A Greater Fate

“I feel like I’m doing it wrong.” I said watching my bomb lean off the side of the board not hitting any of the targets.

“You’re doing great for the first time playing!” Link exclaimed as he watched me play bomb shoe bowling for the first time.

“But I haven’t gotten a single target yet!” I laughed.

“The point of playing is not to win, but to have fun. Are you having fun?” He asked getting ready to take his turn.

“Yes! I haven’t ever had so much fun in forever!” I giggled.

I watched as his bomb took a turn and landed right in the centre of the target. The bomb exploded and the target fell back.

“WINNER WINNER WINNER!” The game speaker shouted, and then about 100 tickets spat out of it. Link grabbed the tickets and walked up to the canteen where tickets could be exchanged for prizes.

“Is there anything you want?” Link asked sweetly.

“You won those tickets. Get what you want.” I replied eyeing all the prizes.

“I want to get you something, to celebrate your first visit to Castle Town.” He insisted. I looked again at all the prizes hanging around the canteen.

“I’m not sure.” I said shyly.

“What about that purple stuffed bear!” He said pointing to the only one sitting on a ledge. It was 70 tickets.

“Okay, I’ll take it!” I said smiling as the canteen working grabbed the bear off the shelf. He handed it to me and I hugged it close for a moment. I’ve never been given a stuffed bear from anyone other than Impa when I was younger. I looked at Link who was smiling watching me hug the stuffed bear.

“Thank you so much Link, you are so kind.” I told him.

“No need to thank me, is there anything else you wanted to do before we go?” He asked as we walked out of the arcade.

It was getting noticeably dark, I knew I would get in trouble for being back so late yet I did not want to go home quite yet. “You decide, you know this place better than I do.”

“Hmm...” Mumbled Link thinking for a moment, “Oh, I know. Let’s go get our fortune read by Madame Fanadi, she’s freakishly accurate.”

“I’ve never been to a psychic before! That sounds like fun, I wonder what she will say!” I excitedly replied.

“I’ll have two readings please.” Link said approaching the receptionist, and the lady typed in something on her computer screen and looked up at Link.

“That will be 20 rupees for two, which type of reading did you want?” She questioned.

“Just the standard, nothing fancy right now.” He replied.

“Alright, she’s just in the middle of doing a reading right now so she will be a moment, take a seat if you would like.” The woman said pointing to the waiting room behind us.

We sat in the waiting room reading through magazines and enjoyed the silence for a moment before Link broke it.

“So tell me about yourself, if you want.” He said observing me pick through the magazine I was holding.

“What do you want to know?” I questioned him watching his facial expression.

“Literally anything, your favourite food, movie, band, shoe even? I don’t care. You’re captivating.” He chuckled.

“Well there’s nothing much about me to tell, I’m truly nothing special.” I replied looking at my feet and kicking them against the chair.

“I think you are.” He teased.

“You are the first to ever say that to me.” I confessed.

“Well, I already know you live at the castle and you’re a servant? Enlighten me.” He probed wanting to know more about me.

“My parents died when I was little, so I was left at the castle to be taken care of by a friend of the family, her name was Impa. She cared for me, and made sure I had enough food and warmth. She never let me feel unwanted, but when I was 12 she left suddenly making Ganon promise to take care of me. He never kept that promise, and I’ve been a servant ever since.” I explained starting to feel the emotions well up by finally being able to tell somebody about it.

“Wow, I can’t believe somebody like you would have to go through all that. I’m floored. Life is so unfair.” He said.

“Tell me about you Link.” I said taking the attention off of me for a moment.

“As you said, I’m really nothing special but if you really need to know, it’s my mom and I plus my little sister Saria in a small village off Hyrule. My dad left suddenly a few years ago, he had a drinking problem so who knows where he ran off too. I heard goats in a small farm as a part time job, it’s alright doesn’t make much and the owner is a good friend but I’ve been saving for a while.” He said telling me a little bit about himself. “I also went to school in the village, but now that the academy is opening up at the castle I have to go there.”

“Is that what you truly want to do?” I asked.

“You know what, I really don’t. But, my father was a knight of Hyrule, and so was my grandfather. So according to family logic it’s required that I do so. I want to be something more than just a knight though. I’m sure you understand that feeling, wanting to be more than just a servant.” He speculated.

“You have no idea.” I told him. Just then the door swung open and an older, larger lady strolled out.

“Come on in guys!” She said excitedly.

Link and I followed her into a small room, there were two chairs at a desk and a round shiny sphere placed in the centre. Three candles where lit in off to the sides; it gave the room a slight vanilla aroma. I looked at him in amazement as I sat down; he smiled seeing how excited I was at this opportunity.

The lady came in and sat down in front of us, she took one look at the both of us before a look of surprise came over her face.

“Oh. Oh my… I can’t believe this.” She stammered.

“What is it?” Link questioned worriedly.

“You both have a remarkable quest ahead of you.” She started. “The day will arrive when you will know what to do but it will happen. I sense great danger and adventure.”

“Do you know what it is?” I asked curiously.

“I cannot see that far ahead, but I just know the both of you have been chosen.” She said.

“But what for, this is all I hear about and no one tells me!” Link was practically shouting now.

“My dear, you will find out. I suppose you already have an idea from the dreams that have been connecting the two of you.” I could not believe she knew about that, and I had no idea Link was having them too.

“You…know?” Link stammered.

“You’ve been having them too? I’ve been having these dreams for as long as I can remember, I never understood what they meant, but ever since I met you I haven’t had them since.” I said to Link, who just looked at the psychic in amazement.

“Yes, you two go way back further than you know.” She explained.

“We…we do?”

“Ah yes, long before you both were born a prophecy was laid upon you. I cannot say what as the gods of the land will disclose of that soon. Your parents, Keriana died when you were very little, correct?” I looked at her shocked for knowing something so personal about me.

“Yes, I was two… I was told they died in a mishap off Zora River.” I told her Link watching me express to the lady about what happened being absolutely floored at what we were being told.

“That is not what happened.” She said regrettably.

“What…what did happen?” I asked not sure I wanted to know of the true fate of my parents.

“Ganon murdered them; he murdered them for the sake of holding you hostage. He knows of the destiny that lies before you, and he does not want it filled. He forced Impa to take care of you at the castle and nowhere else. Just so you would never find out the true fate of your parents.” She explained, I felt a stinging in my heart as she told me what really happened. I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes and run down my face. I felt Link slide an arm around me, which made me sob even harder.

“Ganon knows?” I shouted.

“He knows everything; he’s the reason behind all of this.” She said as I slumped further in the chair regretting inquiring about my parents.

“I think we should leave now, thank you Madam.” Link said aiding me in getting up off the chair to leave the room.

“Lookout into the skies, watch the skies my children. The skies will tell you all you need to know.” She muttered softly as we walked out of the room.

“I’m sorry about your parents.” Link said his arm still around my back as we walked out into the darkened town. “We’ll figure this out, we will figure everything out. I promise.”

“I don’t want to go back to the Castle; I’m scared to face Gannon. I’m frightened of our destiny Link; I don’t understand any of this!” I said drawing myself away from him thrusting at a stone buried in the ground with my shoe.

“I’m sorry, this is my entire burden.” Link said as I sat down on a bench in the town, he sat next to me and held my hand in his tightly. “I should never have brought us to the fortune teller.”

“It’s not your fault at all Link, we would have found out ourselves eventually.” I said getting up. “I want to run away Link. And I want you to help me; I can’t live like this anymore.”

“Are you sure that’s safe? Where would you go?” He asked concerned.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t want to go home.” I said, walking to the exit.

*Links P.O.V*

I started following her; I was feeling very uneasy about the entire situation. She wanted to run away,

I could understand why. I wanted to help her, to take her home with me that very moment but I didn’t think it would be safe. I shouldn’t have kept her out so late, but I was just enjoying spending time with her. I knew about Ganon, and how angry he could get. Having her go home to him would just be asking for trouble but keeping her out and letting her runaway was adding to it. I was at a loss for what I should do.

“Link, I’m sorry if I’m keeping you. You don’t need to stay with me.” She said turning around and eyeing me. I wasn’t about to just leave her here alone in the dark, it was far too dangerous.

“I’m not leaving you.” I told her. “It’s far too dangerous at night; I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“I feel safer out here then I do back at the castle, knowing what Ganon did to my parents. I want to find out everything. I need to know what our destiny is.” She said walking closer to me; I could feel my heart beating loudly in my chest. “I know you want to know too.”

I wanted to know more than ever, this destiny that was bestowed upon us both, our entire lives building up to it. “Of course I want to know, come on; I’m taking you to my village.” I said taking her hand and leading the way there.

This was the only way to figure things out; keeping her with me was safest.

“Link, I can’t thank you enough.” She said as we walked our way there.

“You don’t need to thank me, ever. “ I said brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes, I saw that she had the most prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. “Do you see the sunset? Look at the clouds it has a funny shape to it.”

“It almost looks like this,” She said pulling her sleeve back revealing the same triangle birthmark that I had only for her the bottom left lit up. “I’ve had this for as long as I can remember I never knew what it meant and I want to know.”

I gasped at her wrist for a moment before I realized she was looking at me funny, I felt I needed to explain why I was staring. So I pulled up my sleeve as well, she looked stunned.

“You…have it to?” She muttered clearly surprised at the discovery.

“The lady did say to look into the skies; I think that this is why.” I assumed.

“What does all of this mean?” She asked as we slowly approached the village. “I feel like I’ve known you forever Link. But, I just met you.”

“I may know someone who knows, but we can see him tomorrow, he’s a history teacher and he tells stories all the time about this sort of thing.” I said opening the village gate with my key.

“Will your mother be okay with me staying? I don’t want to be a burden.” She worried.

“You are nowhere near a burden, she won’t care.” I didn’t want her to feel any sense of guilt, my mother would be a little bit interested in me bring a girl home since I never have before but this was different and I had nothing else in my mind but trying to learn about everything.

I opened up the door to my house and led us inside; she looked in awe at everything in the house. I chucked to myself until I remembered this was probably the first time she seen an actual house before, my mom appeared around the corner suddenly looking a little frazzled, she must have just had a battle trying to get Saria to bed.

“Mom, this is my friend Keriana.” I said introducing her to my mother who was in fact surprised but rather smiley at the fact I was bringing a girl home.

“Nice to meet you sweetheart, I hope Link hasn’t been too much of a pain.” She said laughing reaching her hand out to shake hands; Keriana looked surprised but laughed and shook her hand back.

“Mother!” I said closing the door behind me.

“Oh, he’s been too kind to me.” She said as she sat down at our kitchen table, I was happy she was feeling comfortable to make herself at home.

“So where are you from my dear?” My mother asked making small talk, which Keriana was not used to I assumed.

“I live in the Castle; I’m a servant for Ganon and Princess Zelda.” She said, looking to me with hope to explain everything else.

“We took a visit to the psychic today, she told us we are connected somehow, the evidence has been there all along mom, and the dreams I was having. You know about that right?” I asked knowing she was following along to where this was going.

“Yes, you used to have nightmares all the time when you were younger, and even now you still have dreams. Tell me more; I feel this is leading up to something.”

“She’s the girl from my dreams; I’m connected to her that’s what the psychic told us. We were connected long before we were born, for some divine prophecy. Check this out, you’re not going to believe this.” I said starting to pull my sleeve up motioning to Keriana to do the same. “We even have the same birth mark.”

“I knew it; your father always said this day would come Link.” She said getting up and pulling a book off the shelf.

“Wait, you know? Dad knew? Do you know where dad is?” I said almost angrily.

“I know nothing Link, your father knew everything. That is why Ganon took him away, in fear of him telling you.” She confessed.

“Took him away where?” I asked beginning to become upset at this new information revealing itself.

“We don’t know Link, but now that you are starting to become more interested and you two have found each other its time you found out for yourself.” She said opening the fridge. “Are you hungry my dear, we have plenty of left overs if you’re interested.”

Keriana looked surprised as well at the new information she was learning about her and I, she was twirling around a piece of paper on the table when my mother had asked her. She looked up and shook her head, “I don’t want to be a burden, and I’m not hungry.”

“You are not a burden, please eat.” I told her feeling bad for how she felt she was always a burden.

“I suppose so…” She said watching my mother heat up the leftovers on the stove. I knew she never ate much; she was so fragile and thin from being starved by Ganon all the time.

“Mother, if it’s alright with you Keriana is going to stay here for a while. I don’t feel right sending her back to the castle and we both need to learn what is going on with this together. I figured we’d go see Headmaster Gaepora tomorrow, I’m sure he will know.” I said hoping she was okay with her staying.

“Of course Link, as you said I wouldn’t feel right about sending her back either. Especially with the knowledge she has, Ganon seems to always know when someone is starting to become suspicious about things.” She said pulling plates out of the top cabinet, Keriana immediately stood up to help.

“You don’t need to help dear, you can relax.”

“Force of habit, I’m never a guest.” She said sitting back down as my mother put a plate of pasta in front of her, I saw that she was starting to get emotional just looking at it. “Sorry, it’s been a long time.” A tear began falling from her eyes.

I reached out and wiped it with my sleeve. “You’re safe now; you don’t need to worry anymore.”

She picked up her fork and started eating, at first slow but then she started gobbling it down quickly I almost wanted to laugh but I knew I shouldn’t because that wouldn’t be very fair. After dinner she wanted to help with the dishes but both me and my mother wouldn’t let her, so I led her up to my room seeing as she was starting to get sleepy.

“You can take the bed, I’ll sleep on the floor I have an air mattress.” I told her not wanting to make her uncomfortable with sleeping arrangements.

“Are you sure, I don’t mind taking the floor.” She said sitting on the bed patting the mattress. “I haven’t slept on a real bed before. This is so comfortable.”

“That’s why I insist you take the bed silly; if you want any comfortable clothes let me know.” I told her opening up my closet door. I turned around and saw she was already passed out cold on the bed, already sleeping soundly. I walked over to the bed and laid the extra blanket over her.

“Sleep well.” I said tucking her in softly.