What You Choose to Forget

Far above any other structure in Castle-Town, a lone woman clad in the richest garments glanced longingly out of a large, opened window. Hyrule stretched out in front of her as far as the eye could travel, and even now the sky quickly faded in brightness as the sun set behind her. Princess Zelda, lone child to the great King of Hyrule and fearless advocate for her kingdom watched the lands she protected with her life. A kind, young guardsman had told her once her face was the kind you wrote stories about. She had blushed at the time and little more, but it had stuck with her. Every time she spoke before crowds and audiences, there was the possibility that, on that day, Princess Zelda could speak words to make history. A tremendous burden, and that was only what they could see.

While still a young girl, Ganon had invaded her kingdom through the south, and the dreams had begun. Disconcerting and confusing at first, the dreams opened a gateway into the other half of her life she would manage. As surely as she was princess over the kingdom of Hyrule, she also carried another title of perhaps even greater importance: the Seventh Sage. It was a task and mantle carried by all those before her, and in her dreams she learned much.

The calamity that took place on Death Mountain all those years ago still invaded her dreams on a regular basis, even though she had not been there at the time, too young to act as was needed. Evil did not wait for you to grow up. After completing their mandate on the mountain, the other six Sages had vanished into the world, hidden all throughout it so not even the darkest of foes could find them. To provide support and training, one of them had lived with Zelda herself. For a period, she took the guise of a caretaker for many years, teaching her everything necessary until she too had suffered the sacrifice each Sage had faced: forgetting one’s self.

Zelda looked out over the windowsill somberly, glancing to the Far East where she knew the woman still remained, ever vigilant for a call she did not expect. In Zelda’s years, she had grown in both stature and in wisdom, the mantle of authority fully falling on her now. The time to act was now, after all those years. Zelda had made her decision.

Raising a hand, the Princess of Hyrule warded the door from anyone who might try and barge in. Unlikely, but secrecy was of the highest precedence. With any luck, no one would ever need to write a story about her face. Closing her eyes, she spoke seemingly to no one, but every word that left her mouth hung in the air, still and ready to be sent:

“To my friend, my instructor, my long-time companion, I bring you a charge.

The winds of evil are stirring, as you may know even better than I. Darkness unfolds from its lair, and the time for all of our preparations to unfold is dawning on us. Even as natural light fades from this world, we are to be torch-bearers in a time of great need. What you and five others did all those years ago now stands to unravel, and we must act swiftly before our opportunity is overwhelmed. The plans that we have laid, those that you are in charge of, must begin now, my friend.

As surely as you have been vigilant for this message, I urge you to be vigilant from attack. Once you begin to move again, the enemy may place eyes on you, even though we have been so careful. But even as we cannot risk danger by fear of openness, we risk an even greater threat by fear of inaction. By means of this message, I release and return to you the memories you once chose to forget for your own safety—for our safety. I reapply your charge and mandate to the land of Hyrule as the Sage of Spirit, to act as a good steward over these lands in the face of certain danger.

I will see you soon,

Safety be with you always.”

The words conglomerated into a ball of light above the woman’s head, and she opened her eyes. Immediately, the ball shot forward, departing through the window and out into the night’s sky so quickly it rattled the glass. It was a shooting star, speeding across the night to where she had sent it, the home of her old friend: Windfall Island.