I am Legion

[Illidan Stormrage]

Through a gossamer curtain, Link's eyes opened. The veil faded, the overwhelming fire within himself having extinguished. He looked up. A valley of thick, grey clouds covered the sky, torrential rain shooting down from them. A fork of lightning streaked downwards, igniting the scene. Waves rose and rolled in small peaks, swishing the wooden platform up and down over their curved surface. A familiar weight rested in both hands; sword and shield. Unfortunately, a familiar demon floated before him as well, though familiar in a remote, murky way, like he was imagined or part of a fairy tale.

Panic seized Link's mind. Where was he? What was going on? He fought against it, struggling to suppress the deluge of frantic questions, fighting to silence his mind. Slowly, gradually, he ended the endless enquiries and a gentle peace soothed him. Unfurling from within himself, he took stock of his surroundings again, and things didn't seem so blurry this time.

In mere moments he knew where he was. The squid like beast before him, black tentacles waving like the ocean, eyeballs set at the ends, its teeth snapping and revealing an eyeball staring out within the mouth - it was Bellum. He was back in the Hero of Winds's era, at the precise moment that he began the battle with the evil god.

The Phantom Sword in the young Link's hand pulsed with power and warmth, penetrating even into the Hero of Time's mist like presence. It sang in the young hero's fingers, as if it sensed its arch nemesis nearby and wanted to carve its flesh even without a guiding wielder.

A fairy flitted above them, something Link hadn't noticed on his first time travelling journey. Was it Navi? No, of course not ... different era. Yet the name rushed at him and embedded itself into his brain, even though a second ago he had never known it - Ciela. Ciela had been there for the Hero of Winds, guiding his journey much like Navi had done for Link, and her utility hadn't run out yet.

Time started again, and a yellow orb floated from her and into the Hero of Winds's possession. It thrummed with a mighty power, something that rekindled a memory in Link, but what was it? He thought back, remembering the Master Sword slipping free of its pedestal in the Temple of Time, and column of shimmering blue energy engulfed the entire dais, spiriting Link away through the gap between his young and teenage self. That same tingling, that same light headed and airy sensation ... that golden ball was pure time energy.

How was that even possible? Link may be gliding between history's thin layers, but it was through a process he barely understood, let alone controlled. How could a fairy pluck an orb of time energy out of thin air and hand it to someone else? What kind of secrets did she know?

The Hero of Winds didn't seem the least bit fazed. It was like he knew exactly what to do with it. The Phantom Sword rattled in his descendant's fingers, and a lazy light emitted from the hourglass design on the cross guard. Was the sword reacting to the orb?

Young Link took the glistening bauble and smashed it against the hourglass. The symbol shone with a bright yellow light, and everything blanched, drained of colour, except the Hero. Link fast realised that Bellum had not moved an inch; indeed, he was frozen solid. The Hero of Winds charged forward and swung the Phantom Sword wildly at the exposed eye, and for each slash Bellum failed to react, staying statue still while he was cut in what appeared to be a very vulnerable organ.

Young Link hopped back and colours swarmed back into the blacks and whites. Bellum roared and recoiled backwards, having copped the full force of the Hero's multiple attacks in one agonising second.

That's brilliant. I wonder if I can utilise that power? Link detached himself from his ancestor's body and hovered invisibly above him, a ghostly spectre surveying a legendary clash. I summoned the clawshots of the Hero of Legend. Surely I could bring those time spheres into existence with omnilium? I have the Phantom Sword, after all. I'm sure I could do it.

As Link floated into the sky, he felt a twinge in his shoulder. At first he ignored it, but it grew into a pinch, then a tug, and then almost a rip. Whatever the phenomenon was, it was persistent. The rip abruptly flared into a burn, and Link screamed silently. The pain was exactly like his time travelling sensation, except this time it was happening of its own accord. Link wanted to resist at first, but the heat simply climbed in intensity, feeling like fire was eating away at his skin. The only way he'd been able to stop it in the past was to throw himself heartily into it, and that's what he did.

The searing inferno lasted a fraction of a second, much shorter than his normal time based excursions. Blinking, he found himself in another diminutive, green garbed body, although his surroundings were decidedly nicer. He stood upon a flat stone plateau, a coolness suffusing the air. A circular waterfall cascaded around the plateau like a barrier, its spray delightful on his skin, mixing with the sweat on his brow. He didn't wield the Phantom Sword this time; instead, his well known Master Sword took its place.

Across the way from him stood a blonde girl, determination etched on her face. Her outfit was very reminiscent of Princess Zelda's, though even when Link knew her at ten years old, it was unlikely she would have fit into such a small dress. Link faced forward -

- and his heart missed a beat. Ganondorf.

The Gerudo king towered over this incarnation of Link, a regal robe draping over a body that had lost its form and vigour from the days that Link had known him. Yet even with his new portly appearance, his upper body was the width of a tree trunk, and great power lived in his arms. Ganondorf smirked as he flashed two, thin bladed swords in the air.

The Hero of Time settled into the body of his descendant to watch the battle. Ganondorf struck out first with amazing speed, but ... the Hero of Winds? The same Hero fought two major threats to Hyrule? Impressive. In any case, his descendant rolled out of the way, Ganondorf's blade cleaving air. The Gerudo turned and instantly fell upon the young Link, swords whirling in the air. The Hero of Winds caught the slashes against his ... Mirror Shield, Link found as he probed the ever flowing information into his mind, sparks dashing off the impact.

On the battle continued, Ganondorf proving to be an unexpectedly agile opponent. Often when Link thought he saw an opening, as did his descendant, Ganondorf met the incoming attack with his swords. Yet as the interplay grew on, Link felt as if he was learning. If not that, then understanding the art of swordplay even more than before. He could see the strands of time, weaving in and around them as they shuffled and rolled and slashed, and Link somehow absorbed those strands, like winding up a loose yarn ball.

Eventually, the Princess Zelda of this era pitched in with her own Light Arrows, something Link knew about intimately. The Hero took out his Mirror Shield, and Zelda's arrow reflected off its glossy surface and straight into Ganondorf. In the middle of a swing and caught unprepared, the arrow detonated with holy yellow light, and he stood there stunned. Young Link rolled in, performed what the Hero of Time could best describe as a sword uppercut, then fell upon Ganondorf -

and impaled Ganondorf through the forehead.

Link wanted so desperately to watch what happened next, but he felt that familiar burning pull again, and this time it was more than an insistence. It was an order.

Link awoke to warm sunlight splashing on his face instead of the spray of the waterfall. He jolted up into a sitting position, grass tickling his skin. He was back in the field.

The burning in his chest had weakened to a tingle, and even that was fast vanishing. The Hero of Winds was quite an impressive fighter, especially for such a young kid. Link hadn't even fought Ganondorf until he was seventeen, and his island living descendant fought both the Gerudo and Bellum before even reaching puberty. A lot of moxy in that kid too, he sensed.

The light sparkled off the Phantom Sword's steel, catching Link's eye. A dim glow nestled in the hourglass symbol, although it was the first time the Hylian warrior had noticed that it was more of a depression. He probed it with his fingers, and a memory rose up; in the Hero of Winds's blade, there had been an object slotted into the gap. Judging by the space available, it must be some sort of hourglass.

And like a wind that blows away an object hidden in a pile of leaves, Link discovered the answer. The Phantom Hourglass. A relic of his descendant's era that possessed the power to freeze time in short bursts. Combined with the Phantom Sword, it was a potent and convenient ability during the heat of combat.

Now that he could picture it, Link sat down between his two swords impaled in the ground and focused on the image. He glided over the smooth glass contours, the tiny but powerful grains of sand that fell in a stream from one chamber to the other, and soon a white light pooled in his hands. He focused intently, the wind tossing his hair and cap. Link lost himself in the moment, and when he opened his eyes, he wasn't sure how much time had passed.

But the Phantom Hourglass was in his hands.

Link knelt and pressed the item into the Phantom Sword's depression. It accepted it smoothly and clicked into place. A shimmer ran down the blade, and Link felt compelled to grab it. He heaved it out of the soil, and the steel smoked, like a fog was ebbing out of it. The mist spread out in a thin sheet, and before Link's eyes, something began to form within it.

A breeze whipped the mist into a tangible whole.

The Hero of Winds.

"What is this?" Link said.

The young Hylian looked about him with big, gleaming eyes. Even though his entire body was composed of ethereal fog, he seemed altogether real. His face was placid and calm, and obviously didn't feel the same alarm as Link did. HIs gaze finally settled on the Hero of Time.

"Hi," he said. "Strange place."

"You're the Hero of Winds, right?" Link asked.

The ghostly apparition chewed on that for a moment. "I think someone called me that once. But you can call me Link."

What now? Had Link summoned another of his spiritual kin to the Omniverse, much like he did to the Hero's Shade?

"Hey, you're dressed like me!" young Link said, grinning widely. "Member of the fan club, huh?" He put his arms behind his head and grinned wider. "Yeah, I've been getting all sorts of attention. I'm pretty heroic, you know?"

"Do you know who I am?" Link asked. How many timelines was he going to interfere with?

The Hero of Winds giggled. "Of course I do! You're Link!"

"So you share the same bond that I do with you? You can just pull information out of my mind, like we are one?"

"Oh no, nothing like that!" young Link said. "I'm just a copy."

"What?"

"Omnilium, right?" he said. "I'm made of it. I'm just a copy of the Hero of Winds's spirit floating in omnilium, with your knowledge in my head. I'm not actually him. But with that - " he pointed at the Phantom Sword, "- it's helped you open the path to the other timelines. It's strengthened your bond. You can use it to summon me, but it won't last long."

"So ... I'm not interfering with your time? I'm not changing the future?" Link asked.

Young Link shook his head. "Nope. I know what I am. I'm pretty handy in a fight though! I won't be able to fight for long, but I can still be helpful."

"Incredible." Link stared at the apparition. What other feats could he achieve in the Omniverse? "Do you think I can summon other Links as well?"

Winds shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe? I mean, you're basically talking to yourself with a different personality. I don't know much more than you do."

The young Link's form started sifting away, as if a breeze were blowing away the sands that composed him. "Oops, gotta go! But remember me if you're in a fight!"

Moments later, he was gone.

Link thrust the Phantom Sword back into the ground and sat between his two weapons. He knew it would hurt, but he wanted to go back into the time vortex. He had to master this power. He could only imagine the strengths he could gain by visiting each Link, seeing their struggles and conflicts, memorising their unique equipment, and then bringing it all back to the Omniverse.

Link wrapped fingers around the hilts of both swords and made that terrible burn welcome again in his soul.