The adventure has ended. Once again, the Hero of Legend is triumphant over evil — the Nightmares that torment the Wind Fish are put to rest. Inside this egg, an alien realm of never-ending passages, stairs materialize before Link; an ascension to a higher realm, one worthy only of gods, one the hero is invited to. This is the unnamed realm of the Wind Fish.
The stairs lead upwards to a decorated platform floating among a void, save for a few twinkling lights swimming in a sea of black. What I find most interesting about this location is indeed the lack of location. This empty space invites mystery, a world just as mystic as the eldritch Wind Fish itself – like something right out of a dream.
Once Link reaches the platform, he is greeted by the owl who mentored him through the dreamy adventure, revealing his true identity: a subconscious extension of the Wind Fish’s spirit. After the brief meeting, the great, slumbering leviathan awakens. Link stands face-to-face with a drowsy demiurge, one whose unconscious mind can create realities as real as our own.
“I am the Wind Fish… Long has been my slumber…” the god bellows, explaining the true nature of his being. “But, verily, it be the nature of dreams to end! When I dost awaken, Koholint will be gone.” In this alien space, reality feels most palpable, unlike the dream the player has encountered throughout the game. Here, on the floating platform before the decorated, celestial leviathan, is where illusion begins to meld into reality.
It is a sorrowful moment indeed, at least for me. The dream is over, the people, animals, and the wonderful world of Koholint cease to exist because the player decided to complete the game. The Wind Fish tells us that the world is not completely lost; as long as we recall the island, Koholint can forever exist in the world of our memories. In recalling the vivid landscapes, the charming characters, and the heroic journey, we preserve Koholint within our hearts. The game’s ending serves as a reminder of the power of memories to keep our dreams alive, long after we have awakened.
