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Chapter Text

"There is over a 90% chance of failure in this endeavor."

Another oblivious smash is heard before the wall brightens yet again only to fade with nary a scratch.

"My data projections indicate sharing some information with you may cause your current emotional status to become placated. Allow me to inform you, then, that the hero of legend who trapped you here is long since deceased, and therefore no longer cause for such hatred. Does this not make you wish to cease your thrashing?"

The hulking menace paused before settling for a casual lean against the glowing wall, it's thrashing ceased for the time being. "You know, for a goddess-made projection, you seem to only gain cheekiness throughout the millennia."

Fi smiled slightly, a function her data tampering had only just allowed her to manage a mere two centuries prior. Though the blessed goddess had seen fit to equip her with only the most standard of functions to be able to assist the first hero, she had been able to slowly but surely analyze her data drive memories and code certain things into her base; thus allowing her to "feel" and "think". It was quite the revelation, one she relished in showing the demon king, if only to perfectly capture the moments of extreme annoyance that flashed across his face .

Every. Single. Time.

"Smirk all you want," he growled "I'll have what's mine soon enough."

"Doubtful. But my memoritive data indicates that there is no harm in trying."

A backhanded fist came slamming mere inches from her face, again merely bouncing off the force field that served as her only protection. She shifted slightly away after a beat of silence, wondering for what seemed the quadrilienth time if this would be the one that did it. Thankfully the shield held as it glowed smugly against the assault, much to Demises' chagrin.

Though she was thankful for the protection the shield granted her, over so many years she began to grow (tired?) of her role trapped inside the cursed darkness sealing sword. Though it had done well to maintain control over the demon king's desires, it left little to do other than stare at the increasingly worrying rage that was her cellmate. Since she had implemented more extensive capabilities to herself over the past hundred years, she often wondered what it would feel like to once again enjoy companionship with that of a person who didn't wish the end of all things. To be able to step out of the protective bubble that more and more she realized was just as much a prison to her as the sword was to her ward.

Though she did not regret being able to feel things, she could very much do without feelings. She wondered how her Goddess Hylia had willingly gone all the way as to make herself mortal. Did she find the sensation of thinking things other than her divine purpose exhausting? Or was she truly lost within the long bloodline of royals, without a care to be had?

Suddenly jolted from her musing, the space they were occupying flashed red, and a distinct alarm ping could be heard echoing off whatever the edges of this universe was made of.

Teeth flashing with a sinister grin, the demon king erupted into a thick red rage, dripping with malice and decay. Bubbles exploded into bright orange eyes as it ricocheted off the protective barrier and hurled towards the end of the abyss, spreading and growing ever larger as it went.

Immediately, Fi appeared before him, baring his exit in a wall of glowing white behind spread arms and a steady glare.

"I cannot allow this." She knew, as they both did, who had set off the alarm. "You are to remain here, as said and set by destiny. The goddesses and chosen hero made sure you were sealed, and I am to make sure you stay."

The oozing mass roared and a lone figure shoved through to leer at the determined face through the darkness. Foul scents of decay washed over her as Demise stopped uncomfortably close to her face.

"Then I entrust you to inform the goddesses of your failure."

And with that, the demon king exploded into pure Malice, advancing to fill the void and completely absorb the glowing figure in its depths.

Just like that it was gone, the void once more just that, leaving Fi to lower her guard and look about with a passive horror.

"And so the rise of another hero is needed." She lowered to the floor once more. "Link, I hope you will prevail against the king, as you did all those centuries ago."

Folding her hands in her lap, Fi lowered her head.

And waited.

The night was chilly, but for a brief moment turned scorching with a flash of crimson, engulfing a tall man with hair as red as blood, turning quickly to a small puddle that dissolved into the cracks of bricks and down to the soil below, leaving the master sword once more alone in its pedestal.

Chapter Text

... …

...Zelda…

Open your eyes

Wake up Zelda

Eyes crusty and hair that could turn heads for all the wrong reasons, Princess Zelda of Hyrule sat up in bed, cracking open an eye to spot an eager young Sheikah bouncing on the edge of her bed.

"Isn't it a little early for this Purah?" She said exasperatedly, willing the headache she felt coming on to stave itself off just a bit longer. She loved the Sheikah sisters, she really did, but while Impa was a steady reassurance in these times of looming conflict, Purah.....was not.

Put off by the early morning attitude her friend was exhibiting, she pouted and held the rectangular parcel closer to her chest. Squinting her deep red eyes, she retorted in her characteristic squeak of a voice, "Well I guess I'll just keep the latest tool in our leading ancient Sheikah research all to myself if this is the way the royal birth-ass is going to act. Honestly, how late did you stay up researching last night? You've practically been asleep for a hundred years."

Her eyes blew wide at the temptation ignoring, for now, the swearing jab that, had anyone else heard, would surely be reason for severe punishment. "You've figured out the ancient runes you found near the furnace??!"

"Better. Here, take it. I made sure everything is in working order in time for the big one six."

The wrapping paper was quickly thrown across the room in almost animalistic haste to reveal a small rectangular object with a dark screen in the middle. She looked up with a million questions burning in her eyes.

Purah smiled. "That, is a Sheikah slate, and will most likely prove useful with how much the king is going to have you travel. I was able to download a map of Hyrule using my guidance stone into it, but unfortunately it took up a lot of processing power and may have dissolved the rune...BUT now you have something to help you navigate! It also looks like the other runes can be implemented as well, but after the map I didn’t want to risk ruining anything. I'll make my own later on to experiment with. But here look."

She snatched the slate back and pressed the glowing Sheikah eye in the middle, pressing a side button that brought up a different screen. "This, fortunately was on here already. It's called a Camera, and creates true to life images in a snappity snap!!" Swinging the slate around she quickly pressed a button and turned it around towards Zelda. "Look!!"

A bleary eyed, raggedy haired girl looked back at her, slightly annoyed but with an interested gleam in her eye that told the second party she didn't really mind. Long blond hair so much brighter than her mothers clashed with the deep green nightgown she wore. Her eyes grew wider still with wonder, carefully taking the slate back and looking at the image that had been caught in less than a second. "How-?"

"That's why we're researching the ancient technology, we have no idea yet. But this slate is yours. Happy birthday Zelda." Her twin white buns bounced joyfully as she leapt off the bed. "By the way, I'm supposed to tell you to meet your father in half an hour. He wants to talk to you about your appearance to the four chosen champions, and I'm assuming the knight that's meant to accompany you after."

Zelda followed Purah to the door, only slightly annoyed with the mention of the knight. "Does he have any idea who that could be yet?"

"Rumor is there's a top contender moving up in the ranks of the soldiers. He wields the Sword that Seals the Darkness and has been sword fighting since he was a child. We'll know in a months time I'm sure."

Humming in acknowledgement she makes to shut the door, pausing to call out "Purah? Thank you for this, it truly means a lot that you would entrust me with it."

"Don't mention it!" The boisterous woman replied, striking an odd pose that was only cute because it was her, "As a fellow researcher I could think of nothing better than knowing you'll be studying your head off with this new tool to play with." Winking, she once again took off down the hallway, quickly disappearing around the corner.

Zelda shut the door and placed the slate on her desk for safe keeping, sighing as she thought of the upcoming lecture she was sure to get, being even more certain it was the same one she'd been getting for months now since the fortune tellers predictive signs began appearing all across Hyrule. She loved her father, but she often wondered if that simple sentiment was returned after his many royal duties were accounted for.

Quickly throwing on her royal traveling outfit and gear, she hastily checked her packs to make sure everything was accounted for. Her research journal, extra ink and quills, formal attire for the Gerudo and her winter outfit for the harsh Rito climate were all packed neatly away. The knights accompanying her would see to weaponry and food provisions, much of the latter they'd stock up on at small towns or in the provinces themselves to worry about packing much. As an afterthought, she reached under her mattress and grabbed a small ornate dagger, given to her by Urbosa some time back with a subtle wink and a finger to the lips.

"Just because you are royalty does not mean you should only rely on others to defend yourself." she repeated quietly. Looking over at her bow stashed above the mantle she sighed. It wasn't 'proper' for her to know basic defense, and yet she had been trained since she was very small the mastery of archery, even if it was mostly for ceremonial show. The Lighting of the Lanterns in particular was one she detested. It was meant to depict the battle oft passed through legend of the princess with the blood of the goddess wielding the goddess given Bow of Light against Ganon to weaken him before the hero of the era would deliver the finishing blow with the Master Sword. Therefore, every princess and queen needed to know the basics of archery as a sort of rite of passage, as silly as it seemed to her.

Once, she had approached her father to ask for more extensive training with the bow to actually hone her skills for combat, rather than simple show.

She had been talked down rather quickly and condescendingly, in front of important people, at an important dinner.

She had learned never to ask for such things in any kind of public space after that. The snide looks from royalty and pompous rich lords looking to wean more land or money or time from the royal family was enough to tint her cheeks with anger still, after all this time. Angrily shoving her feet into her boots she headed to her father's study, praying to the goddesses who never listened to hear her one plea to make her seem dignified and worthy in front of the king, if only once.

She should have known their stubborn silence wouldn't break on such an off-handed whim.

"You look tired, Zelda. Were you up late again?" Her father peered up at her from his many documents with a stern look of disapproval. "I've told you time and time again to get a proper rest so as not to appear weak in court or otherwise. Wasting time on research better left to actual scholars instead of being single minded in the duties assigned to you is very unbecoming of a princess, Zelda."

Biting back the retort that threatened to bubble out anyway, she straightened her shoulders and instead nodded. Easier to agree, than argue. This constant tension had worn her down over the years, and she was tired of justifying her actions to the one person she hoped would understand above anyone else.

"Forgive me, father. I simply couldn't sleep for nerves of this journey. I thought it better to occupy my mind than sit uselessly in the dark."

"One and the same," rudely dismissing her apology, King Rhoam continued on. "I asked you here to talk however, not to lecture. Have you packed for the journey ahead? You will be gone for at least a month traveling. You prepared your speeches to the chosen champions, have you not?"

Tears hovered just above her lashline at the dismissive attitude her father was displaying, not just to her studies, but to her in general. Taking a composing breath, she answered in a level voice devoid of emotion. "I have," (she hadn't, figuring the only real formality would be asking Urbosa in front of her court, out of respect for the chief. The others she'd play by ear.) "And my belongings are packed and ready for the trip. I have only need for my horses and...accompaniment. I had assumed you would arrange the latter."

"Two of my finest soldiers shall travel with you on this journey. However, you will be leaving this afternoon, rather than this morning. The sole knight competing for the title of Champion is being decided soon. In fact, I was going to escort you down to the grounds after our discussion to see it play out."

"I see. May I ask why the knight with the Darkness Sealing Sword was not automatically chosen? No one else may wield it."

"A sword is only as good as its wielder my daughter. If he is not the best swordsman than he shall simply be an afterthought sent to face Ganon when the time comes alongside the army that will weaken it for him. I see no point in risking the kingdom with assumptions that he is as good as the rumors claim. Now come, let us not delay this further, unless you had more ideas to add?"

Zelda lowered her head as the condescending jab washed over her in a wave of despair fueled by years of disappointment. Silently she nodded, and moved to follow behind the king to the training grounds.

"As princess, you need to keep your head up. Royalty does not slouch, and on that note, the Sheikah researchers have set up an active guardian near where we are going. You are not to go near it. Understood?"

Straightening once more, she gave another silent nod. "Perfectly."

Chapter Text

Zelda followed her father past the Sheikah tech team, offering a small smile and an even smaller wave to Purah as she passed. The slim woman gave her an odd look, waving back with an annoyed look at the king before dutifully going back to tampering with the exposed wiring on the guardian.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she straightened once more and tried to appear as every bit the dignified princess she was meant to be, sitting uncomfortably straight backed on the seat provided for her next to the king.

The trials had already started it seemed, two soldiers sparring in the spacious training yard, with medics gathered around various medical supplies and bandages for the wounded. A cry was heard as one of the soldiers fell back, grasping the side of his ribs and looking up in defeat. The winner was declared and the next names were called to the center of the grounds.

"Thadd of Akkala and Link of Hateno!" The announcer cried, his voice echoing amongst the excited whispers in the crowd.

A barrel chested stout man strutted from the lines grinning confidently as he was cheered into the arena, brandishing a well-kept sword and the standard soldiers shield to his captivated audience.

Zelda's eyes however, were focused on a timid, blonde haired boy being gently nudged forward by an older knight, most likely his father since they seemed to have the same striking blue eyes. Shooting a panicked look backward, the boy seemed to have a small, silent conversation with the taller man, interrupted by the announcer.

"Link of Hateno? You are present correct?"

The knight grasped the boys, Link's, shoulder and gave a reassuring nod, gently shoving him forward, after which Link shuffled awkwardly to the center and hurried to slip his shield over his arm, a more well worn soldiers shield that appeared to have deep grooves running down its center and if she squinted, Zelda could just barely make out muddied footprints on the inside near the straps.

Why in Hyrule would he stand on his shield? she thought, drawn back to reality when the crowd suddenly hushed.

Looking, if possible, even more awkward than before, Link had drawn the shining Master Sword from his rather ratty scabbard, crouching in his sparring position to size up his much larger opponent. It occurred to her only then, that he was rather short, perhaps only an inch or two taller than her mere five feet. Not only that, but he looked very young, the same age as her if she were to guess. A burning jealousy coursed through her at the thought of this boy knowing his destiny at such a young age, and with a supportive father figure to top it off. Scoffing, she settled more in her seat, intent on rolling her eyes the entire time as this young man tried to take on a clearly much more qualified opponent.

"Soldiers! Ready your weapons!"

The men squared their shoulders and crouched further into position, brandishing the bright blades to the sun.

The horn sounded and the fight began.

The hushed crowd grew completely silent as the soldiers circled one another, seeming to size the other up. Thadd soon grew bored however and gripped his sword tighter as he charged forward for an overhand lunge. The awkwardness was all but gone from Link as he swiftly dropped down to kneel beside the other man angling his shield to jam it behind the others knees, making him crumble to the ground. Thadd recovered quickly though, and as Link went to bring the hilt of his blade against his head, Thadd quickly dropped and rolled, bringing up his shield to deflect it and kicking out his foot in retaliation.

The small boy went flying from the clumsy yet powerful kick, landing on his side in a heap next to the edge of the crowd. Zelda caught his father stepping back from his instinctual leap forward, wringing his hands in worry.

Thadd clunked to his feet and immediately went on the defense as Link appeared from nowhere, swinging his sword in practiced strokes meant to beat back his adversary. Shocked, the larger of the two could only hold tightly to his shield and wait for an opening as he was slowly but surely shoved back.

Links face turned calculating and suddenly he leapt and spun in a mere instant swinging his sword to deal a devastating blow to the back of Thadds neck with the full force of his small stature.

Zelda's father rose as the crowd let out a collective yell before all eyes widened in astonishment.

Somehow, Link had stopped a full force blow to the top of his opponent's spinal column a mere inch away from being deadly, standing straight with his snapped shield some ways away from him as a result of his earlier tumble. Nevertheless, the victor was clear.

All at once, the spectators roared with life, the vast majority cheering for Link while others seemed to be teasing Thadd for his loss. Sheathing his sword, Link slowly walked back to his father, who embraced him proudly and seemed to be whispering words of encouragement as his hand settled on his son's heaving shoulder. Zelda squinted in confusion, wondering why he seemed so out of it after winning what was possibly the fastest sparring match she'd ever seen, but she chalked it up to hauty knighthood and turned away to watch the rest of the competition play out.

It was nearly noon by the time the competition came to a close, several soldiers having been deemed worthy to ascend to knighthood. Zelda wasn't sure how her own appointed knight would be chosen, but she was certain she would have no say in the matter so she stood up with the last of the crowd to leave.

"I assume you'll be preparing for your leave?" The king's booming voice stopped her in her tracks as she turned to face him.

"Yes father, I only need to get my supplies."

"See that you are not delayed." King Rhoam swiftly turned and made to return to his duties, again dismissing her in his rude fashion.

Zelda’s eyes burned as she too, turned on her heel and made to stalk away, but not before frantic yelling was suddenly heard around the active guardian in the courtyard.

Wait active?!

Zelda rushed over excitedly stopping in her tracks as she saw the erratic way its head was moving, its eye spinning crazily with ancient power as Purah was seen trying desperately to reconfigure whatever wiring had gone wrong.

"Purah!! Get away from there!!" She cried, running towards the young Sheikah.

"I've almost got it, I just need a gear, it isn't reacting properly because the side circuit isn't connected!" With that she dashed towards the work bench shoving her lab partner Robbie out of the way in her haste. Sensing the sudden movement, the guardian fixed its eye on her, charging up one of its lasers to shoot. Too late Zelda realized she couldn't reach her in time, stopping so she wouldn't be in the way and settled for a scream.

"Purah move!!!"

Movement at her peripheral vision made her turn her head as someone dashed towards them with..a pot lid?? It was that soldier from earlier, Link, with his father running behind him screaming for him to stop. Leaping over the table, he grabbed Purah and flung her behind him, bringing the lid up and out just as the laser shot.

All within mere seconds.

The deflected blast hit the guardian right in the eye, making it whir with a sickly grinding sound before it caught fire. Zelda stared wide eyed at the boy, who was now clutching a bloodied arm in pain. It seemed the flimsy wood wasn't enough protection (shock) and had splintered back into its wielder's arm when the blast hit. His father rushed over and knelt beside him, nodding to Purah and taking Link's arm into his hands.

Zelda was brought out of her reverie in a white rage, glaring at the ruined guardian. She stomped over to Link and snapped.

"How could you do that?! Do you realize that's the only guardian we've come even close to awakening, and you set it on fire with a pot lid?!" Fuming, she missed the sheer panic that had taken hold of his facial features. "You couldn't have just drug both you and Purah out of the way? You didn't think you proved yourself enough with your display in the arena? Think you have to show off more to further prove whatever point it is you’re trying to make?? That's weeks of research, ruined!!"

Purah and Link's father simply looked on incredulously; they were the only ones remaining in the courtyard for now, everyone else having escaped the guardians wrath.

"Zelda-" Purah started.

With a flip of her hair, the princess turned and left, not before throwing one last glare towards the 'one who will seal the darkness'.

Later as she prepared to leave, she began to feel regret for how she had acted, yet refusing to acknowledge the feeling. How dare he? That was one of the most promising studies they had, and he destroyed it. Granted, he saved her dear friend's life, but there were many other ways that could have been accomplished...weren't there?

Bowing her head in shame, she willed back the tears that threatened to spill. She couldn't think about it. She wouldn't. She'd just...hope he was alright, and leave it at that.

It was only after she was riding with her knight accompaniment towards Kakariko Village that she realized her father hadn't come to bid her farewell.

And she hadn't bothered to look for him.

Chapter Text

"Months of research, just absolutely ruined by a pot lid of all things!! How do you even deflect a laser with a pot lid? Of course he couldn't just drag them to safety, he had to show off his 'knighthood' as if being the youngest soldier to ever be knighted wasn't impressive enough, he has to get himself hurt in the stupidest way possible just to prove...whatever it is he was trying to prove!!" Zelda finished her rant with a huff, flopping down on the steps as she watched for the Sheikah leaders reaction to her tale.

Impa chuckled as she placed an apple in the offering dish, bowing her head respectfully before rising to her feet with the grace of a queen. She sat next to Zelda and offered her one of the leftover fruits, tossing a couple to the guards as well, who broke their stony silence to clumsily fumble for the snack, one actually landing on his face in the vain attempt.

As she had hoped the princess began giggling behind her apple, ears tinted red as she struggled to maintain her composure at the sight of her knights losing theirs. Shooting a playfully apologetic look at said men, they only chuckled in return and began munching on the crunchy fruit.

Impa gazed at her young companion softly as she carefully chose her next words, settling on some she hoped would pull a bit of empathy from her.

"In a dire situation, everyone must do what they are capable of to maintain the safety of others and themselves. I am quite certain he didn't want to destroy the subject of you and my sister's research, but given the choice between a hunk of ancient metal and Purah, I will forever be grateful that he chose the latter."

Apple gone save for the stem, Zelda angrily flicked it away. "As am I, but anyone could have done what he did. You don't find it convenient that he was there when it happened? All the others had already gone back to the barracks, why was he still in the courtyard? It's like he was just waiting for another opportunity to show off."

"Did you look at his eyes when you went over to yell at him?" Impa countered thoughtfully.

"Why would I do that? I was just so...angry." she visibly deflated and Impa took the opportunity to speak again before more resentful thoughts could surface.

"If you had, you would have most likely found confusion and regret, rather than the reckless haughtiness you seem to have put there."

"You don't even know him, nor have you seen him before!! How could you know?"

"Be that as it may, I do know you. You are a princess with much stress put upon you at a young age. If you took the time to see him for what he is, instead of what he represents in your mind, you may find he shares that with you." Impa looked at her pointedly, saying more with a stern gaze than she ever could with words alone.

Zelda bowed her head, properly chastised. "It's too late now anyway, I don't think I'll be seeing him again after that, at least until he is either knighted or rises against the calamity when the time comes."

"Actually, my correspondents arrived just a little ahead to inform me your knight has been chosen." She said, not without a hint of humor. "I think you'll find you have plenty of time to see if your assumptions about this boy are true."

The following ride to Zora's Domain was spent fuming in silence.

"Sweet Sidon, should fate ever part us, I need you to take care of our home in my stead."

Zelda gazed at the Zora Princess Mipha, enraptured with the heavy-hearted sweetness that laced the scene. As the royal siblings once again raced down the waterfall, she gazed at the clear blue sky.

If I can just access this power, she thought, their agreement will not have need to ever come to pass.

She giggled slightly as she made to dispel the newly elected champion's fears about a horrible dog-monster Ganon.

"Typically, the ancient texts depict Ganon as a boar-like creature, twisted and enlarged from his lust for power. At least, they never mentioned him barking!"

Daruk shook with mirth, his great bellows echoing off the mountains surrounding them, making even her stoic guards break character for the second time on this journey with poorly concealed grins of their own.

"I do play a larger role than that, ahem, 'knight with the darkness sealing sword' correct?" Revali's feathers fluffed proudly from his perch on the shooting ranges railing.

Zelda let her gaze fall to the ground before looking up with a level gaze. "We all have a crucial role to play," she replied diplomatically. "No one champion has a role that should be seen as greater than the other."

Revali scoffed and flew off, leaving the snowflakes swirling wildly in his stead.

"...sometimes I forget myself, and get lost in the past." Sheathing her scimitar, Urbosa reaches a hand out to gently brush away a stray tear Zelda hadn't noticed falling. "If you'd like me to stop calling you that, I would not object. It wasn't my intention to-"

"No, I-I don't mind." Zelda interrupts, whispering into her hand. "It makes me feel closer to you, and now, to her."

Urbosa offers a sad smile before gently pulling the small girl into her arms, softly clutching her heaving shoulders as her sobs drifted with the desert breeze.

"You have returned." King Rhoams' throne room was empty save for a few knights stationed at the entrance. "I trust your visitations went well?"

"Yes father." Zelda replied, her hands clasped respectfully in front her.

"Excellent. You informed them then, of the ceremony to take place in two weeks' time?"

Again, she nodded. "They all agreed to be present with their chosen representative guards as well. And in accordance with that, I heard from Impa-"

"I gather her informants told her the news regarding your appointed knight?"

Used to being cut off by her father, she merely inclined her head. "Yes."

"I was going to appoint you with several elected knights to ensure your protection, but after his show of skill with the competition, and his heroism in acting against the rogue guardian," pretending not to notice his daughters clenched fists, he continued. "I have thus decided to dub him the Hylian Champion, and henceforth your appointed knight to accompany you wherever your travels may lead."

At that, the door at the side of the throne opened, and a very nervous looking Link appeared, shooting the princess an almost imperceptible smile. Her glare quickly cowed him however, and he straightened his face into a somewhat neutral expression before moving to kneel before her.

The king looked at her expectantly and she swallowed back the anger that threatened to burst forth quickly. "Hylian Champion Link of Hateno, it is an honorable role you have been appointed to. Rise with the knowledge that your duty to the royal family is crucial to the Kingdom of Hyrule as a whole." She didn't remember all of the knighting speech, but her father seemed satisfied as her newly appointed guard moved to his position behind her.

Containing her glare, she attempted to remain civil as she said, "If my duty is fulfilled for the time being, I would very much like to retire for the evening to recuperate from my travels and finish the garbs I have been crafting."

Her father waved her off. "Of course Zelda, see that they are finished in time for the ceremonies. I expect to hear about your progress with your devotions when next I see you."

Bowing her head yet again, she turned and struggled to not yell out as she nearly crashed into Link. Panic flashed across his face as he awkwardly but swiftly moved to the side with a head inclination of his own.

"Your Highness," he apologized softly, nearly inaudible even at her close range. Huffing with irritation she swiftly made her way out of the throne room, not bothering to slow her pace all the way to her chambers where she slammed the door in her knight's face.

Not even stopping to consider his startled features, she threw herself at her desk to furiously scribble down in her diary, anger beginning to ebb as the quiet sound of the quill scratching the paper eased her nerves somewhat.

Leaning back, she pushed back her regrets about her less than regal behavior in favor of softly humming a popular ceremonial tune. She opened the drawer to reveal striking blue fabric and spools of pure white thread. Sighing, she continued stitching the master sword down the neckline, resisting the urge to simply shred the fabric and hurl it out the window.

She wondered if her mother would be proud of how well she controlled herself, or disappointed that she had to do it so often.

Chapter Text

Princess Zelda tried in a vain attempt not to figet as she waited nervously outside the throne room doors. She could hear the low hum coming from the many people who had shown up to see their champions officially claimed as such. Shutting her eyes she counted slowly backwards from ten.

Nine.

She didnt even have to speak. This was the Kings ceremony much more than it was any of theirs.

Eight.

It stood as the final promise to keep his kingdom safe. She knew the denizens of Hyrule had often whispered amongst themselves about the royal family doing nothing to quell their fears that arose from the fortune tellers' words.

Seven.

So many years ago, the sage had spoken of the signs of Hyrule falling to the calamity that is Ganon once again. The king had turned him away, heedless of his warning.

Six.

Until the first blood moon in ten thousand years had risen anew, throwing the entire kingdom into the throes of panic.

Five.

Her father implored the Sheikah to look into what ancient texts described simply as 'The Divine Beasts' sending them scouring the four corners of Hyrule to find the relics left to rot away in the soil.

Four.

When they had found them, however, it was clear what needed to be done. The Shiekah came fully out of hiding, though relations between Hylians and Shiekah were far from rocky at that point. A silent and seldom thought about pact was formed between them.

We will supply the knowledge, if you possess the courage to join forces, rather than shun that which you do not understand.

Three.

It was decided the time to choose the Champions was fast approaching, and as the pressure to appease his nervous subjects rose, so too did the pressure build upon Zelda's young shoulders.

Two.

She knew this was important for her father, a chance for him to show his people they needn't lose faith in their king. The time to rise as one and show how strong a united kingdom could truly be was now.

One.

Now, as Zelda opened her eyes, her gaze steadied as she fixed it upon the door. She straightened her shoulders and all at once her royal confidence flooded her small frame. No longer was she limited by her five foot stature, her inability to appease the goddesses enough to be granted the sacred sealing power, her anger that was slow to cool in the best of times. She folded her hands in front of her, the blood of the goddess rushing in her ears as the knights beside the door swung them wide.

Princess Zelda Hyrule stepped into the hush of the throne room, confidence holding her head high and power making her walk important. Her gaze didn't stray from the position she had zeroed in on, marking her place to stand in front of the champions. But if it had, she would have merely seen the awe that passed through her peoples faces as they watched the radiant royal daughter glide past, embodying grace and leadership as the words lost their meaning to the example in front of them. Everyone she passed straightened to stand as a proud member of the Hyrulian kingdom, nerves and worries soothed as they stood in her reassuring presence.

Throne room by now silent save for the cool breeze rusting the providence flags, Zelda completed her journey to the center, giving a nearly imperceptible nod to the announcer under the throne.

Bowing his head in turn, he took up his scroll and carefully unfurled it, waiting a beat before beginning the ceremony.

"Honored citizens of Hyrule! We have gathered here to show our respect and gratitude to the champions that have been chosen to pilot the Divine Beasts by the King himself! All rise as the chosen are presented before the throne!"

There was a clattering as the many nations stood or straightened to show their respect as the names were called one by one.

"Zoran ingenuity, Lady Mipha of Zora's Domain and her advisor Muzu of King Dorephan's council!"

The Zora princess stepped carefully into the room, her eyes straight ahead, though not without a small smile gracing her lips. Following close behind was Muzu, hands clasped tight behind his back as he stopped smartly beside the Zoran flag.

"Rito confidence, Revali of Rito Village and his representation Keniso of Rito Elite Aerial Combat!"

Revali strutted confidently to his place in front of his flag, trusted Rito warrior following closely behind.

"Goron vigilance, Daruk of Goron City and his fellow guard Slarik of the Goron Sentry!"

Grin wider than the doorway, Daruk made his way through the room, his powerful strides matched only by his comrade.

"Gerudo spirit, Lady Urbosa of Gerudo Town and her honorable guard Yshka, Captain of the Guard!"

Zelda could feel Urbosa's presence as it swept in a powerful wave through the room. She took her place calmly, with her guard ever on high alert a few paces behind her.

"Hylian determination, Sir Link of Hateno Village and his guide Sir Alec of the Royal Elite Guard!"

The last champion walked with a heavy step to his place in front of the Hateno flag, taking his place directly behind the princess as he attempted to straighten his ever slouching stance. His father smiled proudly, royal guards uniform hanging especially smart on his thin frame.

"Champions and denizens of Hyrule! Gaze upon the throne as his Royal Highness, King Rhoam Bosphoromus Hyrule graces the room!"

The door opened once more as the king walked with a purposeful stride flanked by two royal guards carrying the flag of Hyrule. The announcer quickly folded down the scroll once more and straightened into position underneath the throne once more. The King looked at all of the gathered races with approval, before raising his arms to deliver his speech.

"Welcome warriors, I'd like to thank you for joining me here today and for your bravery in accepting this...fateful task. I officially appoint you Hyrules Champions and bestow upon you this sacred garb." Lowering his arms and shifting his focus to said champions, he continued. "That blue is a symbol of the Royal Family, one that has been passed down for countless generations. Those garments you now wear were all crafted by my daughter, Zelda."

Shifting his focus once more, his voice grew heavy. "Zelda, I trust you with the task only a daughter of the royal family can fulfill. Lead our Champions, Princess, and together, protect our kingdom from the threat of Calamity Ganon."

Fireworks were ignited to signal to anyone outside that the ceremony had ended successfully, and The King stepped down from the risen part of the throne landing, walking regally out of the room with bows and murmurs of Your Highness following in his wake. Zelda received her signal, and turned around to make her leave as well, the Champions following in her steps.

"Ah!! I tell ya, those formal shindigs really take it outta me." Daruk says while stretching. Link smiles slightly and nods, leaving Zelda to wonder if they were friends before this.

Revali quickly snapped her out of her thoughts however, as he plucked the Sheikah slate she had been holding to inspect it with his critical eye.

"Hmph. This is the Sheikah slate eh?" With a tone that said he had expected more, he eyed the Princess expectedly.

"It is." She replied. "Apparently there are more uses for it than we originally thought. Sadly, we've yet to decipher all of its secrets."

Smiling slightly, he dropped it into Mipha's startled grasp, the latter holding it as if she expected it to suddenly break.

Urbosa leaned forward to look at the ancient technology with interest, giving the small Zoran princess an encouraging look. "The princess showed me something strange recently. Somehow it can create true to life images."

Mipha's eyes blew wide with wonder, not unlike Zeldas the first time she had seen it. "Oh wow!" She exclaimed softly. "I would love to see it!"

Zelda could see the gears turning in her friend's head, but she could not for the life of her figure out why she had suddenly started to blush. The image, though adorable, was very confusing.

"Um, Princess...may I ask a special favor of you?" She turned to Link as she blushed harder, head fin wagging nervously.

Link, sensing everyone's gaze had shifted, noticeably became uncomfortable when realizing the focus was now on him. The princess frowned, but knew she couldn't deny the sweet girl, no matter how her feelings towards the awkward knight were indescribably odd in her mind.

"Alright, this spot should work nicely!" Purah stood on her tiptoes with the slate raised a bit above eye level, tongue sticking out as she attempted to get the perfect angle. "Keep your eyes on the Sheikah Slate everyone! Daruk, can you crouch down a bit? You're as big as Death Mountain!" She giggled as the Goron settled on his knees good-spiritedly.

Her face grew soft as she next addressed the Princess. "What's with the glum face, Princess? Gimme a big smile!" Zelda shifted as she felt Urbosa lay a kind hand on her shoulder, looking up to see her looking on kindly. Facing Purah again, she gave a small, but happier, smile.

Trying not to laugh as Mipha "subtly" shifted closer to Link during the distraction, she rolled her eyes as she addressed Revali. "Revali, move your tail closer to the group!"

Sniffing with indignation, he turned and struck the same proud pose a bit closer with a mumbled "Ugh, fine."

"Mihpa, you look so tense, deep breaths okay?"

The Zoran princess started before letting out a nervous breath she had been holding for goddess knew how long. Shaking her head, she adjusted the frame and exclaimed "Stay just like that!! Here we go!"

At the last minute Daruk threw his arms wide and smashed them all together in his great arms. Waiting a beat so she could get it, she chuckled mischievously at the less than dignified expressions of the captured six. "Click, Snap!!"

Looking down at the slate as Revali began squawking out complaints before his break had even left the ground, she smiled at the image.

"This is one I'm definitely going to try my guidance stone at getting printed." She intoned, looking back up at the Champions of Hyrule, tethered by destiny, but together by friendship.

Chapter Text

Zelda sighed as she adjusted her sleeves again, trying desperately to ignore the summer heat that threatened to find a way to melt her into a puddle on the ground. She inhaled uncomfortably as the humid air traveled through her lungs, the waters surrounding the Sacred Grounds helping only make her long hair stick uncomfortably to her neck.

The gathered Champions waited anxiously, and one impatiently, for the knight being honored to arrive at the grounds. They all had arrived just a bit early, and it seemed the one in question was set to arrive just punctually.

The princess mentally rehearsed the well practiced speech, revised from texts and worded in a way that suited her. Though she loathed performing this ceremony, Daruk had barged into the sanctum the night prior and asked about what could be properly done to honor the "little guy" for his accomplishments. She had argued that the champions ceremony should have sufficed but the king had mentioned a ceremony spoken of in old texts honoring those with the spirit of the hero who managed to draw the Master Sword in times of crisis. So, begrudgingly, she had stayed up half the night researching, revising and memorizing until she had nearly fallen asleep sitting up with her nose buried deep in her studies.

'The things I do for one who's selfish enough to keep us waiting on a ceremony for him' she thought bitterly.

Just then, she saw him jogging up to the grounds, going bright red at the sight of all of them waiting. Quickly, he leaped up the stairs, almost tripping on the last but turning it into an I-meant-to-do-that bow at the last second. Looking up at the princess, he opened his mouth to say something, tensing and bowing his head again after no sound made its way up his throat. She rolled her eyes in exasperation and raised her right hand towards the awkward boy.

"Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity, and have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the goddess Hylia."

'Maybe I should destroy a guardian with a pot lid and see if that rewards me with my birthright powers instead of this silence I've endured all these years.' Her thoughts far from the words spilling out bitterly, she trudged on through the speech.

"Whether skyward-bound, adrift in time or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, the sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero. We pray for your protection and we hope that...that the two of you will grow stronger together, as one." Biting her lip to stop the tears that had threatened to spill, she let out a steadying breath, eyes downcast as she struggled to collect herself.

Continuing to bite through the speech, she began to hear the others speak amongst themselves.

"Gee this is uplifting, she's making it sound like we already lost." Daruk shifted, his wide chains clanking with the movement.

She gave a bit of a start at that, quickly recovering and continuing. She hadn't meant to sound so dejected, she just...didn't know how to sound at all. She was tired, and overwhelmed, and more than a little annoyed at the knight kneeling in front of her. But she truly didn't mean to sound so...hopeless.

Revali spoke up against him. "Wasn't this your idea? You're the one who wanted to designate the appointed knight with all the ceremonial pomp, grandeur and nonsense we could muster!" Coolly ignoring the look Mipha shot towards him he continued.

"And if you ask me," interrupted by a huff from Mihpa that signified nobody had. "The whole thing does seem to be overkill. I think I'm on the same page as the princess regarding...this boy." Revali finished with a snide click of his beak, crossing his arms in clear distaste.

"Oh give it a rest." Urbosa chided, a steady hand on her hip as she peered down at the feathered narcissist. "That boy is a living reminder of her own failures. Well, at least that's how the princess sees him."

Side conversation seemingly over for now, Zelda again paused in her speech, wondering if they knew just how loud they were speaking as she gazed down at the still bowed blonde. Looking on, she quietly contemplated her innermost thoughts and feelings.

Is this really how I feel? Is that why I hold him with such distaste in my mind? Shaking off the notion she decided no, it was merely because he was just another show off, out of his league kiss-up who just so happened to also have the most important sword in Hyrule.

Yes, of course that was it.

Quickly she finished her speech. "Rise, Hero of Hyrule, with the knowledge of your crucial role and sacrifice to the entire kingdom. The final blow to Ganon, dealt by the sacred blade only you can wield, will once again purge evil from the kingdom when the time comes as destined by fate time and time again. Rise, Hero of the new era, with the courage to carry your fate until the end."

She almost missed the way his face scrunched tight, hands shaking as he made to stand. But by the time he rose to his feet it was carefully tucked away behind a neutral expression and steady stance. Shaking it off she turned to the others.

"I trust you will all be leaving for your respective domains and beasts today?"

All nodded. Revali huffed and tossed his blue scarf over his shoulder. "I would've left already, but of course I had to bear witness to this...second ceremony honoring the hero. What kind of sport would I be if I didn't? However I really must be going. Kindest regards to Your Highness, Princess." With a flap of his wings, he was gone, souring out of sight with a grandeur hypocritically similar to the one he was just complaining about.

"We all should head back to begin acquainting ourselves with the Divine Beasts." Urbose said wisely. "We need to take advantage of the time we have now."

"Of course, I thank you all for making your appearance at the castle for the ceremony. I'm sure it has helped put the populace at ease, and I hope you all feel properly appreciated for the great service you are doing to the kingdom."

Urbosa and Mipha gave the stiff Princess a hug in turn, with Daruk bowing respectfully before her. Without another thought to her knight, she headed back to the castle, leaving the poor boy to shoot a hastily apologetic look towards the Champions before hurrying to follow his princess.

Zelda sighed as she slouched in her room, dressed down comfortably in a cotton blouse and loose leggings. Pouring once again over her notes, she relaxed in the comforting patter of rain against her window.

Getting up to stretch a little while later she glanced at the door that led outside to her study. She had been there previously but retreated to her room with some notes as the rain clouds had grown heavy with the earlier humidity. Link hadn't followed her through to the door connecting her room to the rest of the castle however, on account of her once again slamming the door in his face. She chewed on her bottom lip irritably, knowing it was her fault if he was still standing out there, but not really wanting to do a thing about it.

Sighing, she got up and opened the door. There, pressed as close to the bricks as a Hylian could possibly get, was a soaken through Link. He glanced at her briefly before going back to staring ahead.

"Why are you still standing here?" She inquired. "It's raining, shouldn't you go back to the barracks or something?"

Staring straight ahead, he replied in an unsteady voice, "You had shut the door, Your Highness. I took that to mean you weren't to be disturbed. And besides that point, I am to remain guarding you until nightfall, where two of the night guards will take my place in keeping watch over your chambers. No matter the weather conditions, I must remain at your side, er side door, until I am relieved for the night."

"Those are your specific orders are they?"

"Yes, Princess. By King Rhoam himself. You of course, are free to order me to leave, but know I cannot by higher authority. My deepest apologies if my presence outside makes you uncomfortable."

Zelda looked up at the sky, doubt pounding in her gut in time with the rain. Finally she sighed and stepped inside. "Come in. You're getting your tunic wet. Sit by the fire a while, until you're relieved of duty."

Link quickly looked back in disbelief. "Y-your Highness! I cannot...that isn't proper!"

She quirked an eye at his tomato complexion, almost smiling but holding down her stony exterior. "You're telling the Princess of Hyrule what is or isn't proper?"

Sputtering too much to get a word out, she rolled her eyes and walked away. Opening the opposite door she returned. "There, now no one will suspect anything. You can keep your 'knighthood reputation' just get in here before you become useless with a cold."

Tentatively, Link stepped inside, closing the door behind him as he shuffled in place awkwardly. Everything he did was just so, nervous. Shaking the thoughts away yet again, she threw a fluffy towel in his direction, catching him in the face.

Not paying him any more mind she went back to reading. Looking up after a minute she was greeted by a shivering Link with a big, fluffy towel wrapped securely around his shoulders, mussy hair spilling from its usual ponytail to pool around his face.

"Sit by the fire, won't you?" Zelda sighed out. "You're making me nervous."

Ducking his head, he hurried to sit, hunching over in an attempt to retain warmth. A fleeting thought told her he looked quite adorable, like a just bathed puppy pouting after all was said and done, but she dismissed it hastily.

The unwilling duo sat in uncomfortable silence for the next hour, neither wanting to put forth any form of conversation to try and slice through the tense air. Sighing quietly, Zelda turned around to face him, resolving to shatter the fragile glass of raindrops and wind whistles guarding her from him with the promise of civil conversation.

"Have you heard of the Seven Heroines?"

Startled by the sudden question, Link nodded slowly, towel neatly folded in his lap. "Those are the stone monuments in the Gerudo desert correct?"

"Yes," she affirmed, impressed he knew of them. "I wanted to visit the site when next I visit Gerudo town, so I was researching them. Their purpose was lost to time, but they still stand as an impressive feat of engineering. I also found a more obscure legend of a supposed eighth heroine in the Hebra mountain range, but most of what I found is merely speculatory rumors, so I'm a bit hesitant to believe in its authenticity. I wish I could try and find it for myself, but with my duties, I don't have the time for a silly scholarly adventure." She was a bit startled to see that Link was listening with rapt attention to her every word, seeming to be genuinely interested in what she was saying. That was...nice. At least he didn't scold her for studying something other than her devotions, but she was sure the thought was there, hidden behind a carefully expressionless face. She looked up as two knights appeared before the doorway, bowing respectfully.

"Your Highness, we have arrived to relieve your knight for the evening, though if the two of you are engaged, we will be happy to return at a later time."

"No, of course not. Now is perfectly fine." Link, recognizing the dismissal, carefully laid the towel down on the previously occupied bench, bowing low before heading out the door.

She watched him leave with haste, eyes turning downcast as she realized what a hurry he was in to get away. Well, why wouldn't he be? She gave him no reason to stay and had only bored him with her studies when she should have just left the silence alone.

Getting up and crossing the room quickly, she nodded to the guards before shutting the doors, leaning her forehead against them in quiet regret.

She hated that she knew exactly what everyone thought about the poor princess who couldn't access the sealing power meant to save them all. What good was she then, if not for the studies no one cared to hear about? Sliding down to kneel in front of her door, she closed her eyes against the world, taking what little solace was offered to her from the rain that continued to fall on Hyrule.

Chapter Text

A week after the ceremonial events, Zelda sunk to her knees in front of her bedroom window, sunlight warming her face but failing to do anything for the depressed mood that she was accustomed to waking up to by now. She'd often thought about skipping her daily devotions, as they never awoke anything but raw frustration inside her, but she held the tiniest sliver of hope all these years that one day the goddesses would be moved by her consistent prayers and grant her that which she was told all her life was the only thing that made her important. Finishing with a final plea for blessings upon her kingdom, she opened her eyes and took in the expansive view from the window.

The blue of the sky sat unblemished above the rolling expanse of the western fields. If she squinted hard enough, she could just barely make out the lab that Purah and her fellow researchers occupied more and more with the passing months. Looking beyond towards the northern mountains, she made out Medoh’s blurry shape gliding lazily over what she would assume to be Rito village. She didn't imagine Revali taking the mechanical wonder far from praise filled eyes. Closing her eyes once again, she instead focused on her hearing. She could faintly make out the tapping of equipment as soldiers trained in the far courtyard. The tinkering of various guardians sprinkled the slight breeze that proudly waved the castle flags. She tasted the promise of rain with the breath of fresh air she took deep in her lungs.

Feeling the cold stone begin digging into her knees, she slowly stood up and stretched, reaching her arms as high as they could go as she felt her spine pop and shoulders relax. Pairing leggings with a simple blouse, she quickly pinned her hair down and slipped on her more ornate boots more suited to walking around a castle than her well worn traveling ones.

Walking over to her bed, she flipped the thick quilt off the bed, tossing the pillows in the same fashion. She smoothed down the sheet and pulled the thinner bedspread up to the headboard, taking a moment to smooth that down as well. Meticulously tucking down the corners, the blanket was next picked up and fanned out on top, tucking the bottom under the mattress with the spread. Finally picking the pillows up and fluffing them, they were placed neatly at the headboard as she softly smiled.

She of course didn't have to do any of this. As princess, the maids came into her room to neaten and clean every time she left her room for breakfast. But it was nice to pretend sometimes that she had normal responsibilities such as the simple chore of keeping a clean room, rather than the royal stress that she endured regularly. Plus, she hated leaving a mess for other people to clean. Her room should be her responsibility, but when she brought it up she was only questioned about what she could be hiding to not want the maids cleaning, so the subject was quickly dropped and that night a stone was slowly removed from the wall so she could hide her dagger and diary lest the king order a search under his suspicion.

Looking back across her room, she nodded in affirmation seeing everything in order.

'Now I can go down to the kitchen to get some breakfast and then hopefully get through some of my research. I really want to look for those underground pillars I read about the other week.' So thinking, she quickly made her way out the door and started down the long corridor, stomach growling in excitement the entire way.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned and scowled as she saw who it was.

"Must you stand outside my chambers at all times? Would it not make more sense to stalk me outside the castle only, where I would be the most likely to be in danger? And on that note, I can easily take care of myself, I'm sure you can find better things to do than annoy me all day!"

Link bowed his head and replied in a very soft voice, "I have my orders, Princess."

Fuming, she spun away from him, not bothering to say another word in argument. Hoping to lose him eventually, she resumed making her way to the kitchen at a brisk pace.

"Your Highness!" A guard suddenly stood at attention before her as she rounded the corner, effectively startling a small yell from her.

"Ah! I-I mean, yes? What is it?"

He bowed briefly, an apologetic look etched across his face. "My apologies, Princess, I was just making my way towards your chambers to inform you that King Rhoam has requested that you dine with him this morning. He received important information from the Royal Sheikah Researcher Purah that he wishes to discuss further with you."

Zelda tried her best not to visibly slump. "Of course. I shall head there immediately. Thank you for forwarding his request."

Bowing lower this time, the guard spun on his heel and made his way back to his station. Sighing in defeat, Zelda slowed her walk to a more leisurely pace, intent on prolonging her meeting for as long as possible. She did love her father.

She just didn't always love the tone he spoke to her in.

Stepping into the Dining Hall she immediately spotted her father sitting at the end of the great table, with a space beside him set up for another person's breakfast. Noting with annoyance that her newly acquired shadow took up his station beside the doorway rather than leaving, she went to sit next to her father.

A castle maid bustled out with her tray of food and set down their breakfast. Soft bread paired with even softer cream, fluffy eggs most likely laid fresh the night prior. Hylian rice piled high with steaming mushrooms and seared sausages seasoned with the newly delivered rock salt. A lovingly carved pitcher held fresh milk and another smelled tantalizingly of spiced cider. A dish covered what was most likely a soft pudding as a palate cleanser sat in the center of the tray. Bowing, the maid tucked the tray lid under her arm and turned to leave.

"Thank you Clara." Zelda said softly.

Beaming, Clara bowed again. "Not at all, miss." With a swish of her hips she was gone, leaving father and daughter alone to the quickly tensing air.

Reaching forward to fill his plate, her father broke the silence. "Purah has received letters from all corners of Hyrule regarding the Divine Beasts."

"Are they having any trouble with them?"

"From what I understand, the runes they were given to activate what are called terminals inside the beasts work, but not with the last one they need to unlock to gain complete control. Miss Purah said it might have to be authenticated with the slate she gave you, but unfortunately she's much too busy to journey to all the beasts just for a simple task such as that."

"Oh." Zelda could see where this was going but she asked anyway. "What are we to do then?"

Her father looked at her pointedly. "I thought to send you of course. On your way through the provinces you can pray to the Shrine of Power and Courage to see if anything awakens that power of yours, and I will also need you to send word of our preparations and gather intelligence of theirs. When Ganon strikes, we need to have a unified front, and that only happens with cooperative communication. I assume I can trust you with this task?"

She looked down at her breakfast, poking at her eggs with her fork. "Of course, Father. Shall I head out today?"

"As long as you can pack quickly. Link will of course be accompanying you, as I'm sure you assumed already. I'll have the documents you are to give to each leader delivered to your room for you to pack. I expect you to continue with your devotions even as you travel, we cannot afford for you to continue to slack with your crucial duties to your kingdom. Am I making myself clear?"

"Perfectly."

"Begin preparations for your journey as soon as we are done here, and be sure to see Purah before you leave so you can get the full details on what might be happening from her. I would send someone else, but she informed me that although it was against my wishes, you continued to play scholar and study how the slate worked in relation to the beasts, so I really have no choice. Again, this is not an excuse to put any of your formal duties on hold. Do not delay getting to where you need to be. I expect you back as soon as possible to continue to serve your kingdom. Am I understood?"

"Yes."

"Good." Clearing his plate with a final mouthful, the king's napkin was folded and laid neatly beside it. Standing up, he gave her one final stern look. "You are the one who insisted she know how everything works, even as I tell you repeatedly to focus on more important things. I sincerely hope your dawdling can help your Champions Princess, for the sake of Hyrule and all its inhabitants." King Rhoam strode out of the room, sparing not even a second glance at his daughter or her knight.

Zelda only sat in silence as she listened to his footsteps fade away.

Sliding back from her mostly untouched plate, she stood, no longer craving food to fill her emptiness. She straightened her blouse and turned to look at the knight still stationed at the door.

"Prepare our horses, if you would. See that you pack enough supplies for our journey. We leave for Kakariko Village in one hour."

He looked at her for a second, apparently torn between following her or her orders, deciding her orders made more sense and nodded, going to speak with a close by guard. She ignored him, pacing back up to her chambers in humiliated anger.

Travel to all the divine beasts to figure out what could possibly be wrong and fix them as soon as possible? Oh what an exceedingly simple task, of course. Nothing this apparent failure of a princess can't handle! Eyes still burning from the sting of his words, she slammed her door closed and knelt at her bedside with a cry of anguish.

An hour later, she heard a knock at the door and quickly swung it open, her brimming saddle bags slung over her shoulder.

"Let's go."

"Princess, allow me to-"

"I said let's go!" She didnt care if Link was just doing his duty, trying to be a gentleman or trying to belittle her, but she was carrying that bag down to her horse that hated her with the spite of Hyrule and she was putting it on him and then she was going to see Impa before she made her way to Zora's Domain. Purah had said it was most likely a simple authentication issue, and that they had had the same problem with the Shrine of Resurrection, though there had been no terminals to activate there. It should be an easy fix that, when completed, should allow for fine tuning to the Champions so that operation of each Divine Beast could be managed as easily as possible, as was crucial to their goals.

She reached the stable with Link trailing dutifully behind her where her royal white horse was waiting, already saddled. She slung the bags over the back of him, much to the annoyance of the horse, who gave an angry nicker before shifting just so so that the bag slid off into the dirt. She gritted her teeth. This horse had never liked her, but that was no reason to treat her research like that!

Link stepped forward and gently shushed the horse, petting its neck lovingly before picking up the bags. Once they were actually secure, he gave the horse a final croon before nodding at her.

"How is it that he listens and behaves for you and nobody else?" She snapped irritably.

"It's in the tone you speak with." He whispered. It annoyed her to no end that he didn't speak at all when they were around people and only slightly more when alone. Whatever he was playing at, Zelda didn't appreciate the act.

"Of course it is." She mumbled, swinging into the saddle and lightly tapping her heels into the horse's sides. It took another couple taps and a few rein tugs before the stubborn thing began to trot out of the stable, swishing its tail in annoyance as the Princess steered them out through Castle Town and into the open plain. Relaxing only slightly, she steeled herself for the long journey ahead, hoping to everything she'd still get time to herself amidst being followed by her appointed knight.

Chapter Text

She made her way to Kakariko Village by late afternoon, sun hanging low in the sky to shade the village nestled in the valley. Zelda found a serene comfort riding into the small village, taking in the sound of weapons clashing from late afternoon training sessions. She pulled on her reins to signal her horse to stop, of course getting the equivalent of a human eye roll from the stubborn thing. She pulled harder, making the horse dig in its front hooves abruptly, nearly making her fall face first from the saddle in the process.

Grumbling incoherently, she watched from her peripherals as Link gently pulled on his reins, making the horse stop with him as he jumped down and gave her a loving pet on the nose. She glared back at her own horse as if to say 'if you were that well behaved, I'd give you nose pats too'. Unsurprisingly, her horse merely snuffed and refused to acknowledge she was there, so Zelda simply grabbed her traveling bag and moved to go inside the Sheikah leaders residence.

Zelda entered the humble home, finding Impa knelt on her usual cushion with a small table set in front of her to hold the many documents she was looking over. Forehead crinkled with concentration, her deep frown deepened further still as she read further along the pages, stopping now and then to scribble on a side document or reference from another. Looking up, however, brightened the scowl to a welcoming smile as she set her things down to make her way over to where Zelda was standing.

"My dear, it has been many weeks since you've graced me with that beautiful smile of yours! I trust you've been well?"

Smiling wider at the caring young woman, Zelda replied. "Of course! And you as well I hope?"

She chuckled and gestured towards her work. "I am grateful Purah entrusted me to run the clan instead of herself when mother passed. She has much more of a head for scientific research than any of the things that go into being a leader, no offense intended towards her. However, I must admit the amount of paperwork that goes into keeping things running, especially in times like this, makes me wish fate had steered us in a different direction."

"I know how you mean. Though you have been doing an excellent job on keeping information flowing between nations. Your efforts are certainly ones to appreciate in Hyrules time of need."

"You always were such a sweet girl." Impa smiled sadly at the younger girl. "As nice as the small talk is, I sense you have a greater purpose than to simply visit. What is it you have traveled here for?"

"I've been sent on a diplomatic mission by my father and a troubleshooting one by Purah. It seems the runes given to the Champions aren't allowing them full access to their beasts, she thinks the Sheikah Slate will be needed to bring them to full functionality. They also need to be mapped out and their settings recorded so we can make the most use of them when the time comes." Zelda gently touched the slate on her hip, taking comfort in its smooth texture. "I have also been tasked with delivering documents that tell of Hylian progress as far as our military training and stations go. I need to record the progress the other forces have made so that we have one large update to go from instead of piecing together the scattered ones we receive. Making our communication as efficient as possible is the main goal."

"My my, but you do have important duties to accomplish all across Hyrule don't you?" Impa glanced behind Zelda in amusement. "Are you leaving soon, or are you able to stay a while for dinner and rest?"

"I was hoping to stay at least until tomorrow morning to let our horses recover and get the most out of our meeting..." Looking to where Impa was staring, her face cracked into a confused grin as she looked at the state of her knight.

He stood sheepishly behind her with a child each clinging to his legs and one balancing comfortably atop his shoulders playing with his hair, which had come undone from its ponytail and stuck up wildly where messy fingers had stuck it straight up. He didn't say anything, but it was clear he felt torn between duty and obligement, glancing quickly between Impa and Zelda and back again.

"You are in the village of the Sheikah my boy, do not fret over the Princess' safety." He still looked torn, but a stern glance quickly cowed the young hero. She may have been young, but Impa had always been a grandmother at heart. "Go appease the little ones while Zelda and I discuss our duties. Oh, and don't worry, no one misses dinnertime in this village." With a wink to the children, Impa led Zelda inside, looking back just in time to see a flustered Link being led away by a gaggle of giggling children.

"He doesn't visit here often, yet he never fails to enchant the children. I suppose he never was one to refuse a pleading face and tiny hands." Chuckling to herself, Impa made herself comfortable once again on her cushion, motioning for Zelda to take the one to the other side. "Now then, let us begin. You mentioned documents regarding the Hylian army's progressional status?"

Kneeling before the dignitary, she nodded, bringing out some of the scrolls from her side bag. "Father said all the necessary details are listed in here, along with a map that marks where our training grounds are stationed, emergency routes, and where our defensive lines will be drawn when Ganon and his army make their appearance. We have tried to prepare to be attacked from every angle, and have plans set in for each. No matter where he decides to strike, we have ample military groups that should be able to reach any location with swift ease."

Impa nodded thoughtfully. "We've been dispatching many Sheikah across the kingdom to gather intelligence on Ganon's forces. It seems that monsters have been popping up and settling in select spots around Hyrule, and they only grow in number with each day that passes. Research teams are also scattered throughout the land digging up more and more guardians and placing them in spots that will hopefully be beneficial to us when the time comes. I receive daily intelligence from numerous scouts about the progress of our research and training camps, which I will gladly gather and give to you to take back to our King."

"That would be most helpful Impa, thank you! With all of us working together I'm confident we shall be well positioned to defend ourselves." Zelda affirmed excitedly.

Their conversation lasted well into the evening, by the end she had accumulated numerous documents detailing the progress made by the Shiekah tribe in preparation. Yawning, she stood up with a poorly muffled groan, looking on enviously as Impa rose without so much as a needed stretch from her perch on the dais.

"Come. No doubt you are famished and I'm sure your knight would appreciate a good meal before setting out again. We'll make sure to stock your provisions for the trip to Zora's Domain; I suspect a day or two will suffice since it isn't far."

"Of course, thank you for thinking of us as we continue on." Zelda followed her to the small dining hall at the end of the village, stomach growling as scents of the delicious meal that awaited her assaulted her nose.

Upon entering the hall, she immediately spotted Link sat down near the table's head with a few Sheikah warriors and the same bunch of children as before. They laughed joyously to themselves as Link nodded along to whatever conversation they were having, cheeks blown out with soft rice and succulent meats. Impa chuckled as she took her place at the table's head, motioning for Zelda to sit beside her.

"-and that spin attack, I've never seen anything like it!" The warrior finished just as she sat down. She turned to Link as he visibly reddened and lowered his face, shrugging off the praise as if the words mattered little to him. He looked up at Zelda's huff of annoyance, quickly looking down again before he could catch her glare.

'He can't even say thank you? I'll never understand the right of snootiness when it comes to the elected knights.' Zelda helped herself to the rice laid before her, piling it with seasoned meats and sauteed mushrooms, digging in immediately to soothe her rolling stomach.

Link didn't speak a word throughout the entire dinner.

"Safe travels Your Highness." Impa said her goodbyes as Link finished securing their things to the saddles. Zelda clasped the women's hand in hers, looking at her with the adoration she so deserved.

"And you stay safe here, Impa. Everything will soon be set and we will be able to rest easy knowing we are well prepared should anything happen." Zelda bit back her fears and doubts, praying she wasn't giving false hope to people who desperately needed it.

Impa bowed her head in acceptance, watching as the princess mounted her stubborn steed with minimal trouble, turning to watch them leave.

Zelda refused to look back as they departed, focusing only on the road ahead. Zora's Domain needed the same assurance, and the Divine Beast needed to be set right. She straightened her shoulders and steeled her gaze.

She would rise to become the Princess of Hyrule her kingdom needed and deserved. She clutched her right hand tightly to the reins as she glanced towards her knight.

She couldn't let anything stand in her way, not even her lingering regrets of the past and doubts for the future.

Chapter Text

"Rest assured Your Highness, your horse is in excellent hands." The stable hand carefully took the reins and smoothed his hand down the neck of her steed lovingly, tugging gently to lead the pure white beauty to the stands.

"I don't doubt it. Thank you again!" She waved politely and turned to look at the modest inn she had decided to stay their horses at. Before the road began to Zora's Domain there was a large boulder blocking horses from getting further up. Several of the bridges along the way were also merely large rocks moved across the river rapids to deter potential enemies from making a quick entrance. This, unfortunately, was the closest and most convenient stable for their horses to stay at, so they would have to make the remainder of the trip on foot.

Zelda adjusted her side bag and set off for the wetlands, having already rubbed a generous amount of beeswax onto her boots to prevent water from seeping into her feet. She planned to turn this journey into a field study of sorts, as there were a few medicinal plants that grew in the area and a few research stations setting up working guardians as a precaution to the Zora. She wanted to record the progress of as many stations as she could and also get a few pictures and samples to bring home to study on the way, making the diplomatic trip as productive as possible.

She heard boots squelching behind her and sighed inwardly, reluctant to acknowledge the presence of her ever increasingly silent knight. She often wondered the reason he didn't seem to talk much at all, but often she chalked it up to be his normal haughty behavior. Knighthood did that to people, so why would it be any different with her own chosen champion? She supposed a title like that would only blow one's head up more. More frequently, however, she wondered if it was simply a reluctance to speak to such a failure of a princess. Her father often reminded her of the rumors whispered in the dark cracks where no one thought they could be heard. She glanced back at his neutral expression, deciding she didn't care if he never spoke another word, as long as he stayed out of her way.

Crouching down to examine a wide, golden plant growing up from the lily laden marsh, she brought out her slate to snap a picture of it. Reaching into her satchel, she brought out a small pouch and clippers. Snipping the plant close to the water, she lifted it into the pouch and pulled taunt the string, stowing it and the shears back in her bag before continuing on.

Fleet lotus seeds were known for their nutritional value and caffeine-like rush when cooked into a dish or ground into a drink, but although it was common knowledge, Zelda had yet to find where this information was stored nor found any additional information regarding actual research. Many of the plants of Hyrule were suspected to have potent effects when used properly, but the research was slow going, and she knew it would be helpful knowledge for them in the future. However, most researchers across Hyrule were busy with the preparations necessary for Ganon's return, rather than striving towards botanical knowledge, so she had taken it upon herself to jumpstart the project in an effort to help her Kingdom in any way she knew how.

If she couldn't harness her powers, the least she could do was further her kingdom's knowledge.

She continued on, stopping every now and then to document the progress of the guardian projects, all going exceedingly well in her opinion. Before long, she and him had reached the large obstacle that served as the entrance to Zora's Domain. Steadily ignoring Link who had crouched and offered his hands as a lift up the large rock, she simply backed up and jumped, knocking the air out of herself as she caught her stomach on the very edge. Ignoring the dull pain thudding up from her abdomen, she swung her legs up and shimmied into an upright position. Cheeks burning from the undignified display, she continued at a brisk pace, watching from the corner of her eye as Link climbed up and over without any trouble, jogging slightly to catch up to where she was. She merely sighed and continued, silently cursing him with every step.

"How wonderful it is to see you Princess." Mipha smiled softly. "My apologies for not coming to properly escort you to the domain, we did not receive word of your arrival until a few moments ago. We have been rather unorganized as of late with the preparations taking place all across Hyrule."

"No apologies necessary Lady Mipha, we completely understand. It wasn't a difficult task at all to reach you."

"I'm so relieved." Her eyes widened and a faint green tint colored her cheeks in a blush. "Link, I...it is wonderful to see you as well."

Link bowed his head towards the Zoran Princess. "My Lady." He replied quietly.

Mipha's eyebrows drew together for a moment before her face relaxed again into an easy smile. "Princess, I was wondering how long you intended to stay. I had set up guest chambers near my quarters in preparation."

Zelda smiled warmly. "Thank you for allowing us to stay in such comfort. As of yet I'm not sure how long we will need to remain here, it depends largely on how quickly we can figure out how to fully activate your Divine Beast and have everything in working order. I would also like to map everything and record all of its functions for research and tactical purposes; and I have business with your father and the council if they will be able to spare time for a meeting."

"Of course." Mipha nodded. "As you can imagine, they have all been very busy lately, but I know they will grant the Princess of Hyrule audience. I imagine the King sent you to deliver information on Hylian military progress and require our status in return?"

Zelda nodded. "A thought to raise my status with the public eye no doubt, but I am simply here to help with what I can."

"Come then. The evening grows late, and I'm sure you would appreciate a hot meal and soft bed after your travels. We can discuss more tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lady Mipha."

"You know, Princess, you may call me simply Mipha." She smiled back at them. "That goes for you as well, Link. I think we've all moved past the need for formalities."

"Then please call me just Zelda." She offered, feeling it only right for their titles to be dropped both ways, though she did wonder why it was always just Link with her, rather than Sir Link as was his status. Shrugging it off, she followed her friend to their courtiers, admiring the delicate Zoran designs along the way.

"Please let me know should you need anything. Dinner will be ready shortly, so you may meet me in the hall in about ten minutes and I shall escort you."

"Thank you again, Mipha, these rooms are lovely." Zelda remarked appreciatively, looking at the squishy looking bed longingly.

"But of course. Please make yourselves comfortable." She turned and left then, leaving them privacy to settle themselves.

Zelda looked at her doorway and scowled upon seeing Link stationed at the side of it.

"I'm sure I'm perfectly safe here, you don't need to guard the door." She snapped with annoyance. Her knight merely ducked his head and said nothing, refusing to move. Sighing loudly, she brushed past him and closed the door. She itched to slam it, but she wanted to remain respectful to the people who had so willingly allowed her to stay. She flopped onto the bed, starting in surprise as it gave and bobbed beneath her. She had never been on a water bed before, but as she rearranged herself on the mattress she found it to be quite comfortable.

Zelda quickly detached her bag from her waist and unhooked the Sheikah Slate from its place on her belt. She hadn't found nearly as much flora as she had hoped, only managing to snap pictures of the lotus seeds, amaranth and a swift violet, the last of which she couldn't even get a sample of as it was too high. Maybe the Zora had them stored around somewhere, she would have to ask Mipha about it later.

She quickly changed into a nicer pair of boots and a simple but regal blouse she had brought for wearing to dinners and formal occasions. She'd have to scrub out the stain on her Champion top, a muddy line marking the edge of the rock she had tried to climb. Brushing out her hair and redoing the braids, she deemed herself ready for dinner, not even glancing at Link as she made to follow Mipha to eat.

"Why so quiet my boy? You usually have bigger vocal cords than this, and an even bigger appetite!" Smiling fondly, King Dorephan lightly slapped Links back as he shook his head down further towards his plate. His behavior honestly baffled her; he seemed to know a great many Zora here but never once did he speak a word to them, only offering a polite nod or one or two words at most. She finished eating her own meal as her thoughts jumped from one topic to the next, only snapping out of them when the King turned to address her.

"Thank you for coming so quickly to sort out Vah Ruta for us Your Highness. My daughter was excited beyond reason when we received the letter telling of your journey to us and the other provinces. With your intellect I feel confident that you'll both have this sorted in no time at all."

"It is my pleasure, I am very happy to help where I can, though I did travel here for another reason."

"Oh? Is it something we can help with Princess?"

"Yes actually. I was going to inquire about receiving an audience with you and your council at some point during my stay. King Rhoam has tasked me with updating all the provinces of Hylian progress and receiving information about the progressional status of the other provinces as well."

"Of course!" King Dorephan leaned back from his clean plate, glancing over with mild worry at Links half full one. "If you would like, you can accompany me tomorrow morning to the meeting with the council. Your arrival could not be more perfect, as we will be discussing our final positions should war against Ganon become necessary, along with where our current training grounds are and their status. We shall be able to share our information quite efficiently I would imagine."

"I would very much appreciate it, thank you." Zelda felt immensely relieved it had been so easy. The Zoran Council had a reputation of being...difficult at times. She was glad the King was so willing to accommodate her duties to her father.

She felt a twinge of homesickness at the thought but shoved it away quickly. She had her duties to fulfill and feelings such as that would only get in the way. She couldn't afford distractions.

Laying in her softly bobbing bed that night, tears silently tracked her face as the thoughts of all that lay ahead of her came crashing down one after another, quickly overwhelming her. She furiously scrubbed them away with the heel of her hand, steeling herself until the emotions lay safely locked under a layer of nothing. This was her destiny, she couldn't let her Kingdom down. She already had so many times.

She just needed to control herself better. She just needed to be better.

Chapter Text

"We Zora have the most advantage fighting from the water as you can imagine, so we thought to have some of our groups station themselves surrounding the castle moat, while others take up residence in various rivers around Hyrule. We fight mostly with spears, but have also turned out very skilled swordsmen and archers; all of my people are training hard to become efficient in hand to hand combat on land as well, hoping to achieve a well rounded front to face whatever may come. We are ready for anything, and are taking steps to remain true to that."

The council began muttering amongst themselves before Zelda could say anything about the Zoran war tactics, which she herself found quite reasonable and secure.

"My liege, I must again question us spreading our military force so thin." Muzu spoke in an earnest tone. "Our people owe very little to the Hylians, I do not pretend to understand your motives when it comes to all the kindness you have shown them as of late."

"Kindness has nothing to do with it my friend." King Dorephan sighed in exasperation, making Zelda wonder just how many times this conversation had played out. "It is our duty to show a unified front when confronted with Ganon's forces. Spreading out our troops has already helped disband many enemy camps that have been attempting form, and it is keeping everyone informed and weary of the state of this kingdom. Not only are we aiding our allies, but protecting Hyrule, and by extension, our home here in Zora's Domain. The placement of our city is tactful in its winding paths and steep mountains, but that only helps so much against what we will be dealing with. Show the enemy no fear, and the fear shall be within our enemy. We have all already agreed this is the best course of action, yet you continue to question my decisions as though I haven't a head for military tactics?"

"My King!! I meant no offense, surely you know this!! I simply worry for our people and for our beloved Princess most of all. We do not know what we will truly be up against, yet we disperse our forces across the land and place Lady Mipha in a mechanical beast that we haven't even properly studied? The uncertainty curls my fins, I just do not like it my liege. Not at all."

"You don't have to, so long as the majority of us agreed that it is the right thing. Do you not think I, as Mipha's father, do not doubt the beast's capability to keep her safe from harm? However, I have faith in the skills she possesses, and in King Rhoams certainty that this is the answer to our nightmare. Perhaps it is time for you to reevaluate who and what you put your faith into, my dear friend." Muzu's head lowered in shame, lips pulled tight with uncertainty and words meant only to be lingering thoughts to bounce around one's head in the darkest hours. Zelda felt she knew where the Zora was coming from, but could not find it within her to bring forth words that could possibly give enough comfort to satisfy the poor man. Instead, she turned towards the Zoran King.

"Your Majesty, I wish to give you the documents of all we have discussed to reference at your leisure. It includes a map of where our training grounds and research groups are stationed, should you need them."

"I thank you, Princess Zelda. Your work is truly admirable. Be sure to give our King my thanks when next you see him."

"I certainly will." Zelda inclined her head in acknowledgement and stood. "If we are finished, I would like to examine the Divine Beast with your daughter and map out its components while figuring out how to fully activate it. We need to have it running as smoothly as possible so controlling it will be simple when necessary."

Dorephan waved her off merrily. "Of course, of course. I trust you will sort it out in no time at all. I wish you the best of luck Princess."

Again bowing her head to the King and his Council, she turned and headed out the door, closing it quietly behind her. Pointedly ignoring Link, she headed quickly for the Eastern Reservoir, hoping that Mipha was already there.

She shook her legs of excess water upon touching down on the entrance to Vah Ruta. "Thank you again for the lift, Sir Bazz. I suspect it would have taken quite a while to get here otherwise."

"Not at all, Your Highness." Bazz replied cheerily. "I hope you don't mind me kidnapping your knight. It's been quite a while since we've sparred and I've gotten a sight stronger since my defeat last time."

"Not at all, I'm sure it will be nice for him." Zelda replied, only a bit curious as to how they knew each other. Like Daruk, she suspected they were long time friends, but she didn't know for sure and certainly wasn't about to ask.

She entered the Beast as Bazz swam back to the dock, Link pacing along it as he usually did when he was anxious. Wait, anxious? Where did that come from, and since when did knights get anxious? She rolled her eyes at the thought and dismissed it, looking around for her red- scaled friend.

What she saw instead made her stop in her tracks, her eyes wide in wonderous astonishment. A huge water wheel slowly turned around and around, making a smaller one set in a small pool turn with it. A thin waterfall fell gently at the other side, filling the spacious room with even more sounds of peacefully trickling water. As she stepped further inside, she could see another room sat underneath the floor she was standing on, with a doorway leading to more of the beast just barely visible to her. Looking up, she was greeted by the clear blue sky from the giant opening in place of a roof.

"It truly is divine isn't it?" Mipha entered from the other side of the room, laying her hand fondly on the smooth door frame. "When the researcher had first dug her up, I thought she looked so cute with her round design and silly looking nose, but once I was asked to pilot her, I realized how truly magnificent she was."

"Of course! Please, come this way, the unit my rune cannot access is down below."

She followed Mipha through another side entrance and down a ramp to reach the bottom portion that couldn't be seen from her vantage above. A mostly plain room greeted them, with a doorway to the side the one they were currently heading towards.

She stepped with her companion into the shallow waters that covered the room, looking towards a bulbous structure glowing orange at the end of it. A pedestal similar to those that were stationed outside of shrines sat in front of it, pulsing faintly the same orange as the structure behind it.

Zelda stood before it, a little unsure, before reaching out and touching the state to the pedestal.

They both started as a tinny voice coming from the slate started talking while the entire structure turned from orange to blue.

'Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling Divine Beast Vah Ruta information cache. Please stand by.'

The girls looked at each other in astonishment before leaning forward cautiously to look at the slate. Slowly, a miniature version of Vah Ruta took shape, except all of its inner workings were clearly displayed.

'Cache displayed. Terminals are marked by the glowing points. All are activated. Controls are indicated by arrows. Remaining controls not shown can be accessed by pressing on glowing points. Main control unit in working order and can be accessed manually throughout Vah Ruta. Sheikah slate will no longer display controls nor can Vah Ruta be controlled by the slate if the slate leaves the network parameter. If a Divine Beast Control Rune is placed upon the main control unit, the information cache will be transferred to it as well allowing for simple motor control anywhere within Vah Ruta without having to manually control the Divine Beast from main unit. To hear this information again, touch eye on main control unit or the eye icon found in the top right of Sheikah slate.'

Zelda waited a beat to see if the voice would continue, but it seemed it had said all that was needed. She turned to Mipha.

"I...I had no idea the extent of the advancement of this technology." She looked down at the slate in her hands. "This is just incredible!"

"Truly a wonder. Though I cannot help but think of what happened to the ancient Sheikah to just leave all of this behind. They helped stop the Calamity all those centuries ago did they not? Why would they not continue to pursue this knowledge?"

"Impa said they were outcast from Hyrule shortly after." Her shoulders grew tense. "The Hylian King of that time was fearful of what he did not understand and predicted an uprising from the tribe. They were...they were mostly eradicated, and those who weren't went deep into hiding. They're technology could not be destroyed however, so it was buried deep underground. It is said that the shrines house ancient monks of the past tribe who were tasked with waiting for the time their technological prowess would be needed again. That's why it is so frustrating to not be able to access them with this slate. Help is awaiting inside, but thus far it proves to be impossible to enter them."

Mipha looked away. "I could not imagine the hardship they endured."

"The tragedy certainly left a mark upon the tribe to this day. I am truly grateful that we came to an understanding in this age."

"Indeed." Mipha shifted to look at the slate once more. "Shall I try to transfer the controls to my rune as well, or do you think we should explore first?"

"Go ahead and see if it works. I want to see if I can download these schematics onto the slate for reference and see what I can find out about the controls."

Mipha nodded, gently placing the rune she had produced from the small pouch at her waist onto the pedestal. Immediately it began glowing a bright blue, hopefully indicating the information was transferring smoothly.

She looked down and tentatively touched one of the glowing orbs on the screen, immediately an information box popped up beside it and the legs filled up with a misty blue, flowing to a chamber located on the underside of its stomach and going up to flow out of a spout and fill a small pool underneath the smaller wheel. Her eyes followed the lines of text and realized it was describing the function of the terminal located within the wheel.

'Vah Ruta has the unique ability of creating it's own water supply. Filters located on its legs draw water in from either the water it is standing in or moisture from the air to fill the various pools found throughout the Beast. This particular terminal works the water wheel that keeps the water in constant circulation to prevent stagnation. This water can also be run through another chamber to pour water through the central spout through Vah Ruta's trunk, which can be used to manually power the larger adjacent water wheel.'

"Fascinating." Zelda muttered, looking up as Mipha approached her. "Did the rune work?"

"Yes! Look!" Upon the small disk was an even smaller model of the Divine Beast, with the same glowing points and controls found on the slate. "It looks like everything can be controlled from this small device! This is simply wonderful!" Mipha's eyes shone with excitement as she looked down at the slate. "Have you figured out how that might work yet?"

"Nearly. I can bring up boxes that tell of the functions of all the terminals within the Beast. If I can figure out how to save this information, the schematics would be priceless information to have at our disposal! Shall we explore?"

"Let's go now! I would love to see everything in working order now that we have complete control!"

"This one powers the large water wheel. When this is turning, it can generate enough energy to move the legs if movement on land is needed. The one below us powers the jets at it's back and its tail which acts like a rudder underwater. If needed you can actually propel this entire machine through a body of water, though it would need to be submerged to generate enough water pressure to do so." Zelda continued reading off the functions as they walked through Vah Ruta. "The one located in the head controls the water chambers below the belly. If for any reason they would need to be cut off or opened back up, that's the terminal to control to do it. The one at the end of its trunk controls...well the trunk. You can manually adjust its position from there, or use the main controls marked by the purple arrows to adjust its position. It looks like the water wheels can be turned using the water from the trunk should the terminal fail, probably put in as a backup precaution, but again to generate that much water it would have to be submerged for the function to work."

"Oh wow!" Mipha exclaimed quietly. "I never dreamed Vah Ruta would be this intricately designed. It's amazing!"

"It looks like there's other things that can only be done through the main controls...let's see." Zelda tapped the icon for that to bring up its information box. "There's safety regulations, maintenance testing, troubleshooting...they really did think of everything. Oh! Here, if we calibrate a position on the map and identify a target, Vah Ruta will train a beam of light on said target and will drain its energy to store it within itself while awaiting orders. Once it has a precise location and the order is given, a concentrated beam of pure energy stored within the reservoirs of the beast will shoot forth, damaging its target with it's own life force. That's absolutely brilliant, I didn't even know that would be scientifically possible! When Ganon arises, we can quickly calibrate the beast to its location and weaken him before delivering a devastating blow, leaving him vulnerable to Link and I. Do you know what this means?" Zelda turned to her with genuine hope in her eyes. "Ganon's defeat is practically guaranteed for all of Hyrule! All we have to do is make sure the other beasts are working properly and easy to manage, and victory for Hyrule can be easily obtained! There may not even be need for a war; with Ganon gone, his forces will disperse and casualties for us will be few and far between."

Mipha gripped her triton and looked fondly up at the head of Vah Ruta from their perch at the entrance. "This is absolutely wonderful. Father will be delighted at the news, and I'm sure the rest of the provinces will be excited to hear of it as well." She turned to look at Zelda with an earnest gaze. "You must hurry and inform the rest of the Champions of this. Perhaps their Beasts hold the same capabilities, and in this way you can secure hope for us all."

Zelda looked out across the Eastern Reservoir with tiny fires of hope burning in her eyes. The late afternoon sun drenched them in warm pinks and oranges, adding kindling to the growing flames. She didn't turn back as Mipha continued.

"You are our light Princess, that must shine across Hyrule in these times of crisis. I believe in you and your cause, as everyone does across our kingdom. I know it can be...difficult, performing your royal duties with the weight of Hyrule's fate upon your shoulders, but it is a burden I believe you are strong enough to carry. Believe in yourself Princess, for the sake of our blessed land, but more importantly, for your own happiness."

Zelda turned towards the kind face with tears glistening at the corners of her eyes, silently nodding and smiling through the war raging in her mind.

Chapter Text

The furious scratching of a well worn quill against paper stopped abruptly as tentative knocking was heard outside of Zelda's temporary chambers. She quickly gathered her robe about her and crossed to the door, opening a crack to see who needed her at this late hour.

Mipha stood outside with a small smile and a paper clasped in her hands. Opening the door wide enough for her to enter, Zelda was relieved to see Link had most likely retired for the night, since he was nowhere to be found within the corridor. Taking a second to wonder what time it was, she quickly turned, closing the door with a soft click behind her.

"Forgive me, Princess, for intruding at this late hour. I was not certain you'd even still be awake."

"Please, don't worry about it. I usually am up at rather odd hours of the night doing some type of study. I was actually just finishing my notes of the flora that grow from around the Domain." Zelda waved her apology off, gesturing towards the spare seat near the desk. "Won't you sit if you're staying a minute?"

"Thank you." She sank gracefully into the offered seat, placing the note on the desk in front of Zelda. "A Rito flew into the Domain not so long ago, carrying a letter from Revali."

Zelda quickly stood, hurrying to get her satchel packed. "I must get there immediately! I hadn't realized what a problem this would cause!"

Mipha stood and laid a comforting hand upon the Princess. "The Rito who gave me this note for you, Keniso I believe, said that Revali is making a bigger fuss than necessary. Medoh is staying airborne quite fine, it's just steering that causes a bit of trouble and it's making him...frustrated, for lack of more diplomatic words. He's being rather snappy and making it out to be an emergency to up his importance a bit, but he assured me that although it would be best to arrive quickly, it does not have to be tomorrow. You need your rest for the journey, and to be able to properly converse with Revali."

She turned towards the Zora. "You are certain?"

Mipha nodded. "At least stay the night. It is becoming dangerous to travel in the darkness anyway, you wouldn't be able to make it very far at the cautious pace you would have to travel."

"I suppose you're right." She placed her bags back down on the floor next to her bed, looking up as Mipha settled into the chair once again.

"Pr- er, Zelda, may I speak with you if you are not too busy? I was hesitant to bring this up in front of Link, but with the late hour I suspect he is long since asleep by now."

Zelda raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Of course, is everything alright?"

"Yes! It's just, your relationship with him seems...strained. I was wondering...why is that? I thought for sure the two of you would get along quite well."

"Well, as I'm sure you can imagine, it is quite difficult to get along with a constant shadow, watching and clinging to your every movement, the image not at all helped by the way he never seems to speak. I can only imagine the thoughts rolling around his head, what he must think of me." Zelda looked down at her clasped hands, wanting to say more but biting her tongue.

"I see." Mipha looked wistfully out the open window. "He used to be so conversational as a child. Always finding trouble around every corner. When he pulled the sword, I did not see him for quite a long time. And then...the beaming smile I had missed so much was replaced by a struggling look alike. He hardly spoke a word, going days without the use of his vocal chords, until his previous loud range struggled to get above a rough whisper from lack of use. Being much younger than now, I couldn't understand the sudden change, but Father explained to me that sometimes, when a person is under great stress, they become very quiet. In some cases, they will go mute, perhaps only finding their voice with people they trust."

Mipha looked back at her sadly. "I never imagined an energetic and loud boy such as Link would lose his voice from an accomplishment as grand as pulling The Sword that Seals the Darkness, but I suppose, had I been in his shoes at that young an age, I might react in the same way. The weight of the world rests upon his shoulders, much as it does yours. I thought that might bring the two of you to an understanding."

Zelda looked away yet again. "Admittedly, I haven't really tried to talk to him. I simply cannot bring myself to. Everytime I see him, it feels as though that sword is slicing through my veins in mockery of everything I have ever tried to accomplish. He pulled the sword outside of the annual ceremony for Hylia's sake! So many people work for years for what he accomplished by doing presumably nothing! It simply stretches the limits of my understanding."

"I do not pretend to know what happened for him to end up where he is today, but I do know he is trying. And in the end, is that not all any of us can do?"

"Tell me," Zelda started, mind raging beneath a calm facade. "How is it he knows so many here?"

Mipha smiled. "This is a second home of sorts for him. His mother often goes to explore the lands of Hyrule. She is much like you in that she cares dearly for her research, always trying to find cures and remedies. And Links father is a knight himself and has been since before he was born. Many times he would be called away to the castle, and without anyone else to keep an eye on him, he would bring Link here as a child. My father and him are long time friends, and eventually Link began staying here regularly simply because he had made a great many friends here. I taught him to swim since he was absolutely atrocious when he first tried. And he taught me sword techniques; we have been great friends since we were very small."

"I didn't know." The princess muttered, trying to envision a tiny, loud mouthed Link and failing miserably. The image was just too different from the awkwardly stoic knight that trailed behind her silently through their journey.

"As I said, he was much different. He knew techniques from his father before he drew the Master Sword, but after he trained so hard he became nearly an expert in the three short years he was away. He would often train with the Zora and offer them pointers after. Bazz and Gaddison in particular I know are very good friends with him still, always wanting to have sparring matches to see if they can best him in combat yet." She giggled and stood. "I just wanted to say, speak with him. I know how hard everything has been on you lately, and especially now. But I truly do believe a friend can be found within him for you if you are open enough to try."

Nodding, Zelda stood with her friend, silently scoffing at trying to hold a conversation with someone who struggled even to look her in the eyes. "Thank you Mipha. I appreciate your care in the matter."

Smiling softly, she drew her into an even softer embrace, turning to slip back out into the hall. "Goodnight, Zelda."

"Goodnight." She slowly closed the door, staring out the window in deep contemplation late into the night.

"We're nearly there." Bunching her thick shawl tighter about her shoulders, Zelda shivered in the brisk northern climate. She caught only a small nod from her companion and rolled her eyes at his steadfast silence. She hadn't truly tried speaking with him yet, testing the waters with small comments admittedly not actually suited for carrying a conversation, but she didn't care. Either he'd talk or he wouldn't, selective mutism or no, it didn't alleviate the annoyance she felt towards him.

She had left the Domain two days prior, riding her horse a bit harder than usual to get to Rito Village as quickly as possible. Even if the situation wasn't dire, Zelda didn't want to keep the entitled Champion waiting. His harsh attitude was something she didn't wish to stay long enough to get used to.

She and he made their way up the bridges after making sure their horses were comfortable in the stables. She spotted the elite Rito warrior Keniso up another landing and hurried over to him.

"Is Revali nearby? I'd like to sort out Medoh before anything else."

The tall Rito nodded. "You'll find him in the Beast, he hasn't left for a long time. Here." He produced a small bottle of deep red liquid. "I know you have warm clothing, but this spicy elixir will help stave off the cold up that high. As soon as your finished I can give you a lift up for you to do what needs to be done, as long as you can satisfy his infernal bickering."

Quickly downing the hot substance, she took a second to try and steady her mouth, feeling as though fire was spreading from her tongue to her stomach.

"My apologies, they aren't exactly pleasant."

Shaking her head, she finally adjusted her bearings. "Not at all, thank you for the extra warmth. Shall we go?"

He crouched down in front of her. "Climb on Your Highness. Oh, does your knight need a lift also?"

Not even sparing a glance behind her, she carefully climbed onto his back. "No, he'll be of no help while I activate things. Better to keep out of the way by staying here." Shooting Link a pointed look which of course wasn't seen on account of his eyes finding the ground much more interesting, they rose into the air, leaving him behind without a second thought.

She looked quickly ahead at the fast approaching mechanical wonder, swallowing down the bubble of guilt that pushed its way up her throat. She spoke only the truth, there was no reason that she could find suggesting she was in the wrong.

Still the feeling stayed all the way through the brightening sky.

Chapter Text

"I must admit, I'm surprised you were able to come on such short notice. Keniso said he found you all the way across Hyrule at Zora's Domain. A mere two days journey could not have been an easy feat, but I suppose it's nice for you to have your priorities straight."

The holier-than-thou tone Revali often spoke in amused the Princess at best, but at worst it simply grated irritably at her nerves. Still, she pressed on to the guidance stone, explaining everything to the proud Rito as she went.

"Once I authenticate the Sheikah Slate, a prerecorded voice will speak through it talking about it processing the information and how we can use it. Once I'm finished, you can use your rune to download the Divine Beast controls for yourself, that way you'll be able to control it anywhere on Vah Medoh. All information will be lost if it leaves the network though, so I'd suggest stashing it in a safe place when you leave. I'll download the schematics onto my slate so we have a transportable copy, and if you'd like we'll go over where the functions to do what are located together. After all of that, we'll be done, and management of Vah Medoh should be much easier to handle."

"Hmph. I suppose you know all of this from meeting with the other Champions?"

"Just Mipha with Vah Ruta. From here I am to travel to Goron City, since that was our next stop before here and I don't wish to keep Daruk waiting, and lastly I shall see to Vah Naboris. Ensuring everything is in working order and easy to manage when the time comes is key." She placed the slate on the pedestal, barely flinching as the tinny voice began its speech. "With these beasts and the guardians at our disposal, I simply cannot fathom an undesirable outcome." She spoke hopeful words that she did not quite believe, yet she noticed the subtle relaxation of the Rito Champions shoulders that was not present before. It seemed that through all his confident outbursts, Revali was just as susceptible to nerves as any of them. The thought made her only slightly more comfortable in his presence.

Just as with Vah Ruta, a miniature version of Vah Medoh took shape on the screen, this time with only three purple controls beside its right wingtip. Stepping back and nodding to Revali, she began tapping on the information boxes as he placed his own rune upon the pedestal.

"These are fairly simple. The two located near the tip of each wing control that wing respectively. Though with the main controls you can adjust those with the purple arrows to steer. This one closest to the body controls the feet, making it possible to land or perch the Beast upon a surface. The second control in the right wing controls where the head is aimed, and the last one on the left actually controls the propellers on the underside of the wings. Extra features only found in the main control unit are...an impenetrable force field that can be activated around the beast for protection, accompanied by canons that will travel from the back and position themselves around the field for extra defense and...the same function as Vah Ruta. A calibratable sensor that will target a specified location and drain said target's energy, shooting a beam of amplified energy, or the target's life force, back at it to inflict damage. I'm willing to bet all of the beasts have this last function, which will make everything a lot easier."
She turned to Revali with bright eyes. "I explained to Mipha this can be used-"
"To target Ganon, weakening him so that boy has a chance at actually doing his job?"

"Er, to put it bluntly yes. The beasts can weaken Ganon when he rises as his armies are taken out. That way our victory will almost certainly be secured."

"A good strategy, I must admit. As long as that knight doesn't lose his nerve."

"I very much doubt he will. It is his destiny to defeat Ganon, as mine is to seal him away."

Revali made no further comments as Zelda hung her head, hoping she would find a way to awaken her power in time to save her kingdom. She looked back up as he cleared his throat rather loudly.
"Well, if we're done here, I grow bored of this strategizing. I assume you're alright with me flying you down? I don't see how else you'll return to the village, but I certainly won't complain if you say no. If you're staying here to see the chief and talk about whatever it is you deem important, you'll have to stay here a night and see him tomorrow, as he'll be in a meeting until late tonight I'm afraid."

"That's quite alright, I can wait for an audience. And if you would be so kind, I don't fancy being in this cold much longer."

Cocking his head, he gave a small smile before flaring his wings and crouching down. "Hold tight then."

"Of course. Though Keniso's flight was quite uneventful so I don't-" Zelda gasped as a wind funnel swirled about them suddenly, eyes going wide as she looked at Revali in panic.

He wouldn't.

Before she could even formulate all the reasons why he simply wouldn't, they were shot straight into the air, breath tearing from Zelda's throat as she struggled to breath, let alone voice screams of protest. Flipping backwards and pointing his beak at the ground, he tucked his wings close and allowed them to plummet, the ground coming up faster and faster as she thought out a last prayer towards her Goddesses, before shrieking into the night air as he pulled up just before hitting the lake surrounding the village, toes dipping quickly into the cool waters before they were swirling through the air again, lazily coming to a stop with a couple of vigorous flaps as they landed safely upon a wide deck jutting from the villages boardwalks.

Climbing off unsteadily, Zelda struggled to catch her breath as she glared uselessly at the smirking Rito.

"A scowl isn't the right fit for you, Your Highness." He offered a quick wink. "Indulge in my antics a bit, Princess. There's nothing like a death drop to put a little life back in your eyes."

She stared after him confusedly as he strutted away, earning respectful stares as he went, thinking nothing of leaving a very out of breath Princess panting behind him.

Zelda squeezed her eyes tightly as she snuggled deeper into her hammock cocoon, cringing away from the crisp morning air in favor of her warm, humid breath. The Rito had allowed both her and Link to stay at the inn free of charge, and since no one else was booking rooms that night, they got their choice of beds. She heard the Rito down bed was the most comfortable in all of Hyrule, but she and Link had both opted for hammocks since those weren't very common anywhere else in the kingdom.

She knew she needed to get up soon as she was breakfasting with the Rito Chief Egale to discuss the business of King Rhoam, but her warm body insisted they had five more minutes to spare. She hastily shook the thought away and counted down from three, throwing herself from her nest at two to jumpstart her morning, unfortunately forgetting she had been laying in a hammock, woefully tangling herself in the ropes and landing in an unceremonious heap on the floor.

She heard a dull knock from outside the door. "Are you alright Your Highness?"

Of course it would be Link, his soft voice rough from sleep. She wondered how long ago he had awoken and been standing outside her door.

"Perfectly fine thank you." She really needed to work on her morning attitude but her sleep muffled brain didn't care in the slightest. She looked towards her still tangled foot, tugging at it to no avail. She attempted to reach up and dislodge herself that way, but she couldn't quite reach to be able to detangle herself. Huffing in annoyance and embarrassment she looked towards the door again.

No. Absolutely not. Biting her lip she tugged again, this time whimpering softly in pain as the circulation completely cut off from her foot. Laying her head down on the floor, she reasoned she was as decent as she could be, with soft pants and a thicker shirt as nightwear for the chillier Rito climate. Knocking her head once, twice, three times against the wooden floor, she looked back up at her caught ankle, watching it slowly turn purple from lack of blood flow.

She sighed and called out tentatively. "Link? Are you...are you still out there?"

After a beat, she received a quiet "Yes, Princess."

"I um, I need...well I seemed to have...ugh." She laid her head back on the floor. "Can you just come in here?"

"I'm afraid I didn't catch that Your Highness. Your voice is very muffled. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I asked if you could just come in here for a second? Please."

Link cautiously opened the door, eyes scanning the room quickly before landing on the fallen Princess, then tracing her prone form to her caught foot in quiet astonishment. Before she could get a word out, he had crossed the room and swiftly but gently scooped her up, struggling with the balance only a second before standing with her cradled to his chest. Face bright red but eyes filled with worry, he nodded towards her foot.

"Do you think you can reach to unstick yourself or shall I set you down on the hammock and try myself?"

Blushing just as furiously, Zelda quickly leaned forward and attempted to free herself, shaking her foot in frustration as she failed miserably from her awkward angle. Link met her eyes briefly before setting her down and reaching forward himself, hesitating before actually touching her.

"I-I don't u-um. I d-don't wish to make you uncomfortable! M-may I-?" His stuttering was almost endearing as he gestured to the tangled rope.

"Please. I'm not sure I could even make sense of that mess at this point."

Carefully, so much so that she would not believe he was actually touching her if she wasn't watching, the nervous boy deftly wiggled the mess loose, gently pulling the mass from her foot and straightening them out so the hammock could once again lay correctly.

"A-are you h-hurt, Princess?" His eyes did not meet hers for more than a few seconds, but the sentiment was still there.

Gently, she rolled her ankle around, feeling a soreness but nothing to keep her from walking properly. "I'm fine now, thank you. Exiting a hammock just proved to be a bit much for me this morning."

He nodded, giving a lopsided grin in response, before realizing he was still kneeling in front of her. Quickly, he stood and gave an awkward half bow, almost falling himself in the process.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but only a tiny sound clawed its way out of his throat. Mortification in its purest form sent a malicious wave across his features, snapping his mouth shut and slamming his head down. He left as hastily as he had entered, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Briefly, Zelda mulled over what Mipha had said about his personality flip after he had acquired his sword, wondering how that situation would have gone had their destinies been different. Would they have been friends? Would they have even met? Shaking her head, she quickly changed, noting only a slight ache in her ankle and deemed herself fine. She had things to do after all.

"Ah! Simply wonderful!" The Rito chief poured himself over the king's notes and maps, taking in everything they had to offer. "We Rito offer our best archers to preside over the castle in case of an attack. The rest of our aerial force is based all across the land, and scouts are working with the Shiekah to bring in any information we can gather. All of this will be detailed in that report, be sure to give it to King Rhoam, along with our kindest regards." Chief Egale looked fondly over at his son, who was currently flicking rice over the railings with his fork.

"Kaneli, what have we discussed about playing with your food?"

"Not to do it?" The innocent chick batted his eyes adorably, making his father roll his own.

"Honestly son, we are in polite company."

Link smiled behind a forkful of his own rice, winking at the young Rito before flicking a grain towards his nose when the chief wasn't looking. Kenali's eyes grew wide as he grinned back, flicking a grain from his plate back towards the young warrior when next his father looked away.

Zelda looked on incredulously, almost forgetting his more awkward displays as she watched them flick food at each other as if they were four, and only Kenali had that excuse to give! Shaking her head softly, she said not a word as little white granules continued to fly in front of her the rest of the meal.

"Good luck sealing the darkness!" Zelda only just caught the end of the Rito's words as he swiftly flew towards Medoh. Well, that was nice of him, she thought as she walked towards her knight.

Catching sight of his shaking shoulders, she curiously leaned forward to look at his face.

What she saw shocked her. His eyes were slightly unfocused and glassy as his breaths came short. Reaching forward, she gently poked his arm. "Link, are you alright?"

Startled, he jumped back slightly, struggling to force his features into a calm mask. He opened his mouth but failed for the second time that day to make a sound. He simply nodded and looked down, unmoving save for the slight heave that still rose from his chest.

"...alright." Looking up at Medoh, she smiled slightly. "That was quite nice of Revali to say, he must be in quite a good mood."

Link only hung his head further and said nothing. Frowning Zelda gave up. If he was going to act this way, she would just ignore him. "The Light Fair is going to be soon and we'll need to be back at the castle for that, but I would like to travel to the snowfield north of here first to acquire a few plant specimens while we're here. It won't take even a day."

Again only a nod was received in answer, so Zelda simply sighed and moved past him, trusting that he'd follow her as always. She'd get through the ceremony and continue to the Gorons and then Gerudo, and everything would be fine. She was gathering valuable knowledge for the good of her kingdom, so everything would surely turn out for the better.

Chapter Text

Zelda tugged her scarf further up to cover her reddening nose as she snapped a picture of the blue patterned mushroom at the base of the tree. It wasn't quite evening yet, but the high afternoon sun had bid them farewell a couple hours prior, leaving the air to chill gradually as the shadows grew longer upon the snow. She plucked a mushroom, called a 'chillshroom' by the locals in the inn, and carefully tucked it away in a small pouch, adding to her growing collection of flora in her satchel.

She looked up at the view from the back of the inn. Nothing but a vast expanse of snow covered field greeted her vision, and she really did not have any desire to trek through it for more specimens. She had collected a rushroom and some cool safflina on the way here, she would have to ask around if there was anything else that commonly grew in the colder region.

Standing up, she looked towards Link, who stood straight as ever and was only slightly shivering from what she could see beneath his own snow quill overcoat. Neither had spoken a word to each other since whatever happened at Rito Village, and though she wanted to ask, she had a feeling no answer would be given. She was sure he despised her anyway, and she really couldn't blame him after the way she had been treating him, but at this point she felt things were too set to change, and who would forgive her for anything anyway? She was a princess without her sealing powers trying to make up for it by 'playing scholar' as her father always put it. And based on the rumors constantly surrounding her at the castle and Hylia knew where else, her efforts were clearly in vain.

Biting her lip harshly, she brought herself out of that train of thought. It wouldn't do to start crying here and freeze evidence of her failure to her face. She turned quickly. "It grows cold, shall we see if we can find a hot meal inside?"

Link nodded. "If that is what you wish, Your Highness."

Zelda swallowed down her annoyed huff as she walked past him. Those were the first words he had spoken to her since that morning when he had asked her if she was hurt after embarrassingly getting her foot caught in hammock ropes. No wonder his voice was always so rough sounding, it seemed rare for him to push sound through his mouth more than once a day. Though of course she trusted Mipha with her life, she couldn't help but think her friend was mistaken when she said he was a loud child. People don't just stop talking because of a sword, that's preposterous! She hardly gave him a second thought all the way to the rooms they had rented for the night. It would be at least a half day's trip back to the Castle, and Zelda wasn't very keen on making it in the night's darkness. More and more monsters had been spotted throughout Hyrule, and night was a prime time for them to jump from the cover of darkness on unsuspecting travelers.

Zelda settled back comfortably in her chair as a plate of steaming vegetables and warm wheat bread was placed before her. A glass of wild berry cider was sat down last and the cook smiled and bowed his departure.

"Enjoy Your Highness, Sir Knight"

Link reddened and sank in his chair a bit as his title was voiced, earning an unseen eye roll from the princess. She began digging into the delicious meal, unconsciously tuning into a conversation taking place a table or two away.

"...hadn't heard that. I thought those old ruins would be teeming with monsters by now."

"If it were, I'd say those monsters'd be too stupid to find their way out again. As a small boy my friends and I'd play in the entrance, without our parents knowing of course. Never went very far in though, lest we got lost."

"Has anyone actually gone all the way through there do you know?"

"My friends older brother said he walked to the very end of it, said there was something like a house with a circular dais beside it. Kinda like those...what are they called...well those structures that the royal family has been real concerned 'bout lately. Said he saw one o' those, but it didn't do anything so he went back. Not sure if I believe him, he was always tellin' tales, makin' himself look real important to us smaller kids, but I remember what he said all those years back."

Zelda looked curiously at the pair across the room. What could they possibly be talking about? A shrine in ruins wouldn't be uncommon, but one that you could get lost finding? Like...a maze?

The men stood and departed, nodding politely to them as they passed. She quickly took out her Sheikah slate and looked around the regional map. Maybe it was marked on here...somewhere.

There! North Lomei Labyrinth, on a peninsula at the very outskirts of the Tabantha Tundra. Surely the Shrine was well protected for a reason. Maybe she'd actually be able to enter this one. It was worth a try at least. Looking out the window, there still proved to be daylight left, if they traveled quickly, and with this map showing her a way through the maze, they could potentially be in and out before night fell.

She chugged down the rest of her cider and looked to Link, who had hardly touched his food at all. Impatiently she waited for him to finish, but it seemed the more she looked, the less he ate. Losing her patience she plunked down the slate in front of him, pointing to the labyrinth.

"That is where I'm going. If there's a shrine there that I have a chance at activating I want to see it. You may join me or not when you're finished, I don't care, but I'm leaving now while there's still daylight to be had."

Ignoring the noise of protest he attempted to make, she threw on her coat and left the inn, walking to where the horses were kept and quickly saddling hers. She swiftly led the horse past a swifter running Link and out to the back of the stables. Deciding not to wait for her knight, she spurred her horse into a gallop, pounding through the snow without a care given to make sure he was following or not. She had shown him where she was going, she didn't need a constant presence behind her to do her job.

By the time she reached the maze it was growing rather dark. Looking at the sky, she cursed herself for not remembering that the daylight didn't last as long here as it did in the middle of the kingdom. Shaking away her growing doubts, she entered the huge structure, bringing up her map and zooming in on the labrynth to make navigation as easy and quick as possible. They needed to leave tomorrow to make the fair in time, which required her presence to celebrate, much to her annoyance. This was her only chance to see if a shrine like this could be accessed. Noting footsteps behind her, she was somewhat impressed he had managed to catch up so quickly. Though it quickly faded to annoyance that she would not easily be able to lose him if needed but that was neither here nor there.

Zelda quickly navigated through the maze, stopping as she found herself in a section that wasn't marked. This must only be a top view, she realized, with smaller twists found underneath or within larger sections gone unmapped. Groaning in annoyance, she decided to just walk with her hand on the right wall to follow and see if she could make it. The air had grown colder and colder as night came while they were still walking through the maze, but she didn't care as long as they could make it to the shrine.

"Princess, perhaps we should-"

"We are not leaving until I find it." She snapped. "If you're so concerned with the dark and cold, you can leave."

Link merely shut his mouth and continued to follow, stuffing his right hand into his pocket after gently shaking it. Raising her eyebrow, she dismissed it. His quirks didn't really matter to her as long as he could perform his duty in the end.

Zelda felt like crying. Really, truly breaking down in a sobbing mess right on the dais. After all of that, she was cold, it was dark and she was sure he was just as tired as she was, it didn't work. This shrine was the same as all the others, dormant, dead, it didn't matter the word used, it didn't work.

Her fingers stiff with cold, she slipped the slate back on her waist and stepped down.

"Let's go."

After a minute of walking, Zelda realized she didn't remember the way they took, and her backtracking was the wrong way to go. She turned back, and thankfully made it to the shrine. Looking at the slate, there wasn't an obvious way to go, and she realized with growing horror that they were lost.

"Princess." She heard Links voice break the silence gently, looking up with wide eyes.

"I remember the path we took to make it here, if you fear we might be lost."

She grew unreasonably angry at the hopeful statement. "Well of course you would, why wouldn't you? You already know your destiny and have the tool to fulfill it. Nobody seems to think you aren't capable of fulfilling your duty, nobody pressures you for knowing useless information, everybody has faith in the One Who Will Seal the Darkness! Why?" She ducked her head from his bewildered expression. "Why wouldn't you continue to prove, even now that we're alone that you are and always will be better? Of course you would know the way out of this maze. You know the way out of everything, even refusing to speak to get out of talking to such a failure of royalty, isn't that it?"

Link opened and shut his mouth a couple times, unable to get sounds to form the words he wanted. She huffed as the growing shame of her outburst silenced her words as well.

"I...I just want to leave. It's cold."

Link stood for a moment before nodding and motioning her to follow.

She made it with him back to the stable within an hour, settling their horses in for the night. She pretended not to notice the pained expression on Link's face as he rubbed out whatever was bothering his right hand from behind his horse. She left for her room, not offering any more words for her silent knight to hear.

Making it to her room, she shut the door and sank to her knees in front of it, feeling a sense of deja vu from being in this same position inside her castle room's door when Link had left her courtiers. She closed her eyes as tears tracked her cheeks, as they so often did most nights anymore, praying uselessly for the goddesses to hear her, if only once.

Chapter Text

"Thank you for sneaking me down here, Clara. I really needed the relative solitude this morning." Zelda bit into her jellied toast, sitting comfortably at a small table set up at the back of the kitchen. All around her the hustle of a castle kitchen stretching its limits to accommodate the feast that was to take place today noisily clashed against her remote corner, but she didn't mind, and neither did they. She had been sneaking down here for meals since she was very small, though after her mother had died it was very rare not to see her eating down here. She hated to inconvenience anyone by making them carry food all the way up to her room, and her father was...well she didn't dine with him in the actual dining hall unless he specifically requested her presence.

Brushing the crumbs from her fingers onto her plate, she reached for the tall glass of milk Clara set before her, watching the fair kitchen maid sit across from her with a weary sigh.

"It's nice to sit for a spell, I'll tell you Zelda." Clara had long ago forgone the princesses title at her behest, noticeably uncomfortable with it at first but now she had to remember not to slip and address her as such in public. As idiotic as it was, she would be punished, not severely but enough, for forgetting Zelda's title in front of anyone who might report the 'unruly' maids behavior. Here however, no one spared them a second glance.

Zelda looked around at all the activity. "I could only imagine, I feel bad for complaining about having to do my part in the celebration when all of this is going on behind the scenes."

"Don't worry about it, love. Different responsibilities deserve different complaints. Knowing you, I completely understand why you don't like the role you play much. And I can only imagine how the novelty of doing such a thing would wear off after so many years."

Zelda smiled and took a sip of her drink. Her friend had sweetened it with sugar and cinnamon, a comfort she reveled in while silently thanking the goddesses for bestowing upon her such a sweet and kind individual. "I only wish I was allowed to practice more for combat, rather than for show. Sure, I can hit a singular target from close range while its standing still, but I was never permitted to practice long range, or moving targets, or anything that would help me protect myself or my kingdom. I tried once, to practice on my own but..." she shivered at the memory.

She had not been permitted to leave during the long hour of lectures she had received from the king, detailing what her duty to her Kingdom was. She had been closely monitored for a month after and reported back to the king so he could make sure she was doing her devotions and prayers. Her research had greatly suffered during that time, and a few months after that her research journal had been thrown into her fireplace after another lecture that came when she had returned from a day long field survey.

Her father had always mocked her efforts of playing at being a scholar, forcing her to focus only on winning the hearts of the goddesses they were all depending on. After so long, she almost began to doubt they were even there, but dared not mouth the words even alone with herself, for fear of the punishment that would surely follow such a horrendous uttering.

"You'll do absolutely perfect, I know it." Clara laid a hand upon hers as she continued. "I won't ever pretend to know the lengths you go to to perform whatever royal duties are expected of you, but you should never let that get in the way of your happiness. You are my dearest friend, and I will always be here to support and love you when you find it difficult to do it yourself."

Clara smiled at her sadly as she continued. "You never have to shoulder a burden alone Zelda, the people in your life that truly care for you will be more than willing to help along the way, no matter what you may think when you are alone with your thoughts."

Zelda stared at her friend with warmth bursting from her heart in waves. "I hope you realize how much those words mean to me."

Standing up, Clara gave her a swift hug, pulling back to tug at a stay strand of hair. "Will you need help getting ready? I'd be happy to style your hair for you, if you'd like the company."

Standing as well, Zelda shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I still prefer getting ready on my own."

"Of course. I wish you luck tonight then Zelda. I know you'll do wonderfully."

Smiling, she made her way up to her room, gently shutting the door behind her. Regular guards were stationed outside instead of Link since he would be getting ready for the ceremony as well. The Princess' chosen knight, when she had one, was required to perform at the fair with other distinguished knights, so he would have an important role to play this evening alongside her own.

Sighing, she made her way to the side room to bathe, setting out her favorite soap as she rang to request warm water. Of course just one more thing she was perfectly capable of doing, but wasn't allowed because it wasn't seen as 'proper'.

Zelda gasped as she wrenched her head above the bubbly water for air. Clearing the water from her eyes, she sunk back until she was completely submerged, bringing up her bare legs to rest against the side of the tub. The scent of cool cucumber mixed with subtle florals wafted from the water, setting her head at ease as she sighed into the room. She didn't have to leave for a little while yet, and she enjoyed the quiet solitude offered to her from her bathroom. No one would disturb her before the fair, not even the King as she was supposed to pray before she made her appearance and he wouldn't interrupt something that important. Looking over at her exposed knee, she frowned at the thin scar still visible after all these years. Bright silver and thickest in the middle, it ran from below her kneecap to halfway up her thigh. Though it looked rather ugly, she couldn't help but smile at the memory.

It was one of the last times she climbed a tree, being four at the time. Her mothers face looked up at her worried but smiling as she climbed higher and higher. She remembered being amazed at the view of Castle Town she had from the tall tree growing in the courtyard. She had leaned forward to see more, when her foot had slipped, a stray branch ripping open her skin before sending her tumbling back down to earth. She remembered her mother tending to it, the cut being so deep it had to be stitched and bound for weeks, but she had climbed that tree again, and had not fallen, taking in the sprawling kingdom that she was set to rule a mere month later.

She couldn't even think of doing something so undignified now. She hadn't climbed another tree since after her mothers death. Deciding she was done, she lowered her legs back down and wrapped a towel about her hair before getting up and exiting the bath, wrapping another fluffy towel around her body before making her way to her room.

She quickly set out her prayer gown and comfortable sandals, along with golden trinkets to fasten around her neck and wrists. It was important to look pure in front of the goddesses, and this is what she would normally wear to the Springs of Courage and Power, but tonight they would be her ceremonial dress for the fair.

Dressed, and with dry hair left to cascade freely about her face and down her back, she stepped out of her room, Link waiting for her outside her door to escort her to the grounds. She looked at him, slightly surprised to see his hair free of its usual ponytail and left to fall softly just past his shoulders. He wore his Champions tunic, though it had been washed and pressed and the blue shone brightly against his clear eyes. The Master Sword was sheathed proudly in a royal scabbard, looking much better placed there than in the ratty one he had adorned before. Boots free of scuffs and clean trousers tucked neatly into them, he looked every bit the Chosen Hero he was meant to be. He bowed low, straightening after a minute and standing to the side.

"Shall we go, Princess Zelda?"

She realized she had been staring a bit too long at how long his hair actually was, and how well put together he looked, even more so than at the Champions Ceremony. She nodded quickly and began walking, making her way out of the castle and towards the great front doors.

She stopped to listen, gripping her royal bow she had grabbed on her way out, waiting for her cue to come out to greet the crowds that were gathered. She felt along the smooth metal work of the ceremonial weapon, not one groove to fiddle with on its surface. She took in the sight of the cracked door before her, hearing the muffled speech of the king through it. Breathing in deep, she only smelled the scents of her bath, and a slightly woodsy scent coming from Link. She wondered if he spent a lot of time outside, or if that was just the curious scent of his own soaps. Focusing again, she ran her tongue along her lips nervously, tasting sharp copper from her earlier chewing. Fully grounded, she stood up straighter, gripping her bow tight enough to make her fingers hurt.

She stepped forward as the doors opened to reveal just how many people were gathered to see the start of the ceremony. The sun hung low in the sky, filling it with vibrant pinks and yellows as it dipped tentatively into the horizon, as if wishing to stay to see the fair play out. She stood tall before her people with her knight at her side as the King continued his speech.

"Countless generations of Hyrule Princess' have wielded the Bow of Light to weaken Ganon so that the Hero of the Era may strike him down once again. The Lighting of the Lanterns pays respect to this sacred duty by depicting it in a way that we can celebrate the triumphs of the past! As my daughter and her knight step to their respective places, I officiate this ceremony as the two hundred and eleventh celebration, and in doing so, pray to the three golden goddesses that they will continue to protect this kingdom from harm."

She moved to her place as Link did his while crowds cheered the end of her father's speech. The two archers on either side of her dipped their arrow tips in the flaming torches in front of them, pulling back and letting them fly to light the thin poles set before respective piles of wood. They caught quickly and as the last of the light left the sky, Zelda lit her own arrow, drawing back and carefully aiming for the pole erected in front of Link. Letting it fly, she lowered her bow and watched as it flared with flame. The swordsman in front of the other poles drew their blades and swiftly felled the tall pieces of wood, letting them drop and set fire to the pile of wood underneath it, representing the fall of Ganon and the rise of a new era. Link raised his own blade and swung it in a powerful strike, downing his own pole and setting the huge bonfire that was set up in the middle of the square ablaze. The King took his place in front of the last fire and raised his arms for the crowds.

"Let the celebration begin!"

And so it did. Pigs were brought to finish roasting upon the smaller fires and food in abundance was brought and set up along the various tables sitting around the entire town. The King made his way over to her and nodded. "You did well, Zelda."

"Thank you." She slung her bow onto the holster on her hip and went to sit at the back of the grounds, hoping to avoid any and all conversation.

"Where are you going?"

She stopped and turned around. "I-"

She paused as she saw Link shuffling awkwardly beside the King. "It is tradition that when a princess is assigned her knight, they take the first dance around the fire. For all your studying, you never thought to research the customs of your own Kingdom?"

She didn't have an answer as she walked back to where she had been standing, looking up only at the hand that was offered to her.

Link stood with his arm extended out towards her, bowed slightly in respect.
"May I, Your Highness?"

He looked just as nervous as she did, and she could tell just how badly he wished to drop his gaze from her eyes. Looking to her father, he simply nodded and gestured for her to get on with it. Turning back, she gently placed her hand in his, feeling rough calluses from years of training. Stepping forward, she allowed him to lead her towards the fire, stopping a few feet away.

Soft but joyous music played to a danceable beat and she quickly recognized it as the tune for a waltz, fading from it to the traditional Dance of the Goddess and back to the waltz. Link clasped her clammy hand in his equally nervous one as she placed her other on his shoulder. Hesitating only a second, he gently placed his other hand on her waist, and they began to move.

The dance was anything but coordinated at first, both too nervous to communicate a beat. But they quickly recovered and began moving in time to the music. As the song went on, more people began to join, spinning around the fire with them while others clapped along the edges. She spun out and twirled back into his waiting arms with ease, finding him a surprisingly good dance partner as the music loosened them both from their duties and allowed them to simply be. Their feet tapped out more complicated steps as they spun in a dizzying tandem with the other partners around the blaze. She couldn't help but let a loud laugh bubble from her chest as Link spun her around again, catching her in a flourished dip just as the song ended. Link had a crooked grin on his face as he helped her stand up straight, face blissfully free of the usual nervousness he carried. She smiled back at him, chest heaving in time with his as her world narrowed to just them. Nothing else mattered but the soft way he looked at her and the smile she felt tugging ever wider upon her lips. Too quickly, she became aware of the others clapping for them, and Links face blanched as he realized just how many people were staring. A short curtsey and bow respectively later they both rushed from the fire in seperate directions, both quite content to leave the spotlight for the rest of the night.

Zelda stood up from her desk the next day as she heard a loud knocking upon her door. Hurrying to open it, she stood back as King Rhoam strode into her study. "What are you doing Zelda?"

She quickly looked back at her desk making sure her research journal was nowhere in sight. Thankfully, only the Sheikah slate she had been studying was out, Divine Beast schematics scattered along the surface.

"I was going over what I learned of the beasts and putting them into a report so we have it to look after. I was attempting to organize the information cohesively to-"

"We have actual researchers for that. Your job was simply to gather information to report back to me. You have done that with only half of the beasts thus far, and I would appreciate it if you took your remaining duties seriously."

"I was just trying to-"

"I do not wish to hear your excuses!" Her father raised his voice to drown out her feeble attempts at arguing. "I want you to leave for Goron City by this evening to finish your duties! Along your way you will stop to pray at the Spring of Power, and later the Spring of Courage. You will perform your duties as a dignified princess should and you will do it without argument! I have told you time and time again to stop treating this as if it were a game! You are not a child anymore, stop acting as if you were!"

He made no attempt to get an answer out of her as he turned. "See that you continue your journey by this evening. No excuses."

"I understand." She replied in a small voice, flinching slightly as the door was slammed shut.

She gathered her notes and slate and made her way out the door, stopping and looking at Link who stood beside it. He barely met her eyes before looking back down, opening his mouth with a bit of effort.

"Princess, I-"

"We're leaving within the hour. Ready our horses." Her reply was short, clipped, but she didn't care. She wouldn't.

She didn't want to be here any more than her father wanted her to, so she would leave as early as she could. Shoving her anger down, she continued to her room, slamming the door with the same ferocity as her father behind her swiftly retreating knight.

Chapter Text

Zelda carefully guided her horse along the thin shoreline of Squabble River that ran between the twin summits of Dueling Peaks Mountain. Looking up at the jagged ledges that ran along the sides of the mountains, she recalled an old legend that said a dragon had split the peaks long ago to forge a way through along its path. Of course, that was a very old legend, but...so was Ganon and the princess and hero of the eras so she really couldn't dismiss them as old fables. The little girl inside her still wanted to believe in the legends of dragons and mountain gods and forest children that were watched under the protection of a Deku Tree. She wasn't sure if she really believed in any of that, but it was a nice thought sometimes.

"Do you believe in the legend of the Forest Children?" She asked her knight on a whim.

Taken aback by the sudden absurd question, Link thought for a moment before answering. "Forest children...do you mean Koroks? My mother would tell me stories of them when I was small but-"

"I meant children of the forest. I have no idea what koroks are and if that's what I meant I would have said it." Irritably, she pulled tightly on the reins as they stopped at the inn for a few supplies. Of course he'd have to make sure she knew he knew more than her even about stupid children stories. Feeling a bit bad about snapping so childishly but pressing on through the residual anger of her early morning, she flounced towards the side of the stables where a hand was chopping up firewood and tying them with twine. At the slow rate that was set it would be necessary to have to stop and make camp before reaching Foothill Inn at the base of Death Mountain. She was leading an odd route, coming here through the mountain and then having to backtrack again past the Riverside Inn to make it to a road that would lead them to where she needed to go, but she wanted to check on the progress of a tech team setting up nearby, and she also wanted to travel quickly to Lake Kolomo to check out a boulder that last time she had checked...had grown? She knew rocks didn't grow, they eroded, which was of course, quite the opposite of growth. But she could have sworn the last couple times she had gone by it looked bigger. A silly notion, and an even sillier reason to delay their journey, but the King wasn't with them, he wouldn't know and to be honest, the longer she could keep away from the castle from here on out, the better.

Going up and offering the man cutting wood two red rupees she asked politely, "Do you think I could trouble you to attach two bundles of firewood to our saddles please?"

Laying his axe down the man peered at her from his broad brow, eyes widening in surprise and recognition. Bowing swiftly, he quickly replied. "But of course, Your Highness. Please allow me to do so free of charge. You needn't waste rupees on firewood."

"I insist." She thrusted the money towards him, leaving him little choice but to slowly pocket it, leaning down to grab a couple bundles and hurrying to their horses. Link softy crooned to his horse while he fed her a couple of carrots, the mare crunching happily into his open palm. She watched as he winced slightly when the horse began nuzzling his right palm, switching to his left to gently pat down her nose. She wasn't about to ask of course, but she was beginning to wonder what he did to his hand, trying not to worry about it as she hoped to the goddesses he was still able to wield his sword.

Seeing that the kind man was finished, she thanked him in passing and mounted her steed again, adjusting her gloves as she waited for Link to mount as well. Clicking her heels swiftly, she turned her horse with a bit of difficulty and headed towards the research team's to continue recording as much progress as she could.

Looking from one picture to the next, she noted the subtle difference in height between the one taken a couple months prior to the one she had just snapped. She knew the thing was growing! But...it was rock. She had swum over once, much to her previous knights' protests, and had confirmed it was indeed as normal as a boulder could be, despite it's obvious growth. She couldn't wrap her head around it, and made a note to bring this up to Purah.

She began walking through the short forest beside the lake, heading back to their horses. Keeping her head to her slate, she brought up the map of Hyrule, mentally tracing the route they would take. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she sighed but decided to make an effort to redeem their earlier conversation. Maybe talking about their objectives would also distract him from the fact that they had just been staring at a rock for the past twenty minutes. She really didn't want to mention her thoughts about its growth, as she was sure he would think her insane but...Divine Beasts were a safe topic weren't they?

"From here we'll make our way to Goron City. Then, we'll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible." The letter he had sent before the start of their journey had said he had mostly figured out how to get it to move, but the intricacies still made him a bit confused. She voiced as much to her shadow.

"He has figured out how to get it to move, however it's apparent that we still have much to learn. But to think, that Divine Beast was actually built by people! That means we should be able to understand how it works, and how to use it to our advantage."

They already had a clue as to how exactly they could use them, but there were many things while looking through the protocols and different functions that had even Zelda wondering about what exactly these beasts were capable of. It seemed they had only scratched the surface of what they could do, and it annoyed her to no end having incomplete information.

"These Divine Beasts, so much we don't know...but if we want to turn back Calamity Ganon, they're our best hope." She slowed to a stop as she thought of what was truly the hope of everyone in the kingdom. Links ability with the sword...and her own sealing powers stubbornly locked away from her.

"...tell me the truth. How proficient are you right now wielding that sword on your back?" She thought back to her earlier question of his beliefs in legends, and decided to test it once more. "Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet, Hero?"

She couldn't help but let her disdain for him drop into her words, refusing to face him to hear his answer. Getting nothing, she clipped the slate back onto her hip and made to mount her horse, hearing a small voice answer her as she settled in the saddle.

"Only once, Your Highness. But that was enough for me."

She turned towards him, his shoulders slumped and head hanging down to obscure his face, though she didn't miss the way he gripped the reins tight, left digging in much more than the right. She waited for some elaboration, but it seemed he had filled his speech quota for the day, so she simply spurred her horse forward, the rest of the trip silent as they rode through the afternoon.

"This is our largest military training camp next to the one we have set up in Akala. We'll be able to set up camp here for the night before we reach Foothill Inn. We'll need an early start tomorrow to be able to get up the mountain pass." The Woodland Camp came into view, along with the sounds of clashing weaponry from the many ranks of soldiers and knights alike gathered there to train. There were many barracks set up all around the expanse of flat land before one would hit the mysterious woods further on, and then the beginning of the mountains that made up the Great Eldin Range. She walked through slowly, taking note of the progress and tactical plans being made along the way.

"This is where soldiers and knights come to train who have worked their entire life to get to where they are today. They are dedicated and work hard to achieve what few can master." She pointedly looked over at him, eyeing the Master Sword obviously. He simply turned away.

Just as she was turning tk leave, a surprised voice called to her knight.

"Link? Is that you?"

A strong but wiry man came jogging up to her and her knight, sheathing his blade and pulling the young knight into an embrace. Beaming down at him, the older knight turned to the Princess, giving a deep respectful bow.

"Your Highness, I did not expect you and my son to be traveling out this way. May I offer you any assistance?"

A light went off above her head as to why this man looked so familiar. This was the man she had seen with Link as the knighting competition was going on, and again when he accompanied Link to the Champions Ceremony.

"Sir Alec, is it?"

The wiry man beamed and nodded, "Yes, Your Highness. It is an honor to see you here, and I'm sure Link is excited to be here again. He trained here from a small child with other budding brigade members. It was actually right over there that he came stumbling out with the Master Sword clutched in his hands, friends crowding out around him and causing the biggest fuss over it as one possibly could. With good reason of course. I'll never forget that day. But," he turned again and laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "Forgive a proud father's ramblings Princess, was there anything you needed?"

Face tinted pink and mouth gaping as she looked at Link, shaking her head. He had trained here as well? Why couldn't he have said anything against her earlier comment? She felt like a fool, of course he had worked to receive the Master Sword and the Goddesses blessings. He wouldn't be here otherwise, it was just...frustrating.

Shaking her head again she managed to speak. "We're actually going to make our way to Foothill Inn for the night. The trek to Goron City won't be easy, and we'll need our rest."

"Of course. I wish the blessings of Hylia upon your travels." Bowing again, he quickly took Link into another embrace. "I'll be traveling as well to be permanently stationed in Akkala. You both are welcome to come find me should you make your way up there." And with that, he turned and left, shouting something at the section he had previously been instructing, all of them hurrying to resume their positions.

Zelda couldn't even look at her knight as she mounted her horse again and began steering them to Foothill Inn. She had planned to make camp here, but while there was still daylight she didn't see a point in sticking around.

Lulled by the gentle trotting of her horse her thoughts quickly turned back to Link. So he had in fact pulled the Master Sword as young as they said? How did he make it through the forbidden forest, and on that note, it was forbidden! For good reason, as there were rumors of all manner of terrifying creatures that would snap you up the moment you found yourself to be lost, which was quite easily done with the thick fog that hung over the decayed trees. She bit the question from her tongue, knowing she most likely wouldn't get an answer anyway considering her earlier remark.

So, as always, the trip remained steadily silent.

Chapter Text

Zelda chugged down her second fireproof elixir of many for the day, grimacing at the foul taste but instantly feeling relief as her body began to regulate its temperature and cool. She could still feel the heat on her skin, and she knew things could get very dangerous if she neglected to drink the elixir in time, but they had plenty at their disposal and there were rumors of fireproof armor that could be bought within the City should they need it. She didn't plan to stay that long though, hoping to leave the volcanic terrain within the day if possible.

Sweat rolled down her neck and she miserably swiped it off with an equally sweaty hand. Though the elixir worked to help her not burst into flames, literally, it did nothing to cool her exposed skin, and there really wasn't anything to do other than grin and bear it until they could leave. She loved all of her kingdom with all of her heart, but she could easily avoid the volcano until her death and wouldn't have any regrets upon her bed. A morbid thought, but true nonetheless, stumbling a bit and cursing the uneven terrain inwardly as she struggled to not trip. It would be fine here, tripping, the only consequence maybe being a small roll down the rocky hill. Goron City, however, had been made upon a pool of moving lava straight from Death Mountain itself, and should she trip and fall the wrong way there well...the mountain will have earned its namesake she supposed.

A tall wall stood before her and Link, with a metal ramp leaning against it to allow visitors access. Various hot spots dotted the wall where it was a bit thinner, allowing the lava to graze the surface, occasionally spilling out and adding to the bumpy road below. She shuddered to think of how hot those really were, imagining simply melting if she got too close. She took a moment to pay attention to how hot she felt. Not great, but she didn't feel ready to combust either, so downing another elixir wasn't necessary yet.

Stepping onto the steep ramp, they both struggled a bit with the incline, finally making it up to continue their way. Unsurprisingly, plant specimens didn't grow here, so there wasn't the need to delay their trip with frequent stops.

From the inn to the stable it took about two hours and six elixirs to reach the city. Zelda wanted nothing more than to dip into a cool body of water, clothes and all it didn't matter, but of course there would be none of that here. Pulling in as much of the super heated air that she could handle, she began making her way to the Chieftain's house.

"Princess Zelda!" Olroc greeted warmly as he waved them in the house. "And Link, er Sir Link I suppose it is now right little guy?"

Link ducked his head low as he stationed himself beside the door. "I prefer just Link, thank you Olroc." His demure voice barely made itself heard over the rolling lava, but the chief nodded in understanding and placed a huge hand on his shoulder, encompassing his entire back and opposite shoulder in the process. Turning back to Zelda, he asked, "It's my understanding you have things to discuss, but I'd suggest heading to Rudania first. Thing's giving Daruk a heap of trouble trying to steer it around the mountain."

"Of course! Where is he now?"

"Should be parked by Eldin bridge. Said he didn't want to break the thing before you had a chance to help."

"I'll head over right away." Zelda left the house and walked quickly down the road that led to the great bridge, pausing as she heard footsteps following quickly behind her.

"I haven't needed you with me for the last two beasts and I certainly don't now." Whirling around, she glared at her knight, who visibly slumped in stature.

"I understand, Your Highness, b-but..." He took a breath, frustration flickering over his features as his tongue refused to cooperate. "Th-this is a much d-different environment than we've b-been in b-before and I w-would much r-rather b-be certain of your s-safety."

His stuttering only worsened as her glare grew in intensity , but after closing his mouth he didn't seem inclined to back down. She rolled her eyes after a minute and turned back around, deeming it a waste of time to continue trying to speak to him.

She reached the bridge rather quickly, annoyed that the boy she had clearly not wanted accompanying her was still tailing behind. Looking at the Divine Beast however, her annoyance was quickly replaced by awe. It resembled a huge lizard, and with the long limbs and toes that looked like they had enough grip to bend metal, she wasn't sure why Daruk was having so much trouble. Walking up to the figure leaning against his Beast she waved in greeting.

"Ah, Tiny Princess! It's great to see you again. And Link!! Didn't think I'd see you again anytime soon!"

Link gave a very tiny smile and waved slightly, not offering anymore than that, to Daruks apparent disappointment.

"One of those days huh? That's alright little guy, I got a big enough mouth for both of us!" Punctuating his statement with a signature boisterous laugh, he turned to Zelda. "Wanna get started? Entrance is right there."

He pointed to a doorway directly beside them. She took a moment to ponder what exactly 'one of those days" meant. Surely he couldn't mean lack of speaking, considering the knight barely did much of that anyway. Deciding it wasn't really important, Zelda nodded, and all three disappeared inside the darkness.

"Sure is a lot better with the ceiling open. I had to stumble around in the dark to get all these confounded terminals activated before."

"Well now we know it's this terminal that controls it." Pointing to the one located on the spinal crest. "The one at the tail controls your steering and this one here at the right hind leg controls all of the legs movement, but the program is automatic as long as you have the steering activated so that won't be a problem. No wonder you were having trouble moving this, the controls are in two different rooms. The one at the side allows Rudania to grip and crawl along surfaces, and the one in front of it opens its storage units, which apparently house a variety of guardians to protect the beast and pilot and anything else that's identified. Interesting. The main control also has the same ability as Ruta and Medoh, so that is definitely a relief." She quickly explained the targeting and how they planned to use it.

"I'm really liking the sound of this Ganon beat down plan! I'm with you Princess, all the way!"

Zelda smiled before tucking the slate away. "If you'd like, I'd be happy to stay while you try out the main controls. We need to make sure everything is working properly." She was secretly bursting inside, waiting to see how the rune would work to control the entire Divine Beast since she hadn't yet seen it in action.

"Sure thing Tiny Princess! Let's see what we can do with our new toy!"
Seemingly just as excited, the mighty Goron didn't notice the princess grimace at their mechanical salvation being spoken of as if it were a particularly nice ball a child had been given. Fiddling with the rune a bit, Vah Rudania gave an ear strumming roar, its octave at such a low frequency they more felt it rather than heard it. It lurched to the side, nearly tipping into the lava before straightening out just in time. Link had leapt forward as she stumbled catching her against him as the tremors knocked her off her feet. Quickly recovering she shoved off him, a dark red blush spreading across her face. Why was she blushing? He was doing his duty, that was all. Link shuffled back quickly, muttering an incoherent apology that Zelda really didn't care to hear.

Daruk scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess it's still a little tricky, I don't want to put you in danger, Princess. Maybe you shouldn't be up here while I figure this out."

Slightly disappointed but understanding his point, she nodded. "I need to speak with Chief Olroc about their future positions in battle anyway, so it's okay."

She turned to Link and stabbed a finger at him. "There's nothing for you to do, so don't follow me. You'll be of more use here helping Daruk or doing anything anywhere else than if you trail behind me. I'm perfectly safe here with the Gorons."

"Allow me to at least escort you back-" he was cut off by a gravelly voice calling towards them. Looking over, Zelda spotted the Chief himself waving up at them.

"We all felt the tremors and I said I would investigate. What are you trying to do with that thing Daruk? Shake us all right off Death Mountain?"

"Apologies Chief, the controls are just a little finicky for me." His laugh carried over the lava, making Olroc roll his eyes.

Looking back to Link, she smiled smugly. "I'll walk back with the Chief, that way I'll be protected. Is that satisfactory?"

He visibly flinched at the harsh bite in her words, but stepped back and nodded.She pointedly ignored the bewildered look Daruk gave her, flipping her long hair around indignantly and stalking towards the door to exit, already rummaging in her pack for the correct documents.

"You plan to transport your canons to Hyrule Castle? How will you get them all the way there?"

"We'll bring the materials to build them on site, same thing we did in Akkala. You'll see if you're heading there, those cannons are configured a little differently to make it easier for tiny Hylians to manage them easily. We'll also be transporting bombs and weaponry; our weapon smiths and explosion experts are working hard to provide everyone with everything they'll need to be able to defend our kingdom. Neither you nor the King should worry, with the might of the Gorons at your back, our victory is already in sight!"

She smiled at his confidence, feeling a little boost herself at the volume of his voice. Grinning wide back, Olroc continued. "I'd also like to thank you for these other reports. We'll make copies of these maps and give it to the Gorons who will be transporting materials across Hyrule. This will make their routes much more definitive and they'll be able to get where they need to be quicker. Send my regards to the King for these, and of course I thank you again for traveling all the way here to get them to me. I know this climate isn't exactly comfortable for Hylians...or any other race for that matter."

"I'm happy to do what I can to make preparations as easy as possible. We all must play our part and work together if we are to see Hyrule through the coming Calamity."

The Chief nodded sagely, grin dipping into a small frown as he was no doubt thinking of the future threat to come. Her own head lowered a fraction as she thought of her role she had yet to fulfill, dry eyes wanting nothing more than to put her emotions on full display. Blinking rapidly, her ears twitched as she heard a voice carrying over the city towards the Chiefs abode.

"...knew Hylians could eat rocks, and enjoy them too! Though you didn't dig in with the gusto you usually do, but I'm willing to pin that on travel weariness. That was my best sirloin rock, glad to see it was tasty; though I didn't think it would render you speechless! Just shows what a good meal will do for ya."

Zelda raised an eyebrow as Link and Daruk entered the home, the latter laughing joyously as the former gingerly rubbing his jaw while his friend wasn't looking. Surely he hadn't actually tried to eat a rock...had he? The cut lip and jaw massaging certainly pointed to it but...nevermind. She really didn't want to know. Catching sight of the darkening sky though, her heart jumped in her throat.

"I hadn't realized how late it had gotten! My apologies Chief Olroc, but we must get going, we won't be able to stay here overnight and I'd rather start our journey back to the inn while there's still daylight left."

"I hadn't thought of it, I should be the one apologizing Princess. Please allow me to escort you back, I'd feel much better if you had Goron accompaniment down the mountain."

"Oh come off it old man, you wouldn't get halfway down without falling down for a nap. Allow me, need to talk to the Princess anyway." Daruk was quick to offer his services, proudly gripping his heavy hammer.

The chief's brow drew together and his smile grew crooked. "Need I remind you you're old enough to become Chief if you hadn't turned down the offer?"

Daruk chuckled and clapped his back. "Because I'm young enough at heart to run circles around your snail's pace of a shuffle!"

"Hmph, go on then, get out of here! Leave an old man to his peace and quiet!" The older Goron shoved Daruk back, eyes full of mirth. Chuckling himself, the Goron Champion turned towards Zelda.

"If you guys are ready then, we'll head out now. Better to get you off this mountain as soon as possible, we're starting to get shivers that could be dangerous for little guys like you."

"Thank you Daruk. We're ready." Zelda answered, adjusting her satchel and moving to leave. "Thank you again, Chief Olroc. We shall be sure to keep in touch."

"Be looking forward to our next correspondence Princess."

She returned the wave goodbye and turned back around to hurry to the city entrance, followed closely behind by Link and Daruk. The sky was well and truly dark now, though unfortunately since they were literally walking on lava it did little to relieve the heat, so she choked down another fireproof elixir before slowing slightly so the others could catch up.

"You'll be happy to hear Princess, I finally got the hang of moving Rudania around. Link shoved me in at some point and refused to let me leave, so I just fiddled around with it the rest of the day, and oddly by the end of it, I felt like I had almost connected with the thing. I feel like it'll be no trouble at all getting it going now, and it'll be all the better to beat the crud outta Ganon."

Zelda smiled tightly. Of course Link would just shove him in and tell him to walk around, because of course he would know best how to take control of a Divine Beast. Always had all the answers since he was the Chosen One. It made her stomach roll.

"I'm glad to hear that. We need all the resources we can get, and your ease with Vah Rudania takes us one step closer to an assured victory." They resumed the trek in silence, the air growing blessedly more breathable the further down the mountain they went, eventually reaching the inn.

"I guess this is where I leave ya. Have a safe trip from here Tiny Princess. Take care of Hyrule Little Guy. Heh, no pressure." He winked to show he was poking in jest, laying an assuring hand on the suddenly panicked Link's shoulders. Zelda watched as Link visibly seemed to calm slightly, arranging his face into the carefully neutral expression he so often wore. His mannerisms were curious, but it wasn't anything Zelda really concerned herself with. Her only real concern was completing this journey, and after that...well that was after.

"Have a safe trip home as well Daruk. Enemies love moving in the cover of darkness."

Daruk hefted his hammer and grinned. "Let 'em try. Until next time." Farewell bidden, he turned and began to make his way back up the mountain.

Zelda turned and opened the door to the inn, thankful to be out of the insufferable heat and eager to rest enough for the days of traveling they had ahead of them.

Chapter Text

Although waking up next to a volcano was a much better alternative to waking up on the volcano, Zelda decided she could do without either. She peeled the thin sheet away from her sweaty body, cringing at the disgusting texture. Looking over at the small washbasin set on the dresser, she sighed, getting up to freshen herself as well as she could without a proper body of water to do so in.

By the time she stepped out of her room, slinging her side bag over her shoulder, she wasn't the least bit surprised to see Link already waiting. Ignoring him was wearing on her more and more, yet she couldn't get the thought from her head that the only reason he was stood here in this position was to prove something; whether to her, the kingdom, or whatever admirers he had where he was from she didn't care. All she could see when she glanced at him was her own failure stitched into every seam of his being, and he really hadn't done anything to forgo that assumption. Sighing again, she simply headed down to have breakfast before continuing on.

"I'd like to briefly return to the castle before we continue." She addressed her knight as she sat at the low table. "I want to make sure the king knows of the Gorons intentions of building canons around the castle. I don't want them to bring all the materials only for them to have to turn back if he doesn't agree."

Link nodded as he picked at the assortment of food on his plate, barely nibbling on a stray berry.

"Do you ever eat?" She asked, any concern present in her voice masked by early morning annoyance.

Looking startled, he nodded, not offering any more than that as he ceased his picking and simply sat in front of a mostly full plate. Well and truly exasperated by his odd behavior, she polished off her own meal and stood.

"As soon as you're ready, I'd like to leave for the castle."

She turned and headed for the stable, not bothering to wait since she knew he'd follow her anyway, regardless if he was actually finished or not. If he didn't eat, that was hardly her fault. At the pace he was displaying, they'd have been waiting until this evening for him to finish a single slice of apple, let alone the entire plate.

She stopped with the castle in their sights towards the afternoon, horses needing a small rest after being in such a hot climate for an extended period of time. Zelda dipped her hands gratefully in the cool waters of the Regencia River, which ran on both sides of Hyrule Castle and through the moat that surrounded it. Many Zora were already setting up their camps along the shores, preparing for a date they were not certain of yet. It really hadn't hit her how real all of this was before, but seeing military camps just out in the open being set up, instead of already established ones she was tasked with checking in on; it hit her a little harder than she was expecting. Ganon would return, a war was coming, and here she was, acting like a child as her father so often scolded her for doing. Biting back tears that threatened to fall, she scrubbed her face again before returning to her horse, who was crunching happily on a carrot treat Link had offered him a few seconds prior. Smiling, she reached for his neck to give him a pat, stepping back and frowning when the horse reared his head and nickered loudly in her face.

"It just means he's a bit uneasy, they have been traveling more than they're used to." A quiet voice spoke up to her right, and she swiftly turned her glare to him.

Flinching he made to snap his head down, but seemed to win the internal battle flashing across his features. Hand shaking slightly, he reached and gently caressed the stubborn mounts neck near the withers. "It's all in your tone and gestures. If you're gentler with them, your horse will be gentle with you."

"I'm willing to bet Maladict just has it out for me. He's as stubborn as a mule, and never responds to any encouragement given to him, always doubting that's what it actually is. Every word spoken to him he takes as a threat."

"Sometimes animals take on their owner's personality, it's all in what they're exposed to."

Silence reigned as they both processed what he had just said, and thus implied. Link's face turned a very pale shade of green in contrast to Zelda's own quickly darkening features.

"I beg your pardon?!"

Looking as if he was going to faint or puke or both, Link attempted to backpedal as quickly as he could, tripping over hasty words meant to erase his statement from existence. "Th-that, I j-just, P-p-princess I-I assure y-you, I m-m-meant abso-s-s...I-I didn't m-m-mmmm!" He gave up in frustration as his mouth refused to cooperate, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself! You are not my father, nor my advisor or even a friend! You are no one to me but someone assigned to annoy me with the constant assumption I am not capable of doing my duty on my own! Hyrule needs you to fulfill your destiny, but I could care less what you do as long as you do what you are meant, and I would appreciate it if you didn't call my personality or any other aspects of myself into question!! Your job is to flaunt your sword until the day you actually need to use it, so know your place and stay away from mine!"

Link seemed to shrink deeper and deeper into himself as she continued without restraint, hardly feeling bad for all she was saying. So it was true! He felt the exact same as everyone else about her, that she was stubborn and incompetent and not able to do anything properly. A failure to not only her kingdom, but to the Goddesses who watched over it. Curse him! Curse him with his destiny already laid out and admirers across Hyrule! She detested the way everyone knew and respected him in every province so far just for that sword strapped upon his back, which he had obtained outside of the annual ceremony! If it weren't for the sword choosing its own wielder, she'd have half a mind to accuse him of stealing the thing!!

Fuming, she hopped upon the saddle and sent her horse at a gallop, letting her hair fall in front of her face to hide the tears tracking down her bright cheeks.

"I thank you for calling this to my attention so soon Zelda. Of course I will welcome any reinforcements the Gorons can offer, but it is nice to have preparations for their arrival done ahead of time. Gerudo Town is your final stop yes? You do intend to heed my instructions to also visit the Spring of Power and Courage on your journey?"

King Rhoams tone of course left no room for arguing, so she nodded slowly. "Yes, father. Our route is already planned with that taken into account." With minimal detours she silently added, already calculating the room she had for the specimens she planned to collect in the Desert, Faron and Akkala regions. She already knew there would be no answers from her goddesses, so she planned to make the journey as productive as possible.

"Excellent. When will you be departing?"

"I was hoping to stay here only a night before continuing on early tomorrow morning. Our horses need the rest."

The King nodded his assent. "Very well. Take care upon your travels my daughter."

She blinked in surprise. This was the first time he had wished her a safe trip in all the months she had been traveling. Nodding hurriedly, she turned and quickly returned to her chambers, looking forward to a much needed bath before a full night's rest.

Zelda crouched in front of the panel of the shrine, searching in vain for something, anything, that would allow her to access the inside. A soft pulse again emanated from the slate she carried, pinging with the shrine's distress signal that had brought her all the way out here to begin with. She was closer to Rito Village now than she was to the castle, having explicitly instructed Link to stay at her door before slipping away unnoticed to the source of the stress call. She just wanted to do this one thing on her own, and she knew she'd be safe, all she wanted was time to cool her head.

Standing up, she laid her Sheikah slate on the eye as she would a Divine Beast, but it remained stubbornly inactive as the signal faded away to nothing, presumably shutting down to preserve energy.

"Nothing, just as I thought." She sighed, looking up at the structure. "Hmmm, it appears that this structure was designed to be exclusively accessed by the swords chosen one. But designs can always be worked around, at least I hope."

She had once let Link try and lay the slate on a shrine himself, seeing if that would do anything, and though the texts hinted that that's what they were there for, they would not yield even to him. So, she remained frustrated trying to figure out how exactly she was going to force it open, coming up dispairly with a lack of ideas as to how to go about it.

"How do I get inside? I need to activate it somehow." Even if she couldn't get to the ancient monk supposedly resting inside, she needed to see about fixing whatever had caused it to call out to the thin network created by activating the Beasts. It hadn't lasted, but there must have been something wrong if it had done so.

Hearing a loud whinny and hoofbeats behind her, she gasped and turned, frown quickly deepening as she saw who it was.

"I thought I made it clear that I'm not in need of an escort!" She snapped as he jogged towards where she was. Placing the slate on her belt, she stalked towards him, fists coming to rest on her hips as she struggled to contain herself. He didn't see fit to dignify her with an answer, expression carefully flat as he stood straight before her.

"It seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own! I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the Kings orders." She hoped he could feel the condescending tone dripping from her voice. "Return to the castle, and tell that to my father please."

Striding quickly away, she felt satisfied that she had made her point clear and hoped to every goddess above he would listen to her for once. Hearing footsteps behind her, it was clear he hadn't.

She clenched her fists and closed her eyes, breathing deep through her nose in an attempt not to scream. "And stop following me!" Whirling around she yelled at him, hoping to break whatever courage he had scraped up to follow her after she had ordered him not to. As always, he simply stood there, offering nothing but a top view of his head as he studied his boots with feigned interest. Field study ruined, she hopped atop her horse, intent on returning to the castle...which she had just told him to return to, which meant he'd be following her.

Resisting the urge to bury her face in her hands and weep, she steadily ignored him the entire way back, only speaking once they had reached the town.

"I intend to get my saddle bags and return here to resume the journey to the Gerudo. I'd tell you to stay here while I retrieve my things, but I doubt you'd listen anyway, so just stay out of my way."

Offering one last glare, she quickly made her way through Castle Square and through the entrance gate, fuming without a touch of guilt all the way to her courtiers.

Chapter Text

As she approached the desert, she was immediately grateful she had worn her thin blouse. It wasn't as regal as people might expect from her, but she cared little in favor of what would prevent her from melting in the heat. She wished she had remembered to bring cooling elixirs, but nothing could be done about that now. Perhaps she could find some in the Oasis or the town itself, but she supposed as long as she didn't catch on fire like was possible on Death Mountain, she'd be relatively fine.

Glancing discreetly behind her, she worried at her lip as guilt threatened to consume her once again. She had said such awful things, both on the way to the castle and at that shrine. She had just been feeling so depressed and hopeless...she knew she needed to stop viewing everything said as an attack on her title, but she could never truly shake off the feeling that everyone in her Kingdom really did view her as a failure to them. She wanted so badly to prove them wrong, her father most of all, but she knew that was no excuse to take it out on someone who clearly didn't want to be playing the role he was destined to either. Perhaps Mipha was right in that regard, and they did share that similarity, but she truly didn't know if that would be enough to bring them to an understanding she and him so desperately needed to come to.

She wondered though, if he would even forgive her if she did say she was sorry. She didn't think she could bear her soul and tell him all the reasons for her fears and doubts, and why she lashed out the way she did, it wasn't as though anything could excuse what she had said. Her harsh words were forever carved into her mind, searing into her conscious in a way that was impossible to ignore, and yet she did. Pushing it away as she did everything else, Zelda tugged absentmindedly at the reins, starting a bit in shock as her horse actually stopped. She tentatively pet his neck, earning a soft whinny in reply and she wondered why she had never done this, simply taken the time to ensure her mount she cared. Always wrapped up in her self pitying thoughts, she never truly stepped back and extended empathy towards others, always holding steadfast to the hope her father would show kindness to her so she could pay it in turn. But there was always something else to do ahead, always something she needed scolded for, always something she could try harder at no matter how much she was metaphorically beating her fists against whatever powers there were to get them to take notice. Overwhelming shame washed over her, and she felt tears prick at her eyes as she dismounted, resting her forehead against the saddle.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" She couldn't bring herself to answer. After everything she had done, he still made an effort towards her wellbeing. Not being able to answer, she took her pack from the saddle and walked a few paces away, stopping to turn so Link would know she would wait for him. He looked at her and surprise darted across his features, making the overwhelming guilt sucker punch her once again. Readjusting her bag, she simply waited as he handed off the horses, since they couldn't make the trip through the sand and making them endure the desert heat would be beyond cruel. She did have quite a far walk ahead of her though. The desert was expansive and simply making it to the Oasis might take them the rest of the day. Thankfully after that, Gerudo Town wasn't more than a half hour walk, ten minutes by sand seal Urbosa had once calculated, so she should be fine. The Yiga were beginning to expand their activity though, so she and Link would definitely have to be careful.

She turned and began walking down the road as Link approached. The tall canyon walls stretched far above them, providing welcoming shade before the harsh desert climate before them. Despite the heat she had made sure all of her skin was covered, and she saw that Link had made sure of this too. It wouldn't do to get badly burned from the unyielding sun and arrive at Gerudo Town with sunstroke, so the extra precaution was annoying, but necessary.

Zelda squinted against the sun reflecting off the sand at a tall figure making their way towards them. She felt Link draw a little closer, and though slightly annoyed, it did make her feel...safe. Slowing her pace, she tried to focus on them as they continued walking, suddenly recognizing the tall guard that had been present at the ceremony so many months ago.

"Yshka?" The Caption of the Gerudo Guard brandished her spear proudly, coming into focus a few feet away. Bowing her head and coming to a full stop, she addressed the both of them.

"Lady Urbosa sends her deepest apologies; she cannot escort you to the town herself. She has been familiarizing herself with her Beast and wanted to make absolute sure it would be safe for you to enter today. I have brought sand seals with me to make the trip faster and safer for you and your knight, so please follow me."

"Thank you, Yshka. We would have been traveling the desert the rest of the day to the Oasis had you not come." She hurried after the scarlet haired woman, trying to keep up with her longer strides. The guard seemed to notice and slowed her pace, allowing the princess to walk comfortably beside her.

"Not at all Your Highness. We are all on high alert since Yiga activity has grown ever frequent. It wouldn't do to have you wondering the desert without protection." She glanced towards Link. " Not dismissing your knight of course, but...Gerudo...stature helps ward off danger before it thinks of arriving, so to speak."

Link blushed and looked down and Zelda really couldn't help but pity him. His small height really didn't help him look at all intimidating, though he was an excellent fighter from what she saw. But the guard had a point, with the Yiga it was often better to scare them off first then fight them outright.

They reached the seals and as Yshka was getting the rope and shield attached she couldn't help but notice Link. His eyes practically sparkled as he looked at the seals, fingers twitching in what she knew was an itch to pet them.

"...have you never seen a sand seal before?" She asked curiously, figuring him to be a well rounded knight that had traveled before.

Snapping up at the question, he slowly shook his head.

"They like chin scratches, and if you're lucky you can rub their stomachs if they roll over for you." She looked over at Yshka, who was swearing slightly as she untangled some rope aggressively, her jerky motions mostly causing them to tangle further.

Nodding towards the seal, she looked at Link expectantly. Shuffling his feet a bit, he slowly crouched down to his knees and held out his hand, smiling a very tiny smile as the beast nuzzled his nose into his open palm, much like the horses did. He gently scratched the seal's chin, earning a strange sound that was the cross between a purr and bark as he continued. The seal's eyes rolled up as it slowly flopped over and Zelda stared in shock as Link laughed before shuffling forward more and using both hands to scratch the ridiculous animal's belly, who had started waving its flippers in lazy glee while it continued purring. That was the first time she had ever heard him laugh, and however breathy the sound it had been, it was...nice to see him so carefree, not to mention it was an adorable sight to see.

Adorable? She didn't know where that word had come from to describe her knight, but she brushed it away as the Gerudo stood, ropes finally attached right to ride their mounts. She raised her eyebrows at Link, who was still crooning at the seal and rubbing its stomach with so much affection Zelda feared it wouldn't be able to move once it was set free. Yshka turned towards her and stuck her thumb towards him in question, to which Zelda just smiled weakly. Clearing her throat a little louder than necessary, she began to speak, making Link stand up abruptly with a deep blush creeping across his face, much to his seal's grumbling disappointment.

"Do you know how to ride a sand seal?" She aimed the question at both of them, only one nodding.

She turned to Link. "Stand on the shield and secure your feet in the straps, and the rope to your belt. We'll start slow so you can get a sense of balance but it isn't difficult. Once you feel comfortable, give the rope one tug and it will start going faster. We'll follow your pace. Two tugs means slow down and three means stop for it, so be careful how you direct it. Lean your body to the sides to steer, the seal will follow. And one more thing, try not to fall off the shield or you will be dragged quite a distance before the seal notices and stops." Accentuating the last statement with a wink, she strapped on her rope, sliding her heel clad feet in the straps. How she could balance on heels and a moving shield was anyone's guess, but Zelda was grateful she was wearing boots.

Link quickly attached the rope and straps, giving the seal one last pat before standing up. He looked at the rope and then gave a little hop back with his shield, leaning back carefully to make the rope taunt. Zelda was a little impressed. The first time she had ridden a seal she hadn't done that and had promptly fell on her face at the initial off balance tug the seal had lurched forward with. Finding your balance while leaning back beforehand was an important step in sand seal riding to prevent you from falling off. She had a feeling Yshka had purposely left out that information in an attempt to trip the knight up, as she was prone to do with inexperienced Hylians. Glancing over she saw that she too seemed impressed with his foresight, if slightly disappointed.

He gave the rope a soft tug, and the seal began to move. Struggling only a second, he quickly recovered and tugged the rope again and then a third time, going at what would have been a fast trot on a horse. Yshka clicked her tongue and turned to Zelda.

"Surprisingly fast learner. Shall we catch up so he knows where he's going?"

Zelda nodded feeling a pinch of jealousy at how fast he had picked up the technique. It had taken her so much longer to learn, eating a gallon of sand from falling before she got the hang of it. As fast as he was going, they quickly overtook him and urged their seals a little bit faster, going now the equivalent of a gallop, desert wind whipping their faces. Link reacted quickly and kept pace fairly well, making the trip to the massive beast quick and uneventful.

The mechanical wonder was lying down, all four legs folded beneath it so it could be entered. Slowing to a stop, Yshka nodded.

"This is where I take my leave. Good luck in that thing." Leaving her sand seal, presumably for Urbosa, she began making her way back to Gerudo Town.

"I had heard my little bird was flying all over Hyrule as she fulfilled her duties. I'm so happy you finally made your way here." The Gerudo Champion rose and walked confidently over to them, her larger than life presence encompassing them both with a sense of warmth and safety.

"As am I Urbosa. I've been very much looking forward to seeing you again and taking a look at this final Divine Beast. They really are amazing with all they are capable of!"

Urbosa smiled as Zelda continued talking of her research, making her feel safe and loved as she so often did when in the desert. She swore Urbosa had such a protective personality she bent even the harsh desert winds to her will, making it soft and welcoming as it brushed tiny grains of sand across her face.

"You intend to bring this dashing young knight in with us don't you?"

She looked back just in time to catch Link's startled expression burn the brightest shade of red she had seen yet before he quickly drew into himself, ducking his head low enough to hide his eyes. Urbosa let out a hearty laugh, motioning for them to step inside.

They entered a spacious circular chamber, with green pipes sparkling with energy running along the floor. The main control unit sat on a risen platform, many other smaller platforms and walkways beside and above it.

"It seems Naboris operates with ancient technology called 'electricity'. The word popped up on my rune with one of the terminals. It seems to act just like my lightning, but it feeds energy into different things to make them move. Quite an interesting bit of technology, it truly is a shame it was lost to time."

"Extraordinary! I'll see what I can learn from the slate once I activate this. We'll hear a voice, and then while I look through and download the blueprints for the beast, you put your rune on the pedestal to download the main controls onto it. Don't take it with you though, since then the information will be lost and you'll have to do it again. Something about going outside the network." She placed the slate onto the surface, then excitedly took it off as she looked through the controls. Briefly, she looked up and saw Link staring around him in wonder, a look of pure awe on his face. That's right, this was the first beast he had accompanied her inside of. Ignoring another stab of guilt, she focused on the controls.

"Learn anything useful?" Urbosa asked, coming to a rest beside her with a smile of amusement aimed at Link.

"So much!! Alright, it looks like the one at the head controls...well the head, but that's more for aiming the laser we'll talk about later. This one in the cylinder closest to the head controls the grounding feature in the feet. It says...the two in the humps are to gather energy pulled from the atmosphere around the beast, which when sufficient energy is gathered can be aimed at a target and discharged in the form of a powerful bolt of lightning. The grounding effect of the feet ensures the beast itself doesn't get targeted by its own energy, which it says would render it immobile for at least five minutes. That isn't bad, but we definitely wouldn't want to risk it, though that function is automatic so it shouldn't be a problem. The last one takes a section of the energy gathered and sends it to the feet, allowing the entire beast to become mobile. It seems like you can either control this manually or set it on autopilot to walk in a circular path, which could be useful to corner enemies." Taking a much needed breath, she continued on excitedly. "The main controls are the same as the others, targeting a location and draining its energy before releasing it back at it. With all of the beasts having this function, it will be invaluable to the war! This is amazing! It can also release static in the air that will disrupt weather patterns enough to cause a centralized storm around the beast for defense. I'd say with that, this is the most well-protected Divine Beast, which is good since Gerudo Town is very much out in the open."

She finally finished and looked up at Urbosa. "I feel as if we have a chance now. With these beasts, and the guardians being restored to defend us, not to mention all of the nations working together for the sake of Hyrule, we can win. Turning back Ganon seems like a possible feat with so many odds stacked in our favor!"

Urbosa smiled fondly and drew her into an embrace. "You are filled with so much hope Zelda, so much like your mother. I couldn't be more proud of doing all of this for your Kingdom."

Safely tucked into her dearest friend, Zelda smiled genuinely for the first time on their journey, content that everything would be alright.

"You can't just leave him out there outside the town Zelda." Urbosa frowned as Zelda zoomed in on her data, carefully taking note of all the functions.

"He's been right behind me for this entire trip and I just want one visit to a province where I can be on my own."

"You know that isn't fair."

"To me? No, it isn't." She knew what Urbosa meant of course, but she really couldn't bring herself to care.

"He's pacing right outside and making my guards nervous."

"Then they can tell him to stay at the Oasis. He can't come inside anyway, what am I supposed to do?" Zelda finally looked up, eyeing her friend with the slightest hint of annoyance.

Urbosa gave her a pointed look before grabbing a bundle of clothes and striding out the door, leaving a very confused Zelda in her wake.

"...look absolutely adorable! What about eyeliner?" Zelda was drawn to Urbosa's voice, having been looking for her to see what she could possibly be up to. A muffled "no thank you" was heard as she rounded the corner, seeing who Urbosa had been talking to.

"Not this time at least. It's enough of a shock to be wearing this, let alone if I was wearing makeup." The stranger did a small pose. "So...am I Vai-able to pass?"

Zelda stopped short as she processed the ridiculous play on words, Urbosa too needing a minute to catch up, before throwing her head back and laughing out loud.

"I don't think anyone will suspect you, Link. And I must admit, I love you in this outfit. You seem so much more relaxed."

Her brain short circuited on the name, looking closely at the 'stranger' as they muttered a bashful "well...they're comfy". Just past the shoulder dark blonde hair fell softly under the head piece and bright blue eyes flashed above the veil that obscured the lower half of their face.

Surely not.
Urbosa honestly hadn't disguised him as a girl so he could stalk her in the one place he wasn't welcome?

No, absolutely not.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zelda stalked towards them both. "What did you plan on saying once you caught up with me? I know it's you, it's pretty obvious under that ridiculous disguise! I just want to be left alone, is that too much to ask?! I'll be fine here, I'm surrounded by elite guards, just go away and stay away for once! I. Don't. Need. You."

Angrily she whirled to Urbosa. "I can't believe you either! I just...I just want space!"

Leaving them both standing awkwardly she heard a snippet of their conversation before she got too far away.

"I'm sorry I-"

"N-no, she's right. I shouldn't worry so much. The outfit did look...dumb, anyway. And I need to respect her wishes."

"Link..."

"Thanks anyway."

His voice seemed much thicker than usual but Zelda barely caught that through her anger, almost laughing at his pitiful attempt to continue to invade her privacy. And the fact that Urbosa was in on it! She slammed into the chief's bedroom, crossing her arms as she waited for the Gerudo to return and explain herself.

Chapter Text

The cooling desert air felt like a blessing on Zelda's flushed face as she wiped the last remnants of tears from her eyes. The landscape took on a deep orange color as the sun set its final fire against the sand, saying adieu in the grandest way possible before turning over responsibility to the soft beauty of moonlight. She had always loved the desert, she had visited many times as a child since her mother and Urbosa were such good friends, though she had never really talked to anyone but Urbosa, preferring instead to bury herself in her books she would often take along against her mothers suggestions of leaving them behind. She just never had been that social, and once her mother had died and the pressure set upon her shoulders increased ten-fold...it didn't seem worth it to attempt a social life other than with the dignitaries she was forced to meet with and impress.

She cupped her chin in her hand and stared forlornly out the window, resting comfortably on the silk cushions with her legs crossed under her in a way that was very much unbefitting of a princess, but she cared little. She found herself thinking that a lot lately, uncaring of her appearance or attitude, simply focusing on her goals of uniting the nations, activating the Divine Beasts and trying in vain to access her sealing power. She just wanted it all to be over and done, but she knew in her heart it was only beginning. Squeezing her eyes against further tears that threatened to spill, she looked up and around at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

Urbosa stood tall and unapproving in the doorway, hands placed at her hips in a manner that said her behavior would not be tolerated. Zelda completely deflated and resolved to take whatever punishment Urbosa had in mind for her actions. She did deserve it after all.

Instead, she blinked in surprise as Urbosa spoke gently. "Come bathe with me. It's been a long time since we had a moment to speak freely and privately."

Mutely Zelda nodded, following her to the side room where a bathing pool was set. Quite literally, it was big enough to be used as a pool and it made for a very relaxing place to soak, with candles set at random intervals to provide the room with a calming glow.

Dressed down to their small clothes they both entered the water, Urbosa holding up a hand as Zelda attempted to speak.

"May I do your hair?"

Again, she mutely nodded as the imposing Gerudo gently settled herself behind her, carefully beginning to pull out her crown braid.

"That knight of yours, I understand perfectly why you do not truly see him." she began, running her fingers through her long golden locks. "He pulled that sword when he was very young, and in becoming a knight, a personal knight to the princess no less, he became everything you have aspired to be since first the pressure was thrust upon you."

Zelda bowed her head to look down at the clear water as her hands made small, fidgeting ripples across its surface. She supposed that was true and after so long, she had to admit she hadn't truly been trying to be anything other than enemies with Link.

"Do you hate him?"

"No! ...no, I-I don't." Her immediate answer shocked her a bit, after everything she had done she'd have thought that would translate into hate easily. Searching deeply through her thoughts however, proved that although she was certainly annoyed by the idea of him and what he represented to her, she did not truly resent him. She maybe even liked him a little, behind all the walls she had thrown between them from the moment she first saw him.

Urbosa made a small sound of acknowledgement as she poured water from an ornate cup over her head. "He seems to think otherwise."

Link thought she hated him? Guilt came in waves much stronger than they ever had before. She supposed she hadn't given off any other vibe from the way she treated him, but to hear it confirmed...hurt more than she realized it would.

"It took a long while to convince him to wear that outfit, torn as he was between angering you and fulfilling his duty. He was so tense for so long, finally relaxing bit by bit as the conversation kept going. Honestly, I've never met a more anxious person; always thinking so hard before any words leave his mouth. He left for the Oasis by the way, where he said he'd be staying until you inform him you will be leaving."

"I didn't mean what I said." Zelda said so quietly Urbosa had to ask her to repeat herself.

"I didn't mean any of it. I never did, not all throughout our journey. I just...it's so frustrating not being able to feel like the competent leader I'm supposed to be, and what the kingdom expects to see. I wish things could be how they were before all of this." She closed her eyes, breathing deeply the fragrant soapy scents she was currently getting rubbed through her hair. She usually liked doing this herself, but found it a calming and safe gesture when Urbosa took it upon herself to clean her hair. It let her easily find a stretch of stillness within her roaring emotions, thoughts finally quiet after so long.

"I understand your fears and doubts my little bird, but sometimes it is necessary to step back and consider another perspective. You'd be surprised to know your knight's doubts most likely mirror your own, and speaking them out loud may help the two of you to come to an understanding of each other."

They continued on in silence, taking comfort in the others presence until they stepped from the pool. Urbosa set herself up on her bed while Zelda made herself at home on the equally as comfortable spare, tucking the blankets to her chin to ward off the night's chill. She drifted asleep with apologies floating through her thoughts, not one of them seeming good enough to amend the extensive damage she had caused.

Zelda walked carefully around the perimeter of the town in search of volt fruit cactuses. She had heard the sweet fruit could grant low grade immunity to lightning but wasn't sure if it was to be believed or not, so she wanted a specimen for herself to study by. The earlier meeting had gone well, the Gerudo extending their spears and swords expertise to aid in the coming war. They were also in the process of creating jewelry from ore provided by the Gorons to grant special effects to the wearer, though it had yet to be perfected. Urbosa had seemed pleased by the documentation the King had provided and with that the communication between nations was sealed. It lifted some of the weight from Zelda's shoulders knowing that was one task completed, but know she had to travel to the Springs for her to offer her devotions and quickly the weight brought them back down again. Seeing a cactus close by she snapped a picture of its fruit, frowning when she realized she had no way of collecting one. Sighing, she turned back to the town as the sky began to darken again. Urbosa had offered to let her back into the Divine Beast for a final walkthrough before she continued her journey the next day. Quickly she had agreed. She needed to be at the Oasis by tonight so her and Link could start out early the next day but for now, it was nice to have a little more time away from him. Securing the slate to her belt she began walking in the direction of Town, planning to get a sand seal to get to the desert beast.

A deafening clap of thunder jolted her from her position against Urbosa, her heart hammering against her ribcage in a desperate attempt to abandon ship while it still could. Looking around frantically, she addressed the Gerudo.

"Urbosa!! What was that?! Did you feel that?!" Turning slowly, she spotted Link adjusting himself from a crouched position, shock still radiating from his face. "Wait...how did you-what are you doing here?"

Urbosa began to laugh as Zelda's face quickly reddened. "W-what's so funny??"

The Champion wiped at the corner of her eyes, mocking a snap with her fingers as she looked at the princess. "I thought you might prefer to walk back to the Oasis as opposed to being carried. You need your rest for the journey ahead and you won't find it on the hard floor of Naboris."

Standing a bit unsteadily, she shook her head and glared. "You could not have shaken me awake?" Only half joking, she still offered her friend a smile to let her know she wasn't truly angry, making her chuckle once more.

"Come. I shall escort you both. My guards will be conducting a survey of where we suspect the Yiga hideout may be tomorrow, but I trust your knight with be sufficient protection through the desert."

They made they're way to the beasts exit as it let out a dull roar, slowly lowering itself to the sand to rest the ramp on the ground. The loud baritone quickly faded as it blended with the cold desert wind, carrying its promise of hope through the canyons.

Link,

It is still very early in the morning but I have decided to set out to the stables on my own. I need time to think and I am confident I shall be fine. I will be waiting at the inn with our horses for your return and I'm leaving a cooling elixer beside this note so you will not be as uncomfortable trekking back through the desert. I know I should wait for you but as I said, I just need a little time to think on my own. Be careful.

-Zelda

Folding the note and placing it on the bedside stand along with the elixir she looked down at Link's still form. He looked so calm like this, nervousness provided by the waking hours not present in his dreams, so his features were smooth and relaxed. She felt bad leaving without him. She knew he'd worry, but she needed to get away. She'd be fine on her own; she could handle a trip through the desert and she didn't think she would otherwise with her ever silent knight trailing behind her. Shaking away any other regrets, she left the room, being sure to shut the door quietly behind her.

She studied the vast expanse of desert before her and found herself wishing for a seal, but seeing none around she simply began walking away from the Oasis, the small settlement becoming smaller and smaller as she continued through the sand.

Chapter Text

Zelda walked quickly down the nearly invisible road that led from the Oasis to the canyon entrance. The only reason she knew she was still walking on said road was because she kept tripping on the bricks that had begun to wear and stick out overtime. Remaining on high alert, her eyes darted from one side of the road to the next, carefully scanning the sand in front of her for signs of anything dangerous. She wasn't worried per say but she had definitely begun to realize her foolishness an hour into her trek. The call of desert coyotes hungry for fresh meals carried upon the light breeze and disturbed the bubble of comfort she had attempted to forge around herself. Just like the rest of Hyrule, bokoblin and lizalfos camps were scattered across the sands and although she had yet to see any, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. And then there was the Yiga, a malicious group that had turned their back on the Sheikah to serve Ganon and who's activity had become more and more prevalent as the months wore on. She picked up the pace a little, again wishing for a sand seal to make the trip less nerve wracking and certainly a lot quicker, but nothing could be done for it now.

Her thoughts then strayed to Link, for lack of anything else to think of that didn't make her nerves race in fear. She truly had been awful to him and he definitely deserved some sort of apology, she just wasn't sure how to go about it. So many hurtful things had been said already and she wasn't sure one measly "I'm sorry" would realistically cut it. She wanted to maybe get to know him, and have an actual companion to travel with rather than someone she couldn't bear to talk to. It might prove to be quite nice to ask for forgiveness and a clean slate with which to form a friendship. They were bound together by the same fate and whether she liked it or not he would be with her to the end.

The end? No, that didn't sound right. The end of the war, she had meant. But it seemed more and more no matter how much hope was gained, she just didn't feel right. It was as if a cloud hung over her, threatening her when all she needed to do was open an umbrella to not get soaked, but somehow she didn't know if that would work. A ridiculous metaphor for her situation but one she deemed befitting of this entire thought process. Realizing she had been distracted for some time now she snapped her eyes up to again survey what lay in front of her.

Eyes landing on a bit of red beside a cactus, excitement washed over her as she looked around to see if it was safe. Seeing nothing, she hurried over, already taking an empty pouch from her bag to stow the volt fruit into. She had forgotten to ask for one before she left, so this opportunity seemed almost too good to be true. Kneeling beside the fruit, she began wiping away the sand that covered it, staring in shock as she slowly revealed a gloved hand. Was someone injured and lying covered by the road? Did they need help?

Shaking her head, she scolded herself. They were covered in sand, of course they needed help! Grabbing the hand she gently began pulling, gradually getting up the arm up to the shoulder as the sands began to shift around what she presumed to be the person's head.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but don't worry, I'll get you out." What she planned to do after was a mystery to even her but she would cross that bridge after she assessed whatever state this person was in.

"Your benevolence truly knows no bounds, Your Highness." A deep gravelly voice addressed her as she looked up at the now uncovered face, blood running cold and freezing her in place as her eyes met the upside down Sheikah eye painted onto a well worn mask.

Dropping the hand she quickly jumped back, heart racing as her mind offered her no solutions other than to call her an absolute idiot for attempting to brave the desert alone. Yelping in fright as two arms encircled her waist from behind, she was lifted into the air heedless of her flailing limbs trying in vain to get away.

"Stop squirming!" A slightly higher voice, she guessed female through her panic, hissed into her ear. Ignoring the request, Zelda only increased her movements, kicking back with more purpose and hitting the person's thighs with the hard heel of her boot as she tried to scratch her way through the thick fabric of the Yiga uniform to get at skin.

"Damnit Khoga, don't just fucking stand there, help me!" Her arms encircled the princess with crushing force, making Zelda gasp with pain but refusing to cease her attempts at escape. Link had to be awake by now right? The rising sun just barely peeked over the horizon, giving her a small slice of hope that perhaps he was already catching up to her. Until then, she just had to hold off on whatever they were planning to do.

The taller Yiga, Khoga, stood and closed the distance between them, reaching his hand to his opposite shoulder before swinging it out towards her face. She tasted blood as her ears began to ring, drowning out whatever he was saying as she went limp in the other's hold.

"...really all it took to knock her out? I heard royalty was soft but this is ridiculous." Sound filtered slowly through her buzzing head as she spat blood from her mouth, cheek swelling from the blow it had endured. She flinched in fear as her chin was grabbed roughly, head forced up to stare at the rough Sheikah mask.

"Do you know who we are, Your Highness?" Her title was practically spat in her face as her chin was gripped tighter still.

"Yiga..." she gasped out.

Her chin was released and instead the hand was placed gently against her throat. "I'm honored you know enough to recognize us. Do you know why we've been searching for you?"

She slowly shook her head, fearful of the answer she would get.

"You and the little knight both are the only things standing in the way of Ganon's resurrection. With his rise, the Yiga will be given all the power we have strived for for so many centuries. We swore our loyalty and we will get what we are owed. But you," he stabbed his other hand's finger in her face, making her flinch once again. "You will ruin all that we have worked for, all that we have done to please our King. This will not stand."

The woman behind her chuckled darkly. "Not that some failure princess could do much anyway. I don't know why we were ordered to do this, she can't even access the power she was supposedly born into. What's she going to do, bring a big jar with her to stick Ganon in once that knight does most of her job for her?"

The comment received no laughter from the other and quickly the woman fell silent. "We cannot risk it. The goddesses may not have answered yet, but they may still. That is a chance I am not willing to take. However," his hand slid from her neck and over her chest as she lay still in shock. "We don't have to dispose of her right away. We have time for some fun I think, especially if the men we sent out earlier disposed of that boy like they were supposed to."

Zelda's mind began running a mile a minute. What did they do to Link?? Surely he overcame whoever they had sent and was now coming to her aid? And what did he mean by fun?

She got her answer a second later as his hand slid all the way down to her thigh, coming to a rest much too close to her pelvis than was comfortable. His other hand came to touch her chest again, not seeming to mind how much she was heaving against his touch.

"After all, I hadn't realized just how beautiful our little catch would be. It seems even the rumors do not do you justice Princess."

As he leaned closer, Zelda took his moment of distraction to bring her leg up slowly, trying not to alert the other still holding her. Just a bit more of a reach...just a little more.

As his hand continued to creep towards her clenched inner thighs while his other squeezed her chest roughly through her blouse, she gripped the blade hidden within her boot, slamming the leg back with all her might at what she hoped was the Yiga's knee as she brought up her arm and smashed the hilt of the blade into Khoga's mask. Swearing profusely, the woman dropped her to the sand. Khoga stumbled back holding a hand to his face as he howled in excruciating pain. A portion of his mask stuck out of his left eye as the other glowed with rage.

"You bitch!!" He screamed, drawing his blade and tripped towards her. As he lurched forward, she remembered the move Link had used during the competition, dropping down and bringing her hand around to stab at the back of his knee. Twisting the thick blade around she felt something snap and received a shrill scream in response. She lost her grip on the blade as she fell, not bothering to get it back as she rolled to her feet and started to run, leaving the crippled Yiga behind her.

Hearing footsteps she dared to glance back and found the woman had gotten up and was currently making to follow her. Doubling her speed she raced down the road, hoping and praying to all of the goddesses she would make it to the Oasis and find help.

Through her panic her mind continued to berate her for being such an idiot to try and get to the stables without Link or other protection. She pumped her legs faster as she began to make out a hazy silhouette of the Oasis, thanking her goddesses profusely for her not very fast pace that took her not far enough for her stamina to run out in the hour she had been walking. Looking back again she saw that despite her efforts, the Yiga was fast approaching, and looking forward again produced two more out of nowhere that made her stop short. Quickly losing her balance she fell backwards, heart jumping to her throat as tears pricked her eyes. She looked back and forth between the groups of Yiga assassins backing her up against a large rock. Looking towards the Oasis, she saw no movement, meaning no one was yet awake to come to her aid, and she saw no way past the three ninjas. Her dagger gone she had no way to defend herself either. She looked up at the one who had held her down before, eyes widening as a long sickle glinted in the early morning sun was raised above the woman's head.

She offered one last prayer to the goddesses and her father, apologizing for being so weak and dying before she could fulfill her destiny, crying out and turning her head as the weapon swung down. As cowardly as it seemed, she did not want to continue to look death in the face as it cleaved her, praying only for a swift end.

That never came.

She heard a body fall to the side beside her and looked up in time to see a blue blur flip in front of her, brandishing a sword against the remaining assassins. Zelda looked up at her knight's steady stance, face set and intimidating as he took a step forward, making the others step back in shock. Looking at each other they nodded and vanished in a cloud of smoke and talismans.

Standing still and quickly surveying the area, Link sheathed his sword and turned to crouch in front of her, concern etched into every crevice of his features.

"Are you-" he paused as he took in her swollen cheek and frightened eyes, drawing back as guilt wracked his face.

"Your Highness, I am so very sorry. I should have noticed when you placed the note in my room and woken up to travel with you. I have failed-" he was cut off as she crashed into him, putting her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. She didn't care about her duty or his. She didn't care that up until now she had wanted nothing more than for him to chuck himself off the nearest cliff. She hoped he didn't care she was smearing blood from her lip on his tunic. All she wanted was to feel safe, so she held him close and said nothing, tears spreading a damp spot on her hero's chest. She felt careful arms encircle her shoulders and was grateful for once that he chose to stay silent.

At her request, a report of the incident hadn't been disclosed to anyone, instead saying that Link had spotted a few of the Yiga prowling around the Oasis and had disposed of them. He kept his sword drawn on his way to the stable, pausing in confusion as Zelda stepped off the road and walked towards a lone cactus. She heard him follow her but offered no words as she picked up the fallen dagger, pouring a bit of water on it and rubbing the blade clean before slipping it back in her boot. Neither of them chose to say anything about it.

Waking up in a cold sweat, Zelda felt frantically around her neck as the phantom force of a hand faded away with her dream. She drew her knees up to her chin and whimpered at the memory, wide awake again after so many efforts to fall and stay asleep. She got up and dressed carefully, walking slowly to her door and quietly entered the hall. She eyed the door across from hers that led to where Link was staying. Hesitating only a moment, she firmly shut her door and crossed over to Link's, bringing her hand up to knock quietly.

Hanging her head as she received no response she turned to go back before stopping as she heard shuffling from the other side. The door opened to reveal a tired Link still in his clothes standing in the doorway.

"Can't sleep?" He offered when she said nothing.

She nodded slowly, fiddling nervously with her fingers.

"Would you find it inappropriate if I invited you in?"

Looking up, she shook her head and with even more hesitation, stepped into the room.

Link crossed over to the bed and sat down, patting the spot beside him. "Please sit with me if you want. Though if it makes you uncomfortable I can sit on the floor."

Shaking her head again she made her way over, carefully sitting a little away from him on the mattress. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, stilling her hands as she mentally tried to prepare what to say. Looking over at him, all the words fell from her head and she decided to simply start, hoping the right words would form as she went to properly get her point across.

"I want to apologize."

Chapter Text

"I wanted to apologize"

Zelda gaped at Link as his words exactly mirrored her own. What in Hyrule would he have to possibly apologize for? He saved her life and now he was sorry? Not like that of course...it was just, she would never understand his awkward nature.

Well, this is my chance to, she thought as she straightened and held up her hand to stop him from speaking first.

"Please. This has been a long time coming as I'm sure you can agree and I'd like to apologize first for it taking me so long to get out of my own head and see you for who you are rather than someone assigned to me. It wasn't fair to treat you as such and I know nothing I say will truly make up for it, but know that I am trying."

"Your Highness, you don't-"

Again, she held up her hand to stop him. "I'm not finished and I just...I really need to say this."

Link looked at her tiredly and she realized he looked awful. Dark circles drooped from his eyes and his entire posture slumped even more than it usually did. He wore a simple undershirt, his tunic hanging to dry on the back of a nearby chair. It was...odd...seeing him so underdressed but even though he was wearing far less, he still wore his riding gloves. Upon closer inspection she realized they were sewn a bit higher up on his wrists than was customary. She shook it off, deciding to ask him about it later. This wasn't the time to get distracted.

"You and I both have...much pressure on our shoulders. The kingdom is counting on us once the Calamity rises and in that way we are much more similar than a first glance might pick up. I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner, for I only looked at you as someone who knew everything that he was doing and was going to do with no doubts as to how he would go about it and I realize now, that may not be the case. I can't take back all that I have said to you and I know that this may not make up for it, but I want...I want to start over. I feel that it would be nice to start with a clean slate...so to speak...and try to move forward as...friends, if you would agree."

She twisted her fingers together tightly and refused to look at him. She meant every word that she had said; she had been feeling horrible for the way she had been acting for so long, and while she wasn't quite ready to share everything with him just yet she wanted the chance to build a trust between them rather than the wall of resentment that had been thrown up by herself so many months ago.

"I forgive you, of course Princess."

Her head shot up and she shook it incredulously. "If we are to begin anew and truly learn to trust each other I'd much rather you speak plainly to me. I will not be angry if you do so, though I do understand your hesitation, so I will not force you."

She sat quietly with him for a time, Link rubbing at his wrist with a look of deep concentration. Finally, he looked at her, smiling that crooked smile she had seen so rarely.

"I know it is very late, but am I correct in assuming you won't be going to sleep soon?"

Raising her eyebrow she shook her head. "No, I won't be able to for a while yet I should think. Why?"

Rising with a slight wince, he strapped on his sword and held out his hand. "Will you follow me?"

Confusedly placing her hand in his, she rose and followed him out the door. "Where exactly?"

"The entrance to the desert. I like to be outside sometimes to calm myself and from the times you've looked out from your room or study, am I correct in assuming you do as well?"

He had noticed? Of all things... "Yes, I...I used to go out with my mother after my studies to clear our heads. I suppose the habit never broke."

She followed him out of the inn, either he nor her feeling the need to drop the others hands. At the desert entrance she sat, pulling her hands to herself as Link gently pulled away, to Zelda's slight disappointment.

"My statement still stands. I do forgive you Princess. I won't lie and say the things you said didn't...hurt. But, I do understand the stress you are under. And, if I may..." he looked to her somewhat fearfully, but she simply nodded for him to continue.

"I hear the way the King speaks to you, as if it is only your duty that matters and not the person behind it. The roles we will eventually play are different, but in the end we must work together to do what we can. I feel like we can build from that, if we're willing. And I definitely am. You said you wanted a clean slate." He turned to her and held out his hand. "Shall we wipe it clean now?"

She offered a small smile and clasped his hand in hers. "I'd love to. And...I'm feeling much better about this now. I enjoy it when you choose to speak more."

He reddened and ducked his head, a gesture she'd become very familiar with. "I'd also like to apologize for my lack of speech. It's...difficult to find my voice at times."

"I understand. I want you to know, it did annoy me before but I realize your silence has no malicious intent. Please don't feel obligated to speak just because we're trying to...see more eye to eye."

Another crooked smile was offered as he continued to look off into the desert, rubbing his hand absentmindedly. Just as she was about to scrape up the courage to question him, she noticed a spot of red dotting the area on his chest.

"Are you hurt?" She asked quickly, pointing at the spots.

He looked over and then down at the spots, reaching to faintly trace them with his finger.

"I woke up and read your note. Immediately after I began to run down the road hoping to catch up with you, but I was ambushed by the two Yiga that cornered you. I couldn't get up fast enough to get to you and I feel terrible the threat to you came that far before I could do something." His head fell low as his shoulders began to slightly shake. She had never imagined it from her knight but he just seemed so unsure, and maybe scared? Far from the haughty attitude she had seen through her clouded lenses before, she saw someone who might just not only understand the burden of her destiny, but could share it and vise versa. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder in the hopes that he could take comfort in the gesture. As he turned towards her again and offered that small crooked smile, she figured he might have.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, pointing again to his chest.

"It's not very deep, so no Princess. I underestimated the sickles they were using and I wasn't careful enough. One of them hurled it around my blade and switched to quick offense before I could react. Admittedly a stupid mistake, but one that thankfully didn't end up costing us our lives. I'm sorry again, I should have-"

"No." She said firmly, cutting him off. "We're done with apologies. What happened is over and we can only move forward. Let's just...watch the sand, for a little while at least."

So they sat in silence, watching the winds shape the sand to its own intricate design, content for now to simply be.

Chapter Text

"We don't know for certain how long our journey to the Springs will take, so it'll be good to report back to the Castle first before continuing. I'd rather not let these important documents weigh in my bags for too long." Zelda pushed away her plate, meager helping mirroring Links as he too picked at a still half finished breakfast. It seemed after last night's exchange of regrets, he was a little more comfortable around her, eating a bit more than usual when sitting across from her. She wondered how he stayed functioning as a traveling knight all day with such meager portions but she wasn't about to question it. She didn't want to scare him off with too many questions about himself at once, especially considering how new their...somewhat friendship was to both of them.

She took out her map and traced the road back to Hyrule Castle. She knew it would take at most three weeks to a month to travel to the Springs to pray, but she was trying to put it off as long as possible, as horrible as that was. Between going back home and going to the Springs, she was surprised that she preferred the former choice, but she supposed destiny was scarier than her father could ever pretend to be. She heard Link mumble something quietly and her head quickly snapped up to try and catch his words.

"I'm very sorry, I wasn't quite paying attention. What did you say?"

Links head sunk a little further before looking up to just barely meet her eyes.

"I w-was wondering if you would be willing to wait at least a w-week before we set out from the Castle. Our horses aren't very used to this much traveling and I think we both may require a bit of time to...h-heal." He dropped his gaze from hers in favor of the very interesting patterns in the wooden table. Thinking back to the blackening chest of her knight and her own paranoid nightmares, it seemed a week wasn't too much of an unreasonable request to make. She wasn't certain her father would agree, but she'd think of something to plead their case if he didn't.

"I think that would be for the best. I doubt the King will find an objection since we have been traveling for a while now. It would be nice to have a week to get proper rest from our own beds."

Link nodded and smiled. She never knew how small a person could smile while it was still apparent that they were until she witnessed Link's. For the second time that morning she wondered if she'd ever get the knight to open up more, but she supposed that would be expected from her in turn, and she didn't quite feel ready to indulge just yet. She nodded back and stood, feeling a little guilty for leaving two plates full of half eaten food behind, but not feeling hungry enough to really do anything about it.

They headed out of the inn and to their horses, which were already saddled and ready outside as a nice stable hand had offered to do it before breakfast free of charge. Zelda had still shoved a handful of rupees in his protesting hands, insisting that work should be rewarded and she didn't accept favors just because she was of royal blood. It bothered her to no end how she was treated simply because she was royalty, instead of what she was trying to accomplish, both in her prayers and studies. She didn't blame them of course, for their behavior was borne of the respect of countless generations for the royal family, but she wanted to earn that from more than being born into it herself. Clara had said she was crazy for her way of thinking, but she had also received a warm smile and an even warmer hug from the kitchen maid upon voicing those thoughts. She smiled to herself, excited to be getting back to the safety of the castle and in the embrace of one of the only true friends she had gained through her life. She mounted Maladict and turned him gently, trying to be a bit more conscious of her actions before snapping the reins and leaving a cloud of dust in the wake of galloping hooves.

"You will still see to your daily devotions and prayers regardless of the week of rest you seem to require. I expect you to continue your journey by this time next week however, there's no need to waste an excessive amount of time. Soon you will be seventeen and be permitted to travel to Mount Lanayru to pray for your powers to awaken. Until then you must show the Goddesses and your people the dedication a princess is required to have to be honored by divinity."

"Yes father." Zelda struggled to maintain eye contact with the King as he continued to lecture her. She hadn't told him of what happened in the desert that required both her and Link to recover before moving on. He didn't want excuses after all and she would never forgive herself if Link were punished or replaced because of her own mistakes. Before, she wasn't sure if she would have cared as much, but now with their developing friendship she didn't want anything to get in the way. Neither of them had very solid footing to stand upon in regards to each other, and bringing up something that was already resolved would do nothing to solidify that ground.

"Do you understand?"

Startled from her thoughts she smoothly nodded and replied. "I understand."

She didn't, as her thoughts had drifted far from his words as he continued with whatever the next point had been in his speech, but she assumed it was more of the same lecture that she had always gotten since she was little, so it didn't bother her very much that she had missed half of it. As long as he hadn't noticed it was fine.

She dabbed her mouth with the napkin from her lap and carefully placed it beside her plate. "If I may retire for the evening, I'm quite exhausted from traveling."

The king waved her off while stabbing another poor vegetable in annoyance. "Go then, but do not pretend I will not know whether you do as I ask or not. You have a duty, it's about time you begin taking it seriously."

Steeling her expression against her rolling emotions, she curtsied from the great table. "Of course. Good night father."

Pretending not to be hurt from his lack of response, she left the dining area and quickly circled around to the discreet kitchen entrance, stealing down the well worn stones that made up the staircase as delicious aromas wafted up from the nights dinner yet to be aired out.

"I was wondering when you'd show up! Another speech I'm assuming?" Clara sat at their end table across from the door, the room otherwise empty as cleanup was left to anyone unfortunate enough to stay. Clara didn't mind, but Zelda had been helping her for a long time now so nothing was said as her royal overcoat was shed as well as her more decorative blouse to reveal simple leggings and a short shirt. They both moved to the wide sinking stacked high with dishes and quickly found their rhythm; Clara scrubbing and Zelda drying and setting them aside for them both to polish and put away when they were finished. She was sure her father would wring her neck if he ever discovered her doing this, but it had been their system for years since they had become friends, and she would be damned if she ever let the kind kitchen maid do all of this herself if she could help it. Her good nature made her a bit of a doormat who always said yes to anything asked of her, and after so long the others had stopped asking and just assumed she would clean up after they had left. Since she had never failed to do so the pattern had never changed.

They finished within two hours, the dishes gleaming in their respective places and towels hung neatly to dry. Clara grinned and brought out oven mitts and opened the huge oven to reveal two generously sized cinnamon buns dripping with sweet icing.

"Thought we might deserve a treat after all this, and to celebrate you returning for a short while."

"I'd travel to the ends of Hyrule and back for your specialty, Clara." Zelda replied happily as she dug into the messy desert, both content to chew in silent bliss until the treat regretfully disappeared and they were left with sticky fingers and dripping lips.

Hands clean and the baking tray washed and put away, Clara waved from the door. "I'll see you tomorrow yes?"

Zelda nodded and waved back. "I hope you don't mind me staying a bit, I enjoy the peace."

"Not at all, just don't fall asleep down here again. I never heard the end of it the last time." Seeing the princess nod again, she turned and left her to her solitude, steps echoing back into the room for a while before finally fading out.

Zelda sat for a minute in silence, closing her eyes to breathe for the first time in what felt like months. The scent of the cinnamon buns hovered in the air as did the taste on her tongue. Faint sounds of the castle's late evening activities filtered down to the kitchen, filling her mind with its gentle hum. Without having to open her eyes, she could see the huge expanse of the kitchen's interior, tables and benches strewn about for the daily tasks preparing a meal demanded with various sinks and cabinets along the walls for proper cleaning and storing of all the dishes used in the castle. Even more ovens were squeezed in the spaces that were left, giving the entire room a cramped but cozy feeling. Leaning back in the cushioned chair, she sighed into the comfortable curve of its wooden back and smoothed her hands along the table. She felt the years of use in the grooves of the wood, the cold stone beneath her slippered feet, the strong hand roughly gripping her chin…

She shot up with a gasp, frantically running her hand up and down her throat and searching around the room with wild fear in her eyes.

It was only her in the kitchen, the phantom touch fading as quickly as it had come.

Shivering, and her relaxation thoroughly ruined, she crossed to her royal robe and pulled out her research journal from a wide inner pocket, along with a small bottle of ink and a quill. She wasn't going to leave her safe place just because she felt jumpy. She had more important things to do than dwell on the past, no matter how close it creeped to her.

Rushrooms seem to be able to grow anywhere, as they can be found in nearly every area of Hyrule, but it seems to prefer to grow along cliffs and ceilings which make them more difficult to get than most other plants. Eating them raw can be nutritious, but cooking with them releases it's true benefits, which appear to be a slight caffeine-like rush, as per its name, which boosts the energy of the consumer and can temporarily make you want to move faster to compensate for the jittery energy it fills you with. This advantage can be applied to various tasks, such as increased crop harvest, a boost of movement speed for traveling soldiers, max productivity when doing everyday tasks and many others. Adverse effects yet to be discovered as it seems that when the consumer's boost of energy has subsided, it still leaves the body feeling fresh and energized no matter how heavy a task had been carried out while the effect ran its course, making it one of the most ideal things to eat before a busy day. The amount of time that the effect lasts seems to vary from rushroom to rushroom, with more research being required to fully understand its potent effects.

Putting down her quill she scanned through the passage she had written next to a sketch of the rushroom she had drawn of one growing by the Gerudo Canyon Inn. Stretching out the cramp in her neck and fingers she wondered how much time had passed, finding herself not really caring as she had completed several pages of her journal. She sat back to let the ink dry as faint footsteps just barely made themselves heard from the top of the kitchen steps.

Ears twitching, she quickly sat up to stare intently at the doorway. Had Clara come back? Had she forgotten something? Bare feet became visible as whoever it was continued to tiptoe down the steps, the person soon made fully visible by the light from the lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

Wide eyed and hair disheveled from sleep or a bath Zelda couldn't guess, Link stood in the doorway with a simple thin shirt, baggy trousers and bare feet. He blinked confusedly and she realized with a blush that she was dressed also in only a short thin blouse and less than appropriate for royalty leggings, with thin simple slippers covering her feet. They stared for a couple seconds before Link finally spoke.

"No please! Don't leave on my account, I was simply working on research. It would...be nice to have the company." She really wanted to shatter the ice between them but things were still so new it was hard to know what to say to make it more comfortable for both of them. Her words seemed to work however as Link slowly turned, and she watched as he carefully stepped through into the kitchen.

"If I may, it's kind of late, do you often stay up working on your research?" He said this without a hint of a condescending tone she so often heard when regarding her studies it threw her off for a moment. Quickly recovering, she nodded.

"Often I have duties to attend to throughout the day, the night seems to be the only time I can find peace enough to really indulge in my work." By this time he had crossed the floor and stood tentatively in front of her, looking curiously at the last page she had been working on.

"I used to eat these a lot when I was younger and training with the sword. They help but they aren't very good for you in the long term."

She perked up at this and grabbed her quill. "Oh? Why?"

He smiled slightly as he answered. "Your body starts to depend on the energy rush, making you need more to keep up the effects it once had. They should really only be used every once in a while if you really need them to do something; it takes a while to shake off the dependency."

She quickly noted his words at the end of the page, marking them as an edit and making a note to study this more. She looked over at him again, wondering what had brought him here to begin with.

"Why are you here so late at night?" As she realized quite a bit of time had passed as it was completely dark outside by now.

"I...couldn't sleep." He looked away before walking over to one of the cold storage cabinets and getting out a jug of milk and a butter stick. Turning to her, he held up the items and asked: "Are you feeling snacky?"

She quirked an eyebrow wondering what he could possibly be making but nodded slowly anyway. It had been some time since the cinnamon bun and she supposed she could do with a light snack. Besides, she was curious to see what the boy who never seemed to eat would make.

She watched him as he boiled water and set another pan to heat the milk, putting noodles in the water when it began to simmer. Setting the milk aside, he drained the noodles and placed them back in the pan with butter, adding various herbs and stirring everything together. Pouring the mixture in two bowls and the heated milk in two glasses he carefully stirred in sugar and cinnamon to the drink, hitting her with a wave of deja vu as she wondered how he could possibly know that was her favorite comfort drink. She eyed him carefully as he slid everything towards her before taking his own seat across from her and digging in. It surprised her how fast he ate, contrasting sharply with his meager picking while on the road. She picked up her fork and dug in as well, eyes blowing wide at the delicious flavors.

"How can you cook this well?" She asked incredulously.

He smiled wider as he looked up. "I learned to cook for myself when I was pretty young, so I've had lots of practice. I should have asked before adding spice to your milk though, not many people enjoy that."

"No, I do actually. It's a bit of a comfort to me, I thought you knew somehow."

He shook his head and finished his bowl, pushing it back and reaching for his glass with a content sigh.

"May I ask...why were you alone so often as to have to learn to cook for yourself?"

A shadow fell over his features as he contemplated how to answer, setting his drink down in thought. "My father was and is a castle knight, so he wasn't there very often and my mother...traveled a lot."

"Oh! Mipha mentioned she studies Hyrule flora as well. Is she part of a research team?"

"She told you that?" He looked sad, eyes flicking down to the tabletop. "No, she isn't. She doesn't officially study anything, she just travels. I think she just wanted to get away."

Zelda was confused at this. Get away from what? She voiced as much to her companion.

"She wasn't...my parents had very different viewpoints on me acquiring the Master Sword so young. He was worried but overjoyed, intent on teaching me how to properly wield it and other fighting techniques so I would be worthy of holding it. I dedicated my life to becoming a knight just because of the sword. However, my mother was furious. Not at me, but fate for letting someone so young bear such an immense burden. They fought for so long about it, and eventually, she left. I don't put any blame on her, quite the opposite actually as I find myself wondering what I could have done differently. I couldn't imagine how hard it was to deal with as a mother, and she just couldn't. I don't know where she is, but I hope she's happier."

They sat in silence after that, each deep in their own thoughts as they finished their drink. Zelda finally decided to speak up. He's finally talking to me and opening up, it seems only right if I do the same, she thought.

"My mother died when I was six, as I'm sure you know. It was so sudden, she was perfectly healthy the day it happened, but that night she fell deathly ill. Not even our best medics could explain what was happening or even begin to understand how to save her and she was gone before the sun rose the next day." Zelda ducked her head down and fiddled with the hem of her blouse. "She died a year before my training would begin and I curse fate everyday for what it took from me. I can't help but think if she were still here...I could do what is expected of me by now. She always had all the answers, I'm sure she would have one for my struggle to appease the Goddesses."

The general din of activity had died some time ago, signaling that it was now quite late at night but neither of them made to move just yet. Instead they sat in a silence that for once wasn't uncomfortable even if neither was looking at the other. Finally Link stood and gathered the dishes and without thinking Zelda grabbed a towel. Shooting one of his small crooked smiles at her he began to clean, handing the dishes off to Zelda who dried them. They both put everything back and stopped to admire the spotless kitchen before turning to look at one another.

"It is quite late, Your Highness."

She nodded and thought to correct him to just Zelda, but thought better of it. Better not to push too soon, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable now when they had the thinnest of bonds connecting them for the first time as friends. She hoped he was starting to consider her as such, as she was him. Maybe not quite yet, but it was certainly easier to be in his presence since their truce in the desert.

"Will you be going back to try and sleep then?"

Link nodded. "I'd offer to walk you back, but the guards would certainly find things to say about your appointed knight dressed so atrociously walking with you at such a late hour. I'd rather not spoil your image."

"I'd like to say you wouldn't, but let's make sure. Thank you for staying with me...and for the meal. It was absolutely delicious, and it's nice to see you eating."

He smiled, another tiny lift of one side of his mouth. She wondered if he was even aware that that was how he smiled, but it suited his rather puppyish demeanor. They both made their way out of the kitchen, Zelda dawning her royal regalia as she went. Parting ways at the top of the stairs she quickly called out to his retreating back.

"Goodnight, Link."

Turning, he quickly masked the shock in his features and held up a hand in farewell.

"Goodnight, Your Highness."

Safely tucked into her bed that night, Zelda yawned softly as she sank into the comfort of her own mattress. She felt relaxed and...happy. More than she had in a long time and she couldn't help but think that it might be her knights fault, but she supposed she'd be alright with that. Not much time had passed before she was slipping into sleep, dreaming happily of spiced milk and crooked smiles.

Chapter Text

It was three days later as Zelda was looking over the protocols for the Divine Beasts again when she heard the faint knock on her door. Hopping from her relaxed position at her desk, she quickly crossed the room and threw open the doors.

Link bowed slightly in her doorway, looking slightly disheveled with half tucked clothes and a crooked sword. "My apologies, Your Highness, but the King has requested an audience with you and I in ten minutes time. I came as soon as I was able."

Judging from the state he was in and the rapid rising of his chest, she wouldn't have been surprised if he got dressed running. Peeking down the corridor, she saw no guards or otherwise around the vast hall. Looking back to Link she hesitated a beat before grabbing his sleeve and tugging, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Y-Your Highness-!" Panic flashed across his shocked features as he made to turn around.

Grabbing his sleeve again, she sighed exasperatedly. "Alright first, please call me Zelda. If we're trying to start over and become friends I'd rather us drop the titles. I already call you simply Link, which I didn't realize until now and for that I apologize, but I stand by my request as it is only fair. Yes?"

"I-yes. Whatever you wish."

"Whatever I wish, what?" She raised her eyebrow teasingly.

"Whatever you wish, Y-your....Z-zelda."

A promising start. Nodding, she continued. "Second, stop with 'whatever I wish' and what have you. You've said those words before in different variations and I hate it. You are also a person with thoughts and feelings, just because I am royalty does not mean I should be treated differently. If it was up to me, I'd simply be a Hyrulian researcher and there'd be no reason for your catering. If you disagree with me or have thoughts you wish to express please do so. We're going to be around each other a lot and naming titles and fulfilling requests without a thought will get quite tiresome. Please just treat me as you would a fellow traveler."

She looked at him expectantly, seeing a confused but respectful look flash across his face.

"Alright." He replied, nodding more to himself as if to calm whatever thoughts were raging across his mind. He must think she was crazy, as Clara said she was sometimes, but she meant every word and wanted to hold him to it.

"Lastly, just stay in here and make yourself presentable while I change myself. It would be less dignified to adjust yourself in the hall where anyone could come by than to do it in here where no one will know. Use the bathroom." She pointed to the side door that led to her small bath. "Knock when you're done so I'm sure I'm decent and we can go. We don't have a lot of time."

"Five minutes actually."

She began to panic as she shoved him to the door. "Go then!! I won't be a minute!"

Hastily she threw her wardrobe open while pulling her shirt off at the same time. Selecting a long under dress she quickly slipped it on and threw her royal robe on her desk chairs back, running to her dresser to fix her hair. A quick brush and smoothing down the crown braid was all it took before she was shoving her feet into her boots and throwing on the heavy robe. Stooping to quickly lace her shoes, she realized they were the worn and scuffed traveling pair. Shrugging, she did them up anyway. Her dress was long enough to brush the floor. Surely no one would notice.

Just as she stood up she heard a knock through the door. "It's alright." she called, moving towards the hallway door.

Link stepped out looking much more put together than he had previously, everything tucked where it should be and sword straightened proudly on his back. His hair however…

Zelda stopped and stared at the absolute mop his hair was, sticking up in the middle and falling in small tangles around his shoulders, ponytail either forgotten or lost.

"Link...." she hesitantly pointed to her hair, looking at him questioningly. Eyes widening, he quickly began running his fingers through it, getting a part of his glove stuck in the process. Looking at the ceiling forlornly he tugged with his other hand in an attempt to get it loose but by his wince he was unsuccessful. Smiling slightly, Zelda made her way over and gently tugged his sleeve until he followed her. Shoving him lightly towards her dresser chair he sat down with a slump, ears drooping slightly as she examined the mess.

"I'd like to keep it on please." He said quietly as she went to tug the offending glove off. She hesitated, mind flashing back to the pain in his features as he massaged his hand back at Snowfield inn, but they didn't have time to discuss that now, so she simply moved on to tugging his hair out from around a fastener, making short work of detangling the rest of his hair and smoothing it down. She hadn't even realized how far she was going until she had grabbed a spare hair cord and began tying it up for him, stopping when she saw how red his face had become.

Shaking her head, she quickly tied his hair up in his usual style and brushed off her hands. "There, now you look like a knight and not like some degenerate who just got out of bed." Smiling at him through her own blush, she crossed the room and left for the throne room, hearing Link hurry after her as she went.

"How kind of you to finally join us Princess." King Rhoam clipped out, eyeing his daughter with a stern gaze that made her want to sink through the floor. Saying nothing, she took her place in the middle of the room to be addressed by the King, curiously eyeing an exhausted looking Rito who was struggling to stand straight in front of her. She caught the King scowling down at her feet, quickly looking down to see her boots peeking out from under her dress. Subtly moving so the fabric would once again hide her feet, her face reddened slightly as she tried to ignore the disapproving look her father was wearing.

"Vatki has been traveling to all four corners of Hyrule for some time warning the other provinces of advances being made against us by Ganon's gathering forces. We have suspicions that the majority of them are coming from the Lost Woods by the Great Eldin Range as nobody has seen the inside of them for some time." He looked at Link pointedly. "I want your knight to comb the woods since he has been through them once already and see what can be found there. I want you, Zelda, to stay with the Gorons while he is there. You give the soldiers here the slip too many times for me to trust you to stay inside the castle while Link is gone, the Gorons are more of a force to be reckoned with, and I'm sure you wont cause problems with them. Am I understood?"

Eyes burning and hands twitching to collect into fists, she nods. "Perfectly."

"And you, Sir Link?"

"Yes, My King." Link answered quietly, though she could practically feel him cringe at the use of his title.

"You will leave immediately, with hope that you will reach your designated places by this afternoon. Do you understand?"

They both nodded, bowing as they left the throne room, each lost in their own downward spiral their thoughts had become.

They reached the entrance to Death Mountain by late afternoon, stopping at the inn to water themselves and their horses and gather fireproof elixirs.

"Are you certain you will be alright in that forest?"

Link looked up with a blank expression, seeming to search for something in her eyes before slowly nodding. "Gotta be." He said quietly.

They didn't say anything else as they finished their water. Suddenly Link sat up and seemed to be straining to hear something, sensitive Hylian ears twitching slightly as he struggled to make out whatever he had caught. She began to listen intently too, hearing nothing but the warm breeze blowing from the mountain and the quiet sounds of the Inn and stable around them. Then it came again, a faint distant roar coming from the side of the mountain. Link stood up with his eyes trained to the spot, seeming to map out how to get there within seconds.

"I'm coming with you and don't you dare say no." She realized what he was going to do and had no intentions of stopping him. She knew he had to go and she didn't want to be left alone wondering if he would come back or not, though of course she knew he would.

"Princess-"

"Zelda. And if I stay here who knows who will report to the king that I stayed at the inn instead of the Gorons and I'm not making my way up the mountain by myself. I want to make sure you'll be fine and I know you're capable but so am I. I won't take no for an answer so let's stop wasting time and go." So saying she climbed on her horse and looked at him intensely, seeing his thoughts play across his face. Finally he nodded and jumped on his own horse, soothing the beast before snapping the reins and taking off. Following suit, she led her own horse to travel in his wake, praying to the goddesses everything would be alright.

"At least we ruled out the forest as their entry point." They both stood watching as enemies poured from the northern region beyond the mountain, climbing up with difficulty in an attempt to no doubt throw off the Gorons. It was too late to go back and warn anyone, they had to take care of this themselves.

"Look." Link pointed to a thin goat path that wound its way up the cliffs, a much easier way up than the enemies were currently taking. He turned to her with a serious expression.

"Y-Zelda. I can't leave you here to defend yourself. Follow me carefully and when we get to a point where I can fight them from, hide and don't come out until I say it's safe. Are you alright with that?"

Startled he would even ask, she nodded. "There's so many though, are you certain you can take them on?"

He turned and began to walk towards the path. "We'll find out."

Not the answer she wanted but she had faith he would be safe. He was one of the best, if not the best fighters in all of Hyrule. He would be alright.

Tripping on a stray rock, Zelda teetered on the edge of the path, gasping as she looked down at the cliffs below. She felt herself being grabbed and pulled back, crashing against a solid force.

Link looked down concerned, silently asking if she was alright. She nodded and he smiled and set her upright with a warning finger to his lips. The sounds of the various monsters were louder now, mixed with scrabbling and growls as they struggled for purchase on the steep mountain side. They crouched behind a tall boulder, where Link began to quietly speak.

"Please don't move from this spot unless absolutely necessary. Have your dagger out and ready just in case. I'll call out to you when it's safe. On the other side of these cliffs," he pointed behind them. "There is a river of lava and beyond that the southern mine of the Gorons. If you find yourself in danger you cannot overcome, run there and along the bank of the river until you get to a bridge. Climb the hill on the other side and ask for help from the mines. Did I explain that well enough?"

Again she nodded, appreciating how considerate he was even in a dangerous situation such as this. Grabbing her dagger from her boot, she curled up tighter and clutched it in her fist. Seeing this, Link smiled and stood, drawing the Master Sword which seemed to almost glow in the sun.

"Stay safe. I'll be back."

She heard him round the barrier between her and the hoard and suddenly a warning horn went off, followed by several more accompanied by the guttural growls of the many foes he was facing. Tentatively peeking around the rock, her eyes widened at what she saw.

Bokoblins brandished crude wooden weapons with Moblins not far behind brandishing their own. Their ranks were unorganized but certainly nothing to underestimate. More were climbing up and gaining their bearings from the cliff and she realized with a start just how very outnumbered he was.

She saw him take a deep breath and step forward calmly despite the enemies hurtling towards him. Crouching, he seemed to calculate every individual factor before making a move. Before any of them saw it coming, he spun with his sword out, slicing open the necks and stomachs of all the creatures who had dared approach too close, blood spraying the dirt a dark red. The remaining few moblins seemed to hesitate but Link didn't give them long to decide as two had already fallen by the time the last had drawn its weapon. Instead of using it however, the beast swiftly kicked out with its stout leg, a move Link apparently was not expecting as the foot connected with his stomach, throwing him back to the edge of the cliff.

Standing up quickly, he looked down at the remaining enemies making their way up, drawing a line in the dirt at the very edge of the cliff with his sword and stomping down, causing the entire cut section to slide off. She heard screams as many of them lost their grip, no doubt from the dirt that was most likely filling their eyes. Not stopping to make sure his plan had worked, he swiftly turned and dodged the attack the moblin had tried, rolling behind it and giving it a kick of his own, throwing it off balance and sending it careening off the cliff.

Just as she was about to stand, she saw a huge hand grip the edge of the mountain, hoisting up a mammoth of a creature with catlike features marking a face surrounded by a wild snow white mane. Attached to that was a fully developed torso and the body of a monstrous horse with black stripes dripping from its spine and marring the white coat that otherwise covered its body. It snarled as it unsheathed its wickedly curved weapon, letting out a mighty roar before charging. Link deftly dodged out of the way, reaching up to grab at the creature's mane and swinging himself up with the momentum, taking out his sword and plunging it into the beast's back before being bucked off to land in a crumpled heap on the ground. He stood up a little slower than last time, wiping blood away from his face that was leaking from a cut along his hairline.

Stamping its mighty hooves on the ground, the lynel sent a shockwave of dust and debris in every direction, using the screen to charge once again. This time Link dodged and stuck his sword out, running the sharp blade along the side of the beast, making it roar in anger and pain as it swung its weapon wide. Link yanked away the sword and went to dodge again, the mighty blade merely swiping his forearm instead of crushing his skull as the monster had intended. Instead of waiting, Link quickly charged with his sword. Already surprised the beast stepped back, holding up his weapon in defence. Zelda had to clamp her hand over her mouth when Link dropped his weapon and jumped, confusing the beast further as the warrior grabbed the arm holding the weapon and used the shock and momentum to stab the lynel through the chest with it's own blade. Crumbling to its knees, the lynel let out a weak growl as it slumped dead in the dirt, Link having dropped down to retrieve his sword. Zelda wanted to run to him, heaving and weak as he seemed, but she waited until he had straightened and surveyed the area.

Hearing him call out it was safe, she ran out and surveyed the scene. Death hung thick in the air as the monsters lay in their final positions, weapons thrown about haphazard and useless in the drying dirt. She turned to the slumping knight with concern scrawled across her features.

"I watched everything. Are you alright? Here." She didn't wait for an answer as she led him a little ways away and sat him down, settling herself beside him.

"Let me see your arm." She gently took his right arm in her hands, Link seeming incapable of speech for the time being. Bringing out her water container she poured a bit on the gash, cleaning dirt and goddesses knew what else out of it. Seeing the flesh underneath she determined it didn't look especially deep, much to her relief.

"That cut doesn't look too bad actually. You're fine for now. But you know there's a fine line between courage and recklessness." She looked up into his eyes, trying to drive home the point that although she and most likely the Gorons were grateful for his intervention, it was incredibly stupid taking on all of the enemies by himself. "As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal."

Getting back up, she again took in the gruesome scene. It made her stomach twist in knots as she thought of what this many enemies on the move might mean for the kingdom. "It seems that, not only are the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise...but the scale of beasts we are facing is intensifying as well."

Looking down with worry, she forces herself to continue, for what she was thinking had to be said. "I fear that...I fear that this is an omen which portends the return of Calamity Ganon."

She got up and brushed the dirt from the back of her legs, steeling herself against her growing emotions. "...and...if that's the case, I'm ready to expect the worst. We'll need to make preparations as soon as possible."

Link nodded slowly and stood. Looking at each other briefly, they seemed to share the worry they both felt at how close a war might actually be. In the wake of the setting sun they began making their way back down the mountain, content with holding back any further worries from each other, though they both knew the growing signs as they saw them.

Chapter Text

Zelda's eyes darted back and forth on high alert as she walked through the many hallways that led from her room to the guards barracks. She knew Link stayed here when they weren't traveling as he didn't have a place in Castle Town as far as she knew and he needed to be on call as an appointed knight anyway. He hadn't looked his best when they had gotten back to the castle the night before, almost swaying on his feet as he apologized profusely for whatever his mind decided he had done wrong. They had reported to the King, who had thankfully called off the trip through the Lost Woods seeing as nothing was coming from there anyway, though he did want them to resume their journey within the next couple of days, the request for a week to rest seemingly forgotten.

She continued walking down the less ornate hallway that eventually led down to the guards chambers where she knew Link's room would be. She was grateful she hadn't run into anyone who would want an explanation as to why she was down here, she didn't want even more rumors to start because she was visiting her knight in his personal room.

Coming to the door labeled with his name she stopped to listen. A faint rustling told her he was indeed inside, and as it was very early he hadn't left to stand outside her door yet. Clutching the small vial tighter in her hand, she hesitantly knocked on the door.

Immediately there was more frantic rustling, following by a thump and quiet curses. She smiled slightly as she heard his footsteps cross the room and the sound of a lock clicking. The door was thrown open and she was greeted by a very flustered Link who was currently standing speechless in only his small clothes and a growing blush.

Before she could say anything the door slammed in her face, leaving her perplexed as more shuffling was heard through the door. A few seconds later the door was opened again revealing a hastily dressed knight with trousers pulled up too far and a backwards shirt still adjusting itself around his shoulders that were turning as red as his face was. Resisting the urge to laugh, she instead stepped closer after looking to make sure no one was around.

"My apologies for the abrupt intrusion, but may I come in?"

How a person could get redder than her knight she wasn't sure, but he managed it somehow as he sputtered out a quiet. "O-of c-course, Your H-h-high-....Z-Zelda." He shuffled back reluctantly as she stepped into the small room, closing the door behind her.

His room, though cramped, was very tidy. The Master Sword leaned against the wall beside a rumpled bed which she assumed he had just crawled out of. Not a speck of dirt or dust laid on the remaining future, which consisted of a small night stand and a slightly bigger desk pushed beside it. A wardrobe stood across the room, which was hanging open to reveal a few undershirts, a hood, a few trousers all of the same color and shoved in the back a snow quill coat for the colder regions. Realizing her surveying his room was probably making him even more uncomfortable she spoke up.

"I wanted to make sure the injuries you sustained in the desert and on the mountain were healing properly. I brought amaranth ointment...I wasn't sure if you had any and it will help prevent infection."

He looked down at his tightly twisted fingers. "I r-ran out some t-time ago and haven't restocked, so thank y-you."

"Are they healing alright?"

He nodded slowly. "F-for the most p-part yes. I have a l-lot of experience w-waiting for things to h-heal properly s-s-so it isn't a b-big deal."

She noticed he seemed to stutter when he was nervous or uncomfortable and although she felt bad she was determined to help.

"Have you been to the spring yet?"

He looked up with a confused expression, leading her to think he in fact hadn't.

"Come on. It will help your muscles too, I imagine they're sore from yesterday and traveling in general."

She crossed the room to open the door, remembering the vial she held at the last minute. Walking back to set it on his bed side table she moved to the door again and opened it, looking back to make sure he was following her. He seemed hesitant but wasn't about to say no, so she figured she must have at least piqued his curiosity.

They quickly moved through the west courtyard and into the thin passage that would lead them to the dungeons. Not much was ever locked up here, though it was where the treasured Hylian Sheild was guarded. It had become a family heirloom after the last hero had supposedly gifted it to them. While she wasn't sure how true that was, it was still an important piece of history that needed to be kept safe from sticky handed thieves looking for an easy way to gather rupees.

She switched directions after seeing a guard coming their way, ducking into a more hidden passage that few knew about. There were many passages and rooms like this throughout the castle that she had made it her mission to map out when she was small, and now she knew nearly all of them like the back of her hand. There were a few that were closed off, like the one leading below the Kings throne room, or Sanctum as was its official name, and she had never figured out how to go further into them to explore, much to her annoyance. Sometimes if it was very quiet, she could swear she heard a faint hum of some sort of life or machine coming from beyond the barrier and she could never quite decide what it might be. She had stopped listening or going there altogether when it had started sounding like a heartbeat to her, deciding some things were better off left alone, though the lack of knowledge still bothered her from time to time.

They made it to the other side of the passage that acted as a discreet shortcut to the healing spring located under the castle. She was surprised as a knight he hadn't known to take advantage of the heated waters, but she supposed it might not be common knowledge. She had come down not too long ago to see if the ancient pillars some texts spoke of could be accessed from such a low point in the castle, but wherever they were buried, it must have been very deep, as she never found so much of a trace of anything pertaining to what the books were talking about.

"I guess this isn't a very well known place, but you're welcome to make use of it at any time. This spring is heated and is said to be blessed by the goddesses. While I don't know how true the latter is it does help speed up the healing process and the heat works wonders on sore muscles and bruises. It should be perfect to soak in to help your ailments." She turned to Link who was looking at the water dubiously.

Zelda's eyes darted back and forth on high alert as she walked through the many hallways that led from her room to the guards barracks. She knew Link stayed here when they weren't traveling as he didn't have a place in Castle Town as far as she knew and he needed to be on call as an appointed knight anyway. He hadn't looked his best when they had gotten back to the castle the night before, almost swaying on his feet as he apologized profusely for whatever his mind decided he had done wrong. They had reported to the King, who had thankfully called off the trip through the Lost Woods seeing as nothing was coming from there anyway, though he did want them to resume their journey within the next couple of days, the request for a week to rest seemingly forgotten.

She continued walking down the less ornate hallway that eventually led down to the guards chambers where she knew Link's room would be. She was grateful she hadn't run into anyone who would want an explanation as to why she was down here, she didn't want even more rumors to start because she was visiting her knight in his personal room.

Coming to the door labeled with his name she stopped to listen. A faint rustling told her he was indeed inside, and as it was very early he hadn't left to stand outside her door yet. Clutching the small vial tighter in her hand, she hesitantly knocked on the door.

Immediately there was more frantic rustling, followed by a thump and quiet curses. She smiled slightly as she heard his footsteps cross the room and the sound of a lock clicking. The door was thrown open and she was greeted by a very flustered Link who was currently standing speechless in only his small clothes and a growing blush.

Before she could say anything the door slammed in her face, leaving her perplexed as more shuffling was heard through the door. A few seconds later the door was opened again revealing a hastily dressed knight with trousers pulled up too far and a backwards shirt still adjusting itself around his shoulders that were turning as red as his face was. Resisting the urge to laugh, she instead stepped closer after looking to make sure no one was around.

"My apologies for the abrupt intrusion, but may I come in?"

How a person could get redder than her knight she wasn't sure, but he managed it somehow as he sputtered out a quiet. "O-of c-course, Your H-h-high-....Z-Zelda." He shuffled back reluctantly as she stepped into the small room, closing the door behind her.

His room, though cramped, was very tidy. The Master Sword leaned against the wall beside a rumpled bed which she assumed he had just crawled out of. Not a speck of dirt or dust laid on the remaining future, which consisted of a small night stand and a slightly bigger desk pushed beside it. A wardrobe stood across the room, which was hanging open to reveal a few undershirts, a hood, a few trousers all of the same color and shoved in the back a snow quill coat for the colder regions. Realizing her surveying his room was probably making him even more uncomfortable she spoke up.

"I wanted to make sure the injuries you sustained in the desert and on the mountain were healing properly. I brought amaranth ointment...I wasn't sure if you had any and it will help prevent infection."

He looked down at his tightly twisted fingers. "I r-ran out some t-time ago and haven't restocked, so thank y-you."

"Are they healing alright?"

He nodded slowly. "F-for the most p-part yes. I have a l-lot of experience w-waiting for things to h-heal properly s-s-so it isn't a b-big deal."

She noticed he seemed to stutter when he was nervous or uncomfortable and although she felt bad she was determined to help.

"Have you been to the spring yet?"

He looked up with a confused expression, leading her to think he in fact hadn't.

"Come on. It will help your muscles too, I imagine they're sore from yesterday and traveling in general."

She crossed the room to open the door, remembering the vial she held at the last minute. Walking back to set it on his bedside table she moved to the door again and opened it, looking back to make sure he was following her. He seemed hesitant but wasn't about to say no, so she figured she must have at least piqued his curiosity.

They quickly moved through the west courtyard and into the thin passage that would lead them to the dungeons. Not much was ever locked up here, though it was where the treasured Hylian Shield was guarded. It had become a family heirloom after the last hero had supposedly gifted it to them. While she wasn't sure how true that was, it was still an important piece of history that needed to be kept safe from sticky handed thieves looking for an easy way to gather rupees.

She switched directions after seeing a guard coming their way, ducking into a more hidden passage that few knew about. There were many passages and rooms like this throughout the castle that she had made it her mission to map out when she was small, and now she knew nearly all of them like the back of her hand. There were a few that were closed off, like the one leading below the King's throne room, or Sanctum as was its official name, and she had never figured out how to go further into them to explore, much to her annoyance. Sometimes if it was very quiet, she could swear she heard a faint hum of some sort of life or machine coming from beyond the barrier and she could never quite decide what it might be. She had stopped listening or going there altogether when it had started sounding like a heartbeat to her, deciding some things were better off left alone, though the lack of knowledge still bothered her from time to time.

They made it to the other side of the passage that acted as a discreet shortcut to the healing spring located under the castle. She was surprised as a knight he hadn't known to take advantage of the heated waters, but she supposed it might not be common knowledge. She had come down not too long ago to see if the ancient pillars some texts spoke of could be accessed from such a low point in the castle, but wherever they were buried, it must have been very deep, as she never found so much of a trace of anything pertaining to what the books were talking about.

"I guess this isn't a very well known place, but you're welcome to make use of it at any time. This spring is heated and is said to be blessed by the goddesses. While I don't know how true the latter is it does help speed up the healing process and the heat works wonders on sore muscles and bruises. It should be perfect to soak in to help your ailments." She turned to Link who was looking at the water dubiously.

"It works, I promise. No one really comes down here either, so you'll have relative privacy. Feel free to soak, I only ask if we might walk to a spot not far away from the castle this afternoon to gather specimens. It's a nice day for a field survey."

He looked over and nodded, smiling his signature smile she was quickly growing to love. She wasn't sure how her opinion of him had changed so much in the short time since the desert, but she was grateful their relationship was growing in a more positive way, even if she couldn't describe her feelings for him just yet.

She turned to leave, stopping when she heard a very quiet "Thank you." from behind her.

"Don't worry about it." She replied, leaving the way she had come.

Zelda grabbed her side bag and hopped to the door as she heard a faint knocking outside her door. Link stood on the other side, wearing his sword and Champions tunic and looking much more refreshed than he did previously. There was no uncomfortable pain in his stance that had been present just this morning and she smiled at the thought that the spring had helped.

"Feeling better then?" She asked.

He nodded mutely and smiled a tiny smile. Considering his earlier stuttering, she wasn't surprised he wasn't speaking, but she still had to bite back a huff of disappointment. She was slowly starting to understand him more but her automatic behavior from before still wanted to dig an insult out of the ground and hurl it now and then. However, if she wanted to be true to her word and become friends that would stand strong together she wasn't about to fall back into her old habits. She found herself thinking negatively of him less and less, and she hoped to get to know him better as they traveled on, she just couldn't help but think she had already ruined what little they had.

Shaking away the thoughts, she made her way through and out of the castle, making sure Link was close behind her as she ducked into a small side alley between buildings. She stopped and turned to dismiss Link's obvious confusion.

"I don't wish to be stopped a hundred times on the way out just because I'm walking instead of riding." She explained. "Plus, this is a shortcut to the bridge."
After receiving an understanding nod she continued on, making it out of the town without incident and hurrying to the road that led to Carok bridge. Leaving said road shortly after she headed for the hastily set up buildings that the research labs by the castle were located in. She approached a tall Sheikah man grinding some assortment of herbs together, who upon seeing her immediately stopped and bowed low.

"Your Highness." He spoke respectfully.

"Please continue with your work, I was merely wondering if Purah was around?"

"I'm afraid not, Princess. She left some time ago with her assistant to continue a side project of hers at the lab in Hateno. I am not sure when she will return."

"Thank you very much. I hope today's studies will be fruitful."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

They continued on to Irch plain, Zelda spotting her favorite spot and hurrying over to it. The crooked tree stooped low enough to swing from after a quick climb and the hill was absolutely covered with the beautiful flowers native to Hyrule. She sat with her back to the tree, gesturing Link to do the same.

"I used to come here often. The view of the castle and beyond is truly beautiful, and it's far enough to be peacefully quiet while still being safe."

They sat in silence as huge clouds rolled lazily over their heads and the breeze whispered secrets to the flowers who bobbed their heads joyously at the quiet voice. The only sound that could be heard was the faint buzzing of insects and the occasional bird call, making them both feel quite at ease with each other for the first time in quite a while.

Sitting up, she unhooked her Sheikah slate and brought up the camera, deciding to take pictures of the various flowers growing around them.

"There's one. Oh, and another!" She exclaimed with glee as she captured the many flowers on her slate. Link turned to her and smiled as she continued looking around. Deciding this was her cue that she wasn't being too annoying by speaking out loud, she decided to continue, figuring he wouldn't be much for conversation for a while yet.

"The flowers we have in Hyrule aren't just beautiful; they're also quite useful as ingredients for a variety of things." She looked at the latest image she had captured, gasping quietly as she saw the rare flora pictured on the screen. She smiled sadly and leaned over to inspect the fragile bloom, feeling Link kneel down as well.

"This one here is called the Silent Princess. It's a rare, endangered species. Despite our efforts, we can't get them to grow domestically yet. The Princess can only thrive out here, in the wild." She reached out to gently brush the flower petals, connecting with it in a way she did not quite understand. The bright blue shining from the inside of the flower almost matched the royal blue she and Link both wore, its pollen stems waving gently with the breeze.

"All that we can hope, is that the species will be strong enough to prosper on it's own." She smiled softly as she leaned back on her heels, looking up as she noticed movement in the grass.

"Is that what I think it is?!"

Gasping, she quickly crawled forward and cupped the squirming creature in her hands, scooting excitedly over to Link with her arms stretched towards him.

"Look at this! I don't believe it but I actually caught one! This delicacy is known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances. Tada!"

She opened her hands to his curious gaze to reveal a bright green frog with even brighter red feet. It made to jump away, but apparently decided that his perch was better than what his destination had been, settling contently in her hands as she continued to gush over it, almost seeming to preen into the attention...as much as an amphibian could preen that is.

"Research from the castle shows that ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities. We wouldn't be in a controlled environment out here, and with your level of physical fitness..." she shoved the frog further in his face. "You'd be the perfect candidate for the study!!"

He leaned back a bit with an unsure smile.

"Go on!" She said leaning forward. "Taste it!"

He held his arms out for balance as she trusted the frog forward, upsetting its perch and making it croak in annoyance. Link looked at her with an amused expression, carefully taking the frog from her hands.

She bounced in place waiting for him to eat it, half wondering if he even would. She watched him take a small pouch from his bag and settle it there, standing up and looking around on the ground for something.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously.

"Looking for sticks to start a small fire with. I'm curious myself if it will do anything but I'm not going to eat it raw. That's one experience I'd rather not repeat." He chuckled softly as he began gathering stray branches.

"You've eaten one raw?" She asked incredulously, forgetting fir the moment that's what she had been expecting him to do when she handed him the one she caught.

"I wanted to be Zoran when I was little, like Mipha. I spent a lot of time at the Domain as I'm sure you know and she and I were inseparable. I was trying to convince her that I could turn into a Zora if I just tried hard enough, so I ate a frog raw like they would sometimes eat raw fish. I got sick naturally, and I didn't change race, but she was still amused by it so it was worth it." He smiled warmly at the memory as he set up the small campfire, getting one going quickly as he took out the frog.

He looked at her. "They don't feel it." Motioning to the sharpened stick he was currently holding above the oblivious creature.

She shook her head. "I know. I don't get squeamish in regards to this, though I thank you for your consideration. I've dissected many things with fellow researchers, so it doesn't bother me."

He smirked and stabbed it through, plunging the other side into the ground close to the fire so it could cook. She scooted to the other side of the flames and watched as he rubbed his wrist absentmindedly. She decided now would be a perfect time to ask about it, as it had been bothering her for quite some time.

"Why do you never remove your gloves, especially from your right hand?"

Instantly his movements ceased, and all sound seemed to disappear except for the crackle of the fire between them. She immediately regretted saying anything, fearing she had greatly overstepped somehow.

"Please forgive me, I didn't mean to pry. Forget I said anything." She looked down at her lap, hoping she hadn't spoiled the mood with her personal questions.

"No. No, it's quite alright. Please don't apologize, it's just... been a long time since I've talked about it. I actually don't really know how."

Curiosity piqued but still on edge she replied quietly. "You don't have to say anything. It's just something I took notice of and wondered about from time to time."

He nodded slowly, reaching out to poke the cooking frog. "Perhaps...another time, if that would be alright?"

"Of course."

She was slightly disappointed but not very surprised Link felt no different after eating the frog. Research showed that certain abilities could be enhanced by consuming certain species of frogs, lizards and even insects; making things like a more potent type of elixir possible, but so far they couldn't figure out what if anything could bring about the effects for people's benefit. She supposed for now it didn't matter and simply focused on the road that led back to the castle.
Tomorrow they would set out again to continue their journey to the Springs. Her seventeenth birthday was fast approaching and she would finally be permitted to pray at the Spring of Wisdom, where by some miracle she was hoping to unlock the salvation for her kingdom.

For now she could only hope, her footsteps steadier than her mind could ever hope to be as they continued silently down the road.

Chapter Text

"Have you been here before?" Zelda asked as they mounted the steep stairs that served as the entrance to the Great Plateau. Link shook his head, keeping time to the rhythm of her steps with his own.

"Legend says that this is the birthplace of the kingdom of Hyrule. Centuries ago, it served as a place of prayer and research to the most dedicated of the ancient Sheikah monks. No one knows exactly what they did here, or what they were working on, but when the king of that era banished the tribe, they left the plateau and took everything with them except what they couldn't bring. The Shrine of Resurrection stands as the only technology remaining here. Our current researchers also took some guardians up here as a safety precaution should the shrine be in use at Ganon's return, but hopefully we won't need them."

"I hadn't heard of the Shrine of Resurrection before. What does it do?"

Surprised he was interested, she happily elaborated. "We can stop there first if you'd like, it isn't far. The few texts we've found that addressed the subject indicate it can bring a person back from the brink of death, healing even the most fatal wounds with ancient technology we have yet to understand. It's up and running now, ready for use should we need it, which hopefully we won't. It seems that the more mortal the wound the longer the shrine will need to heal the victim, and the risk will grow for brain damage along with that. The victim is placed into a slumber so the body can be properly healed, but since the time required can sometimes be very lengthy, damage to the mind is a risk we'd have to take. Nothing drastic, just perhaps memory loss from the past or trouble remembering current tasks, but I think that would be better than death."

They reached the top of the hill where the shrines entrance was located, ducking inside and going down the steps. "There's a small drop here so be careful. We'll use the ladder to get back up." They made their way to the back room, where a shallow bath-like container rested low to the ground, a network of piping and glowing blue constellations decorating the ceiling above it.

"Schematics from the guidance stone show there may be more to this chamber, but whatever it is was lost to time. We can only guess what else this shrine may be capable of, though the most popular rumor for a time was another divine beast. It would be nice to be sure, but nothing here ever pointed towards that theory, so it was scrapped pretty quickly."

She watched as Link carefully ran his hand over the smooth walls, studying the various inscriptions carved on them. He turned to her. "This could bring someone back from the dead?"

"Well, the brink. We don't know if it would ever have the capabilities to do something like that, or how long it would possibly take. More than a lifetime if it were to work I'm sure."

They stayed for a little while longer before Zelda moved to the entrance. "Shall we continue?"

Link nodded and followed her out, heading down the hill and towards the small snow covered mountain, pulling their doublets out of their packs as they went.

They trekked up the mountain path in silence, finally coming to a peak with an upright stone supported by smaller ones surrounding it. She kneeled in the snow, paying no mind to the cold wetness soaking through to her knees. She bowed her head as she laid her hand upon the stone, feeling emotion well up inside her in an almost overwhelming wave.

'Mother.' She prayed. 'I don't know if you can hear me, but may the goddesses carry my words to you across the spirit plain. I am journeying once again to the Springs of Courage and Power. Lend me your guidance, if possible, for I feel so lost and unsure. I know it is my duty, and that I must stay strong for the future of my kingdom, but will we have a future if I do not come into my powers? Help me understand what to do...please'

She leaned forward to rest her forehead against the stone, feeling nothing to reassure her raging thoughts. It did bring her a small comfort though, as visiting her mothers final resting place often did. Sighing, she stood and brushed off the snow that stuck to her legs, turning to Link who was standing a respectful distance away looking out at the view offered by such a high vantage.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" She stood beside him looking out on her kingdom, a twinge of pride and fear fighting for dominance over her emotions. "Mother wanted her grave here, so she could keep watch over all of Hyrule. I often come here before visiting the Springs, seeking guidance I know will never come. But it's...comforting, in a way."

Link smiled at her, showing he understood and didn't think it silly. Smiling to herself, she wondered why she had been so cold before. He truly was the most kind and understanding person she could have possibly shared this fate with. A wave of shame washed over her, but she straightened anyway, shaking away the thoughts. It wouldn't do to dwell on that now, it wasn't worth it.

"The Spring of Courage is our first stop. Shall we go then?"

Nodding again, Link followed close to her down the mountain, making her chest feel tight with gratitude and...something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.

The first time she had been there, she was intimidated by the shrill sounds of the Faron jungle, thick and condensed with strange plants and stranger insects, the rusting of animals in the underbrush and the loud roar of the river still audible even through the thick foliage. The ruined clearing that served as the entrance to the shrine was woefully undercard for, but with monsters running rampant the people that usually took such pride in caring for the Spring and its entrance didn't risk traveling there anymore. Tall, ancient pillars stood marking the center of the man made clearing, great stone walls showing mild signs of disrepair braced themselves against the overgrowth of the forest beyond. A huge gaping maw of an ancient dragon welcomed any who dared brave the harsh environment to come to pray, large intimidating hands resting on enormous slabs of rock on either side of the head.

She looked upon it now however with nothing less than a wave of dread and hopelessness, as though her mind and soul knew what her body did not as she continued to slowly move towards the great entrance. Her prayer gown brushed softly across the loose stones behind her, adding a soft patter in tune with her quickly beating heart. She could feel Link behind her, a steady presence now that they were mostly adjusted to each other. A sudden rush of birds blew their way out of a nearby bush, barely startling her as she struggled to turn her head through the thick pudding the air seemed to have condensed into. She took a deep breath that hardly helped to steady her as the humid air clung thickly to the inside of her lungs. She stepped finally into the jaws of the great stone dragon, stopping to take in the familiar sight of the Spring.

Surrounded by knee deep calm waters and small patches of lilies and algae, the great statue of the Goddess Hylia stood tall and peaceful, seemingly uninclined to show pity towards her plight even at her most desperate. Her face bore a welcoming smile yet all Zelda could see was the twisted smirk of a being who knew she was wasting her time. She turned to look at Link who had stopped with her and was now eyeing her curiously.

"I'll try not to be long, I don't wish to traverse the jungle in the cover of darkness."

"Take all the time you need. I'll be here." So saying he carefully drew his sword and rested the tip on the ground, hands folding over the hilt as he turned his back respectfully away from where she would soon be kneeling. Nodding slowly, she turned back around and took careful steps until her ankles were submerged in the cool waters that lapped at them reassuringly, though she took little comfort in what was offered. Stepping down further the water soon reached her mid calf, soaking the thin material of her gown and making her shiver. Paying it no mind, she stepped down one last time to her knees, wading out to stand in front of the statue. Normally she would pray aloud, but she felt that with Link standing there she might do better silently.

She folded her hands together in front of her chest tightly and squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out everything but the sound of the gentle waters. She relaxed a bit as her ears drooped, dejected already though she had barely started.

'I come to you, Goddess Hylia, at the Spring of Courage under the watch of Courageous Farore, to seek the guidance and bravery I lack to unlock the power sleeping within. I have come to you, time and time again in hopes that one day I shall hear the voices of the Goddesses or those passed through the spirit realm, and that they shall help lead me down the path I must follow to please you. I have walked the path of divinity and grace all my life in preparation of the moment I will receive the blessings of the Goddesses so that I might aid my kingdom in these times of coming war, yet I have not heard the faintest reassurance that I am walking in the right direction. I ask, at my most vulnerable, to aid me in my quest for courage. Lend me the strength I need to complete the task set before me. Any sign you give I will listen and obey to the best of my abilities, if only you give me one. In the name of the Goddess Hylia and Her Valiant Grace Farore, I ask only for an answer to my prayer.'

As she thought out her words clearly and precisely in her mind, she poured all of the faith and meaning she could muster from the depths of her being into every word. Her devotion had to be made clear and as she finished she cleared her mind, waiting for something, anything, to happen to let her know she might have finally been heard.

The humid air was as still as ever and it seemed even the water had stopped moving. As she strained her ears the only thing that reached them was the regular sounds of the lively jungle that surrounded the Spring, not a thing of anything else carried over the stiff air to her sensitive hearing. Lowering her hands so her fingertips gently brushed the water she opened her eyes and looked up at the Goddesses face, no hint of emotion evident on her features. She stared for what seemed like hours barely moving, growing more and more desperate with each passing moment. Her eyes burned and she blinked slowly and uncaring as tears tracked their way down her cheeks and over her chin, trailing softly down her neck and soaking the hem of her dress. This was the last time she would come here, she was so close to turning seventeen, the age that Lanayru's decree said that the wise were permitted to surmount the steep peaks and enter the Spring of Wisdom. The Spring of Power would be their next stop and the knowledge of that left her feeling emptier still.

Not a sound escaped her lips as tears continued to fall, her features set as still as the surrounding air.

Chapter Text

The gentle patter of rain was proving to be extraordinarily unhelpful against the thunder claps drowning her mind. She couldn't help but think her failure at the Spring of Courage was an omen predicting similar results to come. The notion that the Goddesses may choose to ignore her until the day of her death sat like a lead weight in the bottom of her stomach, churning its contents unpleasantly in mockery of her unsteady emotions. She looked up from her perch against the overhang of rock that stood against a tall tree, sheltering her somewhat from the sudden downpour they had taken shelter from. Droplets cascaded from the leaves to land in great splatters upon her cheeks and helped to cool the flushed skin. Twisting her hands in her lap she sighed quietly.

"I doubt this will let up any time soon." she acknowledged, looking to Link who was taking the short break to complete a part of his daily sword training. He did this sometimes while they were traveling, saying it never hurt and should be encouraged to train daily even when on the road. His dedication was truly admirable.

She thought back to the knight they had met with in the Woodland Military Camp; how strong and disciplined he had seemed, enough to be training the cadets who had come to aid in the upcoming war. Watching as Link made the sword be as an extension of his arm, stabbing forward and swiping down with a fluidity only true masters of the blade could achieve, she forged on to voice her thoughts.

"You're path seems to mirror your fathers; you've dedicated yourself to becoming a knight as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is truly admirable." She paused as he glanced back at her, sword held in both hands in front of him with a relaxed fighting stance. "I see now why you would be the Chosen One."

All of those times she had doubted his abilities, thinking him as merely a hauty aspiring soldier who had happened to please the Goddesses enough to wield the Master Sword, without having to work for the true honor that it was. She could see now just how much pride he took with his position, and how hard he worked to keep it even through her shameful displays of emotions meant only to beat him down. Her ears lowered slightly as she looked away, finding the raindrops dipping the fragile blades of grass a much more desirable point of focus.

Zelda took a breath, wondering if she should ask the question that had been burning in her heart for so long. Deciding to take a chance, she let out the air and began to speak.

"What if...one day...you realized that you just weren't meant to be a fighter."

Her hands tightened in her lap as she saw him turn towards her to give her his full attention. Realizing she couldn't stop now, she slowly continued.

"Yet...the only thing that people ever said, was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight."

Tears slipped down her cheeks and mixed with the rain settled there, thankfully making it unnoticeable save for the slight wavering in her face. She hung her head, too afraid to see what might be written in his face at the absurdness of her words.

"If that was the only thing you were ever told, I wonder then...would you have chosen a different path?"

The silence rang out louder than the continuous downfall. She wanted her words back as soon as she had finished, still not feeling brave enough to look up and see the reaction her ridiculous speech had received. It wasn't befitting of the Princess of Hyrule to question such hypotheticals such as her or her knights destiny, yet...after the Spring, she wondered of maybe the reason she had never received an answer was because she simply wasn't fit to receive one. She had been told time and time again since she was small that the powers awoken by every female of the Hyrulian Royal Family was her birthright, and she would unlock them with perseverance and dedication to the Golden Goddesses, yet it seemed the only thing she was fit for was useless research no one cared to indulge her in. Instead she was scolded for wasting her time playing that she had any sense of what she was talking about when it came to the subject of her studies. She was ridiculed by her father constantly for her attempts at understanding the world they lived in, stating that that was not, nor would it ever be her duty and to stop wasting precious time. Was it true then? All she had ever done, all she had ever hoped to accomplish, was simply a waste in the end?That her kingdom and all it's people would pay for when the one they counted on the most to stop Calamity Ganon couldn't even hear the sacred words of the Goddess as was her duty?

She hardly noticed as her knight sheathed his sword and came to stand beside her, only looking up when he cleared his throat gently.

He gestured to the spot beside her on the rock. "May I?"

She stared for a moment before sliding over slightly, making the invitation clear without needing to betray her emotions further by speaking.

"Even though it is raining, Lake Hylia looks as grand as ever."

Blinking, she quickly looked up at him, seeing only his side profile as he gazed out at the great lake. She too gazed out at the water, its surface still sparkling under the grand bridge though there was no sun to make it so. Her thoughts rolled further as they sat in silence for a time. She had never known him to make small talk, or be good at it and though she appreciated the gesture she wasn't sure that was what she needed right now.

He cleared his throat again and looked down at the grass between his feet, seeming to think hard on the words he wanted to say.

"I...wasn't meant to be a fighter, Zelda. I grew up in Hateno, set on taking care of animals and tending to the small farm we had for the rest of my life. I was quite good at physical work, had fast reflexes and was strong for my age. But...my father, though disappointed, assured me that there was nothing wrong with not wanting to follow in his footsteps. Being a knight, he said, is hard and dangerous work. Protecting the kingdom is no laughing matter, and he admitted he felt better that I had chosen to pursue a safer path in life."

She looked back at him confused as to where this was going. Surely he didn't mean that?

"Although I did not wish for the life of a knight, I still enjoyed sparring with my father. He was rarely home and when he was he was still required to train, so I quickly learned much of what was needed to become a skilled swordsman. I would practice when he was gone, pretending I was him and was braving fearsome beasts like I imagined him doing. That continuous practice combined with the work I did on a daily basis made me quite strong and capable at a young age, becoming a match for even my father before too long with my limited knowledge and skill. I would go often to the Domain to stay as well, and would train with them to pass the time, by which I learned even more skills to best my father with. Back then I was simply doing it for the fun and challenge, never thinking I would actually need the skill for more than showing off."

His eyes were far away from the lake at this point as Zelda listened with rapt interest. This was the most he had spoken before and she dared not break the trance with even a breath. She saw the way he hardened his gaze and rubbed his right arm in irritation, seeming to grow angry at the memory he was recalling.

"One day...when I was about eight...I asked my father if I could accompany him to the training camp he often went to with the older boys of our village. I wanted to know what it was that he did at the camp and see what the other boys could do with their swords. I hesitated in asking only because I wasn't...welcome...within their group. They often taunted me for various things."

He chuckled darkly. "I remember they once called me 'fish boy' for spending so much time at the domain. Stupid as it was, it still hurt, if only because I wasn't accepted. I was...too loud, if you can believe it, and too boisterous for them to like. They didn't like the fact that my father was of the royal guard, often saying I felt I was too good for them, which certainly wasn't true. I asked Mipha to teach me to swim shortly after one incident when they threw me into the lake beside the village and wouldn't let me out, threatening to beat me senseless if I did. I was so scared I would drown..."

"I wasn't brave back then, I'm still not, and i never stood up for myself in the way that i should have. I was getting quieter and quieter, and I thought that going to the camp and showing what I could do would be an opportunity for respect. A foolish notion born from childish ignorance, but I was hopeful and when my father agreed i could hardly contain myself. Through the entire journey they never spoke a word to me, but that changed when we got to camp."

"I fought alongside trained soldiers, who were impressed indeed to see a child keep up with the best of them. The group from the village watched from the sidelines, scowling the entire time. When it was over, and my father had left, they approached."

"The Lost Woods as you know, isn't too far from the camp and they taunted relentlessly, saying if I was so great and accomplished I should be able to make my way through easily. Seeing as I could keep up with soldiers, I should be able to brave the monsters in the forest without a problem. Though I protested, I was dragged through the entrance, into a thick mist that took hours to make our way through. I don't know or remember how, but eventually we made it without incident, and came to a clearing."

"No one but the royal family knew the Master Sword was hidden there. Select knights were chosen yearly to go on a secret journey to see of they were deemed worthy to wield it or not. We stood in awe, as tales of the sword striking down knights it deemed unworthy or driving them insane were passed around often as a deterrent, and plenty had never come home after going on a mission they couldn't speak of to breathe truth into the rumors. I should have expected it, but I didn't and the next thing I knew I was being dragged go the sword. If I was so great, they reasoned, I should be able to wield it. I was terrified, but they wouldn't let me go. I was shoved and on instinct I reached out to stop my fall, and gripped the hilt."

He turned to her with sadness evident in his piercing blue eyes. "You asked me before, if I could hear the voice that resides in the sword and I answered that I did only once, and that was enough. Whoever resides within it is merciless, and she asked for a reason she shouldn't strike me down dead for being such a foolish boy as to touch that which was not meant for me. I tried saying it had been an accident, and pain like I had never known wrapped it's way up my arm in response. What I had said wasn't good enough, so I tried again. I said I loved my family and didn't want to die and again I felt an even greater pain. That still, was not enough. She said she'd give me one more chance."

"In a panic, I said I was scared. I braced for the pain, but it didn't come. The voice seemed curious and asked me why. I answered that I was scared to leave the world I knew behind, and I wasn't brave enough to face that which I did not know. The voice paused and then said that all the men and women before me had pleaded for their lives, offering anything and everything that was useless to a being trapped in a sword. But I had admitted my fear to her instead of attempting to bribe or threaten to save myself and that sincerity was the first step to true bravery. She said I interested her and said she would allow me to keep my life, but I could not rely on it being the same. Hastily I agreed, overjoyed to have been spared."

"When I opened my eyes, my throat was raw from screaming, and in my hands the Master Sword lay pulled from the pedestal it had once stood in. There were suddenly too many voices and too much noise as I was dragged back through the forest to camp, where my father was shocked to see the legendary sword in my hands."

He turned back to the lake and sighed. "I was not chosen because I was the Chosen One. I was chosen because I was lucky enough to give an ancient power an answer she liked. I dedicated myself to being a knight after that because I had no other choice, for I was from then on the sole wielder of the Sword That Seals the Darkness. A hero who would go down in legend and had to train harder and harder every day to meet a goal I didn't want so a fate I wanted no part of could be fulfilled. And I had to, because of I didn't I would be a failure and a waste. I couldn't be a selfish child that threw away a blade because after I had saved my own life I decided I didn't want to live with the consequence. And I would always be reminded of it, everyday."

Hesitantly he laid a hand on his right glove, normal except for it being seemingly custom made to fit higher on his arm. "I-"

Suddenly he winced as his arm brushed his upper right forearm, suspiciously close to where he had been struck with the lynel weapon. She swatted his hand away and made to roll up his sleeve, mindful to keep the glove undisturbed. Her deft fingers met with feverish skin and as she pushed the sleeve up completely she was met with an ugly sight.

The wound had yet to close, showing dark red flesh between puckered and irritated skin trying desperately to heal. A mottled blue and black bruise surrounded the entire thing, making a stark contrast to the yellowish pus that was seeping from it. She looked up in shock and quickly laid a hand on his cheek. Burning skin met her cool fingertips and she gasped as his eyes seemed to struggle to focus. Was this why he was so talkative? He seemed almost delirious with fever.

"Link." She spoke carefully. "How long has this been infected? Did you not put medicine on it?"

"Wouldn't heal." He muttered quietly, energy seemingly spent.

"And you've been riding and training since then, letting this get worse and worse...what in Hyrule were you thinking? Do you have the energy to stand? We can get you back to the castle and..." she trailed off as he slumped forward, limp in her arms. Her mind reeled. He had spent all his energy on training and now...now she didn't know! Was the lynel's weapon poisoned? Was he dying? She started as he shot up and stood, suddenly more alert.

"My apologies. I'm not being of much use to you."

"Who cares? We're going to Zora's Domain. Now. You need advanced healing and I don't know if they can do that at the castle." She quickly dug into her side bag and brought out the amaranth ointment she had packed along with a roll of bandages. "Give me your arm."

"I'm-"

"Don't. Just...don't. Please. Let me help you."

She slathered the proffered arm in the salve, wrapping it tightly in the bandage and tying it off quickly. She tugged him gently to their horses and pushed him towards his own.

"Are you alright to ride?" She had her doubts, but she didn't know what they'd do if he couldn't.

Thankfully he nodded and swung up the saddle without too much difficulty. They spurred their mounts into a gallop, Zelda praying desperately that he'd be alright.

The ride was blessedly easy, Link staying mostly alert throughout it. She worried the trek through the hot jungle and then the journey across the Hylian Bridge had seriously sapped his strength. She couldn't believe how she hadn't noticed, too wrapped in her own sorrow to see the signs...and yet there hadn't been any until he was dead on his feet. She looked over at him walking beside her, slightly unfocused as he trudged through the wetlands towards the Domain. It amazed her that he could hide this for so long for the sake of duty; it was something she would definitely have to be mindful of as they continued their journey.

They reached the tall boulder that blocked horses from getting up to the road and she glanced over at her swaying companion. He leaned down and cupped his hands, looking to her to help. This time, she avoided the gesture for a completely different reason than the last.

"Stand up please. I'll help steady you from down here, you can help me up once you've done it yourself. Don't argue with me." She punctuated her request with a warning as he made to protest, making him snap his mouth shut quickly. He stood and jumped, heaving himself up with difficulty that wasn't there before. She reached to lay a hand on his lower back to steady him, feeling a dampness that told her he was still sweating profusely through his fever. He crouched down and held out his hand which she grasped tightly and leaped up, finding it much easier with help. Dusting herself off she gestured for him to follow.

"We have to hurry, but if you need a break, tell me."

They continued up the road for some time with mild difficulty. As they reached a more wooded area of the road she heard Link speak up softly.

"I'm sorry but-"

She turned immediately and looked around, spotting a rock covered in soft moss close by. She pointed. "Let's go sit."

Nodding gratefully, he went over and sunk down onto the slightly cushioned rock, laying his head in his hands. She laid a careful hand on his shoulder in concern.

"Are you feeling much worse?"

He made a small incomprehensible sound but made no words audible. She felt his breath hitch and his shoulders began to shake as he stuttered out words she could barely understand.

"I-I'mm s-so s-s-sorry. I d-didn't m-mean..." his voice trailed off as his breathing hitched again. Her concern for his well being growing with every second, she placed her hands on his, gently prying his fingers away from his face.

His eyes were glassy and unfocused and his breathing was irregular. He opened his mouth to speak again but no sound escaped his lips through his elevated breathing. Fearfully, her mind flashed back to Rito Village when she had seen him with almost the same exact expression, though whether he had just recovered quickly or hid it well it she didn't know. Neither seemed like an option at the moment.

"Link? Link are you okay?" Of course he's not she chided herself but she was at a loss at what to do. His chest rose and fell more rapidly as if he had been running a mile, but he was still sitting. Was it from the fever? Why did he apologize? She shook her head. One thing at a time.

"Link, you need to control your breathing or you're going to pass out. Just take slow breaths." Panicking slightly as he seemed unable to hear her, she laid a forceful hand on his chest and pressed down, letting up for a couple of seconds before pushing down again.

"Just follow this okay? Breath Link, you need to calm down." Her words struck her as she said them. Was he not calm? He was acting like he was in a panic but....oh.

She looked at him in a new light. This was something she hadn't read about in a while but she still remembered it. Suddenly all of his behavior made sense.

She continued to push and release feeling him start to follow the rhythm. "Okay, that's good. Just follow me, you're doing good. Everything is going to be fine, just look at me and breath."

Slowly his eyes focused on her and he released the death grip he had on her hand that she hadn't noticed until now. Her fingers throbbed as blood returned to them but she paid it no mind in favor of continuing the rhythm. Eventually he gently took her hand away from his chest and lowered his head, breathing once again regular if a bit shaky.

"I-I'm s-"

"Don't. You have nothing to apologize for, and it should be me who is doing so anyway. I hadn't connected it before now but your odd behavior makes sense and I'm so sorry I was rude to you about it. Panic attacks are nothing to feel ashamed of. I'm simply glad I could help."

He looked up at her with wide eyes. "Th-thank y-y-you." he whispered.

"As soon as you're ready, we'll continue. But don't push yourself."

They sat in silence for a while before Link struggled to his feet. "We can't stay here. It'll get cold."

Zelda looked him over carefully. "Alright." she said, deciding to walk close beside him in case he lost his footing.

After another half hour they made it to Zora's Domain, with Zelda becoming more and more worried as Link became more and more pale.

"We need to get Mipha, she'll know exactly how to heal you and you'll feel better in no time." Looking back as she received no answer, she eyed him worriedly. "Link?"

He looked up at her slowly before slumping to his knees, falling on his side with his flush cheek pressed to the cool stone. Standing in shock she was jostled slightly as two Zoran knights hurried to the fallen figure, shaking him gently.

"Get Tuelni, quickly!" The darker one shouted, quickly lifting Link up in his arms.

Nodding to the Princess he spoke hurriedly. "Follow me Your Highness." We need to know what happened."

She watched the gentle rise and fall of Link's chest in quiet relief. The healers had done all they could and had thankfully gotten the infection and fever under control. He only needed rest now, which she was happy to leave him to.

Her eyes darted over to his sword that laid across his tunic proudly. Curiously she reached for the hilt. If her Goddesses refused to answer her, then perhaps the entity residing in the sword would. Link had said he had heard her…

The memories of what he had told her he had endured struck out like a viper and she yanked her hands back centimeters before she would have wrapped them around the sword. Shaking her head, she sunk back down. She knew how incredibly foolish that notion had been and she wasn't about to ruin anything further. Looking back at her companions still form she sighed dejectedly.

She had caused enough trouble.

Chapter Text

Link’s POV

Link awoke slowly, sensations filtering in as though they were caught in webs. He felt a thin sheet covering his bare torso, stiff but soft and just heavy enough to be comforting. He heard running water somewhere around him and light breathing to his left like someone was sleeping. He tried cracking an eye open but the light proved to be too much for his retinas to handle at that moment, forcing him to painfully squeeze his eyes shut.

He remembered...huh. What did happen to get him to wherever this place was? Zelda had been at the Spring of Courage and had left the saddest he'd ever seen her. They had gone to the stable and then set out again...they crossed the Great Hylian Bridge and stopped to take a break and to shelter themselves from the rain. He remembered feeling...bad. Just awful, like he was sick but he couldn't be sick because he was a knight and knights perform their duty before anything else. Nevertheless he had felt sick, and fuzzy headed.

But Zelda had been depressed and had asked him something. What was it?

He moved slightly under the sheet trying to shove it off. Thinking hard he recalled her asking if he would have chosen a different path...had he not become a knight. And he had told her how he pulled the Master Sword...and had shown her…

Eyes tearing open regardless of the pain he sat straight up in bed and brought out his hands, surprised to see his gloves still on. Wondering if that was Zelda's doing, he glanced around the room only to find her fast asleep in the bed beside his. Cool blues dominated the room and he immediately recognized the Zoran Domain's infirmary. Looking down at his forearm he saw clean bandages in place of the nasty infection that had been there previously. He hadn't meant to neglect it, it was just pushed so far down his list of priorities he forgot about it for a time. He never really thought about why it wasn't healing and had simply slapped more ointment on it hoping it would work.

In hindsight...well, oops.

Realizing he was, in fact, very nearly naked at least by his standards, he stood and spotted his undershirt and tunic hanging on the back of a nearby chair. Pulling them on with thankfully very little pain, he strapped on his sword and dug a scrap piece of paper and quill from his pack on which he scrawled a hastily written note letting Zelda know he had gone to see Mipha and to not worry if she woke and he was gone. Satisfied, he sighed. He had been putting off speaking to Mipha for a while now, knowing the conversation they needed to have. It had been easy to avoid since he was traveling with Zelda but the signs were clear, especially to him. He rubbed his hand in irritation, wishing he could take back ever going to the Woodland Camp. But that wasn't how things worked, it never was.

He closed the door quietly behind him and took a calming breath, closing his eyes to anchor himself. He heard the water as it fell into the deep pool below and just above that the murmured conversations of the Zora scattered about the Domain. He felt gentle mist and sunshine on his face battling for the chance to warm or cool his pale features. The air smelled lightly of fish and algae, pleasant and familiar smell after so much time. He tasted the sharp tang in the atmosphere that promised a storm was brewing but for now as he opened his eyes it was quite sunny. The beautiful architecture of his home away from home filling him with warmth.

Spotting Bazz a little while away he quickly walked over.

"Link!" A fist slammed lightly on the top of his head and it took a second for him to adjust so as not to fall over the railing into the pool below. "What the hell were you thinking you idiot?!"

Smirking, Link merely replied: "Long time no see. Miss me?"

"Miss you??" Bazz sputtered as he struggled to get any form of comprehensive speech out, settling for an arm punch instead when his efforts proved fruitless. "You collapse at the entrance from a horrible infection that almost killed you and you want to know if I missed you?"

"I'm hurt you're avoiding the question."

"Well! I-er I, dammit come here you moron." Link was pulled into a crushing hug from the Zoran who hadn't quite hit his growth spurt yet, standing at a mere four feet to Link's barely over five. He chuckled as he drew back, opening his mouth before Bazz could beat him to it.

"I apologize, I thought it would go away and I didn't want to put our journey on hold just because I couldn't handle a scratch. Kind of embarrassing actually."

Bazz sighed and shook his head. "I swear knighthood made what little common sense you scraped up from childhood fly right back out the window. Gaddison was beside herself with worry, she'll be pleased to know you're alright."

Remembering his reason for getting out of bed in the first place, Link spoke up. "Tell her she doesn't need to, I'm fine. I'd find her myself but I was hoping you'd give me a lift to Vah Ruta. Am I right in assuming Mipha is there?"

Nodding slowly, Bazz looked down at his feet. "You know...she's been in and out of the Domain lately gathering materials. She's making armor Link."

Link sighed in defeat. "I know."

"Thanks Bazz, I'll see you later!" Link waved his old friend off as he turned to the Zoran Princess. They stood upon the wide tip of the trunk, silhouetted against the rising sun. Her red scales glinted brilliantly in the sunlight but her sweet smile could outshine even the brightest of light. She stood leaning against her trident, looking powerful and demure at the same time, every bit as graceful as she was when they were kids. He smiled at her and approached, holding out his hand to be taken. Together they sat not needing to say anything, just simply taking comfort in each other as they watched the sun rise.

"I trust that you're feeling better after the medication you recieved?" Mipha spoke up eventually.

"Yes, thank you." He replied quietly. He always felt the need to be so soft around her. He knew as gentle and kind as she was she was no pushover but he felt better in her presence if he matched her soft spokenness that he too had taken to using after he had pulled the sword.

"May I see?"

He nodded and pushed up his sleeve to offer her, the bandages betraying nothing about the condition his arm was in. They were quickly removed however to reveal a shallow gash that was no longer leaking unsightly fluids, just open and glistening with the salve they had no doubt slathered it with.

"I could close it the rest of the way, if you would like?" She asked delicately, making Link smile.

"Please."

She took his arm in her gentle hand and in the other a faint blue magic began to form. Few Zora had this ability with the Princess having the most potent they had seen in a very long time. She practiced constantly when they were little, always healing this cut or that scratch, anything to prove she was useful. She was now not only Zoran royalty set to inherit the throne one day and the Champion pilot of Vah Ruta, but she was also the most accomplished medic in the Domain with extensive knowledge of all races and manner of illnesses or ailments, with her powerful magic to work when medicine didn't. It took energy to heal, the bigger the wound the more it took, but from practicing so often she reassured him it didn't make her too tired to fix numerous minor injuries at once, which was the only reason he had agreed to her suggestion of closing his arm all the way.

She held her hand above the affected area, the scratch beginning to glow as the power worked to coax the body into speeding up the healing process. As they watched attentively, she began to speak.

"I was thinking...this reminds me of the time we first met. You were such a reckless child, always getting yourself hurt at every turn."

He smiled crookedly as he remembered how energetic and daring he had been, constantly worrying King Dorephan with his relentless antics. He looked into her golden eyes as she continued.

"...every time..I would heal you, just as I'm doing right now. I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown up so much faster than I did. I was...I was always willing to heal your wounds, even back then." Her voice wavered as her headpiece jingled in the slight breeze blowing up from the reservoir. Link looked down, wondering where she was going with all of this.

The gash closed into an elongated scar, pale silver to match his growing collection. He stretched his fingers in contentment, looking up to thank her but she was already forging ahead, seemingly dead set on saying what she had to say now or never. He listened carefully, heart aching through it all.

"So if this Calamity Ganon does, in fact, return...what can we really do? We just don't seem to know much about what we'll be up against. But...know this. That no matter how difficult this battle might get...if you-if anyone ever tries to do you harm, then I will heal you."

Her fingers wound tighter in her lap as she struggled to force the rest of her words out. "No matter when, or how bad the wound, I hope you know that I will always protect you. Whenever this whole thing is over, maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know..." she looked up at him again with her beautiful eyes that looked straight through to his soul.

"Maybe we could spend some time together."

He looked down, heart breaking at the thought of what needed to be said. There were just too many things that could go wrong and he couldn't bear the thought of hurting someone through actions he couldn't help.

"Mipha..."

She looked over at him. "Yes?"

He took a breath and raised his head again, bringing his hand up to brush her cheek. He missed this, little moments that made his being just a feather lighter. Steeling his resolve he dropped his hand, making her frown slightly.

"If I have misjudged-"

"No, of course you haven't." He quickly took her delicate hand in his and squeezed gently, looking at her once more.

"The Calamity will rise and though we don't know exactly what we'll be up against, I guarantee there will be many casualties...Mipha...I can't. If we were to...I couldn't-"

"I know." She cut in sadly. "I have known for a long time. I do not blame you but, if you will have me, after this is done, I really would like to spend more time together...as friends. I love you dearly Link, I would never force you to make a decision you do not wish to choose."

He nodded slowly, leaning forward to rest their foreheads against one another, taking both of her hands in his as they stilled.

"I love you too."

His sobs echoed quietly against the pool he had seated himself beside, isolated from the Domain since it was so far away and mostly covered by the aquatic plants that grew around it. He knew it was ridiculous, crying over a girl as if he were a child, but it wasn't fair! If only he had stood up for himself! If only he hadn't gone with his father. If only he had dug his heels in and lived with the taunting for the rest of his days. If only...if only the sword had killed him when it had the chance. Better to suffer briefly than for years with the fate of Hyrule upon his and the Princess' shoulders. She wanted no part of it either, and she was born into this mess! She had less of a choice than him yet here he was wallowing in self pity.

Burying his head further into his knees, he wept without restraint, the only audience to his pain the waters of the pool reassuringly lapping at his submerged ankles.

Chapter Text

Zelda,

Don't be worried if you wake up and I'm not here. Went to see Mipha before we head out. Shouldn't be more than an hour or two, but if you'd like to leave sooner please tell Bazz to come get me.

-Link

Her heart calmed considerably as she quickly read the note left for her on the bed side table. She had woken and seen an empty bed across from her when to her knowledge he shouldn't be up yet. He really shouldn't be up yet, but she supposed Link would do anything to not appear weak. Was that really what it was...or something else? Zelda couldn't understand why he never raised the concern as to why he wasn't healing? They could have had it taken care of long before it got that bad. Turning on her heel she marched out of the room intent on finding the knight that never failed to make her head spin.

Pocketing the note she quickly looped her belt around her waist and pulled her side satchels strap over her head, settling it neatly against her hip. A quick finger comb was enough to calm the tangles in her hair and she quickly stepped into the hall, intent on finding Bazz to see if Link was well enough to continue on. She'd rather stay at least a couple more days to make absolute sure but she knew he'd most likely be stubborn about it. Maybe she could convince Mipha to talk to him about it as she doubted he'd listen to her.

"Oh Your Highness!!"

Zelda fell back slightly against the wall as paper flew up into her vision. Shaking her head she turned to the Zora who was currently sputtering a thousand and one apologies (literally) while frantically trying to gather up the documents. She knelt down to help, smiling a little as the other started protesting but finished in no time and added her pile to the stack in the others arms.

"I'm sorry Y-"

"Please, it's quite all right. I wasn't paying attention and came out of the room rather quickly, it was entirely my fault. May I ask your name?"

Sputtering incoherently, the Zora managed to fix the shortening circuit in her mind and nearly shouted her name. "Nyx of the Royal Council Your Highness!!"

"Of the Council of Elders?" Zelda asked confusedly. She looked much too young to be a part of that group.

Nyx nodded so hard her tail fin nearly hit her head crest. "Yes, I am the official document keeper for the Council. Translating notes, copying paperwork, making sure things are filed correctly. A glorified secretary if you will."

"An important job indeed, I doubt my father would be on top of half the things that go on in the kingdom without his royal documenter telling him about it. I apologize if I have messed with your organization; I hope it doesn't take too long to fix."

Nyx blinked in astonishment as a faint blue blush dusted her cheeks. "I...well...that is, no Your Highness! It won't take me long, there isn't any need to apologize!!"

Smiling at the willowy Zora, Zlda felt a blush creep to her own cheeks. She really was quite pretty, in a lovely piscine sort of way. Dark blue scales contrasted sharply with the silver ropes that adorned her shoulders marking her as important to the Zora Council. Deep golden eyes held her gaze as both of their cheeks deepened in color. Clearing her throat Zelda decided she shouldn't keep Nyx from her duty much longer.

"My apologies for keeping you, Lady Nyx, but I wonder if you know where I could find Bazz? He should know where Link would be at the moment and I'd like to make sure he is truly alright."
Nyx nodded slowly, averting her gaze as her blush only deepened at the title. "He should be training with the cadets in the space before the royal courtiers."

"Thank you very much, and I wish you luck with your papers!" Zelda waved slightly as she made her way down the hall, leaving a steadily sputtering Zora behind her.

She really was very pretty. Zelda startled herself out of her thoughts by shaking her head, focusing on the road before her. After a bit of argument, Link had won the decision to keep going. He felt fine he said, and Mipha had helped completely close the wound so it wouldn't be getting infected again. They had decided to go to Hateno village first to visit Purah and since Link lived there they wouldn't have to stay at an inn. Zelda had to admit she was excited to see where Link had grown up, and it was even better because that should be the place Link was most comfortable, so maybe she could get answers out of him that wouldn't be interrupted by anything.

"Pr-Zelda, may I ask you something?" He still had a bit of trouble addressing her in such a casual manner, but she appreciated the effort he made. She looked over and saw the slump in his shoulders, worry furrowing her brow as she wondered what could be bothering him. He had seemed even more quiet since leaving the Domain and she wasn't sure if he still wasn't feeling quite well or if there was a deeper reason. Maybe she'd ask later.

"Yes, what is it?"

"What do you like about your duty as the Princess?"

She whipped her head to look at him straight on, confusion evident on her face. "My...duty?"

"If you do not wish to answer, I of course won't press you. I'm simply curious."

An odd question for simple curiosity but she decided to indulge in it nonetheless.

"Well...I enjoy the freedom I have to roam our land, though I suppose I'd have that as a citizen. I like archery, but I do wish I knew more to defend myself than for simple show. Being given the opportunity to help my people is also something I quite enjoy."

Link nodded. "Helping make someone's livelihood better is the most important thing anyone can do."

Zelda fell silent as Link seemed to be deep in thought. Her grip tightened on the reins as she wondered just what had happened to make him so reserved, even more so than usual.

They passed Fort Hateno with no small amount of apprehension. There were guardians set up all over the plain to help protect Kakariko and Hateno village. There were many things throughout their travels that caused the thought of the upcoming war to take priority over their other thoughts, but seeing so many guardians lined up for possibly one of their last stands was...unsettling. She knew it would be alright, it had to be. They had so many things at their disposal to ensure victory she couldn't see it possibly going astray. Still…

She looked down at her hands. If she couldn't convince the goddesses she was worthy of possessing the sealing powers...she didn't know what they'd do. Everything was counting on her in the end and she shuddered to think of what might happen should they fail.

"Let's turn here." She heard Link call quietly, turning them to a side road that looked seldom used. Old buildings stood in the center of a looped road with faded targets circling it. A shooting range?

They stopped their horses and Link turned to her, reaching over to hand her a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

"You said you wished you knew how to shoot more efficiently. Well, no time like the present."

Gingerly she took the proffered items, dismounting along with Link as he started walking down the road. He was really going to teach her to shoot??

"Here, this might be easier. May I?" He pointed to the quiver which she handed back over. Attaching it once more to the back of his belt, he slipped the whole thing off and looped it instead around her waist.

"This way your arm won't get tired reaching up to grab an arrow. Seems silly, but you want all the arm strength you can get. Now, I know you know how to shoot, so I'm guessing you want moving targets?"

Blinking, she nodded slowly.

"The best we can do is have you walk and aim. Just try it first to see where we need to tweak.

Nodding again she started walking reaching to knock an arrow and aiming. Letting the arrow fly, it flew to the far right of the target. Trying again yielded the same result so Link stopped her.

"Okay, see the distance you missed from? Aim for where it's going to be, not where it is within your line of sights. If you learn to judge this well, we'll have you shooting from horseback in no time!"

She highly doubted that, but the encouragement was nice. Taking a deep breath, she let another arrow fly.

It took several tries for her to get the hang of it, but after that she could actually shoot while jogging, which was a vast improvement.

"Alright next, your horse. You don't like each other at all. Why is this?"

A bit taken aback by the question, she fumbled for an answer. "I-well, he just never has."

"Watch." Link mounted his steed and smoothed his hand down her neck, gently nudging her sides to urge her into a walk. Each time he nudged her to go a little faster she would receive a pat. After going around the loop once, he stopped and gently petted her once more, crooning gently.

"Always take the time to soothe your mount, that's the only way they'll know how you truly feel. If you kick their sides to go faster without letting them know you care, they don't think you only want them to go faster, they view it as a punishment for going too slow. Be gentle to them, and they will treat you the same." He looked at her with a grin. "Shall we try shooting on horseback?"

All in all it proved to be a productive day, Zelda feeling much more at ease with the bow and arrow and prepared should she have to defend herself. More practice sessions were promised when they found time, and she was content with that, happy to have found someone who indulged in her less than royal behavior.

They reached Hateno by late evening, the peaceful village just shutting doors and windows against the chilly air of the night. Fields waved lazily under the light breeze that blew past, and dogs barked softly from their stations by the livestock. Simple bricked houses lined the streets and the soft blue of the furnace fire glowed gently against the darkness. They turned to go up a slight hill, Zelda riding behind Link as he led them to his home for the night. Crossing a small bridge they came to a modest building of the same brick as the rest of the village, with a small stable set beside it for their horses. Nestled beside a small mountain the house looked quite cozy from the outside and she was very excited to go in and rest.

She watched as Link pushed some hay in front of their mounts, topping it with apples from the nearby tree. He turned to her and smiled crookedly, gesturing to follow him.

"It isn't much, but I enjoy coming back here to rest from time to time. Father entrusted this house to me when he moved permanently to Castle Town a while back. I apologize for any dust, it's been a while."

"Don't, it's lovely." She meant it too as she took in everything the little house had to offer.

There was a cooking area shoved into one corner, pots and pans gleaming despite the lack of apparent cleaning. A neat table with two chairs stood in the middle of the room on top of an ornate but faded rug. A weapons mount on the wall held a royal guards sword and beside it a shield, no doubt from when he was first enlisted. It was proper to earn a new sword and shield when knighted, but since Link had no use for them since he had the Master Sword it seemed appropriate to just keep them displayed as a respectful acknowledgement of his status. A couple of bookshelves overflowing with everything from legends to stories to Hyrule flora stood in the other corner and a set of worn down stairs to her right no doubt led to a bedroom loft, which Link was carrying a set of sheets up. She hoped she wasn't going to kick him out of his bed, she would hate for his first night back in a while to be spent uncomfortable.

"I have a cot set up under the stairs that I like to sleep in, so you'll take the bed upstairs. There's clean sheets spread out and I fetched fresh water for the basin so feel free to freshen up before bed. I'm assuming you'd like to see Purah first thing in the morning?"

Not having time in between sentences to voice her protest over the bed, she nodded.

"The sun comes in through the window in the morning and that will most likely wake you, so if you'd like to sleep a bit later feel free to draw the curtains."

"I really do appreciate this Link but-"

"None necessary, we both agreed this would be better than an inn." Leaving absolutely no room for protest he shooed her up the stairs, disappearing under them as she reached the loft.

Huffing and shaking her head she quickly dressed down for the night, climbing into the soft sheets as the lights were turned down. She heard Link shuffling into his own bed, and then only the wind blowing against the sturdy walls as she drifted to sleep.

She woke up with a start and sat up in the unfamiliar bed. Looking towards the windows she could tell it was still very dark out even through the drawn curtains. Listening for some clue as to what had awoken her at such an early hour she started as a faint sob cut through the silence of the night, leading into more as the person under the stairs attempted to mend a broken soul with the salt of his tears. Throwing the blanket aside, she made to step out of the bed to go to him, but stopped as did the sobs when the floor creaked beneath her foot. Carefully she lifted it back onto the bed, deciding if he thought she was awake and was trying to hide his grief, she should respect that and leave it be.

Tears slipped past her own lids as Zelda drifted off again admits the quiet cries that filled the void between the princess and her knight.

Chapter Text

"I'll be back in a snappity snap!!" Zelda fought the urge to groan as the young Sheikah's voice reached an octave that seemed to beat pins against her eardrums. She honestly didn't know how Symin dealt with it all day all week but she supposed he must possess a sort of endless patience with the energetic girls antics that simply eluded Zelda when it came to being in her presence for more than a few hours at a time. She noticed Link wincing from the corner of her eye and she took a bit of comfort from the fact he seemed just as affected by Purah's energy as she was.

Looking around, she noticed the guidance stone glowing happily in its designated corner. She remembered when Purah and Robbie had set up the lab here before the latter had decided to go to Akala to take advantage of the ancient furnace located there. They had been a terrifying duo, both of them unapologetically insane in their own right, practically bouncing off the walls and ceiling in their haste to set things up. She had eventually left the modified lighthouse as they both began arguing over whether or not to put a lounge chair on top of the powerful Sheikah telescope that jutted from the roof of the building. She remembered being quite glad they had set up in seperate labs...for more than just increased productivity.

Hearing a pounding on the stairs outside that signified the researchers return, she and Link braced themselves as the door blew open to the overwhelming force that was Purah.

"YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT I DID THE OTHER DAY!!"

As if her ears weren't still recovering Zelda tried in vain to shake the ringing from them as Purah continued her barrage of words to which Symin patiently opened a book against on the other side of the room, giving the princess a playful wink in the process.

Drawn back to the bouncing women, she gazed curiously at the picture frame she had turned image first into her chest.

"-and then it worked!! Using my rune I was able to transfer the image I took from your slate and apply it to the guidance stone to create an accurate image of what the camera had captured!! It was absolutely genius of I do say so myself and now you can have a physical copy that you can save and won't get lost due to shortage of storage space on the slate!! ISN'T THAT NEAT?? SNAP!"

She stepped back a bit as the picture was shoved directly in her line of vision. It was of all of them, the Champions, moments after Daruk had slammed them all together. Daruk had the biggest grin she had ever seen on his face with Urbosa looking only slightly jostled beside her own shocked form. Link too had an open mouthed gasp beside her which if she remembered was one of the few sounds he made around her during their first few times together. She remembered the way Mipha had almost fallen but grabbed onto Link at the last minute, making her an incoherent mess for a while afterwards and how Revali actually had fallen flat on his beak, getting up to yell at Daruk profusely while Purah had been fiddling with the slate. It was a fitting picture for them and she couldn't even imagine how to express her gratitude to Purah.

"Ah, don't mention it Princess! It was my pleasure, and I got to see what my guidance stone can do with it's new modifications!" She chirped over Zelda's attempts to thank her. "I can download images from my own camera rune onto the stone and then project a copy onto a surface. It takes a long time though, so it's not very practical but I can also store the images to download onto yours or another slate to fill the compendium feature! With that, you'd be able to find whatever you need or be warned about the proximity of an enemy by turning a censor on with the device with a snappity-snap! Though...that's mostly theory, I still have to work out the kinks of it, but I can store picture data for later use!"

"Fascinating! Is this what you've been working on with the slate you made?"

"Yes, though mine is rudimentary compared to your authentic. It works in much the same way, I just have to figure out how to make it more power friendly since it requires solar charge a lot more often than yours."

They talked for a while longer on what they had been doing before Zelda decided they needed to leave.

"Father wants me to journey to the Spring of Power before coming back and I'd like to visit the base in Akkala to report back with on my return."

"Just don't push it too hard Princess. Things will work out if only you let them. Praying is for waiting for things to happen, science is for forcing them to happen!" So saying a low rumble was heard as something seemed to explode outside, causing Purah to look at the back door excitedly.

"SYMIN!!!" Purah ran screeching out the door, leaving the perplexed duo to stare after her before looking at each other.

"Should we-"

"Absolutely not. If things are blowing up that's definitely our cue to leave." Zelda cut Link off before he could even finish his suggestion, flinging open the front door and leaving quickly, Link hot on her heels.

"This is delicious!" Zelda exclaimed.

They were seated comfortably at the table in Links house, enjoying seasoned meat on toast and fried wild greens on the side. His cooking didn't compare to the meals she'd enjoy at the castle, but they were different in a good way. Everything was bursting with flavor and had a nice home cooked quality to it. She'd definitely miss this when they returned from their journey.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, it's one of my favorite meals since it's so simple."

They finished their meal quietly as the sun began to set, letting the cozy home be lit up with the lanterns flickering on the beam fastened above them. It was really nice,sitting like this. She could almost pretend it was just a normal night and she had decided to dine at a friends house for the evening. Their silence was companionable, a sharp contrast to the icy void that lay between them before. She caught him flexing his hand once or twice trying for subtly so she wouldn't even though she did. Each time though she would be met with a look that clearly conveyed 'later'. So for later she waited.

After everything was washed and put away, which she helped with despite his protests, he gestured for her to follow him. Out the door they went, circling around the small stable where their horses happily munched their hay in, around the big apple tree and to the base of the hill that stood tall behind the house. Climbing up proved to be a bit of a challenge particularly towards the top where it grew quite rocky, but eventually they made it to the flat peak with a peculiar pond in its center.

"Why does it look like a broken heart?" She asked, pointing to it.

"The story around here is that someone got their heart broken by someone else, so they dug out this pond to confuse people as to which heart shaped pond they should go to to find true love. That one's on Tuft mountain east of the Faron region, but sometimes people mention this one since it's just rumored as a heart shaped pond on a mountain. It's supposed to stand as a warning to any seeking love that it can be torn away just as quickly. There's also other versions that say the lover died, or that it wasn't a lover at all but a friend."

He looked down at the divided pond with just a hint of sadness leading her to again question what it was that brought him so low at the Domain. Before she could ask however he motioned her over to where he was walking, taking a seat and swinging his legs over the edge. Following suit she looked to where he had directed his attention and gasped in wonder.

It wasn't quite the view that you could see from the Plateau, but it was never fair to compare the flames of a candle. Rolling hills and valleys of green with thin brown roads snaking through them spread out underneath them. The twin summits of the Dueling Peaks Mountain stood tall against the sky and if she squinted to the space beside it she could just make out the small figure of Vah Medoh circling above Rito Village. Looking to the right provided a view of the smoking Death Mountain which occasionally had its rivers of lava blocked out no doubt by Daruk moving his "toy" around. Right in front of them she could see the deep series of valleys and mountains that hid Kakariko Village and beyond that she could just make out the tallest spire of Hyrule Castle. All blanketed by a dark sky freckled with a million stars to watch over their travels.

Link reached behind him and brought out a small lantern he had grabbed from home. Lighting it, he set it between them and sighed.

"I used to come up here a lot to get away from everyone. It's quiet and no one really comes up here, especially since it's behind my house, though we never minded people visiting."

Zelda hummed in acknowledgement. "I can see why. It's beautiful."

They simply sat together for a time, gently kicking their legs against the side of the mountain and listened as pebbles rained down to the path below. The sun had long since set and it was getting chilly, but neither of them minded as their soft breaths turned to gently curling vapors in front of them.

She might not have noticed that Link had taken off both of his gloves had she not been trying to subtly peek at his expression. The flame from the lantern flickered and danced across his pale skin and at first she thought what she was seeing was simply a trick of the light.

"Link?" She questioned, slowly raising her head to look in his eyes.

He flicked his gaze away hurriedly. "You wanted to know before, why I wear gloves all the time. This appeared the day I drew the sword."

The symbol of the triforce looked as if it had been freshly carved onto the skin of his hand with a crude knife wielded by either a child or a maniac. What she thought was dripping blood at first she realized were darkened veins underneath, shooting out from the symbol and crawling an inch or two up his wrist. Small bumps that looked almost like open blisters peppered the skin here and there almost blending into the veins they were on top of. She looked up at him again in shock, the question clear though she was rendered speechless from the image.

"The entity within the sword made it clear I was not meant to wield the sword, saying I did not carry the triforce of courage and that I never would be able to, but she would make an exception because of the circumstances. When I pulled it, I felt excruciating pain shoot my arm coming from my hand, and a small mist sickly purple seemed to envelope me, I don't know if it was from the sword or something else and I never got any answers. But since then I've had this mark, and within the past year it has only gotten worse. You speak often of omens predicting the Calamity's return. I think this may be one of them."

Looking at the hand once again she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Did anyone else know? Had he tried to heal it? Why did it pain him sometimes and not others?

"Mipha tried healing it once, but doing so made her ill so I never let her touch it again. Temperature seems to bother it, almost like arthritis and when I'm close to Ganon's forces it begins throbbing. It isn't exactly a pretty sight and draws too much unwanted attention, so it's easier just to keep it covered. That's why I never take my gloves off. I apologize if it bothers you."

He made to cover it again but Zelda quickly reached out and stopped him. Gently she took the affected hand in hers, gauging his expression to make sure she wasn't hurting him unnecessarily. Other than curious, his expression bore nothing so she twisted her fingers in his and looked out again on the view of the kingdom, squeezing his fingers slightly in hers. Feeling him squeeze back she smiled, taking in all the night had to offer.

Zelda glanced once more over their packs to make sure they had everything they needed. They had hung the picture Purah had given them in Links house after she had reasoned it would be safer than taking it on the road and risk ruining it. Seeing everything in order, she hopped into the saddle, smoothing her hand down Maladicts neck and gently petting its mane as she addressed Link.

"To the Akkala Citadel next, yes?"

Link nodded. "We'll reach that before the Spring and I'd like to see my father before returning to the castle. You'll be checking on progress?"

"Yes. This citadel is the last stand should Ganon's forces come this far. There are many guardians stationed not only there, but throughout the region so it theoretically should be the safest place to go should the attack get out of control. A quarter of everyone's forces is stationed there, so it should prove to be an interesting visit. I hope we can find Sir Alec amidst all the activity."

They started their horses into a gentle trot, content to take their time to Akkala. That was their last stop before returning to the castle. After that, they need only travel to the Spring of Wisdom when Zelda finally came of age. She looked to Mount Lanayru's cloud covered peak, feeling anxiety twist her guts cruelly within its grasp. Her hands tightened on her reins and her legs squeezed automatically in her discomfort. Feeling this, her horse thought she meant it to mean to go faster, whinnying loudly and flying forward. Gasping she passed a surprised Link who called after her with a mix of amusement and concern.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Deciding to go with it and hugging her horse's neck, she laughed in glee as the wind whipped her hair from her face, lifting her spirits with it.

"I'm going to save Hyrule!!" Laughing joyously she quickly disappeared through the trees, her loyal knight coming fast on her heels.

Chapter Text

"Most of our forces are relocating closer to Hyrule and the other provinces, but our Akkala stronghold still needs to be set up in case we need to fall back on it. This is where many people of this region will retreat to as well since it will stand as the safest place in this region to come to if things go south. I traveled around a while back to make sure everyone had somewhere to go in the event of a full scale attack, and this will be the main place from parts of Eldin all the way to Zora's Domain if they are caught between the two. It looks like they're making great progress." Zelda spoke her thoughts aloud even though she knew Link must know all of it as they crossed the great bridge leading to the Citadel. It was a comfort to know so many guardians would be protecting this place in case the attack got out of hand when Calamity Ganon struck. She could see the Gorons carrying their large canons up to where they were needed, and Hylians and Zora worked side by side to reinforce the wall of the keep and set up the various defensive positions along them. There were even Rito flying around helping to carry things easily from one level to the next, and scatters of Gerudo working with Goron and Zoran smiths to craft highly durable weapons for all who needed them. It really was a significant sight to behold, everyone doing their part so the Kingdom could have the best chance it could to defend itself.

They dismounted and took the steps two at a time to enter the vast space that served as the front entrance to the keep. The entire thing had been carved out of the large but narrow mountain centuries prior, and now it would serve as Hyrules stronghold in war. Even more weapon smiths were scattered about in here, and off to the sides there were cadets training with knights to learn the various combat techniques necessary for this scale of battle. Not many would stay here when it began, most traveling as quickly as possible to the castle to defend everyone that would be taking shelter there. About a quarter of them would stay to defend the ones from the region who would come here however, working the canons and defending the entry points along with the guardians to make it as safe as possible. With everything in position it would be nearly impossible to penetrate the impressive force set to defend, and Zelda smiled in relief at the thought. No matter what happened, the people in her kingdom would be safe and that was what truly mattered.

"I'm going to walk around and make sure everything is going smoothly. Please go and look for your father, I'll be fine."

Link nodded gratefully and disappeared into the hub of activity. Zelda turned and made her way over to the weapons station set up in the far corner, taking in the piles of swords and shields gleaming in the lantern light.

"Will we have enough?" She asked the Goron playfully, who was currently sat pounding away at a fresh blade pulled from the furnace.

He laughed joyously. "Honestly I think not. People keep pouring in from everywhere and gathering supplies to take back to their stations. We've been working non stop and have an entire room dedicated to weapon reserves. A few thousand more should do it!" So saying, he slapped down the heavy claymore into a pile of several more heaped in a rickety wheelbarrow, slapping the side gently to signal the other to take it away. She watched as he forced his way through the crowds to a side room that she could only imagine held the reserves he had mentioned.

"I'm glad to see everything in working order! Remember to take breaks though alright?" She turned on her heel and made her rounds to the other groups of warriors, researchers, and delivery persons that made up the eclectic gathering in the keep.

There were groups testing out the weapon durability before they were put into storage, messengers carrying orders for more supplies to bring back to their provinces and training groups swapping strategies and experience with the other races. Packed wagons and mules filtered in and out from the front door, laden with the various swords, shields, bows and arrows needed by different stations around Hyrule. Rito offered their services in carrying messages all over the land, some just flying out while others collapsed in cots, wings shaking from exertion. Maps were seen everywhere pointing to where different stations were and what was needed in each, weathered soldiers pouring over them meticulously so as to not overlook a single detail. Blankets and other things of comfort were being sewn together and taken down below to where she assumed the safe haven to be located, and cooking pots surrounded by jars were set up along the walls being tended to by anyone who had spare hands to put food into storage for however long the battle raged. Wide eyed children were being shown around with strict instructions on what they were to do in the event of an attack and if they were somehow separated, parents speaking in urgent whispers to frightened young ones who nodded in an understanding that was much too mature for their age.

This in particular struck at Zelda's heart in a painful stab of emotion. Seeing all of this brought up the possibility of failure to protect the ones she had sworn to since she was very young. All of these people's lives counted on her and her alone. If she couldn't access her power…

She looked away from the wide eyed stares of children who had to grow up fast in the wake of the Calamity, of parents desperate to make them understand that they might not make it, of the worn but determined looks of the knights and soldiers who had sworn to lay their lives down for the protection of Hyrule and the Royal Family. She knew it was selfish, but in the light of where she was next going to pray to plead for her awakened powers for the safety of Hyrule and all she held dear, she couldn't face the weight of the reality that was before her.

Looking around carefully, she spotted Link speaking with his father. Deciding to go and wait as she had seen enough, she made her way over to them, stopping as she began to hear their words.

"...and I know it can't be easy. I'm so very sorry you were thrust into this fate so early in your life. But after this...perhaps things can go back to normal."

"Dad-"

"No I just...I'm so proud of you, Link. I know that whatever happens you will do everything you can. As much as I wish I could just keep you safe with me...you have a destiny, a fate, that is bigger than all of us. You and Princess Zelda are our light and hope in these times of uncertainty and I want you to know, no matter what happens, I love you with all of my heart. You are my pride and joy my son, and I couldn't be happier even if I had all the answers our kingdom needs right now. You do what needs to be done, you'll have the might of the entirety of Hyrule at your back."

Zelda watched as his father drew him close, clinging to him almost desperately as if he hoped he could erase everything that was happening and drive back the war himself, if only to keep his son safe. They stayed that way for a while before Sir Alec gripped Link's shoulders tightly and drew away reluctantly.

"I must go and tend to my own responsibilities. Please, no matter what, stay safe. If you find you cannot handle whatever it is that you will face, promise me you will draw back and keep yourself and the princess safe. Tell me you won't barge in regardless of the danger. I know you are brave and strong...but please."

Link smiled a small, sad smile. "I'll promise only if you do the same."

They both grinned before his father was called away to a waiting group.

"You are welcome here any time. If things go south, please return here where you will be safest if you can. We will protect you until a plan is set that you can execute."

"I will." Link's ears drooped slightly as he watched his father join the training group, beginning a demonstration of fighting some enemy or another. He turned and spotted her standing awkwardly off to the side and made his way over.

"Are you ready, Zelda?"

Instead of answering she lowered her head. "I'm so very glad you have such wonderful support. I wish I could Express my gratitude for your father for all he is doing for our kingdom...and for you."

Not waiting for an answer she turned to leave. "Let us go to the Spring."

The water tugged gently at her dress as she shivered slightly in the cold. Fresh green scents carried from the fields above the cliffs and loftier her hair away from her face in a manner that was quite comforting. Hylia did not seen as menacing as she did at the Spring of Courage, clasping her hands lovingly to her chest as she smiled softly at the forlorn princess. Zelda folded her own hands on a similar manner and began to pray, deciding to speak out loud as she usually did, hoping the knight stationed behind her wouldn't mind.

She thought of all she had seen on her travels and all she had witnessed at the Citadel, desperation clawing insistently at her chest as bitter words threatened to bubble from her throat. Swallowing down the burning emotion, she folded her hands tighter and gazed up at the loving face of her goddess and began to speak.

"I-I come seeking help. Regarding this power that has been handed down over time. Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away. Or so I've been told all my life..."

She let her hands fall to her sides into the cool waters of the spring, letting all of her doubts pour forth to the silent statue.

"And yet...Grandmother heard them...the voices from the spirit realm. And Mother said her own power developed within me. But I don't hear...or feel anything!"

She felt tears of frustration slip down her cheeks as she clasped her hands back together, reaching them up towards the ever silent goddess.

"Father has told me time and time again...he always says 'Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!'"

"Curse you." She spat as her hands threw themselves back down, making water splash up her already soaked dress. "I've spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I've pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods, and still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion. Please, just tell me..."

She wrapped her arms around herself as more tears cascaded down her face. She was powerless to stop them, like so many other things. Lowering her head she finally broke down fully.

"What is it? What's wrong with me?!"

They took their horses into the stable as quietly as they had done everything else on their trip back to the castle. Anger and sadness still fought for domination over her thoughts as she removed her horse's saddle and bridle from it before leaning against him and softly petting down his neck. Link said nothing as he began brushing the dirt and sweat from Epona, petting her gently with his other hand. Zelda sighed and turned to him, fighting against the tears that still threatened to fall after all this time.

"I'm sorry for my behavior. It is quite...unbecoming, I realize. We won’t need to travel anywhere until next week so please relax and enjoy the lull in activity. I'm going to retire to my room, have a pleasant night back."

She didn't wait for him to answer and walked to the door that led directly into the castle from the stable. Not wishing to see her father at the moment she went straight to her room where she shed her travel gear and slipped into a comfortable nightgown. Deciding not to bother with bathing her travel weary body until the next morning she simply snuggled down into the soft sheets and squeezed her eyes shut tightly. As always, her sobs only echoed back at themselves, receiving no answer from the unforgiving night.

Chapter Text

'The Twilight Era is a part of Hyrule's history we know very little about. Though people who were close to the Hero of that particular era did on more than one occasion mention Light Spirits. Little else is known of the Twilight Hero's journey other than he defeated many foes and ultimately shattered the cursed mirror the fearsome beings known as the Twili sent out in an attempt to conquer our world for themselves. See more about these beings on page 182.

'Hyrule was only separated into four provinces at the time, but through expansion and changing climates Hyrule now has been divided into 15 different provinces which was made official some 10,000 years ago through Sheikah intervention and negotiation. The Hero of Twilight often mentioned beings known as the Light Spirits which were said to watch over their respective province a millennium ago. Faron, Lanayru and Eldin were each responsible for their respective part of the kingdom, with a lesser known Spirit, Ordona, presiding over the now non existent village of Ordon. Not much more information could be gleaned from the old records other than the fact that these Spirits were in allegiance with the Hero of Twilight, Princess Zelda and the Golden Goddesses. We can only assume, if these Spirits were real, that they were a manifestation of either the Goddesses themselves or deities made by them to aid in the Hero's quest. See more about the Era of Twilight on page 178.'

Zelda sat back in frustration. She had been researching the Era of Twilight in hopes that she would be able to figure out how the Princess of that era had sealed away Ganon and had thus fallen down the rabbit hole of speculation. She had thought perhaps she could learn more about the ancient deities known as the Light Spirits to perhaps attempt to call on them for help, but according to this they may not even exist. The Hero's deeds were barely recorded for that era, which was strange considering there was fairly accurate documentation even from before this detailing the Hero of the Sky's heroic quest, even if much of the documentation was lost to time. If she ever met the Hero of Twilight...she scoffed shaking her head. Of course she never would and thinking about it was only wasting time.

Leaning back over her book, she failed to notice a quiet figure walking towards her from across the room, who promptly received a chucked book to the face after startling her from suddenly hopping onto the table, apple falling to the floor in their surprise.

The book fell open in Links lap as he shook his head in mild amusement. "I don't know why you need a knight to protect you. All you need is for the battle setting to be a library and you're set."

She stared at his cheeky grin incredulously. "Where did you even come from?!"

"...the hallway outside the library."

Glaring at him she snatched the book off his lap and set it back in front of her as he retrieved his fallen fruit.

"A knight gets tired of his secluded stations sometimes. I thought I might come in and see what's been keeping you here for six hours straight." He looked pointedly at the various books and notes stacked haphazardly around her.

"I was studying the different deities ancient people used to worship...I thought maybe...maybe I could gain help from them."

It was quiet save for Link munching thoughtfully on his apple before he decided to speak. "My mother didn't worship the goddesses."

"What?!" How in Hyrule could she have not? Everybody did, since ancient times everyone living in Hyrule worshipped Hylia and the three Goddesses. Was his mother mad?

"She worshipped the land instead. She used to say the trees listened better than any Goddess could ever hope to." He turned to her with a lopsided grin. "Strange I know, but she believed what she would."

Zelda hummed in acknowledgement, still stunned by the fact that there was someone, maybe more than one person, who renounced their faith in the goddesses. She honestly hadn't considered such a thing possible but in light of her own thoughts...best not to think too hard about it.

"I wish there was more information on these Light Spirits. It seems the Heroine of Twilight never saw fit to recount his adventures. He disappeared shortly after Ganon was defeated and the last of the Twilight banished, so there was really nothing for the scribes at the time to record other than what they could get from individuals who had interacted with him prior to his disappearance."

Link leaned forward, careful to keep his sticky hand away from the table and books. "Why do you think he disappeared? Was it by choice, or was he taken away?"

"I couldn't even guess." Zelda shook her head in confusion. "The people he lived with apparently don't even know what happened. He was there one moment and then...nothing. They couldn't find his horse, so they assumed he left of his own accord, but after so long without even a trace they simply stopped looking and tried to move on. He didn't even stay long enough to be decorated for his accomplishments. It says the Princess sent out hordes of knights to turn over every stone of the land in an attempt to find him but that too turned up nothing. Even the Great Fairy knew nothing, though I'm skeptical as to whether or not she was real or simply a highly decorated individual."

"Don't old stories tell of four Great Fairies in this age? One is supposed to watch over Kakariko even."

"That huge flower bud or whatever it is is probably some sort of undiscovered flower. I very highly doubt it houses a fairy in it. Why would she choose to stay dormant for so long inside stuffily closed petals?" The idea of fairies at all baffled her. She never understood believing in something you couldn't study.

"Hmph. Only a thought. I've heard of Light Spirits before though. That there were four for each province of Hyrule before it expanded. Do you think, if they were real, there would be eleven more since Hyrule is divided into fifteen provinces now?"

"I couldn't say. And even if I knew, I'd doubt they'd show themselves for us to know." She snapped the book shut in frustration, having wasted a day learning absolutely nothing that was useful to her, only rumored speculation and old folk tales that held no merit in modern times. Sighing, she neatly stacked the books and grabbed up her notes. "I'll be returning to my study before dinner. You're welcome to make yourself comfortable anywhere you like."

"The stone wall it is then!" Link replied cheerily, leaping off the table to follow her. Rolling her eyes playfully she made her way up to her study, intent on shutting out the world with Divine Beast maps and controls until her early celebratory birthday dinner the King insisted on having before she would leave in a day's time for Mount Lanayru. She shuddered at the thought and simply decided to ignore anything else until the time came. It wouldn't do to twist her stomach before a meal after all. She had appearances to upkeep.

Zelda sat back and stretched her aching limbs. She finally had all of the schematics and protocols noted down in her research journal for further safekeeping and understanding. She still didn't know everything she needed to know to fully control and utilize a beast, but it was a good start nonetheless. She felt quite proud of her accomplishment for the day and tried to keep up her happy mood through the dark thoughts of the future that threatened to consume her if her concentration should break for even a moment. She heard the sounds of mechanical movement outside and stood excitedly to see if they had finally gotten a guardian to respond to their commands. It was a wonderful new study she hoped to take part in and she quickly pushed back her chair and ran to the door, happily waving Link over to observe the researchers progress with her.

They watched as the Sheikah scientists moved with the guardian carefully, its legs stabbing and gripping into the ground like a giant mechanical spider. Its head swiveled from side to side but that also seemed to be in control, nothing like the one that had gone crazy the day Link had saved Purah.

"Incredible." She breathed. "We're at a point now where we can actually control them. At the current rate we'll soon know all we need to know about the guardians and the Divine Beasts. And, should Ganon ever show itself again, we'll be well positioned to defend ourselves." She smiled happily, Link returning it with a grin of his own. She shook away the lingering thoughts of her failing to meet the Goddess's favor, content to be happy in the moment for once.

She frowned as Link suddenly stood ramrod straight, a deep voice pulling the strings of dread back around her in a tight vice.

"What are you doing out here, Zelda?"

She turned and tried to find her voice, seeing Link kneel down beside her in respect. She closed her hands in determination. She wouldn't let him talk her down this time. She would stand her ground and show him what she was doing was worthwhile. Her studies, her specimen research, assistance with the guardians...it was all worth something!

"I...I was assessing the results with the experiment with the guardians. These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the-"

"I know that." She really should have expected him to cut her off, but it made her flinch all the same.

"They are essential to Hyrule's future and our research demands we keep a close eye on them." He continued. "However, as the princess you currently have a crucial unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom!"

She sighed quietly and looked down. He was going to give this lecture? Now? In front of Link and the other guards to humiliate her into submission? Surely-

"Let me ask you once more, when will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?"

Close to tears already she looked up in desperation. Is that all he thought she was doing? Is that all he saw when he looked at her?

"I'm doing everything I can. I'll have you know that I just recently returned from the Springs of Power and Courage where I offered every ounce of my prayers to the Goddesses-"

"And now you are here wasting your time. You need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training! You must be single minded in unlocking the power that will seal Calamity Ganon away!"

"I already am! Don't you see there's nothing more I can do!" If the Goddesses refused to answer what else was she supposed to do than research other ways to unlock her powers, other ways to be useful to her kingdom other than that which she was clearly unsuited for?

A final plea she uttered in defense of everything she was trying to accomplish. "My hope...my hope is that you...that you will allow me to contribute here, in whatever way I can-"

"No more excuses Zelda!" Her father roared, shaking his head. "Stop running away from your duty. As the King I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on. I command you to focus on your training."

He turned and made his way over to look out upon the still working guardian. "Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you?"

Startled she snapped her head up, tears falling down to the bricks below. No, not this. Not again.

"They are out there at this moment, whispering amongst themselves that you are the heir to a throne of nothing. Nothing but failure."

She squeezed her eyes shut as she continued to tilt her head to the ground, listening to her father's final words.

"It is woven into your destiny that you prove them wrong. Do you understand?"

"Yes." She replied quietly. "I understand."

Without giving her a backwards glance he turned sharply and left, leaving her staring at the stone bridge beneath her feet without a string of hope to grab in the ocean he'd left her in. She turned and quickly made her way back inside her study, silently shutting the door behind her.

Zelda sat straight backed and uncomfortable next to the King at the dining table. Nobles sat with their haughty kerchiefs tucked in their hautier clothing as their heads grew fuzzy with the heady wine they were guzzling at the castle's expense. Thankfully it had been a mostly quiet affair and she was hoping she'd be given permission or an excuse to slip away soon. This was supposed to be an early celebratory dinner but it was more for her father to keep up the appearance that everything was fine. His image, of course, being the only thing that mattered.

"So tell me, Your Highness." A narrow nosed man with an obnoxious 'accent' addressed her. "Why is it the Goddesses haven't deemed you fit to wield their abilities yet hm? I'd feel so much better if I knew my safety was guaranteed."

She glanced at her father but only received a nod and expectant look. She sighed and turned back to the man.

"I suppose...I suppose I just haven't tried hard enough." Her voice turned mechanical with every word ripped from her lips. "I have to train harder to receive their divine blessings."

"Hmph. Here's hoping." The man went back to eating, and she simply hung her head as King Rhoam said nothing in defence of her. He had given up entirely. And she supposed...so had she.

Zelda had wanted to take one last detour before Lanayru Mountain. They had found a Rito messenger at the Colosseum who had agreed to inform all the Champions to meet her and Link at the East Gate of Lanayru road where they would figure out where to go from there whether she had received her powers or not. They would regroup and form a plan and from there...what happened would happen. Everything was coming into place and even without her abilities she felt they were in an excellent position to fight back. She pet her horse's neck lovingly, receiving a happy nicker in reply.

Everything would be fine.

"Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount. That's the only way it will know how you truly feel. Your advice was quite helpful thank you." She looked up at Link, who was gazing at her happily. "This little one and I are getting along quite well now."

"At first, I wasn't sure if I should outfit him with all the royal gear, I thought, maybe he should have to earn it first." She looked at the happy white stallion whose head was held high with pride. She smiled fondly. "But it works he wears it like a true natural. I'm trying to be a bit more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt you know?"

He shook his head and chuckled quietly, looking to steer them up the ramps that lead to the horse statue. She climbed down once they were up, going over to stand and look out at the expansive view offered by the vantage point. She shifted her gaze to a towering mountain in the distance. The same one she had been so close to at Hateno village. Hearing Link behind her, she began to speak quietly.

"See that mountain? That's Mount Lanayru." The wind whispered quiet reassurances through her hair as she continued. "It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom. Lanayru's decree is very specific. It says, no one is allowed under the age of seventeen, for only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain."

"I've prayed at the Spring of Courage, and at the Spring of Power yet neither awoke anything inside me."

'When will you stop treating this as some sort of game?'

'Need to dedicate yourself'

'It isn't enough'

'Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you'

'Nothing but failure'

"...but maybe...up there. Perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three will be the one. To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there's always the chance that the next moment will change everything."

"Tomorrow is my seventeenth birthday."

Holding her breath, she turned to face her steady knight, gazing at her with rapt attention and quiet sadness. She let out the breath and held her head high, as if that would make all the difference. Determination lent a small bit of itself to her as she spoke the words she had dreaded for so long.

"So then I shall go." The wind stilled leaving only the sound of the horses softly pawing at the wooden boards.

"...and make my way up the mountain."

Chapter Text

"It's going to be quite a climb." Zelda commented softly as she gazed up at the mountain that held the final Spring. Wisdom was her final hope, the one that was supposed to change everything. She would pray with everything she ever had and hope that they would finally give her the answers she needed to save her kingdom. Everything, the balance of good and evil, her entire kingdom, the lives of everyone she had ever held dear to her heart...Link most of all, it all hung on a fraying string she was desperately trying to piece back together in time. If she couldn't convince the goddesses she was worthy up there on the mountain she didn't know what else she could do. There was nothing else. This had to work or she would doom the entirety of Hyrule with her incompetence.

"Are you certain you want to wear that all the way up? It will get quite cold." She heard Link as if from far away, though his concerned face was a mere foot from hers. The afternoon sun shone through his hair and intensified his blue eyes nearly beyond comprehension. He wasn't wearing any warm layers either, sporting his usual trousers and boots with his Champion tunic pulled straight under the Master Sword. She simply nodded. She would be fine, bundling up wouldn't show her true dedication afterall. Best to arrive like she would at any other Spring regardless of the temperature.

"Let us go." She began walking careful steps towards the base of the mountain. There wasn't an official path they could take but an old goat trail that meandered up and around until one could find their footing all the way up to the Spring. Taking no notice of Links outstretched hand she began making her way up the narrow path, holding her dress up tightly so as to minimize falling risk. About a quarter of the way up she began to softly speak, raising her voice just above the octave of the wind.

"I don't expect this to play out any differently than the other two Springs. I think I've learned by now the Goddesses don't want me and have made it perfectly clear with their silence. So...tell me...do you believe we will emerge from this war victorious even without my powers?"

All that could be heard was the slight crunching of their footsteps as it grew colder and stiffened the path they walked upon. The wind picked up slightly, making them both shiver and a lone wolf howled in the distance but dared not come near. A light dusting of snow from the higher altitude began to slip them up but still they carried on.

"I think," Link replied carefully. "That no matter what happens up on the mountain, we will emerge victorious if only through the might of the Beasts and the guardians and our army. If Ganon is to truly be sealed away once again, an answer will come to you, whether it be now or later. When we are truly in need of their intervention, I believe they will aid us."

Zelda hummed and continued on as she listened to his next words that seemed to come from a longer time of thinking than five minutes ago.

"Zelda, if you truly cannot unlock the powers you have resting inside of you, no one who cares about your wellbeing will hold it against you. We will stand behind you firmly and do all we can to protect you and the kingdom. You need to understand, this Spring does not have to represent the end. I will defend you with my life, not because it is my duty and not because I'm supposed to because I hold the Master Sword. I care for you deeply, and I refuse to let something like this make you feel as if everything you've done up until now was useless."

She stopped and turned slowly, looking deeply into the eyes of the person she had grown to love despite their rough start. It truly was amazing what time could do. Thinking this she glanced up to the top of the mountain where the Spring of Wisdom was waiting, feeling a new hope flicker faintly within her. Turning back to her knight, she smiled slightly.

"I believe you are absolutely mad but...I appreciate your words of encouragement. I-" She couldn't continue, fearful of what she might speak aloud if she did, so she settled on another tight smile. "We're nearly there I think. Shall we go?"

Nodding firmly, Link stepped up to help her up the slightly icy end to the trail, both truly shivering now as the altitude change did nothing for the slight chill they had experienced before. Her sandals did her no favors as she struggled the last stretch to the top but eventually with Link's help and a healthy dose of adrenaline she managed to regain her footing enough to finally gaze upon the Spring of Wisdom.

Bathed in icy surreal beauty the Goddess statue stood strong against the actual mountain peak that jutted up behind the spring itself, a picturesque landscape frozen in time immortal. Slowly she stepped forward transfixed on the icy pond, she barely heard Link address her before turning away in his usual manner.

"I'll be right here. We all believe in you, Zelda."

Smiling slightly she laid her hands on a stone that looked like it could have been a tall pillar at one point but had eroded from the strong winds to a mere shadow of its former self. She stopped right before the water started, looking at the thin film of glittering ice that protected the pool below, wanting to bathe in the relative tranquility for a little while longer. She thought about her father and how disappointed he would be when she returned with nothing. She thought of her land and people who were counting on the mere six of them to protect the entire kingdom. She thought of all her studies and specimens still sitting in her study and the small silent princess seed she had procured from a field study that she was diligently trying to coax into growing. She thought of Purah and her research lab and of Impa with her entire village she kept running. Clara, whom she regretfully had been too preoccupied to say goodbye to before she had left the castle. All of these people, all of these lines, struggling to connect for the simple fact that they were missing their grounding hope. Her. Everything lay before her in a state of infinite possibility, waiting for her to change the next moment with something she had no hope in.

Looking straight ahead and closing her eyes, she lifted her gown and stepped lightly onto the ice, splintering it under her foot as she stepped in the freezing pool. A violent shudder ran up her spine as she stepped in fully, letting her gown drop as she gingerly picked her way across the slippery stone to clasp her hands in front of the Golden Goddess Hylia. Opening her eyes once more she stared intently at the neutral face of the goddess depiction, feeling her heart swell with dread at the prospect of everything hanging so precariously on this moment. The wind stilled finally, letting her long hair hang limp down her back, the lank tips dipping into the pool and causing ripples to flow away from her in a mesmerizing pattern. The water stung her legs with needles as the temperature dropped a little more with the setting sun, still high enough to give several hours of daylight but low enough to lend no aid to the shivering princess. She took a deep breath feeling the frost laden air nip at her insides before she exhaled in a long calming sigh. Grasping her fingers tighter together, she began.

"Gracious Goddess Hylia, I come to you seeking guidance and assistance in carrying my plea to the ever Sagacious Goddess Lanayru. I have poured my heart and bared my soul at the Spring of Power and the Spring of Courage but I have received no words of guidance to lead me upon the path I must undertake as the Princess of Hyrule. This..." She lowered her hands and simply watched the fading light reflect upon the face of Hylia who offered nothing to her pleas.

"This is my final chance." Squeezing her eyes shut and wrapping her arms around herself she dared not let the tears fall that threatened at the brim of her lashes. Voice breaking, she slowly continued.

"All my life I was told my powers would awaken with time. After my mother died, I had no one to instruct me on how this feat was to be accomplished. I trained everyday with sages and priestesses to learn to clear my mind and open myself to divinity. I kneeled in front of you until my knees bled and I couldn't feel my fingers for twisting them so tightly. I prayed aloud for so long my voice grew hoarse and I could barely speak to start over again the next day. Everyday of my life was dedicated to pleasing the goddesses enough to grant me a power I knew nothing of to seal away Ganon when the time came."

"The time has come and passed and still it is as though I have done nothing for ten years since this entire mess started! I have tried for so long to remain faithful but my devotions have fallen upon deaf ears for a decade now. When will I know if I have succeeded? Is there supposed to be a sign? I feel no different than when I was a child and that's all I am ever told I still am even now when I am seventeen and pleading to a Goddess who still ignores my presence after all that I have done to be worthy of her blessings!"

The hot tears rolling down her cheeks cooled quickly and made her face unpleasantly stiff but she didn't care to notice, fully yelling now as she grew frustrated with the ever present silence that had haunted her since she was small.

"What have I done wrong? What have I done that would warrant absolutely no divine intervention for this long? A war is coming. Any day Ganon will rise and his armies with him and so far it seems I am simply destined to watch helplessly from the sidelines! I need your help! Just...please."

"Please, just say something. Show me something that I can work from. I just need one thing to allow me to know you truly have heard me, even just once. Please."

The imposing statue stayed straight and silent, its face giving away nothing as Zelda continued to simply stand in front of it in utter defeat. She didn't hear or see anything. She didn't feel anything. She was numb, on the inside and out and the cold had never felt so bitter.

"It's getting cold. Please come out with me." She heard Link's voice filter through her ears slowly as if she had dunked her head under the pool. She felt herself being gently tugged out of the freezing waters and set down on a bowed stone at the entrance. She looked up into his concerned face and shook her head slowly.

"Nothing. There's absolutely nothing more." He didn't respond as she let him gently take her hand and pull her up, leading her limp form back towards the trail down the mountain.

Link suddenly doubled over at the mountains base, causing her to stumble a bit as she lost her grip on his steadying hand. Laying her hand on his shoulder in concern, she saw he was clut hung his right hand tightly with his left, face wrinkled in pain.

"Link? Link! What happened? Are you alright?! Let me see!"

Slowly his face relaxed and he waved her off. "It's fine now, it was probably nothing."

"Let. Me. See." She held her hand out and he sighed before laying his in it. She gently pulled off the glove and gasped at what she uncovered. The blisters seemed to have popped into bright yellow pus that pooled under the skin, the veins seeming to have darkened further and crawled an inch or two more up his arm from where they had stopped before. The carved triforce throbbed as the gouges seemed to widen, the surrounding skin pale in comparison. Fear struck her heart as she ignored the thought of what this might mean, slowly pulling the glove back into place.

"Does it hurt?" She asked.

He shook his head mutely, pulling his hand back and sharing her look of fright.

They walked slowly beside each other as the other Champions came into view, all of them waiting for the news of her hopeful triumph. She knew she had to face them, but the closer they got the more her feet dragged. She dared not look any of them in the eyes as she approached with Link close by, hearing Daruk address her first in a slightly lower volume than his usual boisterous outbursts.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up there on the mountain?"

Zelda halted her footsteps in the middle of their group and looked down, slowly shaking her head in defeat and seeing all of their shoulders droop in disappointment. Having no tears left to give she simply stared ahead, waiting for them to berate her.

Revali stepped forward, feather decorations blowing in the warm breeze. "So you didn't feel anything? No power at all?" His voice was surprisingly unaccusing, just curiosity laced with a tone of odd concern.

"I'm sorry no." She replied quietly, not looking at him as she moved to clasp her hands tightly in front of her.

"Then let's move on." Urbosa proclaimed. "You've done all you could, feeling sorry for yourself won't be of any help. After all, it's not like your last shot was up there on Mount Lanayru."

Daruk's thick chained jingled as he nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away, we just have to keep looking for that...thing." Urbosa finished.

"That's kind of you, thank you." She struggled to speak as her voice threatened to break again and again, looking up as Mipha stepped forward tentatively, fingers twisting together nervously in an almost mirror image of Zelda's.

"If I may..."

She looked up into her friends golden eyes, kind concern washing over her in a comforting wave. She nodded slightly for her to continue.

"I thought you...well...I'm not sure how to put this into words. I'm actually quite embarrassed to say it." The last rays of sunlight glinted off her headpiece as the nervous Zora struggled to form her thoughts.

"But I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing, you know, what usually goes through my mind. I-it helps when I think...when I think about-"

A strong tremor raged through the ground under their feet, effectively cutting off the timid girl's speech. Even Daruk struggled to keep his balance as they all gasped in fright. She felt Link grab her arm to steady her as Revali shot up into the sky to see what was causing the disturbance, his wings stuttering as he took in the sight before him.

They all waited with bated breath as thunder was heard rumbling powerfully in the distance and a monstrous roar vibrated their very cores as it made itself heard above the gathering storm.

Revali landed as Urbosa stepped forward. "It's here."

"This is it then." Daruk replied.

"Are you sure?" Mipha asked quietly.

"Positive." Revali affirmed.

"It's awake. Ganon." Not here, not now! This couldn't possibly happen now...they were so far away from their stations, so unprepared for this moment...and her powers…

Dark thoughts swirled through her mind as she saw a boiling mass of ugly purple clouds overflowing the sky, bright lighting flashing in a deadly display of the omen they were finally witnessing. Everything took on a muted tone as they blocked out the sun that was trying desperately to give its final rays of hope to them while another deafening roar was heard in the distance. Wait, that was the direction of the cas-

"Let's stop wasting time. We're gonna need everything we got to take that thing down. Now Champions! To your Divine Beasts! Show that swirling swine who's boss!" Daruk spoke confidently as he looked at each of them in turn, eyes burning with the determination of all of Death Mountain combined. "Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack, this needs to be a unified assault. Little guy! You get to Hyrule Castle! You can count on us for support, but it's up to you to pound Ganon into oblivion!"

Link nodded and moved closer to her as Urbosa gripped her shoulders. "Come, we should go. We need to get you someplace safe."

'Nothing but failure'

'Childish game'

"No!" She wrenched out of Urbosa's grip and stood determined before them all, mind racing with regret and desperation. "I'm not a child anymore! I may not be much use on the battlefield, but there must...there must be something I can do to help!"

She looked pleadingly at Daruk while he simply scratched his head. Revali spoke up.

"We need to go. This standing around is obviously the last thing we can do that's remotely helpful. Urbosa, climb on, I'll give you a lift to the desert on the way to Rito Village. It'll be faster that way." So saying he turned quickly and flared his wings, tapping his foot impatiently.

Urbosa turned to her and smiled proudly. "Stay safe, my little bird. I know your mother would be proud." She laid a careful hand on her cheek before getting onto Revali's back and hanging on for dear life as he rose swiftly in the air, heading for the desert. Daruk nodded at them and turned to Link once more.

"Protect the tiny princess, Link. Take care of yourself." Curling in a tight ball he proceeded to defy the laws of physics as his superior Goron strength rolled him quickly up the mountain. She turned Mipha as she spoke urgently.

"It will be faster for all of us if we cut through Kakariko and run down to the wetlands. I'll accompany you that far before I depart for the Domain. You can count on Ruta and I to be there for you. Now come on!"

They ran swiftly through the panicked village of Kakariko, having no time to stop and check on Impa. It would only serve as a distraction to the Sheikah leader anyhow so they continued on swiftly to the road. Tripping unceremoniously down the steep hill they stopped and stared at the focal point of all the chaos. Hyrule Castle.

"Father..." Zelda hoped with everything she had the residents inside the castle had made it all right and they were in the designated safe areas. The guardians would protect them for now but she had no idea exactly what they were up against yet. She turned as Mipha addressed them one last time.

"Please take care of yourselves. I know we will prevail, but be safe! I shall see you again when all of this is over!" She shared a last lingering look with Link before she sped quickly towards the wetlands, leaving them standing in the remote field. She found it odd she couldn't hear any battles going on, but she found relief in the fact that perhaps the armies probably hadn't emerged with Ganon or what few had had already been taken care of. They just needed to get to the castle and defeat the source and everything would be fine.

Link looked at her as he took her hand tightly in his, both sharing looks filled with determination to fulfill their mutual destinies.

And they ran.

Chapter Text

Everything was chaos.

"Everyone get to the pools below! Please remain calm, get to safety!" Mipha raised her voice to a near scream to be heard over the crowds. Fellow Zora gathered hatchlings and rode down the numerous falls to the pools below the architected Domain. Others scrambled for their weapons and raced to the numerous points along the cliffs to defend their home. She sighed a quick relief as she noticed her father tugging Sidon along, sharing a brief look with them both as she raced to the bridge that led to the reservoir. No time for farewells or stay safes, she needed to get to Ruta now.

Slipping and bashing her knee off the steps leading to her chambers she hissed in pain but sped on, reaching her courtiers and dashing to the connected pier. System flooded with adrenaline she nearly didn't notice her own trident and an extra laid out at the end, but she grabbed them up gratefully and hastily strapped them to her back as she drove into the waters. Diving deep, she followed the waters path until she could race up a waterfall leading to the tallest flat peak of Ruto's Mountains where Vah Ruta sat patiently waiting for its pilot.

Scrambling up to the entrance she swung aboard the silent machine. The air inside was worryingly still but she paid it little mind as she grabbed up the rune control to pilot Ruta. The plan was to wait for the signal that would be given to their runes via Zelda's Sheikah slate and then, as one, shoot the powerful beam straight at Ganon's location to weaken him for Link. A unified assault, as Daruk said, would be the most advantageous course. After that, they could move the beasts wherever it was needed to protect their homes but they had to await the signal.

She gazed out at the castle from her perch atop Ruta's head, seeing the dark swirling beast that she could only assume was Ganon moving around the castle in an almost protective manner. Something was wrong with the view of the great castle, but no matter how she squinted she couldn't figure out what it was. Streaks of dark purple clouds rained down on the land and she had only a second to wonder what they were before she noticed a rather large one heading straight for her. Eyes widening she leaped down to the room below and began running to the far end of Vah Ruta as the cloud suddenly filled the Beasts interior. Disappearing in an instant she stumbled and looked around in confusion. There was nothing around her, not a trace of the cloud that had just engulfed her. Looking down to her rune she saw that the mini map of Ruta was gone, the screen wiped clean of the controls that had once cluttered its surface. Truly concerned now she hurried to the main control unit in hopes she could reconnect it. The control unit glowed a bright orange stopping her in her tracks as she grabbed one of the spears from her back and looked quickly around the room. Nothing seemed amiss that she could see, but the very air felt...wrong somehow. She made her way carefully to the unit and laid her rune atop of it praying it would work.

She fell back with a pained gasp as the cloud shot out from the unit and shoved her back, shattering the delicate rune in the process. She looked around at a shining blue light that was convulsing and seemed to be trying to take form on the other end of the room. Standing shakily she quickly touched the unit and was relieved it responded to her, however haultedly. Quickly tapping out a distress call to whatever network the beast could find she gripped her spear and turned around, going pale with fright as she saw what monstrosity lay before her.

The thing screamed at her as a large spear jutted from a contraption on its arm in place of a hand, its other hand gripping into a tight fist as its wild red mane shook behind it. A mask reminiscent of a seahorse she had once seen housed a crazily spinning eye that looked exactly like the eyes of the guardians scattered around Hyrule. It's long body writhed in the air as it raised its spear above its head.

She dove quickly to the side and rolled to her feet as the long reaching spear missed her by inches. Assessing its weak points she determined if she could get close and avoid the hand she might be able to dispose of it rather quickly. Leaping over the next thrust she darted out of reach of its grasping claws and struck out with her own spear, sending showers of sick goop from its body as she stabbed into the mess of condensed purplish clouds that made up its torso.

Ducking under the hand again, she managed to stay behind it and get a few good hits in before she saw it raise its spear and stab it into the ground. She was sent flying backwards into the wall as a shockwave thundered out from its strike, punctuated by a triumphant scream from the monster. She stood up shakily as a high pitched pinging sound was heard. She looked down in time to see a red dot focused on her chest and dove to the side just as the laser shot out. Everything went white and she heard a high pitched noise ringing in her ears. After a second she realized she was screaming, the smell of burning flesh permeating her nostrils while she tried desperately to crawl away. She dared not look back at the leg she couldn't move, not wanting to see the mess that was surely waiting for her. Grabbing her trident she flipped over onto her back and swung at the creature looming above her. It merely stabbed out it's own, knocking away her weapon and bringing the tip down into her uninjured femur. Her vision swam as she merely gasped weakly, the last of her strength gone as she watched its clawed hand ready itself above her. She closed her eyes as she sent out a quick prayer for her people.

"Please let the Domain stay safe. I'm sorry Princess Zelda, Link. I wasn't strong enough."

Opening her eyes she watched the hand come down as if time slowed purely for her benefit. Its claws glinted in the moonlight as its shrill scream of victory echoed throughout the chamber.

"I know you both will prevail."

Her world blinked out as the hand reached her throat, leaving her floating in blissful darkness.

Daruk rolled right past Goron City, the frantic yelling barely penetrating through to him. He knew they would be fine. The guardians would protect the entrance and he would soon be at the Goron's Divine Beast. Everything was under control.

He continued rolling right up Death Mountain, mindful even if he couldn't see very well of the rivers of flowing lava he was balanced precariously on the edge of. Reaching the top in record time he quickly unfurled and launched himself at the Beast, calling on his protective shield as he bounced to a stop along the surface. Stopping to grab up his stone smasher he had left by the main control along with the control rune he looked around suspiciously, seeing nothing out of place but feeling a presence he couldn't explain. Looking down at the rune he squinted in increasing suspicion as he saw the tiny screen was blank.

"Why do the Hylians and Shaikah make everything so damnedably tiny!" He grumbled as his huge in comparison fingers tapped uselessly at the screen to no avail.

"Something's not right." He muttered as he moved around to the main control unit, placing the rune on the pedestal to try and get back the easy rune function. Swiftly throwing up his shield as a dark mass blew out from the controls he turned and watched as a mass of something began forming above the floor. Setting his mouth in a grim line he turned and tapped out a quick distress call into the network, gripping the smasher in his massive fist and turning once again to face whatever it was that was intruding his Beast.

Short and stubby in stature with a wild red mane trying to make up for it, the thing screamed out its challenge as it extended both of its darkly swirling arms. A wickedly glowing axe shot out from one arm while the other held a ball of flame as if its hand were a candle wick. Crouching and readying his own weapon, Daruk snarled through the things high pitched shriek.

"I don't know what you are, but GET. OFF!" So saying he whirled around and caught its grisly torso, slamming it back and off Rudania's back with a mighty war cry. It hung lifeless in the air a moment and Daruk rested his weapon on his shoulder triumphantly and waited expectantly for it to die, frowning when it simply hung there. It straightened slowly, lifting its masked face to focus its spinning guardian eye on its opponent. Flinging out wide its stubby arms, a wall of flaming orange encased the monster, looking suspiciously similar to Daruks own protective shield. It rushed up to him swinging its giant axe towards the started Goron, who snapped out of his trance just in time. Swinging his own weapon he knocked the thing off balance and brought his arm back around to smash the mighty weapon into the shield.

It shattered on impact, splintering back against him and into his eyes as he stumbled back with a pained yell. Effectively blinded he instead used his fists against the shield desperately trying to break through, feeling his skin crack and bone shatter as he relentlessly pounded away. He felt it rise up and a searing pain erupted through his abdomen as what he could only assume to be the axe buried itself deeply into him, blood splattering against the shield making it too slippery to continue his weakening punches. Falling to his knees as the weapon was wrenched out of him his ears began ringing as all feeling distanced itself from his body. He felt as if he was floating away while the monstrosity's screams got further and further from his range of hearing.

The last thing he thought as he shut down completely was an apology aimed towards the tiny princess and her knight for failing so miserably.

"Where do you want to land?" Revali called as they crossed the Gerudo Highlands and into the wall of heat that marked the start of the desert.

"On Naboris!!" Urbosa answered, struggling to be heard over the high altitude wind.

Not answering to try and conserve energy, Revali flapped desperately to reach the crouched beast, landing a little harder than intended and nearly knocking off his passenger in the process.

"Stay safe and keep your wits. Plan to meet at the castle when all of this is over."

"Right." Calling on the winds once more, Revali flapped strongly and shot into the sky, angling himself to catch as many updrafts as he could get on the way home. His great bow dug into his back but his only focus was getting to Vah Medoh in time. His wings strained from exertion as he struggled to remain airborne, gritting his teeth in concentration as his vision turned to a mere pinprick of light with Medoh focused at its center. Reaching it finally he collapsed upon the wide open expanse atop the Divine Beast, heaving in a pile of distraught feathers while he struggled to compose himself. There was work to be done and he'd be damned if he was a tick late because of his little trip around Hyrule. This was nothing he thought, struggling to shake off the weariness in his stance. Nothing that can't be handled.

Retrieving his rune he frowned as nothing lit up the thin screen when he tapped it. The map of Vah Medoh was gone along with all of its functions and upon looking up he saw the main control unit had changed from blue to the orange it had been before he had gained control. Snapping his bow from his back and unlocking his quiver in one smooth movement he cautiously approached the ominous unit, straining his ears to hear anything over the howling wind.

Before he had even gotten to it a cloud of foul smelling vapor erupted from the controls, shooting out a ball of bright blue substance that began to take form across from him at the other wing. Throwing up his bow and taking to the air he quickly caught it with his talons and drew out an arrow to nock against the taut string, squinting and waiting for whatever it was to take form.

A long body ending in pathetically flailing leg stumps uncoiled from the mass of blue. It's one arm hung low with the weight of a bulbous contraption with several spinning guardian eyes positioned at the end of it. Large stubs protruded from the apex of it's back and a gnarled hand twisted disgustingly at its other side. It threw its head back and screamed as its crimson mane blew around wildly, focusing its gaze on Revali just as he let loose his first flurry of arrows, hitting directly into it's open eye.

Screaming again the thing fell to the deck as he descended upon it with a short sword he had grabbed from the control unit earlier, stabbing it through its upper shoulder hoping to dislocate the huge arm from its body. The clawed hand came up suddenly and raked itself across his unprotected back, cutting deep bloody gouges through feather and flesh. Screaming he fell sideways off the thing, sword dropped and forgotten as he watched the monster float back up and focus its bulkier arm on him. Getting up and flying just as it began shooting, the laser shots left flaming craters where he had just been.

Grabbing up his bow again he quickly focused and began shooting special bomb arrows all around the thing, hoping to simply blast it to oblivion. When the smoke cleared however it lay upon the deck with nary a scratch, the protrusions twisting sickly from it's back and coming to hover in the air as their owner floated lazily up with them. Swearing profusely he barely dodged the shots they rained down upon him, not even seeing the swirling mass of wind in front of him until he was thrown to the floor with a sickening crack, his great bow splintering against the ancient stone. Feathers too mangled to allow him flight he began running to the control panel in a panic, desperate to reach it in time to send out a distress call, his fear overpowering his pride as he realized he wasn't likely to make it out of this alive.

Squealing in pain as a stray shot found its way through his torso he collapsed in his own sprayed blood as another shot pierced his upper arm and another wormed its way through his leg. Blind panic overtook him as he began to crawl the last few inches to the panel, fingers tapping out the distress call as quickly as he could as another shot exploded right beside him, showering him in debris as he was slammed back into the pedestal, his back forming into the metal at an alarming angle as he lost all feeling from the waist down. He supposed it was a blessing in disguise as he looked at what was once his foot, now a mere stump shot off at the mid calf. Looking up through bleary eyes he watched as the monster's arm grew brighter with charge as a high pitched whining grew louder and louder to pound against his sensitive ears. His gaze hardened as he stared down his death with fear hammering his heart against his chest.

"I hope you're luckier than me, Link." He choked out to the unforgiving wind.

Then his world exploded.

Urbosa dropped into Naboris with her sword and shield already drawn, thanking the goddesses for her foresight as a blurry red streak flew past her putting a deep gouge into the gemmed metal of the day breaker. Looking as the streak stopped suddenly, she only made out a mess of unruly red hair surrounding a twisted mask of Sheikah metal before the thing moved in a blurringly fast zigzag pattern towards her again. This time being ready, she deflected its blow and stabbed forward, slicing through goopy flesh and tender bone. Satisfied it was at least stunned for now she quickly ran to the control unit and sent out the agreed upon distress call into the network, hoping it would reach through.

She turned just in time to parry her assailant's attempt at decapitation, she twisted around and slammed her shield into its face, breaking it in half in the process but stunning the creature enough to attack without restraint. Taking the halves of her shield she stabbed one through the already gaping wound in its torso and sent the other biting into its shoulder. Snapping her fingers decisively its entire being convulsed as lightning rained down and through it. It fell limp to the ground and she whipped out her sword again as she walked to it, intent on finishing the short battle so she could aid the princess as quickly as possible. Stopping abruptly she watched it's twitching form rise up slowly, convulsing as the lightning made its way through its body and to the tip of its sword, where it gathered the crackling energy into a tight ball and flung it back at her.

Leaping up she grabbed a hold of the walkway above her as the ball exploded below swinging back and slamming her heels into the face of her quickly approaching foe with her gathered momentum. The thing screamed and swung its sword wildly, slicing a deep gouge through her taunt midsection, painting everything in the vicinity a deep red as she choked on a scream and fell to the floor below, legs snapping and crumbling with her weight as she slammed down with the monster.

Her vision went black as she stuttered out a prayer towards the heavens, watching as the bloodied monster rose back up and readied its weapons once more.

"Be brave my little bird." She whispered out into the chambers. "I couldn't be more proud of all you have accomplished."

She smiled lightly as the twisted monster descended on her prone form, content and at peace as she watched the sword cut through the air.

Chapter Text

Zelda's breaths came out in frantic pants as she struggled to keep up with Link. Her eyes darted around Hyrule field, growing ever more uneasy at the lack of enemies and battles going on. Castle Town looked like it was smoking but she couldn't make out from what at this distance as rain began to pelt down on them relentlessly, thunder clashing in the distance.

"Link, something's wrong!" She shouted over the storm, to which he glanced quickly behind her and nodded, pulling her forward in desperation to get to the castle. A sudden pinging gave way to an explosion that sprayed debris over them in a spray of mud and pebbles. Link quickly picked up a conveniently abandoned shield and drew his sword, shoving her behind him as he frantically scanned the area for whatever the guardian was shooting at. She glanced around with increasing confusion as the laser started up again, seeing no one but themselves in the open fields.

She turned and shouted out which sent Link spinning around to shield them from whatever threat she had pointed out, starting in surprise as he realized the laser was focused on them rather than an unseen enemy. Deflecting the blast perfectly the guardian was swiftly defeated as it stuttered out and fell to the ground. She took a step out from behind Link staring at the defeated guardian with growing dread. The guardian...it had been the same color as the clouds that had erupted from Ganon. She turned to the smoking town surrounding the castle. It couldn't be…

Link dropped the mangled shield and turned to her. "I'm not sure how safe the town or castle will be-"

"I need to get inside." If there was any chance anyone inside the castle was still alive, she needed to know and get to them. "At the very least we need our horses."

Their mounts had been deposited back at the castle stables before they had headed for Mount Lanayru since it would be difficult getting them up and through the road at the top of the hill at Kakariko. They had been borrowing horses from stables until they had made it to the village, wanting also to let their steeds rest from all the traveling they had done, but now she regretted not taking them as she watched flames catch rooftops and stray lasers color the sky.

Link paused before nodding and gripped his sword tighter. He held out his hand and she took it and held on tightly as they scurried to the tall stone wall that served as protection for the castle and surrounding town. He looked at her one last time before taking a deep breath and leading them both into the chaos that the town had become.

Her eyes widened as she took in what was taking place right in front of her. Houses caught fire as people frantically ran in every direction to escape the flames. Children and adults alike cried and huddled in alleyways as rogue guardians clawed their way up and over rooftops to destroy everything in sight. Soldiers lay dead or dying in the streets, their bodies trampled by mechanical and organic feet alike, swords laying strewn about like a child's game of sticks. Looking up as they ran to the stables she saw the swirling mass of Ganon circling the tallest spire of the castle as bricks or huge chunks of wall flew to the sides of her home from explosions caused by the guardians. Smoke filled her vision as they passed another building on fire, squeezing her eyes shut as the loud screaming she realized came from within the house itself abruptly stopped. If she had her powers...could she fix any of this?

They reached the stables quickly and stopped short as they watched an entire wall collapse in on itself, ashes flying up in a spray of mock confetti. Links face turned pale as he hurried to the burning building, looking back and screaming at her to be heard over the overwhelming noise.

"Stay outside! I'll be right back out!"

She watched as he disappeared through the smoke and took the chance to look around once more, blood chilling in her veins as a guardian stepped off from a building quite close to where she was currently standing. Her legs shook as she slowly backed into the stables and turned to find Link.

"What are you doing?!"

She ran to where he was forcing a pen open, her royal horse stamping in panic inside. Running to help she shouted back. "They're everywhere!"

Seeming to understand what she meant he kicked the door in finally and quickly soothed the frazzled horse, lifting her up and onto his back.

"No time for saddles, sit tight!" She watched as he dashed over to the other side where his horse was frantically neighing in fear. It seemed everyone else had saved their horse and gotten out, only these two left with a few shapes that looked suspiciously like fallen steeds laying still under burning rubble. As soon as she caught sight of this the smell of burning flesh registered and she had to hold her breath to calm her rolling stomach. She heard a loud creaking noise and looked up in time to see a large beam splintering right above where Link was trying to clear debris to free his own horse, screaming out in fear.

"Link!! Above you!"

He jumped back just as it slammed down to earth, blocking his path and catching the remaining space on fire as the poor mare bucked and screamed in fear. He stood and went to step forward, watching helplessly as the flames climbed higher and the horses' whinnies grew in ever increasing octaves. She tried to dismount to try and help but he was already turning away, shoulders shaking as he hurried towards her and jumped behind her.

"Link-"

"We have to get out. The castles blocked off, we need to get to Kakariko." So saying he gave her horse a quick nudge and they galloped out of the building and back into the burning apocalypse outside. He grabbed the withers in front of her to steer and they deftly ran through the streets and alleys desperate to outrun the flames that greedily licked at their heels. The horse reared suddenly as a flaming flag's pole collapsed in front of them, and while Link tried to turn and go around she caught sight of a family huddled close in a narrow alley, cowering from a nearby guardian. The woman she assumed was the two children's mother covered their eyes as she frantically looked around for a means of escape, the opening behind long since blocked off. She noticed the guardians head swivel and catch sight of them, calling out as it set its sight on them.

"Move now!!"

The alley exploded in a shower of sparks and debris, the family gone in an instant. Zelda choked on unfallen tears as she stared at the spot they were just in, jostling around atop her mount as Link finally regained control and steered them around, unaware of what had transpired. But by then it was too late. The guardian turned at her scream and focused on them instead and she cried out in fear.

"Link!"

"I know!" Focusing ahead he urged the horse faster, hearing the laser power up completely and release just as he jumped the horse over a fallen wall just a few yards from the edge of the town. Maladict screamed and landed completely wrong, Link wrapping his arms around her tightly and leaping from him just before he landed hard on the brick road. She landed on her shoulder, gasping out in pain as her skin was scraped against the ruined stonework and shattered glass. She heard Link grunt painfully behind her as he must have landed worse but he quickly pulled them both to their feet and ducked behind a short wall. Her horse whinnied pitifully as the guardian approached it, laser charging again as they seemed to have escaped its notice. She buried her face in Link's heaving chest as it fired, cutting off Maladicts' cries and moving away quickly as something else caught its attention. She felt her knights arms tighten around her and he stood cautiously, tugging her close and whispering quietly into her ear.

"We need to go."

"But I can't...we need to find a way into the castle! My father-"

"Zelda, listen to me." She looked up into his frightened eyes and found herself at a loss for words. He was afraid? He had the Master Sword...surely…

"I can't get past that many guardians on my own, especially not while protecting you. I know how capable you are, believe me, but my priority right now is to keep you safe. We need a new plan, if we can get to Kakariko and signal the other Champions, we can figure something out. Right now we need to leave." He searched her eyes as his grip on her tightened slightly. "I'm sorry."

Swallowing hard she nodded. He was right of course. But her father…

Another explosion rang out and they both turned in time to see chunks of debris flying from the top of the castle where the sanctum would be and another boomed as an entire side of her former home blew apart before their eyes. Tears gathered as she gripped Links hand and allowed herself to be tugged away, starting to run again as they finally reached the outside of the town. Cutting through the field they ran along the river that would lead them to Dueling Peaks and Fort Hateno where they hoped to bypass the guardian filled field and get straight to Kakariko Bridge. She looked up at the sky as they slowed a bit, seeing something not quite right.

"Link wait!"

Stopping immediately he turned to her with confusion, looking up to where she was pointing. Only two red lights lit up the sky, the third blinking out as they watched the fourth flicker. She looked at him desperately, wanting to believe anything else than what she most feared.

"You don't think..."

The fourth light winked out and all at once she became aware of a faint beeping at her hip, grabbing the Sheikah slate hastily and turning it on. Distress signals beeped out on four points on the Hyrule map, exactly where the Divine Beasts were stationed. Her hands began to shake as Link carefully took the slate from her and hooked it back to her belt, saying nothing as he took her hand again and started to run once more in the direction of Dueling Peaks. The pain of all she was losing slowly seeped through her adrenaline charged body as they raced through a thin cover of trees beside the river, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she struggled to keep up. She felt her foot catch on an upturned rock and her hand slipped from Link's secure grip, knees crumbling underneath her and palms slamming into the wet earth below. Curling her fingers into the dirt a wave of anguish overtook her and she began to shake, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to block out the fearful screams that still echoed in her ears. She thought of the swirling mass above the castle and broke completely, stuttering out her emotions to the rain that continued to pelt down around her.

"How," she whimpered. "How did it come to this?"

She felt Link crouch down in front of her, patient enough to stop and listen to her even like this, spirit broken with chaos burning behind her.

"The Divine Beasts...the guardians...they've all turned against us. It was...Calamity Ganon. It turned them all against us." Reality slammed down on her as she realized the truth. All of her research, her careful planning...oh Hylia even her speeches she gave for her people across Hyrule! She had told everyone the guardians would keep them safe...and all of those people in Hyrule Castle...all of the people that had been setting up in the Akkala Citadel...everyone she had tried to protect…

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter as she thought of the families crouched fearfully in the alleyways underneath raging guardians, the families telling their children in hushed whispers at the citadel to go where the soldiers and guardians were if they were to get separated.

And what of the Champions? Had they gotten out of their Beasts before the attack? The thought of the distress call pinging from her slate hit her in her twisting gut. They hadn't...they wouldn't have been able to make it out if Ganon had taken them over long enough for them to notice and put out the call. And the lights had blinked out one by one...after they had tapped out their emergency signals.

"And everyone-Mipha, Urbosa, Revali and Daruk..." she looked at Link who was leaned over towards her listening intently. "They're all trapped inside those things."

The dam finally broke. She buried her face in her ripped hands as tears cascaded down her muddy cheeks. "It's all my fault! Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost all because I couldn't harness this cursed power! Everything-everything I've done up until now...it was all for nothing."

Her head shot up at the realization and she practically yelled at the one person she had left. "So I really am just a failure! All my friends...the entire kingdom...my father most of all..."

She looked back up at Link as her entire being dropped in defeat. All hope washed itself away from her with the tears that still ran rivers through the dirt on her cheeks.

"I tried and I failed them all. I left them...all to die." Her voice faded to a whisper as the last of her strength left her. She squeezed her eyes shut as her overwhelming emotions welled up in her throat in a pitiful wail aimed at the unforgiving sky. Not caring she threw herself into Link's arms, heaving her emotions out in waves as she felt his arms encircle her tightly, saying nothing as he simply let her soak his already wet tunic. The noise of the rain and the side of her knights arm did nothing to muffle her wails of defeat. She hadn't bothered to say goodbye to Clara before she left, hadn't been able to give her beloved horse once last pet before he was ripped away from her, she hadn't even been able to make her father proud even once before he...before he had…

She shook harder against Link's steady form, feeling him rub gentle and comforting circles on her back as he pulled her closer. He never once spoke and for that she was grateful. She couldn't bear it if he tried to reassure her now. Not when everything was lost. Everything had been for not and she was the only one to blame.

Her cries eventually died down to hiccups as she pulled back in shame. Not only did she fail miserably in every way possible but she was wasting precious time and compromising what little safety they had by crying on the ground like a child.

"I..." her voice failed as she twisted her fingers in her lap painfully. She looked up as Link reached to brush the few remaining tears of her swollen face as he gazed at her solemnly.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. Know that I don't blame you for anything that has happened. No one could have known the guardians could be turned so easily and though I know you blame yourself, it wasn't your fault and I know the others would feel the same."

She reached up and held his hand to her cheek tightly, heart swelling with gratitude for still having this kind boy to share her unfortunate fate with. Dropping her hands she stood up shakily and shook her hair away from her eyes.

"We need to get to Impa."

Nodding Link stood and offered his hand which she took tightly in her own. As long as they were together, she thought, they could figure a way out of this.

"What are we going to do?" Zelda whispered in fear as she looked on at the guardians darting out from the field and onto the road they needed to get by to reach the bridge. Link clenched his jaw as he scanned around looking for a way through shaking his head as the outlook seemed bleaker and bleaker. Both their heads shot up as they heard a laser charging, realizing the guardian had spotted them. Link jumped up and yanked her away to run for the burning stable for cover.

They crouched behind it as their heads whipped around to look for a way out, another guardian spotting them in the process. They had no choice but to run deeper into the field where numerous bodies and guardians lay strewn about in the haphazard pattern of battle. Shoving her behind him he darted forward and sliced through two of the legs of an approaching guardian, a third whipping out and digging deep into his leg as it slammed him to the ground. Screaming in pain he stabbed the sword through its underside and twisted viciously, rolling out of the way just as it slammed down to the ground dead. He limped quickly back towards her as another guardian approached them, this time grabbing a shield off the arm of a nearby fallen soldier after muttering a quick apology. She cowered behind him as she looked down at his profusely bleeding leg. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of losing him as well but she quickly shook her head and looked on at the current battle. Two lasers had their focus pointed towards them and he deflected both perfectly as they blasted out, defeating two more out of the hundreds that dotted the field. The shield fell broken from his arm and she noticed his left wrist was terribly mangled. He couldn't keep doing this...neither of them could.

"Link, please just leave while you can, I'll be fine." He looked at her briefly and took her hand tightly, eyes flashing with the fire behind them.

"Never in a hundred years."

They ran through the battlefield, ducking behind walls and dropping into the tall grass to avoid the deathly machines at all costs. They were making progress, getting halfway through the field when they heard a distinct pinging sound behind them.

They failed to turn in time as another laser shot out. Link threw her away from him quickly as he dove the other way, yelling out in pain before getting up slowly and approaching the monster. This one was stationary, its legs having been already cut off with swords strewn about its body as a testament to the battle it fought and won in the end. Bringing his sword up he stabbed it right through the eye to cut off its next blast as the entire thing went dark. She got up slowly and tried to keep her balance as her ears rang loudly, vision swimming while she tried to focus on the darkening spot at Link's side he was clutching in pain. Meeting in the middle they leaned against each other, utterly exhausted. Link fell to his knees heaving and she fell with him, clutching his shoulders in fright.

"Link! We need to get you out of here, you're going to...I can't lose you too!"

They both looked up as stabbing footsteps thundered their way towards them, yet another guardian crawling over it's dead companions and setting its deadly sights upon them. The awful pinging rang in her ears as Link stabbed his sword to the ground and stumbled to his feet, not saying a word as he stared down their defeat.

"Link save yourself, go! I'll be fine, don't worry about me. Just run!" She watched helplessly as he ignored her pleas and stood swaying in front of her. The guardian rose tall and imposing as embers swirled around its red glowing body, its pinging growing louder as the red laser it used to aim centered itself over Links chest.

He was going to die.

And it would be her fault.

She stepped forward and shoved him out of the way, screaming her protests towards him, the guardian, the very goddesses as she raised her arm in her pitiful attempt to stop what she knew would be the end. She wouldn't stand by and watch Link die for her.

She wouldn't.

Searing heat burned through her veins as her hand glowed brightly above her head, the Triforce appearing on its back and burning right along with the power she felt coursing through her body. Her screams of protests turned to pain as the heat reached unbearable levels, veins of pure light spreading out from her hand and burning brighter by the second. Just as she thought she couldn't take any more, the heat and light burst outwards in a golden glow, expanding to encompass the entire field and forcing Ganon's presence out of the rogue machines where it retreated towards the sky. She watched with blurry eyes as the guardian fell, hearing it's dead thump echo as the rest shut down with it. She lowered her burning arm looking with swimming and dizzying vision as the light faded from her hand, leaving dark red marks spiraling down from her wrist.

"Was...was that...the power..." she fell to her knees as pain ripped it's way through her body, confusion muddling her mind while her cheek met the cool mud below. The last thing she saw was Link's boot as he crouched beside her, his lips moving as she heard nothing but a loud ringing that grew louder as her vision began fading out.

And then her world turned black.

Chapter Text

No. Nonononononononononononononono.

"Zelda!" Link collapsed to his knees painfully beside the fallen princess, careful not to jostle her too badly as he pulled her into his lap. Looking around quickly for enemies he again focused on her lax face and put a hand to her throat. His breath caught as he was met only with cool skin at his fingertips. No breaths nor heartbeat broke the stillness in her pose and he began to shake uselessly.

What had happened? This wasn't how things were supposed to happen, it was him who had vowed to lay down his life for her, not the other way around! She couldn't...she wasn't…

Tears blurred his vision as he gathered her close, ignoring the pain that ripped through his side as he did so. She had been so convinced she had failed everyone...was that why she had shoved him aside? Had that been the Goddesses power answering her prayers at last? He sobbed harder, beginning to find it difficult to breath as the adrenaline wore off and he was left very much aware of all the injuries he had actually sustained.

What was he supposed to do now?

In the span of a single day he had lost everything, including the one person he felt so much love towards despite how they had started out. And now she was gone.

And it was his fault.

Link

Link

"Link."

He looked up through the long tunnel his vision had become and caught sight of his fallen sword pulsing a calming blue.

"You need to breathe, Hero."

Still clutching Zelda tightly in his arms he tried to focus on the steady pulse of the sword, slowly matching his breaths until the darkness retreated from his eyes and he was left swaying slightly in exhaustion. He listened as the sword continued to glow for a moment before fading out and leaving his world silent once more save for the pounding rain. He looked down at his princess' still face, a tiny flicker of hope sparking deep in his chest.

"She...she can still be saved?"

"Champion!"

His head shot up at the yell and he watched as two Sheikah scouts hurried towards them. They reached the spot where he was slowly sinking into the mud and knelt before him. Before they could say anything however Link quickly cut them off.

"Where are Purah and Robbie, the head Sheikah researchers?"

"In Kakariko. They were filing different reports when the attack started."

"Take Zelda to the Shrine of Resurrection as quickly as possible and get Purah and Robbie there with her, they'll know what to do. If we don't act now we're going to lose her forever. Guard the entrance until I return with the Sheikah slate. Can you do this?"

"Yes, Champion Link."

"Then make haste and go, her life is now in your hands." He gently lifted his friend towards them and settled her limp form on one of their backs. Nodding to him they raced back out of the field to head for the Great Plateau.

For a moment Link just sat there in the mud, his head hanging low as his mind raced. Slowly he dragged himself to his feet and grabbed up the Master Sword to store it safely in its sheath. Gritting his teeth and clutching his bleeding side tightly, he slowly began limping his way to Kakariko through his steadily blurring vision. The rain helped only to hinder him further as his boots caught and stuck in the bloodied puddles scattered throughout the field. Stumbling over a soft lump he fell over on his injured side, moaning in pain as he squinted towards what had tripped him. Wide unseeing eyes of a fallen soldier looked back at him and he squeezed his eyes shut at the gruesome imagery. He curled tighter into himself as the pain of his injuries began to overwhelm him. He barely even looked up as he heard footsteps approaching from behind him, embracing the blessedly numb darkness that came to blanket his prone form.

He felt a cool, damp cloth cover his sweaty forehead as feeling slowly returned to him. Hearing filtered in as well as a concerned voice gently chided him from beside the bed.

"What were you thinking staying out in the rain so long? You could have caught your death of a cold! And all scraped up too, were you and those boys playing rough again? I've told you sword training is only acceptable when you're doing it with someone experienced like your father, and definitely not with stray sticks at that! Honestly..."

Link moaned quietly as he tried to lift his left arm up only to have it spasm with pain.

"Now don't try and move, you likely broke your wrist. I have it set but it's not going to heal if you don't lie still."

"It hurts, Mom." Link croaked out as he felt his side pull painfully and lungs rattle while trying to pull in breaths.

She hesitated a moment before answering. "...I know, but just lie still Link. Rest now, you're safe."

The voice faded out with his consciousness as he dipped back into the inky darkness.

Soft light greeted his strained eyes as Link blinked them open slowly. He didn't recognize the ceiling and he began to panic as his eyes darted around the room.

"Mom?!" He sat up with a gasp as his side flared with pain and reached to clutch his leg as the muscles spasmed up to his thigh. Hissing, he looked to his left side to see what the sudden shuffling movement was attached to.

"...Impa." He felt his face heat up as he realized what he had done. "I'm s-s-sorry, I-I d-didn't m-m-mean t-to c-call-"

"It's quite alright dear boy, you were delirious. I apologize for not correcting you but until your fever broke I felt it best to upset you as little as possible." She looked at him with kind eyes while she perched at the end of the bed and reached to take one of his shaking hands in her own. "You fought so valiantly Link. A true Hero rises in this age of chaos, though I am sorry for all that you have lost."

Eyes shooting up to her face he searched frantically for answers. "H-how long have I b-been here? Are we s-safe here? Where is Zelda? Is she safe? I n-need to-"

"You need to recover from nearly dying, that's what you need to do." Poking his chest she gently shoved him back down from his attempts of getting up. "It has only been a day, and yes, this village is safe. Purah, Robbie and a group of the village's most elite fighters are at the Great Plateau as we speak with our dear Princess. The shrine has been activated and she is...recovering...as we speak."

"The Shrine can truly...?" Tears of relief slid down his cheeks as he let the news of his friends safely wash over him in a comforting wave.

"She sustained grevious internal injuries from whatever happened when her power awoke. We believe she was not...truly ready to wield the blessings of the goddess, and when the emergency arose and she needed the help, it might have over rode her system. She was barely hanging on when my scouts found you and it was quick thinking on your part to direct them to the Shrine. It may take a long time for her to recover and awaken, and the damage to her mind is an unfortunate risk we must take if we do not wish to lose her."

Link nodded and sat back in defeat. "What am I going to do?"

"Recover, for now. Then we plan and see what can be done. Ganon's forces have retreated for now and it seems the guardians are content to stay dormant for the time being so long as we don't get close. Rest now, Hero, there's nothing to do but wait." Standing up, she blew out the candle on the nightstand and left, shutting the door quietly behind her. Link's eyes eventually grew heavy and he drifted off yet again to his painless dreamscapes.

Link jerked awake again with a pained groan. Looking around he saw no sign of Impa nor anyone else within the room and a peak out the window told him it was still night time. He sat up and grit his teeth, reaching for the Sheikah slate on the stand through his body's protests. He needed to leave. Ganon wouldn't stay calm forever and he needed to stop him before he finished planning whatever it was he was doing at Hyrule Castle.

Link tapped the slate awake and stared at the screen. He wasn't sure why he had turned it on in the first place, so he aimlessly clicked on the camera icon and started scrolling through pictures. There were many taken of the different specimens Zelda would gather and there was a lot saved on the compendium...but there were also photos of landscapes, places that he had seen her capture with her eyes full of hope and sadness. Pictures of all different times of day that had clearly meant something to her…

They had meant something to her. He remembered her mentioning the possibility of memory loss while visiting the Shrine of Resurrection. If that happened...she would need to know who she was, why she was there; she would need something to help dig up the memories of the past other than anyone who might have known her before she woke up. Maybe this could work.

Setting his jaw, Link turned the slate off and swung his legs over the bed, limping over to his clothes and gear and dressing quickly. He had stops to make before he faced Ganon. He didn't know what he'd do once he got there but the best plans were made at the last minute. He pushed away the logic that tried to dismiss the last thought so he didn't collapse in a nervous breakdown right there and quietly stole out of the room.

Seeing no one in the hallway, he made his way out of the house and jumped the railing to avoid the night shift guards. Getting all the way to the stables he quickly dug into the ground outside to scrawl a note for the owner.

SORRY. FIND HER AT HATENO.

Deciding that would have to do he led the mare out of the stable after tacking her properly and spurred her into a gallop while the guards sounded the alarm and yelled after him. He ignored their cries and guided the horse carefully through the winding road and out of the village, heading for his home for a quick stop.
Bursting through his door, Link hurried to the room under the stairs, reaching under his cot for his box of savings. Not bothering to count them he scooped it all into a decent sized bag and grabbed a spare piece of paper and a quill, sitting down on the slightly dusty floor to write a note.
"Symin!!" Link yelled through the laboratory, panting from his slow walk up the hill. His leg was throbbing and he held fast to the door frame to keep from collapsing, taking in another breath to yell once more.
"SYMIN!!" The Sheikah researcher slammed open the back door in a flurry of plants and stray papers, all bursting from his grasp as though he had just beaten open a nerdy beat-bok. He remembered his mother making him the stuffed bokoblin to hit open for treats when he was small, but shook the distraction out of his head to shuffle over to the scientist. He held out the Sheikah slate to him imploringly.

"I need to know...the slate will be with Zelda in the Shrine until she wakes up, will the pictures still be there?"

Symin blinked at him before taking the slate from his grasp. "Why are you concerned-"

"Just please." There wasn't time to explain. He just needed to know if they would still be there.

"I...I honestly couldn't say. But I'd be happy to save any pictures you'd like into the guidance stone for you. If they're that important she can come here and redownload them when she awakens."

Link nodded frantically and flopped down, wiping his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. "How quickly can you do it?"

"It should only take a minute or so. Are you quite alright? Judging from your appearance, you aren't supposed to be up and about are you?"

Link didn't answer so the young assistant simply plugged the slate in and began whatever process he needed to start.

"There's an almost full compendium, I'm not sure we have the processing power for-"

"Just the twelve pictures that aren't saved please. Those will be fine."

There was a whirring sound as the process began and after only a few moments it stopped. Symin took back the slate and handed it over to Link, who stood slowly and nodded gratefully.

"Are you sure you're-"

"It's fine, Symin. Thank you for your help." Leaving the lab as quickly as possible he made his way to the village stables, slamming down a few red rupees on the bar.

"I need a horse please. Purah will bring it back for me in a few days time." Earning a strange look from the stable master he nevertheless was guided to a young steed and was quickly set up. Not wanting to waste any more time he spurred him into a gallop, heading for the place he dreaded the most.

"I can't risk Ganon taking you for his own advantage. You'll be safer here and one day, I'm certain, I'll be back for you...if you'll have me." The beaten and muddied sword flashed once in acknowledgement and lay still. Link took that as an alright sign and got painfully back to his feet.

"What exactly are you planning to do now boy? Without that sword you may as well kick pebbles at Ganon for all your worth as a soldier." Link winced as the Deku Tree addressed him. It seemed it had never gotten over him taking the sword by accident all those years ago.

"I have a duty to the kingdom. I have to try."

"That's all you're planning to do? Try? Don't you think the people of Hyrule deserve more than empty promises from a mere child?" The Deku Tree was clearly mocking him, but Link paid it no mind. He would be leaving soon anyway.

"Yes. They do." The tree said nothing as Link picked up the Sword that Seals the Darkness gingerly, holding it with both hands as he lowered it back in its place.

Thank you for aiding me in my quest, he silently prayed. May you recover peacefully in your place of rest.

The sword fit soundly in the pedestal and Link didn't look back once as he exited the bright forest center.

Link stood in the middle of Hyrule field, his sights set on the swirling mass that circled the great castle. He had left the slate and bag with Purah to place in the Shrine before it was sealed, the image of Zelda's lifeless form lying in the chamber still burned into the forefront of his mind. He didn't have his sword, nor any other weapons to defend himself, but he knew there must be something he could do even if he hadn't a clue what it was yet.

He began walking towards the castle, barely noticing when a figure faded in beside him, keeping pace with his limping gait.

"What is it you plan to do, Hero of Ages?" Their voice was soft but confident, sounding like a mix of genders and dialects smoothed together in a way he could barely concentrate on. He felt as if he should be startled by their presence but found himself to almost have been expecting them. He shook his head as he continued on.

"I carry the duty of the Hero." He replied. "I'll do whatever I can."

The entity hummed but said nothing, making not a sound as it continued walking beside him. He saw them hold out their hand, glowing a faint pulsing green, and took it without thinking, feeling the mark on his hand sting slightly with the contact.

He didn't notice them leave, just that they were no longer there when he stepped into the town. It was practically leveled, the fountain in the center spitting pitifully out of its remaining half, soaking the bodies beneath it and rinsing the blood away through the cracked bricks. The smell of death assaulted his nostrils and he noticed more and more people; civilians, soldiers, Gorons, Zora...even a few Rito and Gerudo were scattered amongst the body count. Guardians lay everywhere, some with considerable damage, some that just seemed to be dormant for the time being. Flames still licked around a few buildings, burning them into mere skeletons to match the blackened town. He heard the roar of the malicious beast above him, signaling to him it had become aware of his presence. He walked forward slowly, noticing movement out of the corner of his eye.

His father stood glowing a ghostly pale blue, smiling slightly as he held a sword tightly in his grasp. "My son, I am sorry this fate has fallen to you alone."

His hand pulsed with power as he reached for the sword he was offered, the blade glowing a strong golden color in the fading light of the sky. He felt a pang of sadness as he realized how his father was here with him but he pushed it down. He had a job to do.

"Will it work?" He asked quietly. His father stood strong beside him as he nodded.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage." His father whispered. "Be strong Link. You may not feel as if this will be enough to save them, but I believe in you. And whether you feel the Hero's of the past's strength within you, you possess the means to fulfill your destiny."

The sky darkened a sickening purple as thunder crashed down around them. The beast roared one last time before rushing down from the castle's spire, intent on engulfing the swaying Hero where he stood. Link steadied his stance and held his weapon out in front of him, steeling his gaze as his father laid his hand on his shoulder, speaking one last time before Ganon came upon them.

"Courage need not be remembered, Link, for it is never forgotten."

Screaming its fury the smoking beast opened it's great maw in its challenge, the winds of the storm beating at Links form as he offered up a yell of his own. Taking the golden blade in both hands he uttered a final prayer with its point at the ground.

"Zelda, you are our final hope! The fate of Hyrule rests with you!"

Feeling Ganon's form engulf him he slammed the blade into the ground, creating a shockwave of light that grew to encompass the entire castle and grounds. Slowly, the sounds of the storm faded as his sword disappeared from his grip, making him stumble forward as his knees crumbled beneath him. Getting up, he realized he couldn't feel his injuries. Quickly patting himself, he felt no stitches, no gashes, the only thing pointing to his former injuries were his hastily sewn tunic. A vast expanse of white greeted him as he looked up, nothing causing even the faintest blip in his silent world.

Had he done it? Was Hyrule safe for the time being?

Where was he?

Hearing faint footsteps behind him, he quickly turned to face whatever was in here with him, reaching for a sword that was no longer there. The man stopped a few feet away from him, smirking as his crimson locks settled around his shoulders.

"Hero of Hyrule. It has been...quite a long time."

Chapter Text

"It has been...quite a long time."

Link could only stare at the tall man who looked at him with strange eyes that seemed almost cat-like, burning orange and yellow with the intensity of a blazing fire, set deep into the man's tanned face. Long, bright red hair flowed nearly to his waist which was adorned with what seemed to be a royal wrap-garb, reminiscent of the bangled skirt Urbosa often wore. A Gerudo insignia wrought in gold dangled from a shoulder strap that at one point had surely held weapons of some sort but was now empty. Muscular in physique Link was sure he could be crushed in an instant if he so chose to execute the proper maneuvers, but he made no move to even step towards the Hero, instead standing casually with his palms facing forward, the universal sign of peaceful confrontation. Still, Link eyed him suspiciously, not quite believing this man was who he thought he was for he matched no description of the evil, power hungry monster oft passed down in legends.

"You do not speak? Just as well, not many of your incarnations do."

"Y-y-you're...y-you..." Links voice caught fast in his throat as the other started in surprise.

"Ah! He does speak! Though...not very well. No matter, I assume you know who I am, young Hero?" In a casual way that had his mind reeling with confusion, the man placed his hands on his hips while tilting his head slightly, an indignant display that certainly didn't seem evil at a glance.

"G-Gan-anon." Cursing his twisting tongue, Link tried to stand taller to make up for his garbled speech though the other didn't seem to mind or even notice, nodding along to the stuttered name.

"Indeed. No need to fret, I can't hurt you here, nor can you inflict harm upon me. There are no weapons, no pain, nor want or need of food or water. Here I have stayed trapped by ancient means for ten thousand years, it feels good to be sharing the space even with the one who has sought to exterminate me for a millenia." Ganon flopped himself down in a cross legged position, motioning for Link to come closer.

"Sit with me, Hero. You'll find little else to do in this place."

Link thought for a moment before sitting where he was already standing, not trusting the demon King as far as he could throw him, which from his substantial muscle bulk was undoubtedly not very far. He seemed almost...disappointed at Link's decision but smoothed over his features quickly.

"I assume the Princess is indisposed at the moment? Otherwise I cannot imagine you trying to face me alone...and with sealing powers of your own at that. Does present day Hyrule not have a Princess?"

Link gazed at him in confusion. Surely he knew what went on around him, he had attacked Hyrule and destroyed everything, how could he not know whether or not there was a Princess? He voiced as much to his supposed adversary.

"Look around," he replied, spreading his arms wide. "Do you see anything other than an empty world around you? I may be the enemy throughout ages, but I am not the foe you seek."

"Th-that doesn't m-m-m-make a-any s-ss, any s-sense."

"In time it will. I imagine we have a long wait ahead of us Hero. We may as well get comfortable." He leaned back on his hands and smirked, showing a sharp, snaggling canine poking into his bottom lip. "For now, care for a friendly game? I'm particularly fond of I-Spy."

Link looked at him incredulously. Apparently the many thousands of years spent alone had driven the once powerful king to absolute insanity. He shuddered to think of what awaited him, and for how long.

Zelda, he thought while scooting a fraction closer to the casual Gerudo, please recover quickly for your sake and all of Hyrule's.

"I'll start. I spy with my malice filled eye, something white."

Hylia help me, was Link’s final thought as he looked at the man who was watching him expectantly, settling down a bit more comfortably as he opened his mouth to answer.

"This chamber," Purah said solemnly "will be locked tight once we leave. No one in or out until Princess Zelda herself awakens to leave it. The Sheikah Slate is locked in the pedestal where I'm hoping it will work when she needs it. When Link gave it to me he said it started flashing with symbols soon after he replaced the Master Sword and shut down for a time, though when he returned here it was working again."

"Are we certain it's absolutely safe for her to be left unattended? Who knows what kind of creatures will make their way up here." Robbie countered.

"I assure you she'll be fine. There are two sets of doors that have no way of opening from the outside and are bomb resistant at that when it comes right down to it. Nothing can get in but air. She'll heal and awaken and be able to get out easily enough. The only thing we need to worry about is how badly this long of a sleep will damage her memory and other cognitive functions, but we won't know more about that until she comes out." She began walking out of the chamber, taking one final glance at the Princess of Hyrule who was floating suspended in glowing blue liquid as it pulsed and flowed around her. She honestly looked like there was no hope left of her ever opening her eyes again, but Purah quickly shook away that thought as she turned and took her time walking down the steps.

Zelda would return. She had to.

"Ready? Stand outside that door and when I press the button I'll follow. These doors close quickly and I don't want us trapped in here."

"Right." Robbie moved to the other side as she depressed a groove on the Sheikah pedestal, darting underneath the door as both began to grind shut. A light poof of dust escaped from underneath as the sturdy slabs settled into place, effectively sealing off the healing chamber to any who would dare approach. They stood for a time just staring at the door that led to the last heir to the throne of Hyrule, praying for her protection and safety. Eventually Robbie turned to his fellow researcher.

"What now?"

Purah sighed and turned to leave, willing the tears she felt building to stay until she was alone. "Now, we wait. We continue our research for the good of Hyrule and we await Zelda's return."

The ruined castle's silhouette watched from a distance as the Sheikah scientists hurried off the Great Plateau, splitting and going in seperate directions towards their respective labs. As they left, the plateau fell silent once more, not even birdsong breaking the heavy silence that had covered all of the kingdom in a blanket of mourning.

A lone figure slowly made their way up the short hill, brown hood pulled low over their eyes and soft lantern light making the shadows dance crazily as it swung from his staff.

They sighed tiredly as they settled themselves down on a nearby rock, looking briefly over at the Shrine's entrance before settling their gaze upon the castle ruins. Laying the staff across their lap, they leaned back against a tree, nary a leaf swaying to betray the burden of the trunk.

And they waited.

Chapter Text

The previous chapter was the last of the story so I apologize if I got your hopes up for another chapter. This is just a little blurb to comment my final thoughts on this story so if you don't want to continue, no hard feelings.

This story was originally only supposed to be 18 or less chapters, just a recap of what happened pre breath before I got into what I really wanted to write, a story in which Zelda wakes up in the shrine, and her different perspective as she ventures into the ruined kingdom that she once loved. I got way too caught up in it however, but I'm glad I did. I had so much fun writing it and I loved seeing you readers enjoy it as well and share your thoughts throughout the journey. I truly hope the ending twist felt natural and like it could happen with the mechanics of the story and game, as I tried to portray it as believable as possible.

Now, for the sequel. It won't be up for a while yet, I'm aiming to start late August, early September. I'm trying to become employed and I recently picked up three seperate projects that all need to be done in August so the story planning will be a slow go. Also on that note, it will not be updating daily like this one. I want to establish a weekly to biweekly schedule for it just so I dont get overwhelmed along with whatever happens in September, so I hope you won't mind.

Occassionly I'll be posting story plan updates, concept sketches and possible covers for the sequel, so if you're interested in seeing those my artsy tumblr is paper-and-whiskers, though you'll also be seeing project updates for a while if you do choose to check in so be mindful of that.

Lastly, I just have a couple of questions to improve myself in the future, so if you feel like it, share your thoughts!

1. How do you think my writing could be improved for the next story?

2. I am undecided whether to do the sequel solely in Zeldas POV again or to do an overall narrative where all the characters thoughts are expressed. Which would you as the readers rather see?

3. Should I continue to name chapters or should I stop? Not sure how well the titles went over.

4. In the sequel, towards the end, we will be going through the master trials, or dlc, where you go into the dungeon of the great plateau. It plays a more significant role in the story but I won't spoil it. Should I include traveling Hyrule again and completing the trials and the whole nine yards, or would that be too long? I was only going to write in the plateau challenge and the shrine dungeon, skipping everything else to make it more comprehensive for the reader, but would you rather the entire thing be written out?

5. Lastly, the Yiga clan. I planned for them to be much more ruthless in this interpretation and they are earlier in this story, but would you prefer them remaining the idiotic banana bimbos they are in game or stick to what they are established as in this story?

If you choose to answer any of these, I thank you profusely as it will help me greatly in the process. If you have no thoughts, that's cool too! Thank you for reading this story and I hope you enjoyed it!

Until next time!! ^-^