The Legend of Zelda: Blood and Spirit

Chapter 22: Strong Enough

Chapter 22: Strong Enough

After seeing the destruction that had been wrought upon their home in the sky, the people of Skyloft, with heavy hearts, took a community vote to decide what to do next. The Interlopers had done a great deal of damage to the city in the sky, obliterating nearly every building in sight and tarnishing its once peaceful atmosphere. Though the place had originally been created as a refuge for the humans and the Triforce during Hylia's first struggle against Demise, even Skyloft, high above the surface below, had not been safe from the immense dark power of the Interlopers. And after this great onslaught of destruction, its people found that there was little left to return to. Most of their homes and possessions had be reduced to ash, so what would be the point in trying to restore it all within the somewhat crowded isle in the sky, when, as the Skyloftians discovered upon their escape to the surface, there was much more room for them and their families on the world below? The general consensus was that most, upon seeing the wide open hills and vast plains of the surface, wanted to explore this unknown terrain, in favor of the trite skies that they had known for their entire lives. Of course, there were a few people that opted to return to their former skyward home and attempt to rebuild as much as they could, and so they did, parting ways with their friends and neighbors and wishing them the best of luck as they began crafting a new existence for themselves.

As the former residents of Skyloft gathered what little possessions they could salvage from the wreckage of the town and returned to the surface to stay, the normally reclusive Sheikahs decided to lend them a hand in settling down on the land that was normally only inhabited by them and the other non-human surface tribes. Sheik had told the sky folk that they were permitted to set up a temporary camp in the open hills beside Kakariko Village, where they could stay under the protection of the Sheikah tribe until the Interloper War, as it was now starting to be called, was over. If all ended well, then the Skyloftians would be able spread out across the surface and rebuild a large-scale human society there, one that would hopefully be born out of peace instead of war.

"This is just what Hylia had always wanted them to do," Zelda said to Link as the couple watched their people work together to set up their collective camp, despite the sweltering heat of the summer afternoon. "When she first sent the humans to the sky, she never intended for them to stay up there as long as they did, but since she was only able to seal Demise away and not defeat him for good, they had to so they could stay safe." The girl couldn't hide a small grin of pride that wasn't entirely her own, but rather the goddess's, as she looked upon the people. "So in a way, this land is kind of like their inheritance," she said, before giving a wistful glance to her hero as she slipped her hand into his. "It's our inheritance."

Link gave her a small, half-hearted smile, though he was much too distracted with several other thoughts to be truly engaged in the conversation. Ever since he had returned to the surface along with Zelda and Sheik, he had been struggling to decide what to do in light of Veress's offer. The only thing that he was absolutely certain of was his resolve: to protect the surface and the girl at any and all costs. It was a mission that he had already fully dedicated himself to, for in the face of the corruption that he was doomed to fall victim to, it was really the only thing left for him to do. At this point, he couldn't be concerned with his own welfare any longer, since he knew trying to save himself would be a futile effort. But he had to ensure that Zelda would be safe, even after he was gone. And there was really only one way left for him to do that now.

Though his first impulse was to let the Interlopers attack and fight back with everything he had, Link realized that this strategy would not work. The rebels were strong and formidable opponents, their numbers seemingly countless and their magic devastatingly destructive. And then, there was their leader. Veress had proven herself to be cruel and ruthless, certainly, but she was also calculating and clever. Clearly, she would not be outsmarted or outdone. She would stop at nothing until she got what she desired and her main target at the moment was the hero, though for what reason, he had no idea. But Link didn't really care to dwell on that matter for the moment, as it was just a small part of a much larger, more complex situation.