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The first thing Link did when things were all said and done was take Zelda up Mount Hylia. Well, that wasn’t necessarily true. The first thing he did was take her to the Wetland Stable and checked her in for the night. The exhaustion in her was evident as her body slumped against his as he walked the path he had maybe thousands of times alone. Neither spoke as they went along, but Zelda kept her eyes locked on the ground, ground that she hadn’t seen in a hundred years, ground that seemingly forgot who she was. It was barely midday but the world around them was silent. The monsters that had lurked around every corner vanished for the time being, bringing things to a peace the Hylians around them had never experienced.
When they arrived at the stable, no one seemed overly surprised the duo chose to go there. Nothing good had lived in the castle in a long time and the stable offered a small bit of security that they desperately needed at the moment. Wordlessly they led the princess in and showed her to a bed. The owner of the stable turned to Link to extend the same offer to him, but he shook his head. Relief hadn’t yet caught up to him, the adrenaline from the battle still coursing through his veins refusing to let him be still for a moment. Instead, he went around the outskirts of the stable, grabbing ingredients that were here and there in preparation to make what was hopefully an edible dish. While sleep was the first thing Zelda needed, she would soon be in need of food and water, and Link would be damned if anyone else were to happen to her because a sneaky Yiga Clan member managed to slip her some poison.
When he was done, he went over to the makeshift stove and began to cook. The pot was close enough to the stable that if anything happened, he would be the first one there. The stable hands glanced at him with kind looks but left him alone. Word traveled slowly in the ruined kingdom, but the sounds of saddles and horseshoes let him know that by night that what was left of Hyrule would know that the knight who seals the darkness and the princess had won before the day's end. Link settled a pot lid onto his creation so that it could continue to cook and noticed cloth and a small basin of water had been placed across from him. Ache started to creep in during that moment and months and months of ignored bruises and injuries came to the forefront of his mind. Before, even when he had staggered up to anyone with blood trickling out of any of his injuries no one batted an eyelash. It seemed that now he had earned the right to heal.
A hiss escaped him as he pressed a damp cloth to his side. Link dared not pull the cloth away and look at it. He already knew what color it would be. Instead, he carefully took off his Champion’s Tunic and laid it beside him before waving over a stable hand. He quietly asked her if there was any way to get the princess new clothing, preferably something warm, for their travels the following day. The stable hand, a young girl with short brown hair and brilliant green eyes, toothily grinned at him and nodded before running off. Worry for the wellbeing of the princess came first, after all.
The rest of the day was spent slowly cleaning out his wounds and dressing them himself, occasionally checking on the food to make sure it hadn’t burned. The basin of water had to be refilled several times as the once clear liquid became unrecognizable. Some of the injuries would need more work, but Link reasoned it could wait for the time being. There were other things that needed to be done before.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the stable girl from before came back carrying a bundle. Link thanked her as he relieved her of the package, and offered her some simmered fruit and rupees as payment. The girl rapidly shook her head, but at the same moment her stomach growled. She hid her face in her hands, but Link could still see the bright pink flush of her skin. He put a hand on her head and she looked up at him, eyebrows ever so slightly knit together and wide eyes. Wordlessly he put a bowl in her hands and turned away. Link was met with the sight of Zelda standing there, her blonde hair glimmering in the fading light of the day. Her dress was a ghost of what it had been, dirt, tears and blood stains tainting the garment. Her exposed skin was full of scratches and dried mud, blue and green bruises hiding underneath the dirt. The one thing that seemed unaffected were her eyes. Zelda’s eyes were as clear and determined as the day Link met her, but now they seemed to see right through him. All of the struggles that he went through, alone and without complaint, were watched by those very eyes.
“I do hope there’s more than enough food to go around? You may not believe it, but after a hundred years a body does seem to need something to run off of.” There was a gentleness to her tone that took Link by surprise. She had been forlorn while knighting him, she had yelled at him to get away, she had hysterically cried into his arms, but she had never been gentle when speaking to him. Or at least, not from what he could remember. Everyday Link remembered more about his life from before, but that didn’t mean that he could ever remember everything.
When she came forward, he handed her a bowl that was overflowing. Red sauce trickled over the edge and dripped down her fingers. Link’s heart began to race and he instinctively went to grab his sword that was on the ground beside him. Just as he grabbed the hilt Zelda’s fingers covered his own. Their eyes met, and she pulled his hand off of his weapon. She didn’t need to say anything to get her message across. It’s okay, I’m okay.
Zelda squeezed Link’s hand before letting go, settling herself onto the ground. A few pats of the ground beside her indicated for him to sit next to her and he obliged. The ground was warm beneath him from the sunlight of the previous day and he felt part of his muscles begin to relax. It was at the moment he found himself with a spoon thrust into his unsuspecting mouth, a surprised shout getting lost in his throat.
“You are too self sacrificing for your own good. I bet you haven’t eaten anything all day,” Her tone of voice had gotten back to normal. “This bowl is big enough for the both of us.”
Just like that, they began to take turns with the spoon, handing it back and forth after each bite. They didn’t bother to grab another, instead choosing the excuse of only having one spoon to be close to the other. Their shoulders brushed once again as Link leaned over to grab another spoonful and goosebumps covered his skin. In that moment two things occurred to him. One, that he never actually put his tunic back on and two, he wouldn’t be alone anymore. After months of climbing mountains and fighting for his life against beasts twice his size all by himself he had company that would last more than a brief second in the grand scheme of things.
Link hadn’t realized he froze until Zelda spoke. “Well it seems as if you have a lot on your mind. But, that’s okay. We have time.”
The sun rose the next day, splashing golden light across fields of green and dancing between the leaves of the trees. The world seemed somehow brighter, as if Zelda’s light had given some sort of energy to the world. Link’s eyelids were heavy as they slid open that morning. His back was stiff and he stretched his arms out to help wake himself up. Maybe it was the quiet songs of the birds, or maybe it was because he could not recall the last time he had gotten any rest let alone proper rest, but it took Link a few minutes to realize that he was not supposed to have been asleep. Panic rippled through his body as he shot up, head whipping around and eyes quickly glancing around his surroundings. He had been asleep against a tree right next to the stable. Just as he was about to dash around to look for Zelda, a stable hand hurried over. They told him that the princess had requested his presence at the river, past the bundle of woods next to the stable. Link grabbed the sword that seals the darkness and hurried over to the location without a glance behind him.
As soon as he exited the bulk of the trees he slowed down. On the tree close to the river bank hung the blue fabric of his tunic, cleaner than he remembered leaving it, and what was left of Zelda’s dress. The two pieces of fabric fluttered in the breeze while Link walked up to the tree. Once he got there he caught sight of Zelda, who was in the river with her back turned toward her. He quickly averted his eyes and coughed to let her know he was there. A squeak and splashing of water took place right after.
“I didn’t expect you to be here quite so soon!” Zelda scoffed. “It’s not as if I’m naked Link, do you really think I’m so immature to be caught in such a way?”
Link redirected his attention back to her, his cheeks ever so slightly tinged pink. Zelda was, in fact, not nude, instead having swaths of white cloth wrapped around her as to protect her modesty, leaving the rest of her skin open to be thoroughly cleansed. Their eyes met and a devious smirk spread across her face.
“Though it seems I must remind you it is inappropriate to not be fully clothed when speaking to royalty,” Her eyes flickered downward and Link was suddenly all too aware of the breeze on his torso. “But alas, there is no time to fix it. Come here, come here, I need your help.”
The princess waved him over, and he quickly regained his senses and made his way to the river bank. “If you would, assist me in washing my hair. There’s a few bowls by your feet that have clean water in them that will do.”
Link grabbed one of the aforementioned bowls, noting the petals of some silent princess flowers floating in them. She turned away from him and he poured some of the water onto her head slowly. She flinched when the water touched her scalp but stayed silent. Her hair was a mess of knots and twigs and it took Link some time to get everything out of her hair. Once he did he ran his fingers through her hair, making sure that he got everything out before pouring more water on her hair and massaging it into her scalp. His fingers were clumsy, but Link understood this was more than just washing her hair.
Zelda’s voice was quiet when she spoke. “It’s odd, being able to feel sensations again. I had forgotten what it was like.”
She turned around to face him, a sad smile adorned her face. It was quickly replaced as her lips were pursed together, her eyes scanning over him.
“Give me your head. It’s your turn now.”
Link blinked a few times, unsure if he had heard her correctly. One look at her face told him no, he had heard her correctly. With nothing to lose, he undid the ribbon holding his hair back and knelt to the ground, head bowed before her.
A soft chuckle made its way to his ears. “You are ever the knight, aren’t you?”
Before long he felt water running down his head, it’s coolness helping to wake him up. Zelda’s fingers worked their way through his hair, combing it with practiced ease. Link concentrated on the dripping sounds of the water running off his hair into the river before him. The situation before him felt intrinsically wrong, but as her fingers ran over his scalp, he couldn’t help the sigh that escaped his lips. When was the last time he was close to someone? The thought of never loomed in his mind as memories of campfires and isolated meals lurked in the corners of his brain. Even during the before Link seemed to have only really been close to his duty. But, there were moments, maybe, that he was close with people, Mipha and Daruk coming to the forefront of his mind. There was a pang in his chest when he thought of them and their bond together. Perhaps the reason he wasn't close to anyone was because he had not allowed himself to be. There was always the excuse that he needed to stop Calamity Ganon, to free Zelda, but if he was honest with himself, it was also so he wouldn’t have to lose someone else. The thought of gaining company, of gaining this fond closeness to someone only to lose it and them again terrified him. It was something deeper than his duty, this fear.
At some point whilst washing his hair, Zelda began to hum a tune that was familiar to Link. Of course, if Zelda had been watching over him the entire time, she would have heard Kass’s melodies on more than a few occasions. It made sense logically, but it added to the oddity of the entire situation. The now and the before always felt like two different lives where he, and part of the Zora, were the only crossovers. With Zelda being so ingrained in the before, listening to her vocalize something from the now was jarring.
She was soon done with his hair, allowing him to stand up fully again and roll out the muscles that had begun to tighten from kneeling for so long. Water droplets flung from his head as he shook it back and forth to make his hair some semblance of dry. Grabbing his tunic from the tree he shoved it on, finally feeling the tiniest bit proper since the night before. Link began to gather the various bowls from the ground as Zelda wrung the last couple of droplets from her hair. The lethargic way she moved, coupled with her hunched shoulders and the bags under her eyes showed how exhausted she still was. Link frowned, tying his hair back once again. If only they had more time to rest, but there was somewhere they needed to go. It had to be the first thing they did. The kingdom would expect an announcement from Zelda soon, so their time was limited.
Once again dressed, they headed back to the stable. Link went to pay the stable master and gather supplies for their trip only to be refused. Instead, they were given bags containing more than the necessary supplies and Epona, Link’s horse. Epona was already geared up for travel, the royal saddle and bridle striking against the white hair of the horse.The two thanked everyone at the stable profusely and began their journey.
Mount Hylia wasn’t the coldest place in Hyrule, but that didn’t mean the chill couldn’t harm you. Link had learned that the hard way. In order to help combat this they stopped at a cooking pot outside of the Great Plateau to make warm food. It was there that Zelda changed into the clothing the stable girl with the green eye had brought for her. The green of the shirt was unlike anything the princess had worn a hundred years before but it was a decidedly better color for being able to hide if need be. It also helped to tether her to the now, aligning much better with the clothing that people currently wore. Not like it mattered much, seeing as no one lived anywhere near the Great Plateau.
Zelda was surprisingly quiet during their trip, but it was a comfortable silence between the two. However, it didn't escape Link that whenever they passed a set of ruins how Zelda seemed to curl into herself. He let it slide though, with her obviously not wanting to talk about it. She would speak up when she wanted to be heard.
They left Epona below the Great Plateau and climbed up, Link going first and pulling Zelda up every chance he got. Once they reached the top, Zelda’s jaw hung open a bit. Link could practically see all of the questions running through her mind, but she stayed silent. She was silent even as they passed the ruins of the Temple of Time, the statue of Hylia visible from the breaks in the walls. They rounded the corner of the snowy mountain slowly, placing careful footsteps to ensure that they would not slide down and have to start all over. The carefully placed rock stood proud and tall at the very top of the snowy cap, gazing over the rest of Hyrule. Only once they reached the top of mount Hylia did she speak.
“Father…” The words were quiet and solemn coming from Zelda. Link hung behind as she stepped forward and kneeling at the base of the grave. “It has been a hundred years since I’ve seen your likeness, a hundred years since I have heard your voice calling out to me to try harder. It pains me to say that you were right, but it pains me even more to not be able to tell you that you were, indeed, right.”
Her voice was little more than a whisper as she continued. “I’m sorry I didn’t do more to stop this entire thing from happening. I’m sorry I didn’t awaken my powers until the last possible moment, the moment where it was truly too late to save some of those most dear to me. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.” Zelda’s voice began to strain. “But Link and I, we did it. We defeated the calamity and freed Hyrule once again. So, please,” She choked the last few words out. “Be proud of me.”
The sounds of her sobs were like a crescendo, delicate and soft at first, but quickly gaining loudness and intensity. Gasps for air were coupled with tears streaming down her face, her body trembling all the while. She collapsed onto the ground before the grave marker, seemingly so small when compared to it. Her voice echoed through the air. All Link could do was stand and watch.
The two stayed up there until the following morning, when Link had to carry Zelda down the mountain. Being not up to full strength coupled with extreme emotional distress had meant that Zelda cried until she could no longer, and when she could no longer, she promptly fell asleep. All the while Link stayed and watched over her.
That evening found the pair sitting on a section of the Great Plateau wall that was still intact. Link had found Zelda sitting there, looking out onto Hyrule field when he had finished making dinner for the two of them. With two bowls in hand, he walked up to her. She must have heard him approaching, as she turned to look at him. Link handed her a bowl and settled in beside her to take in the view. The sky was an array of oranges and pinks, with the slightest touches of purples here and there, where the clouds met the skies. Below, the world was bathed in this light, seemingly glowing. They were high enough they couldn't quite see any wild life, but the image of the castle was there in plain view. No longer were there swirling tendrils of black and red malice encasing the castle. Instead, from this view, the castle looked how it had a hundred years prior. The building stood tall and proud, looking over the kingdom with a sense of dignity.
The pair quietly ate their meal as they looked out at the scene before them. Link had killed a few foxes earlier in the day which allowed them to eat something with more protein. The taste was fair, Link had never been the best cook even before, but Zelda didn’t complain. Once they were done and bowls were set aside, Zelda began to talk.
“From all my time being able to see what the landscape was like after Ganon destroyed it, one would think I would be more prepared to actually witness it. But no, I wasn’t. So much has changed and been destroyed it hardly looks like the place I left behind. We lost so much because I wasn’t able to do the one thing I was destined to do. Will the people here even accept me, after all that I have failed to do? The place is in ruins, and no doubt many are resentful of the royal family, even more so of me.
“Link,” she paused and turned to face him. “I have never apologized to you for the way I treated you. You saved me without ever once complaining time and time again. Most others would have run when I told them to go away, but you never did. And so, I am sorry. You deserve to be treated with the highest respect and not cast aside by a bratty teenager. There is no one in this world that I trust more than you, and I do hope you would say the same for me, but I would not fault you if that isn’t so.”
Link looked at Zelda and grabbed the Sheika slate from his side, offering it to her. She reached out and dragged her finger lazily along the edges of the device before curling his fingers back around it and guiding it back towards him. A shake of her head told him all he needed to know, and he reattached the slate back to its resting place on his side. He moved so they were sitting side by side. Zelda rested her head on his shoulder, golden locks falling to obscure her face. Link reached out to tuck the hair strands behind her ear before resting his head on hers. Tomorrow, they would be on their way to Kakariko Village to see Impa and begin to set the world back in order. But for now, Link felt it in himself to let his eyes slide shut and enjoy the moment of peace they had.