Chapter Text
"Nobody that sets a foot on that fog knows how to return. It's almost as if the trees were alive to chase visitors away." The captain's words didn't manage to calm Link's troubled mind.
The hero grounded himself after some minutes, reminding his psyche of the situation they were in. The stall right by the entrance of the Lost Woods was safe enough for the Champions to rest after the intense trip to the northern region. Link had to admit that the king's forces had acted much faster than expected, managing to set up a camp for Hyrule's allies right outside the mystic forest. That didn't mean Link had stopped blaming Irel for putting them all at risk. But how could he deny Zelda's wish? None of the Champions did either. Not even King Rhoam. Then, who was he to protest against the Princess' research? He was just the appointed knight, a shadow that wouldn't leave her side, not even among the foggy ambience. He would behave like morning followed night. Relentlessly.
Fairly enough, not many enemies had crossed their path on their way to Hyrule's Great Forest. The Yiga Clan hadn't dared to ambush them either. The Champions had reached their destination in less than a day thanks to the no-hydrant journey. Perhaps it was because of the troops at the Rauru settlement which ensured Her Highness' arrival was as safe as possible after the King's notice.
That, however, didn't prevent Link from feeling uneasy at the mere sight of the Lost Woods. Yes, he had been there before despite not remembering much. Considering his fellow knight's words, he had been lucky to even manage to get out of the forest. His mind still couldn't comprehend how he did it but still. The image of the fire in the torches vanishing with the dense fog was disturbing. It almost seemed as if the mist were to swallow anything that dared to enter the forgotten territory. Imagining Princess Zelda crossing the verge of the woods didn't allow him to sleep despite the many soldiers posted at each entrance of the camp's settlement.
That brought the hero to isolation which was concealed under the pretext of catching up with fellow soldiers guarding the perimeter. Soon enough, Link got out of the wooden walls to drown in solitude.
The path of the hero, the triforce of courage, the retrieval of the Master Sword… It all started with a daring proposal for the trainees in process of becoming royal guards. Explore the mighty woods and come back to explain what it was like to the rest. They would win if the version of each one's story coincided. Link thought remaining under the misty veil would be easy until his comrades disappeared among the fog. Their feet hadn't moved an inch, yet they were no longer there. The hero now feared the same could happen to Hyrule's Champions.
And so, his worst fears surrounded him, bringing his tired existence to sit close to the walls, hidden behind a tree. He didn't want Princess Zelda to see his defeated morals. She had hope, for once. Link couldn't deny her the opportunity to explore the woods and see if the lost sanctuary had some godly gift for her, to help Hyrule. Or maybe the so-called 'treasure' would be the awakening of her powers nonetheless. Truth was that the royal heiress deserved the benefit of the doubt, a chance to find her own path just like the hero did. But, at what cost? What if she ended up swallowed by the fog, forever lost? Perhaps monsters would be hiding in the shadows as disoriented as anyone else, what then? Would she vanish as many other explorers did before? Would he be close enough to protect Her Highness?
Eventually, Link's eyelids began to close as his thoughts drifted. Falling asleep was inevitable as the weary travelling brought his body to shut down for a while. The tingling sensation on his chest, however, indicated that the snooze wouldn't be very restorative.
It was another one of those dreams, Link knew it. The spring of power was displayed before his eyes - and he wasn't alone. As always, Princess Zelda was also present. The sacred gown floated in the freezing waters that threatened to drown the ends of her golden locks. As she did in any pilgrimage, her pale figure was standing in front of Hylia's statue. On this occasion, however, a warm light emanated from her whole being. It almost seemed like she had finally reached the final step to claim her birthright: the sealing powers. The knight could feel it too: soothing energy within her. It caught him as sunrays would in the middle of the summer solstice.
Being just a witness of the scene allowed the hero to appreciate the details of that oniric world that often caught their souls in realistic dreams. The flow of the water was slowed down. That caused an optic illusion that made the hylian eye believe that the waterfalls surrounding the springs were made of thicker substance. Link confirmed his theory once he stepped on the shallow lake on a first try to reach Zelda's meditational figure. She remained still despite the hero's noisy steps.
His attempt at advancing through the heavy water took longer than he expected. If he weren't in a dream, his physical body would probably be covered in a thin layer of sweat at that point. The timeline of the experience was defective. Almost as if they were caught frozen in time in another realm neither real nor imaginary. And yet, Zelda noticed him behind her as the real Princess would. The golden rays ceased as she turned to face him with her olive eyes. She didn't seem surprised at living the oniric experience. What exactly were those dreams?
Sleeping or not, Link couldn't forget his knightly oath. He kneeled down before Her Highness as a sign of respect. She offered him a hand that he placed on his forehead almost automatically. Zelda's giggle echoed within the spring. Any other male on the court would have used the pretext to place a kiss on her palm. Link, instead, had this habit of bringing her hand to his head. He raised his eyebrows and looked through her finger to find Zelda's amused expression. The eye contact, however, awoke a new preoccupation within the Princess.
"You are freezing." She said, bringing her knight to his feet so that she could feel his temperature in that same gesture. Her fingers drifted further to what was considered proper. A shadow of the bruises on one side of Link's face was still clouding him. He couldn't hide a slight flinch as soon as Zelda applied pressure to the cheekbone.
"You are not." Link pointed out, sensing her warm touch. Strange that she was the one meditating in the cold spring and yet he suffered the climate's consequences. If he could consider real temperature the feeling of just a dream, whatsoever.
Dejavu hit the escort's judgement as Zelda allowed her hand to linger on his formerly-hurt cheekbone. They had been standing close in that situation before and the result was the touch of her velvety lips on his face. The mere memory of that special moment made the hero flinch at her thumb. Still, the Princess kept on caressing him with great care. Her soft thumb adventured from his cheek to the sharpness of his jaw. Link's heart skipped a beat and judging by her expression, she noticed it through her touch.
"I don't even know if you are real. But I don't mind." She wondered out loud and took a step closer so that their frames were merely inches away.
"I'm here." Link replied in a more indecisive tone than he would have preferred. He was there. Zelda was too, right?
"You are, always." And yet, something made her question her affirmation. "That is not what I meant."
"So?" Curiosity brought the knight to hold the Princess' left hand. That made him understand what she was referring to. Despite the resemblance to the real world and the consciousness of knowing they both were asleep, the touch still felt too real. So magical…
"If only I could figure out what these dreams mean… or perhaps I should admit they are just a product of my hopeless mind." The confused expression on her escort's face seemed to get through to the Princess. "The Lost Woods may be the key to understanding all of this. And yet only you have the power to summon your presence in my dreams. At this point, I don't even know if it is a sign of our connection to the triforce or a mere reflection of what I yearn for."
Her attention drifted to the surroundings after the lucubrations. Link did too and yet his mind couldn't process her most recent words: what she yearned for… Was she trying to tell him something? What was she actually referring to? Why did they keep their hands locked despite knowing the dream was not real… or was it? Hylia's statue seemed solid proof to him. And then, thanks to the goddess' watch over him, the hero came up with an idea.
"A code." He suddenly proposed. Maybe he was also going through an experience of divine inspiration. Zelda didn't seem to understand his strategy at first. Since when was Link the embodiment of wit and intelligence? "A keyword to know if this is real."
"Courage and wisdom." She proposed out loud, suddenly understanding her knight's idea. "If any of us remember this after waking up, saying the word will prove that these dreams are indeed an extraterrestrial experience beyond imagination, something that bonds us both. If not, it will confirm this is a product of our minds separately."
But how could this not be real if each one of Zelda's fingers felt like petals caressing Link's face during the blossoming season? He could even feel the shivers her warm breath sent down his spine. Not only their bodies but also her sweet scent had begun to sneak into his psyche, a sensation that would haunt him for several nights on and on. There was no way those vivid sparks aching in his core were just a product of imagination. Despite going through many adventures, Link had never felt more alive. Such a strong statement to affirm while being in a dream.
"You will use 'courage'. I will say wisdom." The Princess commanded, returning to their shared reality. "If one of us doesn't reply, it will be the confirmation of this being just a fantasy."
Strange choice of words: fantasy. Yes, standing alone with Princess Zelda in the privacy of the spring of power so close felt like one. Like a detailed memory locked deep in their reincarnated souls. Or perhaps not a remembrance but a daydream, a very realistic one. And he certainly didn't want to wake up. At least his feet agreed since the freezing water had already numbed them. He was also starting to feel lightheaded though it could be a result of the constant proximity to the royal heiress. Link didn't have the Master Sword on him, so his nervous tick couldn't relieve him from the tension. At this point. He could only drown in her jade irises and let out a trembling sigh upon staring at her peachy lips. She wasn't trembling but he did, indifferent to the coldness of the springs. Her sharp eyes spotted the sensation piercing his core as well.
"And what if this is a dream?" He wondered as the dilemma awoke his sense of duty. Having feelings for Princess Zelda wasn't professional. Acknowledging this fact would only suppose a problem to his duty as Hyrule's hero. And probably a temptation for her too since the spiritual path wouldn't allow her to fall for a man: an earthly distraction compared to her divine obligations. That possibility was also an option.
"I will expand my sleeping schedule." She giggled as a hint of coral blush stained her soft cheeks. Link felt himself choking with his own breath for a moment. What in Hylia was Zelda implying-...?
Some sort of mental fog suddenly surrounded Link. The density of the mist caused their hands to unclasp. Then, a strange echo began reverberating in the spring's cavern. Zelda disappeared as if they were lost in Hyrule's Great Forest. A sense of panic filled his chest upon her disappearance. As much as he tried to squint through it, there were no traces of her godly presence.
"Wake up, hero." A familiar voice called him through the dreamy realm.
Then, a powerful thunder brought him back to reality. Electric shocks pierced the nocturne sky with great power.
Princess Mipha waved her hand at Link's sleepy sight. Urbosa was there too, laughing at his fright. What was with the gerudo matriarch's liking for waking up hylians with the summoning of an electrical storm?
The vivid sleep left the swordsman with poor amounts of energy. His lack of agility made Link look like a dazed bokoblin as he got up from his improvised spot under the tree. The moon was still ruling the starlight skies above Hyrule's Great Forest. That meant daybreak had yet to arrive, so they still had some time at their disposal before the exploration of the Lost Woods. All the Champions should be sheltered in the royal settlement before the entrance. And yet, Mipha and Urbosa had gone in his search. To be honest with himself, he too should be sleeping in the proper territory.
"Princess Zelda?" Link asked, always worried about the object of his most realistic dreams.
"She is sleeping," Urbosa replied with a full smirk. Her gaze made it seem like she knew what the hero had been dreaming about. "back at the camp like regular hylians should." She added as a way to tease.
Right, Zelda would be sleeping. How else then would she appear in the common bubble of their shared dreams? If the hypothesis was true, of course. It would only make sense.
"It had been a while since nobody saw you. We were concerned." Mipha added, earning a nod from the gerudo champion with a share of complicity.
Link felt the need to apologise with an awkward nod. What had he been thinking? He had left aside his duty as Zelda's bodyguard in order clear his mind. Emotions had to remain out of the question. Though, how could the knight blame himself if the answer to all his trouble was stocked in his dreams? Leaving the Princess protection to the troops posted outside the settlement was enough to ensure her safety, wasn't it?
Well, Urbosa and Mipha had been caught up in searching for him. That meant Zelda was safe and sound back in the camp or otherwise, they would have come to him calling for help.
Despite his inner reassurance, the knight set off towards the hylian settlement near the woods. The gerudo and zora champions followed close behind him. They had been talking beforehand, judging by the way their steps dragged out on the grass. But Link could only think about one thing at a time… So focused was he in his thoughts that he didn't notice the amphibious princess walking up to his side.
"I wouldn't want to be repeating myself, but-" Mipha was worried, the knight could tell. And the reason was obvious, let alone their mission aside. "Are you sure you are feeling well?"
The affirmation of his decent mental health came out with a reassuring glance from the kingdom's hero. The zora, however, didn't seem as convinced as Link tried to feign, so he added a small nod to convince her. The same expression of forced settlement appeared on both of the childhood friend's faces. Urbosa could only stand by and watch the situation develop into tighter tension between them. In moments like those, she wondered if she was the only one aware of what was happening between hero and princess - just not the zora, but the hylian.
"A night's well-rest will clear our minds for tomorrow's quest." The gerudo matriarch intervened, getting between them. Link and Mipha nodded despite not being convinced of it, each of them troubled by their respective inner turmoils. "Sav'orr."
Urbosa practically dragged the zora heiress to their shared tent in order to get some sleep. Link stood in the middle of the camp, where the ashes of a recently-extinct fireplace still danced among the earth. He was supposed to go back to his camping spot where Daruk would already be sleeping like a rock. Nevertheless, despite being aware of what Link should do next, the knight couldn't decide between two options intertwined at the crossroads: go back to his tent and sleep or sneak into Zelda's and find out the truth in hopes to intermit the dangerous trip to the Lost Woods.
Indecision was just a formality to repress his courageous self. Link knew what his intentions were even before being woken up from the dream. He couldn't help his feet pacing toward Princess Zelda's tent.
The worst part of using his stealthy skills was that he knew the difference between wrong and right. Popping up in Her Highness' tent was invasive. Wrong. Checking the perimeter personally by himself to ensure her safety, instead: good. But, who could he fool at this point? Being patient was not one of Link's strengths nor it corresponded to his own embodiment of the triforce. Convincing himself of it helped the knight forget the troubled situation he was getting into. Neither properness nor etiquette was required to sneak into the Princess' dreams.
The scent of raspberries and wildflowers embraced the silent knight as he entered the tent. Princess Zelda was laying on a bulky mattress with plenty of blankets where her research journal had been lost before she drifted to sleep. Compared to the familiar sight of her royal quarters, the tent at the settlement was nothing. Yet there she was, sleeping as comfortably as ever. Safe and sound. What kind of dream would be developing in her mind? Would his presence be a part of them? Dismissing the matter of their souls connection, it was highly probable. There was no way to confirm their shared conscience in the dream realm yet.
At this point, Link realised he had no plausible reason to interrupt Zelda's rest. Logic fell over him like a bucket of ice-cold water as he realised the real cause of his visit: he just needed to see her. Not only his soul but his heart craved her. There was no other explanation, the relief filling his chest upon checking her well-being spoke for him. He loved Princess Zelda.
He had fallen - for her - a long time ago. However, Link wasn't able to identify the bottom of his drop until that current moment. The worst part was admitting he didn't want to climb back up to assemble the needed professionalism for his duty as Her Highness' protector.
The golden waves of her mane, how her lips puckered with each breathing, the way her fingers tightened whenever she wrote down a discovery in her journal - all of it had been his predestined doom. He realised it once his eyes couldn't unlock from admiring Zelda's sleeping frame. And he reprimanded himself deeply for it. There was no time nor it was the place to reach emotional conclusions. He was in no position to desire royalty's affection.
A princess' escort should hold his sword steady and firm to defend a kingdom's cause, not become a charming prince of humble origins in her dreams.
"One of us should come across the legendary tree, eventually." She had assured them, filled with optimism.
"Will we?" Daruk had asked back, being for once the voice of the reason.
That question now echoed Zelda's mind as she wandered the Lost Woods.
Who would have known the fog would swallow the six Champions for them to disappear among the forest? The Princess had merely taken a few steps and yet she was unable to identify her surroundings nor sense her companions' presence around her. How could anyone imagine the group would split within the very first steps of their expedition?
Walking amidst the fog felt like trying to push aside invasive clouds of deception. Inhaling the uneasiness in the air packed a sense of anxiety inside her. Her subconscious hinted at the ambush of the Yiga Clan back at Gerudo desert as a mirage of the fear cupping up in her mind. Zelda had always been a logical person prone to thinking twice before allowing her heart to decide. She reminded herself of that fact and repeated the role of the triforce's embodiment within her as an attempt to stay calm. Despite her best try to ground herself, the princess felt her soul sinking into a dark depth she had always tried to avoid since her mother passed away.
Repression tended to work in critical situations like that one. Not allowing her emotions enough space to develop had kept several emotional outbursts at bay until then. Well, all of her desperation blossomed in the tones of her voice as she walked around the territory blindfolded, looking for a sign of the promised magic in Irel's chants.
"Urbosa?" Yet no matter how loudly she yelled, nobody was there to answer. Her whole being had drowned in a dense loneliness that kept her steady mind isolated from her previous sense of adventure.
Zelda's heart pounded against her chest painfully. The sensation had been constant and prompt like clockwork at first. But now, as her steps went further into the Lost Woods, the anxiety had found a void in her to strengthen its roots. Silence had never been much to her liking. Keeping a healthy monologue helped organise the busy thoughts clouding the Princess' mind. Each second ticking by encouraged the uneasiness to grow sharp thorns that had begun to steal her breath away.
The maiden reached a point where she could no longer know if either her vision had clouded or the fog was thicker. The wind that howled rang in her ears like Calamity's sirens. She felt her skin progressively turn colder instead of getting ready to fight adversity as she should. Zelda couldn't identify what was going on within her but the sensation felt like a gigantic wave of Tabantha's tundra sneaking through her nerves. Just a few steps away from her trip's beginning, her emerald eyes noticed something off. It was followed by an unsteady throb within her that warned her senses: the forest was corrupted.
Black and grenadine traces of Ganon's malice layered the ancient roots of the now-wilted trees on her labyrinthic path. The signs were subtle at first, just a reddish glow see-through the bark. But the Princess soon realised that she had entered a wicked pit that had isolated her soul for others to aid her. Either way, her perseverance couldn't keep her from trying to find her way back.
"Can anyone hear me?"
The silence's answer confirmed she had strayed too far from the forest entrance. Her mind couldn't figure it out no matter which way her feet decided to go. The fog lurked around her and the poisonous substance of ancient evil was more evident every time. Still, Zelda moved forward - followed by the logic of an epicentre's existence. The malice rising could only mean she was getting closer to what she was searching for. The ancient tree… Would it also be affected by the Calamity's corruption? There was only one way to find out. But keeping walking against her best judgement was a slower process that ended up freezing the heiress on the spot.
"I don't know if I should go forward…" At this point, the Princess had to speak out loud to cherish her sanity. The cold's tingles kept on remarking her knight's absence by her side. The lack of his protective guard was replaced by all sorts of despair. One that made her body shake, a second which caused her to choke on her own breath and the last one that made her eyes believe he was standing in front of her, shielded by the fog. Except it was actually him who had finally found her. "Link?"
Zelda could distinguish his armoured silhouette now. Her sharp sight could discern details despite the mere shadow of him. The handle of the mythic sword, each piece from his knightly uniform, his firm yet not-so-tall figure… There he was - Hyrule's hero - standing in the distance. And despite so, his eyes still managed to pierce her soul. Nobody else could possess that exclusive privilege, right? Who else could have been capable of finding her if not him?
"Link!" She exclaimed, joy bringing the body back to her feet. Zelda practically lunged for him, almost stumbling upon her own steps. "Link." She called once more upon seeing his lack of reaction.
It was too late when she realised that the shadow she was standing in front of was nothing but a mere illusion of what her soul craved. Malice's thick substance crawled up the Princess' arm as soon as her fingertips reached for her knight's mirage. The rotten stir of its poison made Zelda fall backwards, sending her to the floor. Her polluted hand caressed the lifeless grass on the ground, sending the malice to the earth, causing the trees around her to drop the few leaves that remained strong. The maiden watched how her touch had been capable of contaminating every single ounce of life around her, horrified by the discovery. A few seconds later, her gaze returned to the shadow knight.
"What are you?!" She was aware of Ganon's ploy. Whoever was standing before her - if she could refer to it like an actual being - was not Link. It just had been created to resemble the one person she most desired to find. "Don't you dare come any closer." Zelda threatened after gathering the necessary courage to defend herself.
But instead of obliging, the shadow of Link moved to unsheath a sword of darkness. The Princess could swear she was watching her trustworthy escort preparing to protect her except this time it was her: she was the foe to defeat. The perspective was petrifying. She could now understand the people's respect for the hero. A cold sweat ran down her back, sending shivers up her spine. Zelda could have never imagined finding herself in such a position. Her own salvation corrupted, wielding a blade to slay her away. She may have gone through complicated moments in her life - but betrayal hadn't been one of them.
"Halt!" But the malice kept on lurking closer, the sword's replica up in the fog.
A steady pace backwards allowed the maiden to search within her own gifts. The divine power of wisdom nor the sealing magic was within her reach. Her keen mind, however, had always welcomed inventiveness.
A torn-up branch scratched the blue cloth of Zelda's sleeves. Her eyes only needed a second to come up with a defensive strategy. The leather of her gloves protected her palms as the princess pulled on the tree's limb. It came out with a swift motion that allowed her to use it as a weapon. She gripped it and held its wooden thorns high, confronting Shadow Link. Crooked nature was no match against a replica of a malevolent force - yet Ganon's malice was still magic. Just as tangible or intangible as hers. It wasn't the worth of the tool that mattered but the strength of its carrier. Zelda was certain of having read a similar reflection in her mother's diary. And she would follow the royal advice.
Link's malice lunged towards her. The Princess charged too, feeling the adrenaline heating up her body in response. This time her feet didn't move. She wouldn't run - where to? It was her fate, maybe even a trial. A malevolent replica of her knight would be a minor inconvenience compared to the war she was destined to win. It was time to gather - not just wisdom - also courage in order to face adversity.
Zelda felt the shadows disappear with her determined strike. Ganon's malice vanished before her eyes like corrupted moondust. It wasn't like in her nightmares. Not anymore. She was able to foresee and fight adversity though her current stance with a branch as a weapon couldn't portray the empowerment the princess felt flowing within her.
Unfortunately for her, the knight's shadow reappeared amidst the distant fog. The wicked scent was all over the Lost Woods and Zelda reached a conclusion: she would have to find the source of its evil if she expected to receive some sort of discovery within the forest. The first obstacle in the way was approaching again with large steps and a magical blade in hand.
Her gloved fingers tightened the trunk to lift it up in the sky as a show of strength. Surprisingly, the mysterious silhouette mimicked her actions. The hold on the sword freed a purifying glow that blinded Zelda, forcing her to close her eyes.
The Princess couldn't realize that the knight standing before her was now the real Link and not a replica made of malice. It was thanks to the sound of his voice that she could finally recognise the hero's identity rejoined with hers.
"Courage." Link muttered, still loud enough for the maiden to hear. She was no longer lost.
Zelda witnessed how the knight's eyes gleamed. Just like shooting stars in a clouded midnight. Just like his irises did whenever their glances met. Blue sparks and valuable jade connected. Her mouth moved without wanting it, instinctively letting out a single word:
"Wisdom." Zelda replied.
Oh, goddesses. They both remembered.