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Link is bored. It's a little startling how easy it's to see – how easy he's to read these days. Where before, hundred years ago, he'd been as unreadable as a brick wall, a look of serious determination as though permanently etched into his face, now he's an open book, covers flung wide. The serious frown still makes an appearance, of course, it's his default expression, Link's face simply rests in a way that makes him seem as though he's almost scowling, but now, should an emotion cross his mind… he does nothing to hide it.
Like now, as his attention strays and his eyes wander, and every so often he smothers a sigh or a yawn or a longing look directed at the door. It's in part painfully and in part endearingly clear how little attention he's paying to their meeting, and how much he wishes he could be elsewhere.
Zelda smothers a smile and then realises she's allowed herself to be distracted, and quickly turns her attention back to the meeting taking place in Impa's house.
"... a little difficult to test," Purah is saying. She's sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, her seat cushion abandoned and papers flung about her – most of them about her anti-aging rune. "I can't even promise the test subject will survive the process, never mind having any good odds of success... so finding people to volunteer for testing has been an issue."
"What, no old folks interested in regaining their misspent youth?" Robbie asks with a slight snort, adjusting his goggles. "I'd happily test it, if my work wasn't too important to risk!"
Purah gives him a look. "Well, duh. Most folk are the same," she says and shakes her head. "And besides, the population and age statistics don't exactly trend towards the elderly these days. The average life expectancy of both Hylians and Sheikah trend about forty years younger than it used to be pre-Calamity. And the only way for people to reliably grow old these days –"
"Is to have a family or other support network, helping them," Impa muses, rubbing at her chin. "Which means they have things too dear to lose, for an uncertain chance."
"Just so," Purah says and folds her little arms, adorable in her seriousness. "I did post queries around Hateno village, of course, but I only had a couple of takers, and they all turned tail when I explained the risks. And we can't improve the chances without further testing. And we can't do further testing without candidates. And we're not likely to get more candidates with the chances being what they are – it's a vicious circle."
By the door, Link looks ready to nod off.
Zelda hums, looking at the papers Purah had brought, conflicted. It's incredible work, just as a concept, and Purah hadn't just left it at theory – and the results certainly speak for themselves! Purah is now, what, hundred and twenty, hundred and thirty years old? And she looks as though she is a girl of six, with all that time ahead of her and not behind. If the technology could be made reliable, it would no doubt change the future in ways Zelda can scarcely imagine… for the better, she hopes, for all the people of Hyrule.
But right now, she has more selfish reasons to make enquiries into the rune.
Zelda looks at Impa, sitting on top of a pile of pillows, her weathered, aged face thoughtful. Their eyes meet, and Zelda steels her resolve. "Might there be any potential candidates in Kakariko village, Impa?" she asks.
"Hmm. I doubt it. Young Zain, maybe?" Impa muses. "Well, he's not so young. He's in his seventies, he has bad knees and no surviving relatives to support or be supported by. Bit of a sour grape, that one, though. Sceptic. Hard to convince."
"I'm sure if the Lost Princess and the Hero who stopped Ganon ask for it, anyone would be happy to give it a go!" Robbie says, slapping his folded knees. "Especially if they learn what it's all for!"
Zelda smiles, wincing, and looks down. Using her standing for such a thing… sure, she'd done things of that nature before, pleading people to join their cause, ages ago… but never with the risks so high, and potential results so uncertain. She'd never liked asking people to risk their lives, for her or otherwise. Even with a cause so important...
"It would be a somewhat awkward thing to ask, though," she muses and looks down. "It is an awkward thing to ask. I'm… I'm sorry to have to ask it of you."
After all this time, all these years, all the service they'd already put in, to ask for so much more of them… but she had to. No one woman could rebuild a kingdom by herself. She needed help, she needed allies – she needed Impa and Robbie and Purah. With such a foundation, Hyrule might yet rise, better than ever, but for that to ever happen… Impa and Robbie need to go through what Purah already had, and extend their already prodigiously long lives even further. They all deserved their quiet retirement, after all the effort they'd put in, but for Hyrule, Zelda would make this cruel request.
"Ha!" Robbie says, striking a pose. "Like I wouldn't do this without being asked! As soon as Purah can improve the odds – no, as soon as we can improve the odds –"
"What's that, you old coot, what do you mean by we?" Purah demands, bouncing to her feet. "If you think I will ever let you into my lab, mister, you're sorely mistaken –!"
"If we work together, combine the efforts of Akkala and Hateno tech labs, we're sure to succeed! With Cherry's incredible computing power and your Stone –"
"Your creepy ancient furnace is getting nowhere near my Guidance Stone!"
Link startles awake at the noise they're making, and Zelda smothers a giggle while Impa sighs.
"I will ask Paya to check in on Zain, maybe he will be interested," Impa says and shakes her head. "But it's still a small test study, with only two subjects. I'm sorry, Zelda – as much as I wish to do this, I am with Robbie on this. The chances are too low, and I have too much to lose, right now. Paya is nowhere near ready to take over for me here. There needs to be more candidates, first, and I don't know where we can get them. But," she hums and looks away. "There might be someone who does."
Link yawns and then freezes, finding all of them staring at him. Then, clearly baffled, he points at himself quizzically, and Zelda offers him a smile.
Impa chuckles. "You've been all over Hyrule now, Link – you've travelled farther than probably anyone has in a hundred years. Better than anyone, you know the state of her people. Do you think there is anyone out there who might be interested in Purah's study – in regaining their youth, even at a risk?"
Link scratches the back of his neck thoughtfully and then takes out the Sheikah Slate, opening the map with an easy, well-practised swipe of his fingers over the screen. Zelda leans in, once more amazed – and a little jealous – of how far he'd gotten with it, how full of markers the map is. Hundred years ago, she'd estimated that there might be as many as a dozen sites of ancient Sheikah technology all over Hyrule. Link had discovered over a hundred. They now glow on his map, like glittering blue gems, the Towers and Shrines he'd seen and mastered.
Link zooms in on the map and then puts down three other markers. One in Zora's domain, one in Gerudo Town and last in Lurelin Village. Turning the slate around, he shows the map to everyone.
"Of course," Zelda breathes in realisation. "The Guardians never reached so far, so their populations were never so scattered or scarred. In Zora's domain, in Gerudo Town and in Lurelin, people can grow old peacefully, without fear of attack."
Link makes a face and a wobbling gesture with his hand and then shrugs. Zelda smiles, sadly. "Aside from monsters and other disasters and misfortunes, of course," she agrees. "But without fear of attacks by the Guardians, they were allowed to prosper."
"Not the Rito, though?" Robbie asks, his goggles whirting and shifting like the eyes of a gecko as he looks between the map, Link and Zelda. "Or the Gorons?"
Link shrugs, rubbing at his neck.
"Gorons age like rocks, Daruk always said," Zelda muses. "And I suppose with Rito it can be difficult to tell their ages. If we send out invitations to the study, we should include them as well – assuming that the treatment by the rune isn't Sheikah-exclusive…?"
Purah rocks back and forth on her feet thoughtfully, almost as though she's about to dance. "I… don't know? I calibrated the first version based on my own physiology, so it might be best to stick to Sheikah and Hylians for a start – but I can't see why it couldn't be adjusted. Gerudo are closer in structure to us than Rito and Gorons, or Zora, for that matter. Might be best we start there, when we begin making modifications to include everyone."
"So, begin with Lurelin," Robbie says and nods. "How do we do that?"
"We'll make some posters and Link can zip in and out of Lurelin Village to post them," Purah says and strikes a pose. "It's just a snap for the Sheikah Slate."
Impa hums in agreement. "Best we make advertisements for Kakariko and Hateno as well, and perhaps some of the stables," she muses. "You never know who might take us up on it, and getting this technology to work at a hundred percent will be a benefit to everyone."
"You're right," Zelda agrees, nodding. "Purah and Robbie, I suppose you two know best what should go on the poster. Can you make it?"
"It'll work much better, with your name under it," Robbie points out.
"We'll write a draft and you can copy it and put your royal touch and seal to it," Purah says and does an excited little dance. "This is so exciting! We'll get so many applicants, and my little Guidance Stone will get to do its thing!"
Zelda offers her a smile, all the while wondering, not for the first time… how much of a royal she even is, at this point. With the castle in ruins and the Kingdom in shambles, with no one to rule it for a hundred years… all that Zelda is now... is a story. The Princess that went to fight Calamity Ganon as the Kingdom fell asunder all around her. Not many even believe it. That might change with this meeting and the following cooperation, especially when they'd begin reaching out further, but right now…
Princess of nothing indeed.
"So much was lost," Zelda murmurs, carefully resting her hands in her lap to keep herself from wringing them. She shouldn't concentrate on the losses. Not when there's so much to do. "It will be good to build something for a change. To improve things."
"Indeed," Impa says, nodding her head, her heavy hat tilting. "But if Calamity Ganon taught us anything, it is that we should take all due caution."
"Yes. And speaking of which," Zelda says and lifts her eyes to Robbie. "Your research in Akkala – I would very much like to hear more about it. Link showed me the armour and weaponry you made, they're very impressive – how did you manage it?"
Robbie all but launches himself into the story of Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, the research he'd done there, the progress he'd made, enthusiastically recounting the creation of his Ancient Furnace, Cherry. Zelda leans in, allowing herself to be drawn in, and by the door Link settles down with a sigh and begins nodding off again.
Later Zelda takes a walk through Kakariko village, and Link follows her just like he used to, hundred years ago, always close at her heels. Only... not exactly like he used to.
"The village has grown since last I saw it," Zelda muses, looking around. "There used to be farm fields here, and fewer buildings. And there are Hylians living here now! I suppose, after the Calamity, people escaped to wherever it was safe."
Link hums in somewhat awkward agreement, but his attention is straying from the buildings and the people curiously watching them to the Goddess Statue by a little pond to a small enclosure full of cuccos… he's barely paying attention, and he's not even trying to hide it.
Zelda continues. "I try not to think about it, how many people were lost. How many towns and villages are in ruins – the Castle town, how many people used to live there… how many of us Hylians there are left," she says. "We used to be the most numerous, before. Now… now I think we must be the least numerous in all of Hyrule."
The great people of the prosperous kingdom, now scattered in four winds. So many of them wander the lands now, claiming the call of adventure and hiding the truth of homelessness. So many Hylians are nomads by necessity.
"We must rebuild, as soon as we can," Zelda says, determined. "And ancient technology is the key to once more prosperous Hyrule, I'm sure of it. If we could all use it like you do… if we could all have Sheikah Slates and distances were no longer an issue…!"
Never mind the runes he'd unlocked, the ability to store things in the Slate, to bring them out whenever he wished. Link carries with him an arsenal of armour and weapons and the food stores to feed an army, all in the Slate. If more people had such capabilities, if Zelda could use the Slate, any Slate, just like he does… Link even has his own Divine Beast! His Master Cycle Zero is the most useful piece of technology Zelda has seen, just after the Slate itself. If only…
Zelda stops, realising she's muttering all she's thinking out loud and that Link is no longer with her. He's lagging behind, looking up at the front of one of Kakariko's stores longingly.
"What is it?" Zelda asks, tilting her head. "Do you want to go inside?"
He does, apparently – he wants to buy ingredients. Which means he wants to cook, of course. Which is… not exactly surprising, nowadays, but… not quite what she had in mind for their excursion.
Zelda sits back, watching Link work, listening to his happy humming as he throws ingredients into the pot. It's the most active and invigorated he's been since they'd arrived in the village, since the others arrived and the meetings began. Link is actually smiling, something Zelda realises she hasn't seen since Dueling Peaks Stable, which had still been in a state of jubilant, hysterical celebration over Ganon's defeat when they'd left. Link had gotten into an arm wrestling competition with a wandering Gerudo, and he'd enjoyed himself immensely.
He's… not enjoying himself, standing behind Zelda in her meetings, is he? Zelda has to wonder if he ever did. Back before, before the Calamity... he'd hid so much from her. All his thoughts were as though locked away behind that serious face, singlemindedly dedicated to his duty. If he thought it a boring task then, to attend to her, he'd never let it show. His dedication, military discipline and his honour as a knight didn't allow it.
Hugging her knees, Zelda wonders at the differences. He's been awake for a year now, and most of it he spent alone in the wild, wandering like so many nomadic Hylians now do. This Link is not a soldier – he's a warrior, certainly, best in all of Hyrule now… but he's lost that uptight discipline of his military training. He's better for it, Zelda is sure of it...
… But it makes it all the more obvious how little he now enjoys the task of watching over her.
"You know, if you… if you wanted to go back to your wandering ways, and go have adventures again… that would be your right," Zelda says, tentatively, quietly. "There are still monsters out there, and not all the Guardians were quelled by Calamity Ganon's demise. If you want to go and fight again, I… after all you've done, you have more than earned the right to go and do what you want."
Link throws her his frown, which Zelda is beginning to realise means he doesn't know how to react and so his face defaults to the standard. It used to be intimidating, that tilt of his eyebrows. Now it's…
"It's funny. I used to spend so much time, wondering about what you thought, how you felt," Zelda admits, offering him a smile. It must come across as stained, because he turns to face her fully, and Zelda has to look away from those serious eyes. "I could never tell what you truly thought of me, back then. You were so… so duty-bound and serious, and always did what my father asked of you and never what I asked…"
Which makes sense. King's orders trump those of a wayward princess. Link was a soldier given an order, and his task had been to watch over Zelda, and he'd done that until his dying breath. But did he like it? Would he have chosen it, if he had a say in the matter? Did he ever enjoy her company?
Does he now?
There's something in front of her face, and with surprise Zelda looks up, to find Link holding a couple of skewers of meat, vegetables and mushrooms out to her, still sizzling hot from the pot, glistening with oil and fragrant with wild spices. It smells incredible.
"Oh! Thank you!" Zelda says and accepts them, while Link sits beside her, a couple more skewers in hand. It's not the first time he'd cooked for her – it was quite a long way from Hyrule field to Kakariko village, and he'd taken care of her the whole way. She'd rather thought, though, that now that they were in town… "You know, I think Impa is planning a celebratory feast for later?"
"Hm," Link answers interestedly, and bites in with gusto regardless.
Zelda looks at him and then at the skewer. It's no royal cuisine, but it looks great. "I guess a little snack won't hurt," she muses and takes a careful bite. It's just as good as it smells. "This is splendid. My compliments to the chef!"
Link gives her thumbs up, his mouth full, and Zelda relaxes a little, nibbling on her skewer. They eat in a companionable silence for a while, staring at the fire. It's nice.
Still undeniably awkward, though.
"I think I will be staying in Kakariko village for now," Zelda admits after a while, picking at her food. "Impa has extensive records on the last hundred years I want to study – there's so much to catch up on. It will take weeks, and that's without even accounting for the records Purah and Robbie brought and all their research…"
It would've been best if she could've gone to their respective labs, but they all needed to meet anyway and Impa couldn't travel easily. Robbie was in much better health and Purah had no issues with travelling and so they'd decided collectively that Kakariko village would serve as a good meeting ground. With Calamity Ganon gone, they'd no longer have to fear being taken out by a single blow, thankfully. And now that they're all here… there is so much to talk about. Hundred years of developments and events and losses… It would take days, weeks, maybe months.
And going by how they'd started, Link would likely perish from sheer boredom somewhere in the middle of it.
"If you wanted to take some time on your own, that… would be alright," Zelda offers, looking at the cooking fire and then clears her throat. "Of course, granted that you visit, and keep us informed, and take care of yourself. Perhaps there's a way we could communicate with Sheikah Slate, somehow – there's so much you can do with it, and you can track things with it too, so, there must be some kind of long-distance communication feature, and if we can figure out how to use it fully…!"
Zelda stops before she can get lost in her thoughts again and looks at Link, who's watching her directly, an empty skewer hanging between his teeth. "A-anyway," she says, turning back to her food. "Things here will likely be… slow for a while. So, if you wanted to go adventuring after delivering the posters, that… that would be more than alright." She quickly bites into a mushroom, shutting herself up.
Link hums and nods, throwing his empty skewers into the fire. And that's that, apparently.
Link leaves the next morning, wad of posters disappearing into his Sheikah Slate before he brings the Master Cycle Zero out, right in front of Impa's house. Though Zelda had seen it before, and Link had taken his small Divine Beast to Hateno and Akkala, and they'd all had the chance to examine it, none of them had done so together... so it takes a while before Link can actually get going.
"It's incredible, so practical, and that power cell, the way it transforms materials into energy," Robbie says, peering into the glowing blue centre of the Divine Beast. "You know, I've sketched it all out, and I think producing a copy wouldn't be too difficult. It wouldn't be as energy-efficient, we still haven't figured out how to produce ancient Sheikah battery technology exactly how they did, but aside from that...."
"Really?" Zelda asks, fascinated. "You think you could duplicate a whole Divine Beast?"
"When you get down to the basic components, the Master Cycle Zero is actually a pretty simple piece of machinery," Robbie admits, head tilted consideringly. "Basically an upgraded and stripped down cart that can spin its own wheels."
"Compared to the Guardians, it's definitely pretty basic – and the other Divine Beasts, well, it's not even a competition," Purah agrees, patting the centre of the machine and then bouncing into the saddle the moment it closes over the battery. "It's small and pretty weak as Divine Beasts go. All it can do is go forward. And these controls – you turn it to turn it! Simplicity at its finest. It's pretty cute though, huh?"
"Being able to travel so fast without having to worry about a horse's stamina or health is pretty convenient, though," Zelda muses, leaning in, running a hand over the reins of the Divine Beast – the handles. "Also I noticed it produces its own light, here, a bright forward beam that cuts through the night like butter – if we could figure out how it does that, it would be very useful. Candlelight or lamps made of luminous stones aren't anywhere near as bright. We could never study the effect on the other Divine Beasts fully for the fear of causing them some damage, but if we could duplicate it…"
"Then we could take it apart!" Robbie agrees, nodding. "And remake it even better!"
Link sighs and sits down to let them go over the Master Cycle Zero in detail. Zelda throws him a grateful smile and then gets a notebook to sketch the Divine Beast's details out once more. It's a pity Link couldn't leave it behind – it's tied to the Sheikah Slate, and the Sheikah Slate is tied to Link now. And Link has uses for the Master Cycle Zero, too, of course, which also puts a damper on things. If only…
Better to make the most of the opportunity to study it while it is there, and so they theorise and sketch and plan, and Link ends up dozing off until they finish. In the end, his departure is almost anticlimactic – prolonged and sudden and much later than anticipated.
The Master Cycle Zero is closed up again, Link mounts the saddle and makes it roar, almost drowning out Zelda's final warning to, "Please be careful and report back whenever you can!"
Link nods over the purring Divine Beast and then pauses, thinking, before pulling something from the Sheikah Slate – a bottle that appears in his hand in a whirl of blue sparks. He tosses it over to Zelda and waves his hand – and then he's speeding off in a rumble of the Master Cycle Zero's engine, soon disappearing up the hill and out of the village.
"What is this?" Zelda asks, staring at the bottle in confusion.
"Hm?" Robbie hums, his goggles whirring as he looks up at her. "Ah, it's an elixir. Hasty Elixir, if I'm not mistaken."
"Hasty Elixir?"
"It makes the drinker faster – they make it out of Hot-footed Frogs, you know," Purah says and makes a face. "Eurgh."
"Oh," Zelda whispers, staring at the murky bottle. Hot-footed frogs? The - oh. Oh. "I see."
"Why would he give you a Hasty Elixir? Of all the things?" Purah harrumphs and shakes her head. "What a weirdo, that Link."
Zelda smiles, her fingers closing around the bottle, holding it to her chest. "Yes. He's certainly something "