Archive of Our Own ^beta

The journey up Mount Lanayru wasn’t Link’s version of fun. Even with a dozen layers between their skin and the constantly falling snow, the fact that they weren’t allowed to have any heating potions and that they were used to the sweltering humidity and heat of Faron, the hike up the spiraling stairs up a freezing mountain were pretty agonizing.

Link was still shivering even under three cloaks, one wool, one silk, and one that was mostly just Lynel pelts, it’s golden color made their status obvious. Though it wasn’t out of the ordinary for a Zonai to be covered in cloaks to protect their light sensitive skin, Link found themself uncomfortable with the constant weight on their back and lack of flexibility. They were definitely used to lighter clothes that didn’t cling to their skin.

At least Zelda was by their side, their fellow priestess was used to the frigid temperatures, even then, she still wore a massive cloak lined with white wolves fur. Though she towered above them, she kept her strides nice and short so they wouldn’t be jogging to keep up with her. She could probably take four steps of stone stairs at a time if she wanted to, and Link was very thankful that she didn’t.

“I’m still willing to carry you, you know.” Zelda said with a playful smirk as Link carefully avoided a patch of ice.

“As I said before, not in front of the attendants. We do not need any more rumors circulating around.” Their cheeks were flushed, but they couldn’t completely blame it on the cold.

“I think we sould encourage rumors, it can get boring up here, it’ll be a service if anything interesting were to happen.” She teased, Link caught themself looking at her smile for a little too long. They whipped their head away, to focus on the road instead.

“I’m sure they’ll find something to talk about. Maybe I’ll trip into the spring or something. Or another fox will wander in and climb the goddess statue.” They suggested, admiring the pillars of ice and stone rather than looking at their companion. They’d have to crane their neck pretty far up anyway.

“It may be expected for animals to gather around the statue of Farore but it’s considered disrespectful for my goddess.” She commented, brushing some bright scarlet hair from blowing in her face, she must’ve missed a few pieces when preparing herself that morning. How inconvenient.

“I’m sure she would think differently if it was an owl.”

“As a matter of fact, she does. There’s a nest of them too high for anyone to get to, some of the lower priestesses believe she speaks through them, so if they happen to hoot while someone is talking, they assume Nayru just wanted to butt in with her opinion.” The image caused Link to snort out a laugh.

“Oh fair prophet, you cannot understand the words of your goddesses sacred birds, how disappointing. I heard Impa can talk to pigs.”

“Din’s sacred animal is a boar, not a pig. That’s like calling your dragon a lizard.” The priestess of Nayru raised her eyebrows and motioned towards the currently covered tattoos on Link’s arm, a long dragon spiraled up in shifting greens and teals and gold.

“They belong to the same family. Do you think it would be sacrilage if the Priestess of Din eats pork? Or if the Queen eats poultry?”

“It’s not sacralage for you to drink potions made with reptiles.” Zelda pointed out.

“It might be! I haven’t read the rulebook in a while.” Link claimed.

Their hike up the mountain lasted like that for hours, the priestess of Farore slowly feeling the chill seep through their cloaks. When they got to the top it wouldn’t matter though, so they wouldn’t even think to complain about it.

Shortly before Links legs threatened to fall off, they reached the Spring of Wisdom. The structure around it contained dozens of stained glass images that showered the marble floors with vibrant colors. Torches and a firepit were prepared, keeping the building a more reasonable heat, but the spring would still be just as mindnumbingly cold. Though that was the point.

Link was assisted out of their almost comical amount of cloaks, each layer removed sent a new wave of chilly air through their body. It took all their willpower not to shiver visibly. Eventually they were left in their ceremonial garb, an outfit more suited for their own spring in the middle of a tropical jungle. It contained a sash that only fully covered their shadow marks on their untattooed arm. It was the skin all Zonai had that was particularly sensitive to light, it wrapped around their arm like a dainty sleeve with smokey edges that swirled like a whirlwind up to their bicep.

Most of their skin was bare, there was no protection for their feet or hands, only extra wrappings covering their shadow marks. It wouldn’t help keep them warm though. The cold was a trial, not unlike the monsters hiding in the chambers of the Temple of Courage or the guardians around the Temple of Power. Nayru wanted to test their endurace, their dedication.

This spring was the most exclusive, while youth were allowed to pray in the others, the Spring of Wisdom was the most dangerous of them all, for Wisdom was the most dangerous weapon to have. Those who wished to take their pilgrimage there had to prove to the priestess that they understood their choice. That they contained the wisdom to not succumb to the allure of knowledge or to the pain of the cold.

Zelda worried that Link would be too stubborn to give up, to leave when their body hit it’s limit, not because they desired knowledge, but because that was an effect of their own relentless courage. She was afraid that they would die if someone convinced them it would help even a single person.

The priestess of Farore took a breath of icy air before taking their first step into the spring. They managed to resist flinching back but they knew that now they were wet, it would feel even colder. So step by step, they continued into the center of the spring. Their light skirt floating to the surface and fanning out like frost forming on glass.

Slowly, they knelt. The water rising up from their hips to their chest, making their lungs spasm and quiver against the stinging chill. Their jaw was stubbornly clenched shut to keep from chattering and their hands were clasped together to start their prayer. They only hoped they would grow used to the temperature, because they definitely had a long way to go.

After one last shaking breath, Link started their first prayer to Nayru, a song that echoed throughout the silent temple. The acoustics of the structure allowing it to sound like they were harmonizing with themself, carrying a note for several seconds before it was allowed to die out.

Once the first verse was finished, Link closed their eyes and succumbed to the darkness and the resonating sounds. The ancient language on their tongue was far from foriegn, but they were sure a goddess would be able to pick apart their accent. Many of the sounds weren’t natural for them to make, but with years of practice, it got much easier.

Hours had gone by, their voice wavered and got quieter as time passed. Eventually turning into a melodic hum as ther throat grew tight and rough. As the cold made their skin and bones completely numb, they knelt like a statue, mildly afraid that if they even tried to stand they would immediately stumble and fall.

Singing turned into humming which turned into no noise at all, only the fact that they were still upright hinted Zelda to the fact that they were still awake and deep in prayer. The moment they first stopped making noise, Zelda had to resist the urge to run in and check if they were okay. They had already lasted far longer than most, even she wasn’t allowed to watch them very long, it was customary that prayer was a private affair between the worshipper and the goddess they prayed to. At least in most springs it was.

Zelda guarded her friend, looking back and checking on them much more frequently than was likely necessary. Sure, she knew that if they passed out, she would hear the splash of the water, she would hear the water lap against the stone if they moved enough to stand up. She already had several heating potions that gradually increased in strength and several dry blankets soaking up the heat of the fire pit. She knew how to be prepared for a dedicated pilgrim, so many collapsed from the cold long before now. She wondered if Link was just too frozen in place to call for help.

Her fears were both dispelled and confirmed when she heard a sudden crash of something into the water, the broken silence made her jerk towards the spring, only to see her colleague completely engulfed in ice water. She sprang into action, ignoring the jolt of electricity that passed through her body as she ran into the spring.

Her heart jolted when she saw the unnatural tone to their skin and their closed eyes. She scooped their freezing body from the water and dreaded how cold and stiff they had gotten. She knew she should’ve intervened sooner…

Despite how cold they were, Zelda clung to Link, hoping to transfer some of her natural heat to them, but she knew it would be hard when he was wet and in sopping clothes. She would have to remove them. She tried her best to not be enticed by the idea, it was a medical necessity, not an excuse to objectify them. This had never really been a problem before, she’s had to fish so many travelers out, to keep their clothes from freezing them solid, it had never really phased her like it did with Link.

She managed to unclothe them without staring too much, though she was mortal and she had to shake her head out of it’s momentary stupor a second after removing the garments on their chest. In no time they were swadled in blankets and sitting near the fire, she just had to wait for them to wake up again before giving them the first elixir.

Zelda had decided that the best way to warm them up would be with her assistance so she carefully sat them pressed against each other, her using her superior size to her advantage and completely enveloping their body with hers, pressing her legs against theirs and biting her tongue a little when their stone cold skin touched hers. She wrapped her arms around them and made sure that their wet hair wasn’t touching their back. Her fur cloak covered them both well enough to keep the heat contained.

There were minutes when she could only hear her own racing heartbeat. Was their condition worse than she thought? Would she have to rush him to the fairy fountain near Karariko? Would she have to find a healer? Would she be fast enough if she began her journey now? She furiously rubbed heat into Link's limbs, clasping her warm hands around one of theirs at a time, it was the first time she realized that the skin of their shadow marks felt different than their Hylian-colored skin. It was rough and strangely sturdy but still flexible.

A few terrifying minutes after Zelda had started to warm them up, Link made their first noise in hours. A tiny groan. She might’ve missed it if the temple were less silent. She paused her completely selfless cuddling to grab the weakest heating elixir from it’s place at her side. It warmed the glass like some tea that had been sitting out for a few minutes, warm, but nowhere near scalding.

“Open up pipsqeak, we have to warm you up from the inside too.” Zelda said softly, tilting their chin back to administer the potion. At this point, their eyes were open and obviously dazed, still, they seemed like they were trying to resist shivering.

They swallowed the potion without resistance and instantly seemed to be getting better, their cheeks were pink rather than being unnaturally pale and their shivering seemed to come back, at least to the extent of being uncontrollable. Zelda automatically went back to holding them close as soon as the empty glass bottle was placed safely on the ground.

“Am I… am I naked?” They asked between stuttering breaths. Of course that would be the first thing they were worried about…

“I’m not just going to leave you in wet clothes while you’re suffering from hypothermia Link.” She deadpanned.

“Did you…” Their weak voice trailed off and Zelda had a feeling that the pink on their cheeks wasn’t just them recovering their body heat.

“Yes, I did. It was medically necessary.” She didn’t want the fact that she had seen their body without their permission to be a point of embarrassment, she just had to act professional and detached about it.

“Consider yourself lucky, not everyone gets the sacred honor to gaze upon-” Link announced deliriously, loud enough that there was no way that some temple attendants could be oblivious to it.

“You can go back to sleep now.” She interrupted. “I can wake you up when you’re ready for the next elixir.”

“Maybe next time you see me like that I won’t be almost dying.” Link suggested with a smirk that was less seductive and more silly.

“I thought you didn’t want any rumors about us.”

“You were right, it does get a little boring up here.” Link shrugged a little, or as much as they could in Zelda’s tight embrace.

The next time Link woke up, they were much more coherent and somber. After their second dose of spicy elixir, she got to find out why. The juxtaposition of their waking state this time compared to the first was more than unsettling, it was hard to believe it was the same person in her arms.

“She showed me something in there.” Their voice was much quieter than before. “I think I saw the future.” This wasn’t too uncommon, many people saw flashes of things that have yet to happen, oftentimes they were inconsequential or confusing and easily forgotten. But Link looked troubled, and She had a feeling that they got more than just a useless image for their hours of prayer.

“What did you see?” She prompted.

“The fall of Hyrule. I think I saw myself dying.” They said, unsettlingly vaguely before continuing, “It wasn’t me though… not really. The princess was there, but not the little girl we know… but I still knew who she was. It was… It was those sheikah machines. Something was controlling them. They were taking down Hylian soldiers like they were ants. We were trying to run but we had no choice but to fight them. She begged me to run but I couldn’t leave her alone. She tried to save me, she had the complete triforce. I think it was too late. I think I died there.”

“That’s certainly troubling, but that doesn’t seem to occur during your lifetime, it could be hundreds or thousands of years away.” Zelda reasoned, “It’s no use to worry about it now, even if it could be changed.”

Link stayed silent, replaying the images in their mind, it had been many generations since the fall of the calamity, there weren’t many that were old enough to have lived through it, but Link knew the tales. It was clear to them now. The calamity would return someday. It could be decades or centuries or millennia, but one thing was certain, this time, they were going to fail.

They had a feeling that they wouldn’t be able to see Impa’s spider-y army the same way ever again. Especially the single red eye, aiming right at their heart.

Then again, though they had been looking through the eyes of Link, they had a feeling that it may not of been them. That Link held the master sword, the very sword that their brother was hiding, the hero's sword. Perhaps it wasn’t them who they saw dying, but Ravio. For some reason, that was so much worse.