Epheremelda is a Fairy in the A Link to the Past comic by Shotaro Ishinomori.[name reference needed] She serves as Link's companion during his quest to save Zelda.
Biography[]
Epheremelda is first introduced in the comic in Chapter 6, where she flies by Link as she is being chased by a group of monsters.[1] When Link tells them he does not have the fairy, the monsters attack him, but the young hero easily defeats them with the use of the Master Sword and by throwing the Hinox's own bombs back at it. After the Hinox explodes, the fairy appears next to Link. Before Link has a chance to ask the fairy anything, she flies away and leads him to the Zora's Lake, where he encounters a Zola. Thinking it to be a monster, the young hero tries to fight it, but the Zola thanks Link for having saved Epheremelda, his fairy.[2] Link is then healed by Epheremelda,[3] which is the sole reason the thieves of the Dark World desire her power.[4] Before leaving to the Palace of Darkness and save the imprisoned Maiden, the Zola allows Link to take Epheremelda as a guide for traveling around the Dark World, and she becomes Link's fairy companion from that point on.[5]
Epheremelda helps Link in various battles, such as when she carries a bomb from a Hinox's belt and detonates it, causing the imprisoned Maiden in the palace to be freed from her Crystal. She also aids Link in finding the second imprisoned Maiden by asking her fairy friends around the Dark World, eventually leading them to the Swamp Palace.[6] Once the second Maiden is rescued, she tells them that Zelda is located in Turtle Rock. Epheremelda then tells Link of a map of the Dark World that is located in the Ice Tower,[7] when suddenly Link hears Zelda contact him telepathically from beyond the Swamp of Evil.[8][9] Epheremelda, who cannot hear Zelda's calling, advises Link against going to the wasteland since it is too dangerous, and once they get in there, there will be no way to escape.[10] She recommends that they go find the map first,[11] but Link disregards her suggestion, for he claims that if the wasteland is as dangerous as she says, then he has to rescue Zelda assoon as possible.[12] This angers Epheremelda, who claims that Link never worries about her and that all he ever talks about is Zelda, leading the fairy to indignantly leave Link's side.[13] When Link goes to desert and finds that a Wizzrobe was mimicking Zelda's voice and appearance, he is suddenly rescued from being eaten by a monster by Zora. Link then asks Zora who told him where he was,[14] and the Zola explains that Epheremelda had requested him that he go rescue the young hero.[15]
Now reunited with Epheremelda, the duo set out to retrieve the Dark World map and save Princess Zelda from Turtle Rock, although she becomes jealous when Link rushes to Zelda's side after she is freed from her crystal. She also accompanies Link in his final battle with Ganon, with the young hero successfully defeating the King of Thieves and releasing the Triforce. As Link touches the Triforce to make his wish, Epheremelda sadly bids him goodbye,[16] never to be seen again.
Trivia[]
- Epheremelda seems to share a few similar traits with Navi, Link's first fairy companion in a canon Zelda game. In an interview, Shigeru Miyamoto mentioned that Navi was jealous of Princess Zelda, saying that Link's fairy companion "feels something for [him]."[17] This is similar to how Epheremelda gets angry at how all Link does is worry and talk about Princess Zelda,[13] and how she becomes infuriated when Link quickly rushes to Zelda's side after being rescued from her crystal in Turtle Rock. Epheremelda's appearance in the comic is also sometimes shown as a blue, glowing ball of light, similar to Navi. Moreover, once Link saves Hyrule and goes back to his original time in Ocarina of Time, Navi leaves his side, much like Epheremelda at the end of the comic after Link obtains the Triforce.
Gallery[]
Epheremelda in the comic
Epheremelda says good-bye to Link
References
- ↑ "All right, kid! Did you see a faerie fly through here? Which way did she go? [...] Yer lyin'!! Don't hide her! We want her magic powers and we want them now!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 12)
- ↑ "Uggh! You're an ugly little mannn...but you have my thanksss for helping my Epheremelda... I sssaw your sssword and thought you were the knight..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 4)
- ↑ "Suddenly I feel healed and refreshed!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 4)
- ↑ "It'sss the healing power of my Epheremelda's wingsss... That is what makesss her desssirable to the thieves of thisss world..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 4)
- ↑ "If you mussst go, take my Epheremelda for your ggguide... Also, your gggrotesssque face isss too conssspicuousss... You musst wear Zzzora's Masssk!!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 6)
- ↑ "Let me ask some of my faerie friends if they've seen her..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 9)
- ↑ "You know, I've heard of a map deep inside the Ice Tower. The tower overlooks the entire world, but..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 8)
- ↑ "Zelda: Link!
Link: Zelda?! Is that you?!
Zelda: I...am...nearby... Hurry!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 9) - ↑ "Can't you hear her? Zelda is calling from beyond the wasteland!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 9)
- ↑ "Now you're hearing things! Anyway, the wasteland is way too harsh! Once you get in there, you can't escape!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 9)
- ↑ "I think we should try to find the map first!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 10)
- ↑ "If this wasteland is as dangerous as you say it is, I've got to get Zelda out of there right away!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 10)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "I've had it!! All you ever talk about is Zelda this and Zelda that! You never worry about me! From now on, you're on your own!" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 10)
- ↑ "Zora...how'd you get here? How'd you know?" (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 16)
- ↑ "Ahhh... It isss sssimple for me to appear anywhere there isss water... Plusss, I cannot deny Epheremelda's requesst..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 16)
- ↑ "Good-bye, Link..." (A Link to the Past manga, VIZ Media, pg. 9)
- ↑ "If it was Princess Zelda, it would be great. However, this time Navie [the fairy] is jealous of Zelda. So within the story, Navie feels something for Link." — The Z-Files, IGN.com.