027 - [audio]
[Only the driving rain can be heard for a while. Eventually, however, a voice speaks. It sounds just like Link, but with that hard, echoing quality distinctive to the Shadow-selves.]
This is but one of the legends of which the people speak…
[Music starts to play, swelling from nowhere and backing the Shadow’s words.]
Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land blessed with forests, tall mountains, and peace.
[Link interrupts, sounding unsure.]
What’re you…
But one day a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself… with its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom. But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand…
Stop.
Why? Everyone knows, right? You don’t mind people knowing, do you? It’s not like it’s private, or personal, is it?
[ The silence stretches, and the music, which had stopped at Link's words, starts up again. It has changed now - it's an uplifting tune - one of light and courage.]
… A young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil’s bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time.
[The music grows softer]
The boy’s tale was passed down through generations until it became legend…
Stop. Stop talking!
Oh, what? Are you embarrassed?” [The Shadow snorts] “Don’t make me laugh. You don’t care if people know the legends, right? You don’t tout them, but you know everyone else will, so why get angry about it, right?
Yes... That’s right. That’s not what bothers you, is it? No… you only get angry when people only think about the Hero, right? The Hero of Time?
What?
Oh, don’t act all shocked, Link. [There is a crueler edge to the Shadow’s voice; under his mask, his unseen lips would have appeared more like smirk than a smile.] It’s always been that way, right? ‘Oh, Link, you’ve saved Hyrule, let me thank you by sending you back to being a no-name brat from the forest.’ Oh, or how about ‘That’s great, you’ve stopped the moon from crashing into the land, now get to hell, we’ve got a carnival to attend!’”
I - that’s - That’s not how it was!
Wasn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t that how it feels?! The Hero’s hard work is done, so now we celebrate him and what he did, but you? You can just go. Leave. Get out of our sight, don’t raise your head, don’t want anything, don’t even expect thanks!
No - I don’t -
- Do it for recognition? Haha… [The laugh is disparaging.] Don’t. Just don’t, Link. Maybe you don’t do it to be famous, but you do expect something out if it, right? Man, it’s like when that Zelda from years in the future talks about you. Really gets your hackles up, doesn’t it? ‘The Hero of Time’ this ‘The Legendary Hero’ that…
Shut up! That’s not true!
“Never a ‘Link, the legends say you’re good at fishing, is that true?’ Or a ‘So Link, is it true that you learned how to fight by yourself until Lord Impa decided to train you?’ Nothing like that, right? Nothing… that actually means anything. Nothing important. Just another worshiper of the Faceless Hero to add to the collection, right? And oh, let’s not get started on how faceless you were on your other adventure -“
Stop it!
Why?! Can’t face the truth without some stupid device made by a people who were born to be chewed up and spat out? Hey, maybe you should have been born a Sheikah! The Royal Family and everyone else in Hyrule thinks of you like that anyway!
No! I’d never - stop saying that!
Nobody has to kiss my feet, but a handshake and a ‘well done, Link! Thanks for the hard work!’ wouldn’t be too bad, right? Even though they should be grovelling on all fours for me -
Stop it! You’re not me - you don’t know anything about me!
[There's a rushing sound, and the Shadow laughs lowly. Link gives a soft groan, unaware he's doing it, and sinks to the ground with barely a sound. The last thing that can be heard before the feed whirs out is the sound of the Shadow speaking...]
Oh, but I am. And everyone should know how heroic I really am!
[... Followed by an eruption, the slam of stone, and the rattling of marionette strings.]
This is but one of the legends of which the people speak…
[Music starts to play, swelling from nowhere and backing the Shadow’s words.]
Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land blessed with forests, tall mountains, and peace.
[Link interrupts, sounding unsure.]
What’re you…
But one day a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself… with its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom. But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand…
Stop.
Why? Everyone knows, right? You don’t mind people knowing, do you? It’s not like it’s private, or personal, is it?
[ The silence stretches, and the music, which had stopped at Link's words, starts up again. It has changed now - it's an uplifting tune - one of light and courage.]
… A young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil’s bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time.
[The music grows softer]
The boy’s tale was passed down through generations until it became legend…
Stop. Stop talking!
Oh, what? Are you embarrassed?” [The Shadow snorts] “Don’t make me laugh. You don’t care if people know the legends, right? You don’t tout them, but you know everyone else will, so why get angry about it, right?
Yes... That’s right. That’s not what bothers you, is it? No… you only get angry when people only think about the Hero, right? The Hero of Time?
What?
Oh, don’t act all shocked, Link. [There is a crueler edge to the Shadow’s voice; under his mask, his unseen lips would have appeared more like smirk than a smile.] It’s always been that way, right? ‘Oh, Link, you’ve saved Hyrule, let me thank you by sending you back to being a no-name brat from the forest.’ Oh, or how about ‘That’s great, you’ve stopped the moon from crashing into the land, now get to hell, we’ve got a carnival to attend!’”
I - that’s - That’s not how it was!
Wasn’t it? Isn’t it? Isn’t that how it feels?! The Hero’s hard work is done, so now we celebrate him and what he did, but you? You can just go. Leave. Get out of our sight, don’t raise your head, don’t want anything, don’t even expect thanks!
No - I don’t -
- Do it for recognition? Haha… [The laugh is disparaging.] Don’t. Just don’t, Link. Maybe you don’t do it to be famous, but you do expect something out if it, right? Man, it’s like when that Zelda from years in the future talks about you. Really gets your hackles up, doesn’t it? ‘The Hero of Time’ this ‘The Legendary Hero’ that…
Shut up! That’s not true!
“Never a ‘Link, the legends say you’re good at fishing, is that true?’ Or a ‘So Link, is it true that you learned how to fight by yourself until Lord Impa decided to train you?’ Nothing like that, right? Nothing… that actually means anything. Nothing important. Just another worshiper of the Faceless Hero to add to the collection, right? And oh, let’s not get started on how faceless you were on your other adventure -“
Stop it!
Why?! Can’t face the truth without some stupid device made by a people who were born to be chewed up and spat out? Hey, maybe you should have been born a Sheikah! The Royal Family and everyone else in Hyrule thinks of you like that anyway!
No! I’d never - stop saying that!
Nobody has to kiss my feet, but a handshake and a ‘well done, Link! Thanks for the hard work!’ wouldn’t be too bad, right? Even though they should be grovelling on all fours for me -
Stop it! You’re not me - you don’t know anything about me!
[There's a rushing sound, and the Shadow laughs lowly. Link gives a soft groan, unaware he's doing it, and sinks to the ground with barely a sound. The last thing that can be heard before the feed whirs out is the sound of the Shadow speaking...]
Oh, but I am. And everyone should know how heroic I really am!
[... Followed by an eruption, the slam of stone, and the rattling of marionette strings.]