Chapter Text
With Link on Arby's saddle, Danny walking to his left and Kirby trotting to his right, they walked quietly down the path as the sun began to rise. Danny kept stealing glances at Link’s arm, knowing that its current state was some kind of supernatural attempt at either saving or replacing the one that had been supposedly destroyed. He couldn’t help but notice the rounded symbol on the back of his hand that almost resembled some sort of clock. Some sort of ancient watch maybe?
“Kakariko looks different from here…”
Danny blinked, looking up, “Uh… yeah… when the Upheaval happened, a bunch of stuff fell from the sky too. Nobody was hurt, thank the Goddesses, but with that came what the Sheikah are calling the Ring Ruins.” He said, “Paya’s had her hands full with research and she’s even recruited some help to try and decipher it all…” he explained, “It all looks Zonai in origin, but… I've been too preoccupied with looking for you and Zelda to be too worried about learning anything more about it.”
“Do you know anything about it?”
“No, not really. I dropped by, asking if anyone has seen you or Zelda and… left after a really long-winded ‘no’.”
Link nodded, then he looked up at the sky where both Naydra and the new dragon could be seen. “What’s Hylia’s territory? Central?”
“Everywhere. I haven’t been to a corner of Hyrule where she hasn’t been yet.” Danny said, “But fortunately she seems really docile. She and I have flown in close proximity and she seemed completely comfortable.” Danny said, “So… no dragons chases there.”
“That’s good.” Link nodded.
Danny was silent for a while, still glancing over at Link’s left hand, “So… mind if I asked about the arm?” he asked, nodding toward the dark teal hand gripping the reins, “If that mummy destroyed your arm, then what is that? Some kinda curse?”
Link hesitated, “Uh… see, that part might sound insane too… it belonged to Rauru, the first king… it’s the last of his physical form.” He said, “The old one was beyond saving and he said that I was almost beyond saving if he didn’t do something…”
Danny frowned, “We owe him some thanks for saving you then…” he said.
Link shook his head, “He faded like Rhoam did… the only thanks we can provide at this point is figuring out how to stop Ganondorf.”
Danny’s eyes widened, “Wait- like- hang on- Ganon like Calamity Ganon?” he asked, “You telling me about this now?”
“Calamity Ganon was a manifestation of Ganondorf’s malice and hatred.” Link clarified. “So long as he hides under Hyrule, he remains a threat and needs to be dealt with.” He said, “I just need to know what is needed to prepare against him.”
Danny looked back down for a while, “Okay, so where should we start? What do we know about him so we can figure out how to work against him?”
“That he’s the Demon King and is capable of destroying holy weapons.” Link sighed, “And… somehow, he knew Zelda.” He said. “So maybe start research there.”
“Shot in the dark, but do you remember anyone like that from a hundred years ago?”
“The timeline doesn’t add up. Calamity Ganon was a hundred years ago. Manifested from…” he paused, “An ancient evil from roughly ten thousand years ago…” he thought for a while.
“Didn’t you say someone else was ten thousand years old?” Danny rose an eyebrow.
Link looked down at his left hand, donated to him by Rauru. He thought for a while, “We need to research the Zonai some more. And the Imprisoning War…” he said, “Zelda spoke about it just before we fell. I-” he sighed, “I wish I was paying more attention. I… I got distracted…” he rubbed his face.
Danny pat Link’s leg, “I’ll look into it when we get home. I think she left all of those books sitting on the table.”
“No- I need to look through it too…” Link said, starting to rub his eyes.
“When did you wake up again? You’re visibly exhausted. You sleep, I’ll read, okay?”
“I can’t rest now, Hyrule’s in danger…”
Danny frowned, “You’ve been up over twenty-four hours, bud, and you look it.”
“I just woke up from a three-month nap, I’ve had enough sleep.”
“You can only charge a battery so much, Link.”
“Pretend I don't know what that means. Also- like you’re one to talk, you look like you haven’t slept in the three months I’ve been gone.”
“Sorry, I was worried about you.”
Arby whinnied and chuffed, turning his head as though to argue with them.
“Oh, don’t you start.” Danny rubbed the horse’s nose. “We’re not really arguing.” He said, patting Arby’s shoulder.
“Is he a peacekeeper?” Link asked, relieved to find a way to change the subject away from their awful sleep patterns.
“More like a peace enforcer. I don’t think I've ever seen a horse so willing to throw himself into a conflict to get people to shut up. Or one that’s willing to run over bokoblins for sport.” Danny scoffed. “Epona is the peacekeeper. But Arby is like the big scary dog standing behind her that makes sure everyone listens.”
“Oh. Wow.” Link looked back down at Arby, “Where did you find him?”
“Some field south of the Great Plateau.” Danny said. “Doesn’t feel like anything scares this horse.” he froze, “Oh… uh… that reminds me, we do have this one other new monster…” he said, grimacing.
Link narrowed his eyes, “I don't like that face.”
Danny hesitated, then he shook his head, “It’s a moving pool of Gloom, but there's a bunch of hands that sprout up from it, with eyes in the palms…”
Arby knickered.
“Yeah, I know, boy…” Danny pet the side of Arby’s neck, “They screech, and when they grab their victims, they sap the life out of them. And they’ve been leaving survivors with what we’re calling Gloom Sickness.” He said, “Luckily, it can be easily cured...”
Link watched Danny, genuinely disturbed. “Wait… Gloom Sickness?” He asked.
“Yeah, residual Gloom that gets in people’s systems and makes them act… different.” He said. “People found it best to just run and pray that they go away.”
Link thought for a moment. “Different how?”
Danny took a deep breath, “It varies from person to person. Some lose hope. Some get angry. Some give in to anxiety and lose rationality… just… not themselves… like how we felt when we first found the stuff. But… worse.”
Like the Gloom corruption… Link gripped the reins and glanced down at his hand. Then he shook his head.
It’s the grief… it’s just the grief…
“How do you cure it? You say it’s easily curable.” he asked.
“Sunlight.” Danny said, “But we found some flowers that reverse the effects, too.”
Link nodded slowly. If sunlight was supposed to cure it then he might need something more. He chose not to press further to avoid worrying Danny. “What kind of threat would you consider them?” He asked. “The uh… the Gloom hands.”
“Their own category.” Danny frowned, “Not Hinnox, Talus or Molduga level. Closer to Lynels.” Danny shrugged.
“Can they be killed?”
Danny grew quiet. “Yeah… yeah, they can be killed…”
Link nodded firmly, “That’s enough for me.”
“No, Link- they’re connected to Ganon. When you kill the hands, there’s someone else… and if that mummy under Hyrule Castle is Ganon- then it’s a clone of him.”
Link narrowed his eyes, “What- right… you said you saw him…”
Danny nodded, “I only killed one, and I’d rather not fight them again. I was worried I wasn’t going to come back from it.”
“You get hurt?”
“No. Well- not badly… but the Gloom was making me hear those voices again. They were… intense.”
Link nodded slowly, tightening his grip on the reins, “We’ll try to avoid them if we can then…”
When they finally reached the Wetland Stable, Link pulled the hood back up and hopped down from the saddle, keeping himself close to Arby’s side to avoid being recognized while Danny talked to the stablehands at the counter.
Kirby stuck close to Link's side, sitting and keeping watch.
Soon, Link felt a gentle nudge against his arm, he looked over and was face-to-face with Epona, “Hey girl…” he turned and hugged her neck, “Good girl…” he breathed.
Danny pat Epona’s side as she reunited with her rider, pushing her massive face against Link's back and sides and gently knickering. She then pressed her muzzle against Link’s new arm, her ears flickering back.
“I know, I know… but it works just as well as the last one.” Link assured her gently and quietly.
Once Link climbed onto Epona's saddle, Danny picked up Kirby and brought him up to Arby’s saddle with him, allowing Kirby to lay across the stallion’s back. “Heads-up, we have to cut through Kakariko because the bridge by the Dueling Peaks Stable is out.”
Link sighed and pat Epona’s mane and neck, then he pulled the side of the cloak over his left arm and leaned forward until he was resting on the back of her neck. “Ring Ruins?”
“No, just big sky rock.” Danny said, “Unless you want to see the Ring Ruins and stay in Kakariko for the night.”
“Pass. Not in the mood for Impa to lecture me.”
“That’s fair. Go ahead and nap. I’ll wake you when we get to the Dueling Peaks.” He said.
Link nodded “Thank you…” he said, his eyes drifting closed.
Danny smirked, “Rest up, man.” He said, his smirk fading as he looked up at the sky islands above them. Once they get back to Hateno, he might go and investigate them while Link rested. Might even let Link do the studying instead while he checks for Zelda. He sighed and scratched Kirby behind his ears, “Good boy…”
As they passed through Karariko, Danny signaled to anyone that saw them to leave them be, conveying to them that Link had been through a lot and that they were just trying to go home, so they needed their space.
Fortunately, Link had covered up his arm so he didn't have to explain what had happened.
He tensed when he heard them whispering about the fact that they were traveling without Zelda, however. Rumors and speculations of her death began being passed around.
But eventually… Finally, they left the village and were soon approaching the Fort Hateno Marsh.
Danny made a face as they neared the split in the road. Should they keep going to Hateno? Or should they stop to rest before they get home?
Link had been snoring the last few hours away. But it felt wrong to wake him.
Danny sighed and leaned over, tapping Link’s arm, wincing when he tapped what felt like the stone-like markings that banded around his upper arm. “Epona, a little help?” He asked, watching as Epona started moving a little closer. Danny then began patting Link’s back, “Link.”
Link’s eyes fluttered, then he sat up and took a deep breath, “Where are we?”
“Approaching the Fort marsh, do you want to stop at the stable and get some rest in an actual bed? Or push for Hateno?”
Link rubbed his eyes, frowning from the texture of his left hand and lowering it, “Uh… home. I’m not ready to see a bunch of people right now…”
“Fair enough.” Danny said, turning Arby left and toward the path to Hateno. “Hey uh…” he started, “I wanted to give you a quick warning… the search parties thought they saw Zelda before we left this morning…” he started, “It wasn’t her, obviously… but that means there’s a supernatural imposter around somewhere.”
Link tensed, then silently nodded. “Good to know…” he said, his tone low and almost inaudible.
Danny watched him for a moment. “I didn’t want to… sour anything. But you need to know.”
Link shook his head, “It was already sour.” He said. “It just… adds…”
Danny sank. Then he looked up, “Ugh, I forgot about these clowns…” he groaned as they rounded the corner. “Should probably take them out so they don’t harass anyone trying to get to and from Hateno, right?”
Link looked up and sank at the sight of the group of Moblins and Bokoblins that had set up a barricade by the archway for the Fort Hateno wall. “Agreed…” He sighed, took the bow and nocked an arrow, drawing back and aiming at one of the Moblins as Danny stopped Arby and hopped off the saddle to charge forward.
Link hesitated when he felt his arm holding the bow start to burn and shake. He retracted the bow for a moment before drawing it back again and shooting at the silver Moblin he’d been aiming at. He then drew back another arrow after the first had hit the Moblin’s shoulder. As he shot again, the arrow flew past the Moblin’s head and went straight over the wall. His eyes widened as the Moblin turned its attention to him, barely bothered by the first arrow. He quickly hopped off Epona’s back as Arby grabbed her reins and led her away.
Link kept shooting, taking steps back and trying to maintain distance.
However, the Moblin barely seemed phased by the four arrows that had embedded into its limbs as it quickly closed the distance and swung at Link with a large branch-like bat, throwing him off his feet and throwing him against a nearby boulder where he heard and felt his own ribs give way to the strike.
His vision doubled as he tried regaining his bearings, and he tried forcing himself to his hands and knees before he gasped heavily and coughed roughly.
Suddenly, he was then lifted by the back of his hood and tunic and met face-to-face with the silver Moblin, before being slammed back into the ground.
…
“...Link?”
“Link? Wake up!”
Link slowly opened his eyes and groaned, now lying on the floor in a cabin with Danny hovering over him.
“Dude, what happened? That Moblin almost ate you!” Danny exclaimed.
“Loud…” Link huffed with a wince.
Danny sat back on his knees and brushed his hair back and he exhaled slowly, “Don’t scare me like that!”
“How long was I out…?”
“Just a few minutes, but still.” Danny shook his head, “Seriously, what happened? You only hit the thing’s limbs and by the time I turned around, it was swinging you around like a ragdoll.”
“How many times did it slam me into the ground…?” Link groaned, trying to sit up.
“I dunno- three… four times before I got to it?” Danny answered and helped him slowly sit up, “You’re not getting rusty, are you?”
Link narrowed his eyes as he rubbed his face.
“Hey, I have to ask-” Danny threw his hands up, “If you are, I need to know because I’ve seen you fight a silver Lynel and walk away with less bruises.”
Link fell silent, looking away. Offended.
But… Danny was right…
Being able to take hits like that used to be a bragging point between the two of them. Danny was a stronger fighter, but Link was more durable.
Was.
He exhaled sharply, “When Ganondorf destroyed my arm, he corrupted my body with Gloom… I've been weakened since… I can’t run as far as I used to, obviously-” he gasped and grunted, nursing his sides.
“You… can't hit as hard as you normally did…” Danny sighed and rubbed his face, “I don't want you fighting for a while.” He said, “Not until we figure out how to get rid of the corruption…”
Link withdrew. Then he looked around the cabin, “Where are we…?”
“The cabin just on the other side of the wall. Not far from where that monster barricade was.” Danny said, “It was the closest shelter I could find.”
Link nodded, “Okay…” he took a slow, strained breath.
“You okay?”
Link shook his head, “Hurts to breathe…” he huffed.
“Yeah, you definitely broke a few ribs…” Danny hummed, “Lucky it wasn’t your spine or neck with the way that Moblin was waving you around.” He said, “Think you can walk?”
“Just to Epona…” Link said, “I’m not walking the rest of the way to Hateno right now.”
“Well. Duh.” Danny stood and held out a hand.
Link took his hand and slowly and unsteadily stood.
“So… when you were asking if there was a cure to Gloom Sickness…” Danny started, supporting Link as best as he could without aggravating his ribs.
“Yeah… this is why…” Link grunted. “That Moblin was silver…” he started.
“Yeah, don't worry, I harvested everything I could.” Danny said, “These are going to be healed a hundred-ten percent by dinnertime tomorrow.” He assured him, lightly tapping Link’s side. “Think your old chainmail would still hold up?” He asked.
“It’ll have to…”
Danny nodded, “I’ll see what it might need for repairs when we get home.” He said, walking him outside and to Epona’s side, “Little help, girl?”
Epona turned her head and crouched down enough for Link to climb on with ease, Arby watching intently with his ear flickering. Kirby, who had been sitting next to Arby, stood and barked at them, whimpering and approaching Link. Once Link was settled, Epona stood back up and waited for Danny and Kirby to get settled with Arby.
Danny glanced over as Link tucked his left arm back under the cloak and leaned forward until he was lying against Epona’s back, wincing painfully the whole way down. Danny took a deep breath and slowly let it out, “We’re almost home. When we get there, get some sleep and I'll make a potion, okay?”
Link nodded, taking a trembling breath and shakily let it out. “Thank you…”