To the Stone City

[Illidan Stormrage]

Link wandered out of the portal and into Camelot. As he was late in his decision, the majority of those who chose to enter the medieval world already mounted onto winged horses and glided towards Minas Tirith, gaining a fantastic view of the land. Link was unsure if he could summon a pegasus after the effort it took to mold his Ocarina of Time. He simply watched the magnificent white creatures as they sailed effortlessly forward.

The world of Camelot was almost painful to the eyes after the bland, mirthless void of the Nexus. Emerald grass rolled over the countryside, plush and soft as any rug in Hyrule Castle. Forests comprised of staunch, towering trees spread their canopies wide and thick, filtering endless shifts of shadow on the ground. The sun was stitched into the vast baby blue of the heavens, boldly pouring light out over the kingdom. A giant chunk of floating earth was the only blemish in the otherwise perfect sky, pegasi wheeling about it. This world was full of colour and life, much like the Hyrule Link knew as a child. A blue bird sped past him on the breeze, and Link found himself pausing on the thought of Navi.

She was still with Link as Princess Zelda sent him back in time, but she was nowhere to be found when he awoke in the Nexus. Did she manage to slip through Omni's grasp and coast back to their original time? That seemed the most likely answer. Not that he could know without consulting the deity apparent. As he moved his gaze over the untouched landscape, the calmness of familiarity gave way to a deep rock sinking in his gut.

While Camelot was in many ways reminiscent of his home, it wasn't Hyrule. There was no Kokiri Forest to return to, no Saria or Great Deku Tree or even the impish Mido. Princess Zelda was in her castle, Darunia was ruling over Goron City, and Ruto still paddled about in Zora's Domain. For the first time since Link arrived, the stomach clenching realisation of loneliness seized him.

Link didn't know any of those who'd gone ahead of him, and while he wasn't adverse to making friendships, he had never been particularly outgoing. Most deep relationships he forged were either out of necessity or fortune. He was a kind, polite guy, always interested in some harmless fun, but so many of the Primes dressed and acted like assassins or people of questionable sanity. One was even Ganondorf. There may be some comraderie with the king, or possibly the green moblin Thrall, but they were leaders of their people. They would not have time to make friends with every new Prime that entered the Nexus.

Without a goal or a destination, Link started down the path lined by stone from the portal. He assumed the trail connected directly with Minas Tirith, and that seemed like the best place to start ... his new life? Link wasn't sure what his existence meant here. There was always Ganondorf, who vanished for some nefarious purpose, no doubt. At least he could train, preparing for when the dark sorceror unleashed his malicious intent on this world.

But did he know what to expect? Ganondorf was already making allies, however shaky their foundation, and the presence of Omnilium opened myriad of possibilities. He still possessed the Master Sword, but they were no longer in a world born of the Hylian goddesses. Was there a power greater than Din, Nayru and Farore here?

Link felt like he swallowed hot lead. So many uncertainties and nothing to appease the ... fear? Was Link feeling fear?

The Hylian knight stepped off the walking track and ventured into a empty grass plain. Ever since he obtained the Triforce of Courage, Link hadn't known fear in the sense he once had. The heart of Farore galvanised his convictions to the point that fear wasn't a factor in his quest. He still remembered the tingling burn in his stomach, the flitting prickles that dotted his lungs, the absence of saliva in his mouth, but they no longer assailed him in perilous situations. He understood the danger, but he knew his abilities, and the Triforce piece removed any hindrance in achieving his goals.

Did he still have it? Link looked at the back of his left hand. He concentrated, recalling the faint ebb of its presence that pulsed within his chest whenever it thrummed with godly energy. A golden triangle did not burn in light through his gloved hand. Was the Triforce piece still within him, or had it receded in this new dimension? Link could not tell.

Flopping into the cushioned grass, Link rolled onto his back and gazed into the clear sky. He breathed deeply, rhythmically, until the disquieting sludge in his stomach thinned. As a wispy cloud swam on the breeze high above him, Link thought back to Hyrule and everything he'd left behind. Or rather, everything that was taken from him. He closed his eyes and saw comforting sights drift past; the wide trunked forests of Kokiri, the glistening Lake Hylia, the cosy stables of Lon Lon Ranch where he first met Malon and Epona. The last vision he saw was of Zelda, of her blowing curtly into the Ocarina of Time and sending him on his way.

The Ocarina of Time! Link snatched it from within the folds of his tunic and studied it. If Zelda could send him backwards through time with it, then maybe he could decipher how she did it. She mentioned that she was able to do it as the leader of the Sages, but surely the Hero of Time could manipulate the thin sheet between moments as well?

Link sat up, a light airiness filling his chest. Hope returned as the ocarina met his lips. He remembered the song she played; Zelda's Lullaby. Rising to his feet, he closed his eyes and puffed each note with a deep reverence. Just hearing the royal family's melody again brought a warm peace to his mind. As the last note lingered on the breeze, Link lowered the instrument and opened his eyes.

Nothing.

He waited, thinking that the magic of the song needed time to work through the barriers of the worlds.

Still, nothing.

Link sighed, his voice sharp. How could he believe home was so close by? Besides, as he surmised, he was no Sage. The Master Sword opened and connected the two nodes of time he traversed, not him. Of all the false hopes to trust in ...

There was one last song, he thought, that may prove useful. He couldn't see it sending him back to Zelda, but maybe it could part the curtain of time to some degree. It was a long shot, but there were no other targets.

Link pursed his lips around the ocarina mouthpiece and played a solemn tune known only to the wizards who once constructed the Master Sword's residence; the Song of Time.

What seemed like an eternity past by as Link released the melody into Camelot. He opened his eyes ... and everything was the same. Link was about to scream until he realised his grip on his ocarina was in danger of breaking it. He took a deep breath, composed himself, and hid the instrument away again. There was nothing for it. He'd continue on his way to the capital, and work out his plan of attack from there.

As he started walking, he glimpsed a curious sight. The same blue bird that darted by him earlier was hovering in one place, except it wasn't beating its wings. Its beak was wide open, an insect moments away from becoming food, but the bird would not capitalise. He could see the filmy outline of the bee's wings; they weren't moving.

Before the truth could dawn on him, Link heard a rustling behind him. A large skeleton with one red eye approached him, a disused sword and shield in hand.

<Hero of Time>, it said directly into his mind. <We have much to discuss.>