Junhong comes crashing to the ground as Youngjae knocks him over for the fifth time that day. The elder of the two presses his wooden practice sword against Junhong’s neck, victorious yet again. Youngjae says nothing as he tosses the sword to the ground and helps Junhong to his feet.

“Shall we go again?” Youngjae asks, retrieving the training sword from the ground. But Junhong doesn’t answer, his eyes wide as he looks towards the sky. Then the boy hurriedly bows his head. Youngjae frowns and looks in the same direction Junhong had. He finds himself staring into the eyes of the Prince, who watches them from the window to his chambers. Youngjae tries to offer a smile, but its brief and hardly even noticed by the Prince, so Youngjae bows his head instead. When he lifts his eyes, he just barely catches the sight of Daehyun roughly (and almost angrily) pulling the curtain over the window. The Hero sighs and stares down at the wooden sword he holds. It feels so much lighter than the evil-slaying sword he kept locked up tightly in his bedroom.

Youngjae wishes he had never stepped foot in that forest.

Junhong prods him with his own wooden training sword and they engage in another match, the younger looking too cocky and the elder looking too solemn. It ends quickly, with Youngjae on the ground and Junhong’s weapon pressed to his neck for a change. The bright smile the younger wears at his own victory is enough for Youngjae to grin for the first time that day. He is helped to his feet, and the background noise of wooden swords clashing comes to a stop. Youngjae glances around the square, curious as to why the other knights ceased in sparring, when he spots the Prince crossing the cobblestone ground. The other knights bow their heads, and Youngjae follows, nudging Junhong to do the same.

The Prince approaches the two and he tosses a scabbard down at Youngjae’s feet, which contained a sword he knew all too well. He feels as though the purple hilt is mocking him as he stares at it.

“Keep this on your person at all times, Hero.” Daehyun’s voice is laced with anger that Youngjae can’t be sure is aimed at him or not. “You protect this weapon with your life, you hear me?”

Youngjae nods meekly and stutters out a quiet ‘Yes, my lord’ in return. He does not raise his head until the Prince has crossed the courtyard once more, and is escaping inside the palace walls. He leans down to pick up the scabbard, frustrated with the weight it places on his shoulders.

His eyes traverse the square and he sees his fellow knights watching him with curious eyes. He is the hero of Hyrule. They whisper. Him? He’s just a kid.

He is going to save us all. 

He carries the sword that seals the darkness.

We’re doomed. 

Youngjae needs to escape the castle walls.

-

Kakariko is a small village to the northeast of Castle Town that is tucked in between two mountains, and it takes Youngjae a three day trip on horseback to travel there. He is stopped along the way by numerous merchants that walk the long and winding road. He sleeps at the inns that he passes by, and chats with the other travelers that he meets there. He listens intently to their stories and he wishes that he too could spend his days traversing the countryside or climbing the highest mountains. He arrives at the village as dusk falls, when the shopkeepers are locking their doors and heading home for supper, and the torches along the dirt path are lit so that nobody loses their way.

The King had been kind enough to grant him a few days to visit his family. Seven, to be exact, six of which he would waste on the trek. So really, it was only one day that he would be able to spend with his mother and siblings. Youngjae thinks it is hardly fair, but he has responsibilities now. The sword strapped to his back reminds him of that.

He dismounts upon reaching his house, which sits in the north of the village, in front of a large waterfall. Two plum blossom trees lie on either side of the wooden archway that sits before the set of steps which lead to the front entrance of the house. A set of five garden deity statues are placed to the left of the steps, and Youngjae notes that only one had an offering to the ancient gods lying in its dish, while the others remained empty. He holds an apple in hands that he had purchased from one of the merchants he passed, and he tosses it into one of the empty dishes for good measure. He prays for the safety of his family, and for the courage he was certain he lacked.

He leaves his horse in the small stable to the right of the house, and he gives a greeting to his sister’s horse, as well as a carrot he had tucked into his satchel before leaving Hyrule Castle. Then, he makes his way up the wooden steps, letting the lanterns that adorn the railing guide him. The heavy double doors that he is met with seem almost intimidating, but he catches the faint smell of his mother’s cooking wafting from the open windows and he feels comforted. He pushes the doors open and sees that the foyer is empty of people. He slips off his boots and leaves them by the door, where numerous pairs of shoes sit. He follows the scent of vegetable cream soup and finds himself in the dining hall, met with the sight of his family sitting on pillows around the short-legged table and his mother scooping ladles of soup into his brother’s bowl.

His sister is the first to notice him walk through the entrance. “Youngjae?” She stands up and runs toward him, enveloping him in a tight hug as she always did when he came home. He returns the embrace. How long had it been since he had last seen them? Too many months, he decides.

Youngjae sits with them and indulges in the food, that his mother proudly tells him his sister made, and he helps clean the dishes when they finish eating despite his mother telling him to rest. He doesn’t tell her that he carries the Master Sword, and instead recites one of the stories he had heard from a traveler he had met the night before. When it ends and there’s a lull in the conversation, he glances around to see if his siblings are anywhere nearby, but it seems they have both returned to their bedrooms.

“Youngwon hasn’t returned yet?” He asks, quietly and hesitantly. His mother doesn’t give a verbal response, just shakes her head and lets out a heavy sigh. She hides her face, and Youngjae thinks he shouldn’t have inquired about his older brother, who had left the village a little over a year ago. He leaves it there and doesn’t ask anything else about his estranged brother, knowing it was painful for his mother to think about it, much less talk about it.

He sleeps upstairs, in the room he shared with his younger brother, and is thankful for the soft mattress after the nights he had spent on uncomfortable inn beds. His mind runs rampant as he struggles to fall asleep, and he is jealous of the sleeping Siwoo, who lies in the bed across from his. He seemed to have fallen asleep the minute Youngjae blew out the candle that had lit the room.

Youngjae is thankful the King had given him this time to be with his family; the young knight had needed an escape from the castle and all the whispering of servants of nobles that could be heard at every turn.

Part of Youngjae wishes the ancient Goddess had chosen someone else to carry the sword. He doesn’t want it, or the burden that comes along with it.

-

His early morning is spent in the forest just outside the northern entrance to the village, where he and his sister collect anything that might be of use; mushrooms, herbs, apples, and more. It’s a nice distraction from the pressure that seems to weigh heavier on his shoulders with each passing day.

He spots the occasional animal skittering about in the distance and draws his phrenic bow while hushing the girl beside him. He crouches in the tall grass, using it to hide, and waits for the opportune moment to release the arrow. He doesn’t miss a single shot, and manages to take down a few birds and a goat before the sun rises fully. There are the few odd times where the animal is made aware of their presence, and it quickly dashes away while Youngjae turns to his sister and chides, “Minjae, stealth is key when it comes to hunting.” He can’t stay mad and he says it with a smile each time.

They return home at noon with their goods, and their mother cooks the meat and mushrooms they had gathered in her large cooking pot. Minjae tells everyone about a legend she had heard from a friend that said the woods were home to a treasure that only the legendary Hero could obtain. Youngjae thinks this should be the moment he tells them that he is the Hero, but decides he wants to learn everything about his new role first. I should pay a visit to Sumin. He thinks as he munches on one of the mushrooms they had picked earlier. She would surely have books upon books that contain information on he who carries the Master Sword.

-

Sumin lives in the south of the village, and Youngjae brings leftover meat and mushroom skewers when he visits her that afternoon. They share a hug and briefly speak to each other of what they’ve experienced since the last time they spoke. Sumin prepares tea and speaks to him from the kitchen. Youngjae learns that she started working with Euijin in the inn, and feigns interest as she talks about her duties.

“So,” She says as she walks into the living room, “you picked up the Master Sword, did you?” Sumin sets down a tray with two cups and a pot onto the short-legged table before sitting down on one of the floor pillows.

“Wh-What?” Youngjae’s mouth falls open and his eyes go wide. “How do you know that?”

“Come on” She rolls her eyes and pours tea into each of the cups, “I spend most of my life researching the legendary sword and the Hero it was made for. As if I wouldn’t know when it was pulled from the earth, and by who.” There’s a pause and she takes a sip of the tea. “My sister sent me a letter the minute she heard about it.”

“Ah, of course.” Youngjae nods, recalling that Sumin’s sister, Dohee, lived in the castle as a maid. He sits down across from her.

“I never expected it to be you.” Sumin explains, handing the remaining cup of tea to Youngjae. “I thought I’d be long dead before the Hero showed up again. I mean, it’s been ten thousand years since the last one.” Another pause, another sip from her cup. “But it makes sense, you know? You have many of the characteristics the ancient Hero is said in my books to have had. I just can’t believe-”

“Actually, that’s what I came here to talk about.” Youngjae interrupts, curling his fingers around the cup and relishing for a moment in the warmth provided. “I know very little about the sword and the hero and everything that goes along with it. I need you to explain it, please.”

“Oh, of course!” Sumin smiles and stands, excitedly making her way to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. She always loved the stories of the Hero, and Youngjae thinks he should’ve spent more time listening to her speak about him when the two of them were younger. “To know about the sword, you must first know about Calamity Ganon.” She begins as she sits back down. She opens the book and searches for a few moments before landing on the page she was looking for; a drawing of what seemed to be a large beast with black fur and a red mane, as well as large talons and gnashing teeth. “He was born in the Kingdom of Hyrule eons ago, into the Gerudo tribe. He was once a man, but after his numerous resurrections and deaths, he transformed into Malice. He is no longer man, just beast. And he is the epitome of evil” She begins searching for something else in her book. “He is a primal evil that has endured over the ages. This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, and a prince who carries the blood of the Goddess Hylia.” She finds the desired page, which displays an image of the very sword Youngjae carries on his back. “There is no way for Ganon to be killed, but he can be sealed away for thousands and thousands of years. When he returns, there is always a Hero and a Prince that will seal him away once more. This sword was created for the very purpose of sealing Ganon away. It is your task, then, to seal the darkness, you see?”

“...I see.” Youngjae says, ignoring the chill that runs down his spine.

“I have many books that tell many, many tales about Ganon, the Hero, and the Prince, if you want to look into it more deeply.” She hands him the book she currently holds, and he tries to say ‘thank you’ but his mouth remains hanging open. Sumin walks to the bookshelf and collects a few more books. She sets them down beside Youngjae and places a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Youngjae. You won’t be fighting him alone.”

-

Youngjae reads through the old and battered books Sumin had given him until dusk falls and Siwoo comes to collect him for dinner. He begins with the one titled ‘The Tale of Demise’, as suggested by Sumin. He learns about the Goddess Hylia and how she protects a sacred relic know as the Triforce, which was a supreme power crafted by the old Gods. It was said to give anyone who possessed it the ability to shape reality and fulfill any desire. Demise, a demonic entity that the book’s author believes is the first incarnation of Ganon, sought to take the Triforce for himself by force so that he could make the world of Hyrule his own. He readied a massive army of monsters for war so that he could achieve this. Hylia, in a desperate attempt to protect her people and the Triforce, cut a slice of earth from the land and sent it into the sky. It was a floating rock that become known as Skyloft, where the first incarnation of the Hero was said to have been born.

After a long a fierce battle, Hylia succeeded in sealing away Demise. Yet it became clear that the seal would not hold against his power. Hylia had suffered grave injuries from her battle, and knew that she could not stop him if he broke free. In order to prevent the demon from taking the Triforce, she devised two separate plans and set them into motion.

Firstly, she crafted the Goddess Sword, which has know come to be known as the Master Sword, which could only be carried by her chosen Hero. The Sword would be able to seal away Demise in her place. Her second plan was to abandon her divine form and transfer her soul to the body of a mortal. She made that sacrifice so that the Triforce could one day be used, for the supreme power of the Triforce could never be wielded by a God. The Goddess gave up her divine powers and her immortal form, knowing the Triforce was her only hope.

Centuries passed before the first Hero was chosen, and the Goddess was reborn as a mortal man. He who carried the soul of the Goddess was taken through a Gate of Time by an agent of the Goddess and to the distant past as part of the effort to prevent the revival of Demise. He needed to stay in that time and place to sustain the seal on Demise as best as he could. To ensure this, he remained there in a deep sleep for thousands of years, until the chosen Hero destroyed Demise and the seal that bound him was no longer needed.

Youngjae places the book on the table once he finishes it and he turns to Sumin, who reads one of her own. “The Hero and the Prince you spoke of earlier...are they simply random people each time Ganon returns, or are they the same people reincarnated?” He questions, wondering if the chosen Hero he read about was truly him from a past life.

“I believe they are the same.” Sumin says simply. “Others may disagree.” She eyes the hilt of the Master Sword for a moment. “They say the Sword speaks to the Hero. Does it speak to you?”

“No.” Youngjae shakes his head and curls his fingers around the closed book. If he is the Hero reborn, driving Ganon away should be easy. It would mean he had done it countless times before. But if he isn’t then...then what? He doesn’t know. “...is it always a Prince?”

“Huh?” Sumin glances up from her book again, brow furrowed in confusion.

“You said there is a Hero and a Prince. Is it always a Prince? Is it the Hyrulian prince or is it the Prince from the Zora tribe? Or the Goron tribe?” He speaks too quickly, he notices, but he doesn’t care.

“...you don’t want it to be Prince Daehyun, do you?” She questions.

“If there’s a risk of death, no. Of course not. Why would I ever want it to be him.”

-

After a delicious meal of simmered fruit and mushrooms, Youngjae leaves his house and walks around the quiet village. He takes in the sight of the plum blossoms, the still ponds, the pumpkin fields, the sunset fireflies. Anything and everything he sees, he commits to memory. He doesn’t know when he’ll ever see this place again; it could be next week or it could be a year away. It all depends on when Ganon returns.

He sighs and sits down on the bridge in the centre of the village, just to the right of the small plum blossom garden. I might never return. He thinks as he places the tip of his forefinger between his lips, beginning to bite the nail, as was habit. I might die out there in the fight with Ganon. 

He ponders over this for a moment, but is taken away from his thoughts when suddenly a head pops out from under the water. Youngjae is startled at first, but his lips curl into a simper when he recognises the familiar gummy smile the Zora man in the water wears. “Hey.” The Zora says.

“Hey, Yongguk.” He greets, and holds out a hand for the Zora to take. When he does, he hauls him up onto the bridge. Youngjae watches and he sees the gills on the Zora’s neck fade, and the fins that grew out of his elbows disappear. The Zora race, which Yongguk belonged to, is somewhat strange. They appear human, but when submerged in water, they grow webbing between their toes, and fins from their elbows. And gills too, so that they can breathe underwater. And they can live for several hundred years.

The royal family of the Zora were on good terms with the one of Hyrule, but those of the Zora clan and Hylian people almost never interact. It was rare, then, for friends to be made between a Zora and a Hylian, yet Youngjae and Yongguk were.

“So, you’re the chosen Hero.” Yongguk says, flashing a bright smile that Youngjae cannot return.

“Mm.” Youngjae hums, nods his head once, and stares up at the moon. He catches a glimpse of the medals adorning the sash Yongguk wears, signalling his triumphs in battle, and he envies the courage his friend has. “I don’t know if this task was meant for me.” He murmurs. “I don’t feel very courageous, and that’s what the Hero is supposed to be, isn’t it?”

“Hey, you wouldn’t have been able to even lift the sword if you weren’t brave.” Yongguk offers a smile, and he drapes his arm around Youngjae’s shoulders.

“...heh....maybe it was a mistake.” The Hylian counters.

“Youngjae, you’ve always been brave.” He says, but Youngjae doesn’t believe it for a moment. He decides to continue. “Do you remember when we met? You barely knew how to fight, yet you still fended off those Bokoblins and saved my life. Someone lacking courage would never had done that.”

Youngjae doesn’t reply, but he gives a slight smiles and stares at his knees. “I suppose so.” He murmurs, but he isn’t convinced.

“I have faith in you, Youngjae.”

-

That night, Youngjae falls asleep to the sound of rain, and his mind conjures up the image of a circular room, relatively empty except for the pedestal in the centre of it and the four steps that lead to it. There is a pillar of light which streams onto the pedestal that encircles a man, whose face Youngjae cannot see. It feels strange, and almost familiar.

The man turns and Youngjae recognises him as the Hylian prince. He tries to call out to him, but finds he cannot speak. He cannot move, either. He is frozen in his place.

Daehyun gives him a smile, though it seems forced, and Youngjae takes a step forward, not of his own volition. The Prince he knows well does not seem himself; he wears the clothes of a commoner and his hair is a dark shade of blonde. He seems shorter, too. Still, it is Daehyun, even if it doesn’t seem like it. He closes the short distance between him and Youngjae, and holds out his hand. Youngjae takes it, though he questions why, and he kneels down.

“Youngjae,” Daehyun says, and Youngjae notes that his hand is warm, “you have endured many hardships and journeyed far in your quest to reach this place. I’m sorry that it has been for nought.” Daehyun drops Youngjae’s hand and he walks away, returning to the pillar of light. “You travelled all this way just to save me, but I fear your mission does not end here. I need to ensure the seal holds, so I will stay here in a deep sleep. When the demon is gone, there won’t be any need for the seal, and I can wake up.” He turns back around to face Youngjae, his eyes glistening. “So, I’m going to ask you a favour, sleepyhead.” Youngjae feels his chest constrict at the nickname and he begins to take quick steps towards Daehyun. “When we were kids, and even now, I always woke you up when you slept in.” Youngjae reaches out to him, but the light that enshrines him blocks his hand. “Now, I need you to defeat that demon, and when it’s over...will you come wake me up?”

There is a flash of light and Youngjae covers his eyes for a brief moment. When he lowers his hands, he sees the light that had surrounded Daehyun had turned to crystal. He bangs his fist on it, as if that would break the amber prison, but it's no use.

“Daehyun? Daehyun?!” He bangs his fist again. He can see the Prince encased in the crystal, eyes closed and lips pressed tightly together. “Daehyun!” Tears prick Youngjae’s eyes, and he falls to his knees.

Youngjae gasps as he wakes up, sitting up straight and throwing the thin blanket off his body. He feels tears streaming down his cheeks and hurriedly brushes them away. The Master Sword that sits on the stool beside his bed glows a brilliant blue, and he stares at it while recounting the scene he had just witnessed.

He wonders if the Master Sword was trying to show him a memory of the past.