fresh appendages erupted out of his back, in a spray of crimson. The red limbs glistened in the lamp light. The wings might have been pretty, if Link didn’t know the pain they caused the body when they were made.
The young man continued to shrink until he was only a few inches tall. Link could have held him in the palm of his hand. He looked so fragile, in that form. A tiny thing, Link had no doubt a keezes could snap him in half with it’s jawas. Whatever the old man had hoped to accomplish seemed pointless in that face of that reality.
After what felt like alternity, it stopped. The boy stopped twitching. The magic in the air dissipated. Everything seemed to stand still for a moment.
A soft glow began coming from the boy, bathing the room in it’s glow.
- - -
After lunch, Link and Zelda walked about Skyloft. He would have liked to go flying but he was still forbidden. That didn’t stop Crimson from knocking him to the ground though. Oh, how he had missed his bird.
Link grinned. He hadn’t felt this happy in a long time. It hadn’t seemed this peaceful in a long time.0
He should have known it wouldn’t last.
He heard Zelda gasp. “No.” Her voice sounded so broken. He quickly glanced at her, wondering at the change of mood, but she wasn’t looking at him. She turned abruptly and started back towards the academy at almost a run.
Link had no idea what she was sensing, but knew better than to question it. After their quest, Zelda had been able to sense many things she hadn’t been able to before. It was never a good idea to ignore her impressions.
Link followed after her, admittedly at a much slower pace. She had always been faster than him, though this time he had the excuse that he was recovering.
It didn’t take long to find out what she had been sensing. A dark portal, not entirely unlike the ones he had encountered on his quest. He sighed. He should have known.
He came up to stand beside Zelda. She turned and grabbed on to his forearms. “Don’t even think about it.” She demanded.
Link sighed. “You know I won’t have a choice.”
“You’ve done enough for the Goddess. Someone else can do it.” Zelda snapped.
“That isn’t how it works.” Link said wearily.
“I don’t care.” Zelda said. “You’ve done more than enough. They can send someone else.” Link knew in his heart that she was wrong. If he had done enough, then he wouldn’t have almost a dozen successors that would have to pay for his mistakes. But he had learned long ago not to argue with Zelda when she had that look in her eye. It turned out he didn’t have to.
One by one, eight figures came out of the portal. A man wearing a wolf-skin, a boy with eyes that swirled different colors, an unassuming brunet, a man with a striking figure and scarf. Link swallowed hard. He knew them all. He’d seen all eight of them before. He’d born witness to their struggles, their suffering. He even knew how some of them would die.
Link had never realized what it could be to know a person’s past and future. Is that what Impa had felt when she met him as an old woman?
The man with the scarf stepped forward and explained the situation. Link’s chest felt tight. The man was just as charismatic as he had remembered.
Zelda tried to argue as the man explained that they were all heroes, called to save their kingdoms once more, but even she seemed to know it was pointless. Link could bring himself to say anything at all the entire time. He felt numb. Everything he'd seen had been real. He’d always suspected as much. But he’d hoped… It didn’t matter. He could see it in their eyes. They’d already been through so much and Link knew they would go through so much more in their lifetimes.
Link closed his eyes, hoping they couldn’t see his pain. He was going to get to know them. If what he’d seen was true, he’d come to love them like family. How could he not? They were all selfless and kind people. He knew them better then they would likely ever know.
Yet there was nothing he could do to help them. Their futures might as well be written in stone. He knew how impossible it was to fight against the fate the Goddess chose. One again, Link felt powerless. He may be able to touch things. He may be able to speak and be heard. Yet it changed nothing. He could still do nothing to save them.