Chapter Text

Chapter 30: Mistakes Were Made

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The first couple of hours were spent in silence, the light patter of rain the only noise that would break it as Link led the way with you trailing not too far behind behind. He held the Sheikah Slate, following the road while marking off places of interest like a Bokoblin camp hanging over a large cliff. There were several times where the two of you would stray from the road to help another traveler being attacked by monsters and on other occasions where Link's Sheikah Slate would beep randomly from nowhere. Turns out the slate was searching out more of those shrines from what Link told you. So while he dealt with the shrines, you stayed back, opting to keep watch at the promenade full of Lizalfos swimming around.

Before long, Link would emerge from the shrine and your journey continued onward.

You traveled over mountains, passing by all sorts of wild life that either watched or ignored the two of you. Tiny birds hopped around, pecking at the ground for food before fluttering away as you and Link approached, their little blue bodies puffing up before their tiny wings carried them away. Further away was a bright orange fox laying in a pile of wild flower.

With the sky shifting with time, the two of you had decided to set up camp for the night in a thicket of trees at an abandoned camp site. You settled down on an old tree log with your Zora sword placed within arms reach. You watched as Link worked on the fire. He laid down on his stomach and softly blew onto the growing embers, being careful to not blow it out. The fire began to crackle and grow a soft glow of light illuminating the area. The warrior let out an excited laugh, jumping up to his feet with a wide grin. You found yourself smiling at Link's infectious behavior, watching as he sat on the ground to warm himself up. He sat with his legs crossed, arms out with the palms of his hands facing the fire for warmth.

Your gaze trickled down, your lips pressed in a line as a strange feeling of nostalgia came over you. Flashes of images of you and a Link camping out in different places came fresh to your mind, each Link different from the last.

One had such a serious expression on his face as he kindled the fire, his eyebrows furrowed slightly downward. Another had a kind look upon his face as he tended to his white maned steed and one other was in the same act but his eyes were more open — expressive. Then there was a smaller Link, resting beside a red boat with a rather scary carving for a head. The images continued like that with each Link changing in their appearance ever so slightly. One wore no leggings under his tunic, one had shaggier hair, another wore a beautiful, long blue scarf and another wore chainmail that peaked just a slight underneath his familiar green tunic.

"Y/N," A roasted apple appeared before your eyes, snapping you out of your memories. Link stood before you, a freshly roasted apple out stretched to you. He smiled excitedly as he held it out to you. "Didn't burn it this time!" The apple smoked with a warm steam just under your nose, a delicious aroma of a freshly baked apple.

You scoffed lightly but smiled non the less as you reached out and took the warm fruit from Link with a gentle, "Thanks."

The apple was nice and warm and sweet as you took your first bite. It gave a satisfying crunch with each piece.

"Do you normally burn your food, hero?"

The man smiled sheepishly at you, rubbing the back of his neck. He grinned at you, a slight hue of red on his cheeks as he nodded bashfully.

"I've been experimenting with food since I woke up," He answered with a scratch, his grin slowly fading from his face.

You paused in mid chew, watching as his face slowly lost that cheery smile of his. It was a face you knew all too well, a face that you could recall so clearly in your mind's eye. They all had that look. Like they were looking at some far away dream...

"How was it? When you first woke up, I mean." You asked, swallowing the piece of apple in your mouth. You patted at the space next to you and that was enough to encourage your companion to sit beside you.

Link told you of how he awoke to Princess Zelda's voice within a shrine. Just like me, you thought as he continued, telling you about the lingering spirit of the late King of Hyrule, King Rhoam and his travels up until he met you.

How many times has this happened to you? You thought, watching Link speak while gesturing with his hands now. How many times have you been pulled into this fight time and time again? Reincarnation after reincarnation...

As Link finished his tale, your hands played with the half eaten apple. You two were a lot alike, trapped within a cycle that you never asked for, and yet... As you looked back to Link, you don't think you would trade anything in the world for this curse that was placed upon you by Lady Hylia.

"I'll take first watch," You said, moving Red Queen closer to you. "You go and get some sleep. We've got a long way to go yet still."

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The next morning found the two of you back on the move, traversing alongside the Fir River, passing by a camp of Moblins from across the way.

They really are everywhere... You thought with narrowed eyes. The both of you were too far away for their look out to see but the fact that they littered around the whole kingdom was concerning to say the least.

The sun rose high in the sky, warming your backs as you and Link followed the path. Link messed about with the slate, swiping his finger around and tapping at the screen. A quiet way to pass the time, truly. The land rose until you towered over the river, the fall a considerable drop as a rocky bridge formed and connected the two cliffs together.

You found yourself looking over the other side, a soft breeze swaying the tall grass. Both paths led up to a steep incline though this path before you seemed to go off into the woods while the path beyond the bridge-

Link gasped out loud, his rough voice jarring you out of your inspection. Your head whipped back to him, you dominate hand grasping onto the hilt of your sword as he looked past you with wide eyes. You snapped your head around but saw nothing. Your muscles tensed, Red Queen just an inch out of its scabbard, eyes darting left and right. When nothing threatening came about, you relaxed your body, turning toward the blonde to scold him but a blur from the said man ran past you before you could even utter a word of complaint.

Sprinting across the stone bridge, Link followed the dirt trail that stretched around the corner. His eyes trailing along the length of the glowing orange tower at the top of the cliff. He quickly brought his attention back to the front and skidded to a stop as a red Moblin came charging at him with a large wooden club in hand.

He groaned out loud, rolling his eyes. Things could never be easy, could they? Calamity Ganon must've really hated him for all these monsters to be stationed at the shrines and towers. He reached back and drew his sword and shield, executing a well timed side jump when the Moblin swiped that giant club low to the ground. Link glared up at the monster, his grip tightening on his sword. He charged at the Moblin, slashing at its club when the monster blocked his attack. He drew back, slowly circling the monster with critical eyes.

It were as if he was looking at the creature through the eyes of someone else, his own taking in the Moblin's short body and abnormally long arms. It's torso was slender and long, hunching its back low. With the curve of its body, the Moblin would have a hard time getting up if it were knocked down on it's back...

Link looked around, the surroundings tight as the trail laid between a cliff to scale and long, rocky walls at either side. His eyes snapped back at the beast, its tongue dangling to the side of its mouth. The Hylian glared at the beast, his own mouth a thin line before he kicked off the ground, sprinting forward. The Moblin roared at the fighter before lifting its giant club in the air. It brought it down with a tight grip and Link found himself curling into a ball, rolling off to the side before springing up and slashing at the Moblin's back. The creature cried out, its free hand reaching back for its wounds before collapsing to the ground, its body fading into a thick, black mist.

He panted, sweat forming against his forehead as the temperature seemed to rise slightly as the sun reached the highest point in the sky. With a final exhale, Link sheathed his sword and turned to the tower that stood atop a cliff. The sound of slapping echoed around him.

"Well, well! Look at you go, Mr. Swordsman!" You praised, rounding the corner. "You sure handled yourself pretty well there," You stopped by his side and all was silent for a moment or two.

His heart raced within his chest, Link's muscles tensed and relaxed, flexing with sporadic twitches. It was like that time after the Lynel and then with that Ganon monster within Vah Ruta. Heck, it reminded him of the first Bokoblin he fought after waking up! He wasn't sure if his memories of weapon wielding were slowly starting to come back to him or if it was due to your help. Perhaps both. The hero brought his hands up and clench them before uncurling them.

You watched him in silence, wondering what kind of thoughts were going through his head at this moment. "So... what now?" You asked. "You ran off so suddenly back there."

Wordlessly, Link turned to you before pointing up at the glowing tower. His face, once marred with a look of hard concentration had now morphed into an excitable grin. He grabbed your hand and pulled you up with him towards the incline, dragging you both past a couple of hidden Bokoblins who jumped up in surprise as the two of you dashed past them. Up and up and up the two of you went, the tower getting closer with each step, Link felt as if he were flying—

—Until he ran into a vine of thorns.

Or he would have if you hadn't yanked him back.

His body pushed against yours, your hand still clasped with his and your free hand had wound itself tightly around his bicep.

The tower stood around a large thorn patch with the ground up turned as if it were trying to block off any on comers. You looked back to Link, watching him fiddle with the Sheikah Slate in a frantic state.

"So," You drew out, releasing your hold on him. You looked up at the tower in wonder, marveling at its height. My, if you were to reach the top of it then you'd be able to see so much! And with the Sheikah Slate, notable landmarks could be marked and back tracked to. Villages, shrines and so much, much more could be explored!

Link chuckled as he moved the slate to face you, tapping on a unique triangle symbol. It glowed a bright orange under his fingertip with a slow ripple happening around it. The Hylian text fazed onto the screen with the word "Travel" becoming visible.

"Travel?" You rose an eyebrow, staring in confusion at the word. Travel as in the both of you would be able to travel around the kingdom?

But the location was nowhere near where Link had pointed to on the map... You looked back to your companion about to voice your confusion when Link turned the slate back to him, a huge smile on his face as his body started to glow blue when his fingers brushed against the screen of the Slate.

"Wha—Link!"

That look of elation on his face had turned so quickly to shock. His body began to float away from you as strange blue scrawling's traced over his body. You watched as he was lifted further up and something told you to not let him out of your sight. But what could you do to keep whatever was happening from happening?

Mindlessly, you reached up and grabbed his foot, the blue scrawl now running down your arm and then the rest of your body.

Link released a startled gasp, a raspy breath that scratched your ears and made you wince just as your vision turned what.

"Noooo!"

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You panted harshly, resting on your hands and knees as you emptied your stomach on the stone floor of some structure. Your head spun in circles and your eyes felt like everything was upside down and the throbbing in your head would not leave you.

Link, however, knelt down by the railing, his hands clasping onto the bars. The Slate laid abandoned by his side as the sun began to dip in the horizon, its orange hues a glaring reminder of what was taken from him...