Chapter Text
A decade had passed since the Hero of Time left the kingdom of Hyrule, ten years since princess Zelda had heard anything about her beloved friend. Many had presumed him dead, never to return- lost in the woods that he hailed from. But despite those presumptions, the princess of Hyrule kept her faith in her friend, believing that he would one day return back to her.
Hyrule's heir was mounted on Storm, her beloved horse, overlooking the mystical eastern forest known as the Lost Woods whilst reading from her scroll–a scroll that contained vital information about a formidable threat.
“The White Devil,” she read aloud. For the past few years, many reports of a mysterious figure had been seen in the outskirts of the kingdom, near the woods. A figure who has been terrorizing the locals and causing immense destruction, leaving many to fear for their lives. Many knights had been sent out to take care of it, but almost none had returned. And those who did, returned with a fear that quivered deep within their bones and refused to do the assignment again.
Her research indicated that the creature was described to be a towering ten feet, shoulder-length hair as white as his eyes kept unkempt within a long cap. Mysterious red and blue markings lined his cheeks and forehead. A sky blue tunic, silver armor adorned with symbols, and leather boots caked with blood from its victims. His most terrifying aspect however, was not his appearance, but his power. Witnesses spoke of how he could effortlessly destroy anything in its path with his mighty sword; homes, creatures, the very earth itself. Others had whispered that they have seen the Devil transform into a fearsome white wolf whose eyes shined blue, claws that cut through soldiers’ armor like paper, and a jaw that crushed soldiers bones clean off. His howls could be heard in the dead of night, thundering across the land, like a warning that said “Fear me, for I am near”
The King grew tired of how futile his efforts were against the monster so he set out a reward for anyone who could take care of the beast and bring proof of the deed. After hearing the proclamation, Zelda decided to take it upon herself to confront the Devil in order to end his reign of terror against the people of her kingdom. With the help of Impa, the princess disguised herself as a Sheikah warrior, packed enough supplies to last her at least three weeks, and headed out to the forest. It would be under the guise of a three week vacation stay in Kakariko; three weeka to kill the devil.
Upon nearing the location of the White Devil’s sightings, she kept herself alert. Ears perked for the unsual, observing the scene for any sudden movements. The forest was quiet besides the occasional chirp of the crickets that hid amongst the foliage or the wind that whistled around her. The large oaks loomed over her covered most of the moon’s rays, leaving the path dimly lit and unnerving.
There were many stories she’d heard about the Lost Woods. Tales of how children and adults who got lost became skull children or skeletal monsters cursed to forever roam the forest they could never leave. How the trees would whisper your name in the dead of night, how you could always hear the faint sound of music being played in the distance despite being alone. But Zelda knew that the Lost Woods was more than just a place where wandering spirits roamed, it was the place where her beloved hero had hailed from and where she last saw him go.
Storm nickered fearfully, his tail swishing back and forth as he stopped in his tracks.
"Storm, are you alright? What’s wrong?” she asked, petting his neck to soothe him. Suddenly she heard something, a deep growl emanating from somewhere near her left, low and threatening, leaving chills down her spine and making every bone in her body scream RUN. She mounted off her horse and pulled out her blade.
“Come on out White Devil!” she commanded, her voice resounding against the trees, “I know you’re out there.” Storm neighed wildly as the ground began to rumble beneath her feet, the trees quaking as she heard the beast’s snarl become louder and louder. Readying her stance, Zelda prepared herself for his attack. Come on, how long are you going to hide in the trees
“Hello.”
She jumped at the sudden voice, swinging her blade towards their direction but was met with a sudden force. There stood a tall man looming over, holding the edge of her blade like it was merely a toy. White hair, red and blue markings, and silver armor.
“White Devil,” she whispered.
“Are you always this jumpy or did I catch you off guard?” he inquired with a smirk. His voice sounded softly rich and deep, not at all grating like she had imagined it to be. It was quite nice and oddly familiar to her.
Nope, stop that, she thought. She was not going to get distracted by this devil’s voice, no matter how nice it sounded. Throwing a deku nut into the ground, she kicked the devil in the chest as he shielded his eyes in pain from the blast, pinning him to the ground with her sword to his neck.
“Oh, I’m sorry? Did I catch you off guard?” she taunted with a sly grin on her face.
“That’s only because you threw a deku nut, cheater,” he retorted and punched her in the gut, making her recoil in pain as he lunged forward, pinning her arms down on the ground. She glared daggers at him, crimson eyes glowing in the light of the moon as his pale ones that glowed in the night's darkness stared back at her with recognition.
"Well, who would have thought that the princess herself would come and finish off the infamous White Devil," he exclaimed. He sounded almost solemn.
"What?" she asked, then became consciously aware of the cool night air that blew in her face. Shit, her mind cursed. She figured that her mask must have loosened during their struggle. Releasing her from his grip, the Devil got up to brush the dirt off of his armor but was immediatly tackled by Zelda for a second time, who made sure he wouldn’t be able to escape.
"I suppose we can go ahead and skip this battle and just go straight to the part where you kill me," he said, so nonchalantly her highness raised her brow in confusion.
“Wait, you want me to kill you?” She was astounded. Where was the demon that they all proclaimed? Full of malice, anger, and fear.
“Well, that’s why you’re here for, right? To make an end towards the menacing ‘White Devil’ that terrorized the local villages, killed hundreds of innocents in cold blood, stolen children for food and makes the very goddesses tremble in fear,” he bitterly explained, giving her a look of resentment. “I mean, wouldn’t it be better off if I was dead?”
Her mind felt like it was racing. She narrowed her eyes at him, it had to be a trick, there was no way he was being genuine. She released him, slowly, maybe he would try to attack her. But he showed no signs of struggle as she did, no desire to escape and fight for his life. He simply stayed there looking at her with eyes that were filled with weariness and desolation. Nothing like the ferocious monster she had heard about so much. It was completely unexpected. She had conteplated him to sound proud, perhaps even elated on the fact he had an entire kingdom in fear but, not resentful. Nor aggrieved for how he was seen by her people.
“This isn’t right,” she stood up and put her weapon away, “If you truly were as wild as the soldiers said you were I wouldn’t be here talking to you; I would be fighting for my life.” She extended her hand out to him, an offering of peace, “which means there's more to the story isn't there?"
“Is there?” He responded back, “How certain are you that what I’m doing right now isn’t an act for you to lower your guard so that I may kidnap you for ransom or kill you. How can you truly know that this beast before you is truly nothing more than a monster."
“A monster wouldn't have hesitated to kill me.”
The Devil looked away, she was right. At any moment he could have taken her, killed her. Especially after her identity was revealed. He glanced at her offered hand, was it worth it?Giving out a sigh, he accepted her hand as she helped him off the ground.
“You have a kind heart princess,” he told her, brushing off the dust off his clothes. “I can't decide whether that's a good or a bad thing.”
“Maybe you can tell me once you've decided,” she said, whistling for Storm who ran off during their little skirmish. Her steed came cantering, happy to see his rider safe and sound. He gave her an affectionate nuzzle, “Aw, I’m glad to see you’re safe too.” She mounted on her steed and walked towards the Devil, "shall we?”
“Shall we what?" He asked, his head tilting to the side.
Cute. She shook that thought away and answered, "Find a place to rest for the night, it's getting late after all. Or would you rather we sleep on the forest floor where monsters could attack at any moment?"
The Devil rolled his eyes, shaking his head at her response. "Follow me, I'll lead you to my place."
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“Here we are,” he announced, gesturing to an old abandoned cabin that stood in a clearing. The walls and roof were worn down and had moss growing in large areas, the doorway was empty, windows were covered in sheets. In short, it was a mess. He pointed to a post that was next to a semi dirty water trough and stall, the only thing that seemed to be kept in condition. “You can tie up your horse there, I’ll make something for you to eat inside.”
She nodded in response and left
What have I gotten myself into? he muttered to himself as he began cutting up vegetables for the soup. Why am I even doing this? She shouldn’t be here, why did I invite her?!
You know why, whispered a voice in his head, you want to get close to her again. To fulfill that gaping hole in your heart that you claim is not there.
Shut up. I do not.
Liar.
I am the White Devil, not the Hero of Time…. Not anymore. So what use am I to be her friend, much less a partner?
If that was the case, then why are you helping her? Why not scare her away like you did with all the others who came looking for you?
Why was he helping her? She hadn’t asked for any and it was clear that she didn’t really need any help from him, she was very capable on her own.
I-
“That smells good. What are you making?”
He looked to his left and saw her highness join his side. She was no longer wearing her mask, her eyes shining two different colors of sapphire and crimson, her hair tied back in a messy ponytail. It took him a moment to realize he was staring and immediately looked away before she could notice.
“I'm making vegetable soup,” he replied, “there wasn't much that I could make since I don’t need to eat or drink.” Adding the vegetables into the pot, he stirred the soup while manipulating the flame with his hand, and added any seasonings he deemed nessesary. He felt strangely nervous while cooking, possibly because of Zelda’s curious gaze on him while he did. She seemed to have hundreds of burning questions on her mind and wanted to ask all of them at once. It reminded him of when they were kids.
“You have questions, don’t you?” he asked her, making her blush out of embarrassment.
“I didn’t want to be rude,” she admitted. He gave out a small laugh. It was pretty difficult for her to be rude after their unusual meeting.
“What would you like to know?”
Her eyes lit up, “How were you able to control the flame like you did just now? Are there any other abilities that you can do?”
He smiled, “Well I am a devil aren’t I? That name isn’t for show, you know." Although more of a deity rather than a devil, "magic comes naturally to me. Controlling a flame is as easy as talking. I can manipulate the elements, shift into any form I desire, wield the strength of a hundred men, be quicker than lightning itself."
“I see.” He picked up a nearby bowl and poured her some of the soup as they went to sit down at the table. He sat across from her, close to the covered window so that he could see if any intruders came close. “So if you’re a devil does that mean you are also invulnerable? Can the light hurt you?”
“I don’t know what you mean by ‘light’. If you mean sunlight, then no, I can very much walk around in broad daylight and not be burned to crisp. As for the invulnerability question, I can indeed not be harmed by anything.” So far, he added silently. Any weapon the soldiers and villagers have used against him were useless, any scars he did have were ones that he gained when he was in Termina as a boy.
“I meant as in light magic,” she elaborated, slowly, raising her hand to reveal the symbol of the Goddesses.
“Ah,” he said, subtly rubbing his left hand. “Well, in that case perhaps, but in truth I do not know.”
She nodded at his answer and continued on with her next inquiry, “the soldiers that we sent to find you and never returned, what happened to them?” She didn't meet his eyes, was she afraid? Afraid that he’d done the worst? Afraid that she was consulting with a murderer? That would be a logical conclusion given his situation.
“I didn’t kill them. When they arrived I scared them and engaged only in self defense, if they didn’t return, then that could only mean that they got lost on their way. The Lost Woods is not kind to those who aren’t familiar with its paths.”
“And what about the villages Daear and Euraid?”
“Slaying monsters that wander too close to town. I have never stepped foot in either of the villages, only stayed by the forest’s edge.”
Zelda ate the rest of her meal in silence, her gaze never staying in one place. He wondered what must be going through her mind, what sort of ideas were running rampant as she sorted out this new information. She stood up and took out Hyrule’s map from her belt and set it on the table.
“Show me where we are,” she requested. He pointed at the map, a tiny blue flame hovered above the area, leaving nothing singed. The princess softly gasped in amazement before pointing towards the villages. “Daear is about a one hour ride from here and Euraid is three hours, we can set out in the morning to go to Daear and ask the locals more about what’s been going on and then head towards Euraid-”
“Wait hold on, what do you mean by we?”
She raised her head towards him, “Well, if you want to show them that you aren’t a senseless monster of blood and fury, then helping me find the true culprit is one way to do so.” He was speechless, she was going out of her way to help him?! He who was practically a stranger and was nothing but a mere monster to her people.
“Why,” he finally asked, “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I am not going to have an innocent man pay for the crimes that he never committed. You may look like a monster, but in the small time we have spent today I see that you’re more human than you and others give credit for.”
He nearly cried right then and there, if she kept talking to him this way he sincerely doubted he would be able to not break down in front of her. Keep it together Link. You can’t let her see you cry. He managed to keep his composure and extended his right hand towards her, “Alright then, Princess, I’ll help you find the one responsible for intimidating the villages of Daear and Euraid.”
She took his hand and shook it. “Well then, I guess that makes us partners.”
Partners.
He liked that.
“I would suggest you keep your disguise on for the time being, just until you get used to wearing it. If Hyrule found out their princess is in the company of the White Devil the entire kingdom would throw a fit. Is there another name you’d like me to call you? I don’t suppose ‘Zelda’ is a popular baby name around here.”
She pondered for a moment, then responded with, “Sheik.” He nodded in response before she added “And would it be okay if you could also refer to me as a boy whenever I am?” a soft blush appearing on her cheeks.
He grinned, “Of course Sheik”