Chapter Text
“I suppose it makes sense,” Zelda said, “given what we know. If their spirits persisted after death to see their duties as Champions through… it’s only logical that, once Ganon was sealed away, they felt their purpose had been fulfilled. They left our realm.”
Link simply nodded, watching her speak. Sat cross-legged on her Zora waterbed, hands clasped under her chin in thought, the Princess looked immeasurably tired. She wore a white nightgown, scavenged from her closet within the castle and yellowed with age. Her hair was neatly plaited down her back. The bruises and scrapes on her face had finally faded, but the sleepless bags under her eyes still remained. They were the same as the bags Zelda had while the Champions had still been banded together, helping her hunt down the springs. Perhaps they were the very same ones, Link realized, kept on her face by the same magic that had stopped her aging while she fought the Calamity.
When Link offered no input, she continued: “Thus, it stands to reason that, without their pilots, the other Divine Beasts have ceased to function as well. That brings our priority list to two: rebuild Hyrule, and find and train new Champions for the Beasts so that we can keep the kingdom safe.”
Again, Link offered no other response than a nod.
“Are you listening, Link? This is important business.”
A third nod; truly, he hadn’t followed much of Zelda’s musing at all. A nod or an emphatic grunt usually kept the Princess engaged in her own thought process, though.
A few beats of silence passed before Link realized his mistake. All Zelda did was wrinkle her nose-- one of her old tells, irritation fighting through a diplomatic facade-- and he knew he’d lost the thread of the conversation. Heat rising to his face, he signed, “Sorry. I was distracted.”
She sighed at him. “Maybe we should simply lay the topic to rest and continue the discussion tomorrow. I’m running us ragged. We both deserve some sleep.”
“We need a holiday, a break,” Link signed. “Ganon isn’t here anymore, we could take a week in Hateno Village to rest.”
At that, Zelda picked up the candle from their shared bedside table. “Now I know you’re sleep deprived. The Hero I know doesn’t take vacations.” The light glanced off the Zora Inn’s silvery decor as Zelda made to blow the candle out.
“Zelda,” Link said aloud.
Her eyes drifted upwards, hand still cupped around the tiny flame. “Yes?”
“I… I…” Words failed Link. Frustrated, he instead began to sign. “Zelda, I knew the Champions left us. I felt them leave.”
She slowly lowered both hands. “Link?”
“They lent me their power during my journey,” he continued. He touched the center of his chest. “I felt them, here. When we left the castle… I felt empty. They left me.”
Zelda’s eyes followed a slow path from Link’s hands, to his chest, to his eyes.
In a flash, Link recalled several instances where Zelda’s green eyes had looked into his own in the same manner. Each memory felt the same as what she was doing now; her face filled with a sudden sadness, and she looked into Link’s eyes like she was only now truly seeing him at all.
The pair sat in silence for a moment that stretched on and on, Link feeling bare and open before the Princess’ gaze.
Slowly, Zelda’s shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry, Link. You’re grieving all over again, and I’m so stubborn I hadn’t noticed.”
At that, Link leaned over the gap between their beds. “We’re both grieving,” he signed awkwardly. He touched her shoulder consolingly, lifted the candle from her grasp, and blew it out.
Both settled into their beds soon after. Zelda hadn’t been wrong; they were run ragged, and Link felt himself being pulled into sleep the second his head hit the pillow. The last thing he heard before drifting off was Zelda, muttering into the darkness: “Maybe we do need a break.”
Though the Zora royalty hadn’t been shocked by the news of Mipha’s passing, the mood of the throne room was heavy nevertheless. King Dorephan sat high on the throne, face unreadable, while Sidon stood before the Hylians.
“So,” Dorephan boomed, “What is our plan of action, Princess?”
Zelda glanced to Link, who flicked his head forward in encouragement. They’d rehearsed what to tell the Zora before entering the throne room; it was only a matter of delivery now.
“We believe the Zora should begin recruiting the youth of the kingdom,” she said. “It would be wise to consider the need for a new Champion.”
At that, Sidon stepped forward. “But, Princess Zelda! You and your courageous knight have thoroughly banished the Calamity from the land! What need do we have for the Divine Beasts?”
“It’s doubtful we’ll see Ganon again in any of our lifetimes,” Zelda said. “But I believe it’s wise to be prepared nevertheless.”
“As we begin that process,” King Dorephan said, “where will our Hylian royalty be?”
“We intend to leave Zora’s Domain for Hateno Village,” she replied. “We know of a construction company there that may help us rebuild Hyrule Castle. We'll spend one week there to gather the company, and once we've secured plans to rebuild, we’ll visit the other kingdoms and relay the same message to them that we have to you.”
While Dorephan seemed ready to approve, Sidon didn’t look convinced.
Link cleared his throat and asked, “Sidon?”
Sidon tucked his hands behind his back and grinned to Link. “I apologize. I’m simply uneasy, you see… The role of Champion has proven to be a life-threatening one, and to ask another youth to step forward while we aren’t even sure of their need…”
Link peered to Zelda for permission to contribute, which she granted with a sweep of the hand.
“We don’t need a Champion tomorrow. Take your time to recover from the Calamity, and from the loss of Mipha. Begin to rebuild when you’re ready. We aren’t rushing,” he signed. Then, with a slight grin, he continued, “Maybe take a break. There’s a pond outside my house in Hateno Village.”
Sidon visibly sputtered, his diplomatic expression faltering in surprise. Zelda could barely suppress her own surprised giggle, and even King Dorephan chuckled. Link grinned to Sidon, and then to Zelda; they’d needed the levity.
“Fair enough, Hero,” Dorephan responded. “We thank you for your time and collaboration.”
“And we thank you for yours,” Zelda said, bowing her head. “Now, if we’ve any hope of reaching Hateno Village, we’d best begin our trip.”