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one
The Kingdom of Hyrule was a truly beautiful place. Rolling hills littered with flowers and wildlife as far as the eye can see, mountains that seem to shatter the very clouds themselves. Anywhere you went you could find beauty within any sight. Crystal-clear rivers and forests and caves with glowing stones. Yet this beauty was only a fraction of why Shuichi fought to protect this land.
The pressure of being the Knight of Hyrule was certainly stressful, but Shuichi was good at his job. Even if he lacked confidence sometimes, he was always empowered by the Princess’ faith in him whenever he needed a pick-me-up. He doubted many others could wield weapons the way he could, nor have time slow at his will when he went into a flurry or drew back a bow and arrow in the sky. Regardless of this, it didn’t stop the Zora Prince from tagging along during his daily perimeter check. They had defeated a few tribes of Bokoblins and Moblins, and though they would return at the next blood moon Shuichi hoped that it would at least provide inhabitants of Hyrule a sliver of peace for the time being.
Shuichi jumped as the cold, rounded butt of a spear nudged him in the side, which startled his horse and nearly sent them flying through the fields. Shuichi managed to reel back control, patting Prince’s neck with reassurance and soft murmurs. Looking over, he caught the Zora’s eye. “What’s wrong, Knight in Shining?” The nickname drew a chuckle from him and he shook his head.
“Nothing, Kokichi. Just thinking.”
“Thinking abouuuut~?” he pushed, ushering Panta to catch up alongside Prince.
“About how you insisted coming on with me and yet still left me to do most of the fighting.”
“Wh-” Kokichi scoffed in mock offense, resisting his smile at the teasing. “Totally not fair! You know I do best in water!”
“Which is why you decided to join my land patrol?”
“I wanted to observe your skills, that’s all! What with Ganon coming and everything.” The mention of Ganon caused Shuichi to tense, remembering just why they were doing everything. He appreciated Kokichi’s company, truly. Though sometimes he didn’t know how the other could drop such things in such a carefree manner, as though he weren’t worried about a thing.
No, he thought, clenching his eyes. I know that he’s worried. This is his way of coping with it.
“Hey, Shuichi,” he murmured. “Let’s race.” Then, barely allowing him to even acknowledge the challenge, Kokichi whipped the reins and Panta took off.
“Wh-?! K-Kokichi!” Shuichi lightly kicked Prince’s side for a swift boost, gaining on the cocky Zora. Panta had always been faster than Prince, though. Just as Shuichi began to gain on him, Kokichi dashed even further ahead. “That’s not fair!” He shouted after the boy, ignoring the soft endearment that tugged at his heart hearing his laugh blow across the wind. “I don’t even know where the end is!” Kokichi turned over his shoulder to grin at him.
“You’re the smart one!” he called back. “Figure it out, Shining!”
Shuichi pulled on the reins, and Prince faltered, slowly coming to a halt with a huff of air. He watched Kokichi run ahead, in much too far of a lead for Shuichi to catch up by horseback now. The competitive spirit in him rumbled, his brain itching on how he could beat Kokichi. Figure out the end, huh? Although the Zora Prince was certainly mischievous, he didn’t enjoy unfair games. So, the ending point would likely be a place somewhat nearby, perhaps somewhere they’d been before… Their location struck him; he shielded his eyes from the sun and looked up the mountain towards the towering tree that had become ‘their’ spot. A smile grew on his lips, and he dismounted, patting Prince on the nose.
“I’ll be back, girl.” She nudged against his hand, and Shuichi went off. He dashed to the bottom of the cliff. He took a breath, shook out his hands, and jumped.
Stupid, Kokichi scolded himself. Why’d I have to bring up stupid Ganon? He was used to pushing away his feelings, it was what was required of him for being a leader, especially in times of upcoming crisis. But he often forgot that Shuichi wasn’t like the others. He wasn’t like the Champions, Kaito, Rantaro, and Tenko who easily fed up with his shenanigans, consistently questioning how someone like him could be crowned Prince of the Zora. He wasn’t like the Princess, who although she tried to understand him gave up when he would make a snarky comment. Shuichi wasn’t like anyone he had ever met before, Hylian or otherwise.
Kokichi kicked Panta’s side, perhaps a bit too hard. He pet her neck as an apology. The Prince didn’t understand why, but for whatever reason Shuichi felt the most comfortable around him. Typically the knight would be mostly nonverbal, not speaking unless spoken to. But with Kokichi, it was different. Shuichi actually… listened to him. Yes, Kokichi was a prince. But he thrived off of Shuichi’s attention more than anything else. He couldn’t help being pleased whenever Shuichi came to him to heal his injuries, despite how horrible that sounded. Shuichi understood him better than anyone else, and yet he still couldn’t help but try to push him away even if he didn’t mean to.
Glancing behind him, Kokichi stopped for a moment and frowned. Was Shuichi really that far behind? Aw… and he’d expected something more from him. Maybe he found another way, he reckoned with himself, hoping he hadn’t upset the knight so much he’d just left. “Hiyah! C’mon, Panta! Forward, girl!”
Ganon scared him more than anything. Not Ganon himself, but the consequences of him. The unpredictability, his inability to plan because they really didn’t know what they were getting themselves into. He would fight until his final breath. He would die for Zora’s Domain, for his home. But the thought of that scared him. Never again would he be able to sneak away to his small group of eccentric Zora, never again would he swim through the rivers with the cool water gliding past his skin and feeling the thrill of ascending waterfalls. He would never be able to spend time with Shuichi again, never share these little moments that meant so much to him, he’d never…
No, enough thinking about that. He was nearly at the mountaintop. He couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed by choosing the spot he did. What else was he meant to do? They were far away from the rest of… anything, really, and it was a spot that was special to them—to… him. It was special to him. Regardless, Kokichi turned the final corner of the trail trotting up to the grassy spot with the singular large tree. He expected he would have to wait a bit for the knight, but instead…
“Took you long enough.” Shuichi, with a sly smile, pushed off from where he stood leaning against the tree, approaching Kokichi with his hands on his hips. Kokichi’s jaw went slack as he gaped at him. Shuichi beat him. He actually beat him.
“Where’s your horse?!” Kokichi shrieked, stumbling down from Panta’s back.
“You’re the smart one,” he teased, with a dorky smile that Kokichi couldn’t find himself to be genuinely angry at no matter how hard he tried. “Figure it out, Champion.” With a mock scowl, Kokichi began investigating. He searched around the entire grassy top first, then looked up into the tree.
“Why would she be in the tree?”
“I don’t know!” He heard a whinny. A whinny that was not from Panta. He scrambled to the edge of the cliff and looked down, seeing Prince grazing on some grass.
“Did you- did you climb the cliff?!” Shuichi’s smile only seemed to widen.
“What, this? This was nothing.”
“That’s totally cheating!”
“You never clarified that it was a horse race. You just said, ‘let’s race.’” He shrugged. “I think I won fair and square, didn’t I? Even after you got a head start.”
“You Hylians…” Kokichi grumbled, failing to conceal his smile. How foolish of him to think that Shuichi would just leave… Shuichi’s face lit up with laughter, his elf ears twitching. Kokichi always thought it was adorable when they did that. As the laughter died down, Shuichi sighed and brushed his hands off as he approached the cliffside again.
“Nuh-uh,” Kokichi interrupted. “No way. I’m not gonna be the reason why the Knight of Hyrule falls and break his neck.” He pat the spot behind him as he climbed back onto Panta’s back. “Hop on, beloved.” Shuichi turned red at the nickname, but joined him with a soft chuckle. The journey down the mountain was much more relaxed and slow than the race up, the reins laying loose in Kokichi’s hands while Shuichi’s lay carefully against the prince’s hips.
As the sun set on their adventure, the sky painted orange and pink, Kokichi couldn’t help but be selfish. He knows that they should be preparing for Ganon’s arrival… and yet they run along anyways.
two
Very rarely was Shuichi able to find a moment’s peace, given his various duties. Even without those duties, however, a certain Zora Prince always managed to find a way to drag him into something here or there. In this instance, with the door of his chamber slamming open and the star-eyed Zora bursting in.
“I found a place to explore!” Well, that was never a good thing to hear come from Kokichi’s mouth.
“A ‘place?’” Shuichi repeated, raising an eyebrow as he adjusted the sword on his back. “What exactly is this ‘place?’” Kokichi crossed a finger over his lips, prompting Shuichi to walk towards him with a sigh.
“That’s a secret, of course~”
“Of course it is.” Whinnying with laughter, Kokichi wasted no time grabbing his hand and dragging him along through the halls of Hyrule Castle. If Shuichi cared enough he might ask how or why the Zora knew of this ‘place’ in a Castle which wasn’t even his own, but he knew Kokichi would simply lie about it. As most things were with him, it was better to wait and see with his own eyes rather than try and decipher his lies.
They crept down a staircase past a Sheikah Shrine and then entered the library, the walls lined with books gathering dust. It saddened Shuichi slightly to see the room fall into disuse. Typically Kaede would spend hours in here, but lately those hours had been funneled into researching Ganon and the Sheikah instead. Shuichi’s reminiscing was interrupted as grinding metal scratched his ears, instinctively reaching for his sword before he realized it was only Kokichi yanking on a bookcase. He peeked into the halls, just to be sure that none of the guards had heard the commotion. After a few more strong pulls, the bookcase dislodged itself, giving way to a sliver of space behind it. As he approached Kokichi’s side, he felt an old musty breeze of air drifting from the newly opened bookcase. With a twinkle of excitement in his eyes, Kokichi pushed it open just enough to squeeze through, beckoning Shuichi to follow.
“Ah- I-I don’t think we’re supposed to be in here,” he murmured, glancing around at the damp stone walls.
“Exactly! That’s why it’s a place to explore, we’ve never been here before!” Shuichi was hesitant. How would the Princess react if she found them running around her library? In the hidden corridors of her library? Her studies were her most important thing in life, her books her most prized possessions. Well, apart from the instruments which the King forbid her from.
“Think of it as part of your duty,” Kokichi dismissed, walking forward carelessly. Shuichi jogged forward to catch up with him, being sure to stick by his side. “You’re checking for monsters! Or something like that!”
“And is this the defense we will be using when we get caught by the Royal Guards?”
“We’re not going to get caught,” Kokichi reassured, sounding quite confident in himself. “The Hyrule guards suck.” Shuichi couldn’t help the pang of hurt that pricked his heart, glancing away and observing the walls. Kokichi, noticing his silence, slowly backtracked. “I said guards, Shuichi. Not the knights.” Then, added even quieter, “Not you.” Shuichi nodded, sparing a weak smile in hopes to display that his words did help him feel better. Kokichi opened his mouth, about to say something else, but a hissing sound caused both to freeze. Shuichi furrowed his brows and unsheathed the Master Sword, subconsciously stepping in front of the prince and holding an arm out. He inched forward, eyes flitting around the halls… and missed the camouflaged Lizal sat upon the wall. By the time he realized it was there, the spiked boomerang had already sliced his cheek open, causing him to wince and tighten his grasp on his sword. He drew his bow and aimed a quick shot at its eye, causing it to fall from the wall with a pained shriek. With it on the ground, he dashed forward and attacked it in quick succession until it exploded into a cloud of mist, leaving only a tail and talons behind. He remained on guard, waiting and listening for any other monsters. He hadn’t even registered the pain in his cheek, blood dripping down his face, until Kokichi’s gentle fingers hovered over the area, putting his healing to work. When he met eyes with the prince, his jaw was tense and face blank.
“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he murmured. “Let’s go.”
“No,” Shuichi shook his head. “You were right. There are monsters here, and now that I know that, I have to destroy them.”
“Shuichi, we’re in Hyrule Castle with dozens, maybe hundreds of guards! You don’t need to do this yourself.” With something of a sly grin, Shuichi continued down the hall.
“It’s like you said. I’m the only good knight, aren’t I?” Kokichi couldn’t help but scoff.
“You sly bastard.” Despite his words, he chased after the knight. “I thought you were supposed to be the responsible one here?”
“That hasn’t ever stopped us before, has it?” Shuichi was certain that he would be able to take on any creatures lurking within these dark corridors on his own—and with Kokichi here? Well, he had a feeling the prince never really minded using his power on Shuichi.
They traversed through the entire corridor until reaching a dead end, during which they only encountered a few more Lizalfos. With the few injuries Shuichi did receive, Kokichi never failed to patch him up quickly, his warm but chilly healing prickling against his skin.
“Hey, Shining.” Kokichi’s call put him on guard, worrying that perhaps a monster they missed had crept up behind them, but the prince merely smiled mischievously at him, nodding towards an abandoned chest cast upon a pile of rubble. “What do you say we leave a secret for us in the future? Or whichever curious soul finds this place again?”
“What kind of prize?” Kokichi hummed before his eyes lit up and he began rummaging through his pockets.
“How about… this!”
“A- a golden rupee!?” Shuichi yelped. “That- that’s worth three hundred, you know that right!?” Kokichi merely shrugged, opening the chest and placing it inside.
“It’s a prize!” He insisted. With a giggle, he pranced towards him and added, “Plus, reminds me of your eyes.” Shuichi’s face quickly burned red, grumbling as he looked away.
“Well… if you’re sure.” With a whistling laugh, Kokichi grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along towards the entrance.
One day, that rupee would be discovered again. But it would be much longer before Shuichi remembered that he had been there when it was placed.
three
“I think it will be incredibly beneficial to see if the Zora will share their materials with us, don’t you?” Kaede said, sending a glance to Shuichi at the end of her sentence. He merely nodded, and she continued across the bridge, Sheikah Slate in hand. “Their ability to swim opens up the possibility of so much more. I’m uncertain if the Zora themselves have taken measures to collect resources underwater, but if they do…! It could single-handedly supply the resources for required production!” Shuichi wasn’t exactly savvy in that area of ‘royalty.’ But he trusted Kaede’s judgment, and at the very least hoped that the Zora would hear them out.
It was likely that Kaede wasn’t actually looking for his input anyways, rather speaking her thoughts aloud helped her organize them; he let her monologuing drone into background noise like the running water of the river beneath them, eyes and ears attentive of their surroundings. From the journeys he had made to Zora’s Domain before, he knew that the pathways were littered with monsters—both in and out of water. Every bubble grabbed his attention for just a moment, long enough to determine if it was a threat or simply a salmon.
A longer thread of air bubbles caught his attention, causing his steps to halt as he grasped the handle of his sword. However, the potential threat quickly exposed itself.
“Well well well, if it isn’t my favorite Hylians!” Kokichi’s head popped out of the water, droplets sticking to his skin and his hair which often made him look more like an Octorok. Shuichi released his sword, his body relaxing. Kokichi’s smirk darkened as his eyes narrowed. “Awfully bold of you to come here, hm? Don’t you know the Zora aren’t very fond of your kind?”
“Enough, Kokichi.” Kaede grumbled, keeping her head tall. “I’m here to discuss Calamity Ganon.”
“Oooohhh, yeah! That guy!” He disappeared back under the water before jumping out, landing on the bridge with a flip. “Well, I guess I can spare you the time of day.”
The princess smiled. “Thank you. Now then, I come regarding an inquiry about the Zora Domain’s resource pool.” Kokichi’s expression flickered for a moment.
“Is that so…” he murmured, gaze softening only when he looked at Shuichi. “Well then, that’s a question for the King.”
“Can I not discuss it with you?” Kokichi laughed.
“I’m only the Prince, Hylian. We do have order around here.” He winked at Shuichi, snickering under his breath. “Dunno if you have that.” Kaede pursed her lips, clenching her hands by her side.
“Very well, then. I will discuss with the King.” She grabbed Shuichi by the arm and began tugging him along. “Come on, Shuichi. Let’s leave him be to do… whatever it is he was doing.”
“Ah, actually!” Kokichi interrupted, causing both the knight and princess to raise an eyebrow. “I could use your little knight’s help with things. In the battalion area, y’know.” Although not perfect, Shuichi had certainly gotten better at deducing Kokichi’s lies—but that was a lie so obvious he was almost certain the princess would roll her eyes and continue dragging him along. To his surprise, she actually considered it.
“I see… and that would help?”
“I could certainly try to… sway my father. If you allowed me to steal him, of course.”
“Very well.” Shuichi wasn’t sure whether to be flattered that Kokichi was bartering for him, or offended that Kaede so easily gave him up. She gave him a soft smile. “You’ll be okay, right Shuichi?” He nodded in response, earning a giggle from Kokichi.
“ ‘Knight Shuichi of Zora’s Domain’ has a nice ring to it, don’tcha think?”
“You can steal him while I’m here, ” Kaede corrected. She set off with a wave, headed towards the steps which led to the King’s throne. Kokichi vaulted over the railing, landing back into the river with a splash.
“You’re welcome, by the way.” Shuichi couldn’t help but laugh as he trailed alongside from the land, eventually reaching a ramp leading to one of the many landings connected to Zora’s Domain.
“Why go through the trouble for that?” He finally asked him after they were a ways off, away from any other Zora
“Figured you wouldn’t want to sit and nod along to whatever diplomatic nonsense they would talk about,” he shrugged, crossing his arms over the railing. He looked out over the domain, something longing in his eyes. Shuichi joined him, feeling a sense of refreshment as the cold metal bit into his arms.
“I appreciate that.” A light spit began to drizzle as clouds rolled in, dampening the lights and causing most of the glow to be dependent on the luminous stones. Shuichi took a moment to admire the view of the towering mountains and flowing rivers which caused beautiful flora to bloom before being interrupted by Kokichi clapping his hands together.
“Well! You ready to start?”
“Start…?” Shuichi repeated, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you pulled me away from Kaede so I wouldn’t have to do anything?”
“Hm? Oh, no no no. You’re not getting off that easily. You are going to help me with my soldiers!” The knight blanched, sighing, though was unsurprised.
“I see…” The Prince pulled him along by his arm, down a ramp to the barracks where several Zora were training. As he watched, he realized that he had never actually seen Kokichi fight. If anything, it seemed like he… was avoidant of it
Shuichi, now around other people, returned to a nonverbal state but stood by Kokichi’s side with relative ease. Yes, he was a bit intimidated by the other Zora, but Kokichi’s presence always managed to calm him. The aforementioned prince called the attention of his soldiers, grabbing his trident and tapping it against the ground. “I’ve brought the Hyrulian Princess’ greatest Knight!” He announced. “I have hope that he will be able to assist you all in honing your skills because currently, they’re pretty horrible!” Shuichi sputtered quietly, astonished at how Kokichi could so casually say that—to his soldiers, nonetheless! And yet none of them seemed offended or even surprised in the slightest. I guess that’s normal…? As Kokichi continued to explain, Shuichi noticed something off about his body language, almost as if he was gearing up for something…
“I always believe that the best introduction is demonstration. So—“ he barely had half a thought to whip out and brace his shield before Kokichi’s trident rammed into it. He met the prince’s eyes over the metal, which were glistening with excitement. “Do your worst, Shining.” It didn’t take more than a second for Shuichi to flit into his fight-mode. He forced Kokichi’s spear to the side with his shield, jumping away as he attempted to strike again. Shuichi drew the Master Sword from his sheath and swung, only to be contested with the handle of the spear. As they collided, the silver bending beneath the force of the sword, a realization clicked in Shuichi’s mind.
Shuichi didn’t often train with other soldiers. His training consisted of destroying trees and boulders, climbing cliffs and swimming across the span of rivers until he nearly passed out. Whenever he wielded a weapon, he always swung with intent to seriously injure, if not kill.
This is not something he was used to.
Kokichi took advantage of the moment to almost disarm Shuichi, the only thing keeping the Master Sword in his hand being his own iron grip. “Come on, I know you’ve got more than that in you,” the prince taunted, his sharpened teeth glistening in the reflection of metal. “ Give them a show, Shuichi. ” Shuichi didn’t consider himself a competitive person by nature, but by goddess if Kokichi didn’t bring out a different side of him. Kokichi must have noticed the hardened look in his eyes, because he grinned.
Thus began their game. Each swing held intent, the clash of metal on metal creating sparks which bounced off their weapons. Shuichi was familiar to the quick puffs of breath and grumbling shouts as he focused his strength into his attacks, but it appeared Kokichi wasn’t all that unfamiliar either. Even if he didn’t enjoy fighting, there was no denying that Kokichi was far from bad at it. That fact only encouraged Shuichi more, a part of him secretly wishing he could get Kokichi to overpower him, if only to draw out the true potential of his strength. Despite both of their resilience, it was clear Kokichi was beginning to tire. His jaw clenched, and his hands began to shake. Shuichi figured that he was trying to hide his weariness from his soldiers, perhaps out of fear of being viewed as weak? Or displaying his limited fighting ability? In any case, Shuichi didn’t want to draw this on longer than he already had. He dashed forward, which took Kokichi off guard if anything could be determined from his widening eyes. Shuichi pressed hard against the spear as Kokichi blocked his attack, nearly snapping the metal in half. Kokichi, taking him by surprise, essentially blinded him as he summoned his healing power, the glow causing Shuichi to stumble backwards. Just one opening. He needed one good opening. Kokichi jabbed his trident forward, the exact pattern Shuichi had been hoping for. He dodged the attack, his surroundings slowing. Shuichi attacked repeatedly, each blow gradually weakening Kokichi’s grip until the trident slipped free from his hands. Then, the fight was over.
Shuichi had him on the ground, Kokichi’s own trident at his neck. Shuichi tried not to let the heat get to his face as Kokichi grinned up at him between heavy breaths, clearly pleased. “Not bad, Hylian.” The knight couldn’t help but return a smile, offering a hand to the prince. Kokichi’s grasp lingered on his hand for a tad longer, before he brushed himself off and reclaimed his trident before addressing the Zora, explaining that Shuichi would be fighting each Zora so they could analyze their own abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
“I want all of you to practice going against him! And Shuichi?” Kokichi muttered his name just quiet enough that no one else could hear. “Don’t go easy on them.”
It felt like hours had passed as Shuichi fought against each soldier one-on-one. Although Kokichi said not to hold back, he couldn’t help but do so. Though it may sound cocky and arrogant, the Zora soldiers were simply not to the same level as he was. He had barely needed to use his shield, and even when the Master Sword ran out of energy he was still able to conquer them. By the time Shuichi got through all the soldiers, Kokichi was beyond pissed. But even more than that… Shuichi could tell that he was scared.
“If you can’t even land a single hit on him, there’s no way you’re going to survive fighting Ganon,” he spat. The Zora warriors hung their heads with varying amounts of shame, some bitterly glaring at Shuichi. He flinched and advert his gaze, thankful for the damp hair which fell into his eyes. “And as much as some of you want to hate Hylians, they’re actually okay, you know!”
“Prince Kokichi—“
“And I will not stand for anyone mistreating the brave, noble knight that has volunteered his own time to teach you!” His voice thundered, absolute. The Zora remained silent and he smiled, his expression softening towards the knight. “Thanks for your time, Shining.” Shuichi wished he could bring the strength to speak, but instead he could only nod.
Shuichi took the winding pathway back to the main area of the domain, approaching the king’s throne and patiently waiting outside until Kaede emerged. She appeared a bit downtrodden, but eagerly told him how they had managed to come to an agreement. Shuichi listened half-heartedly, eyes wandering while he nodded to appear attentive. As they passed the final rampway which would lead them back towards Hyrule, Shuichi couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on Kokichi. Even from a distance, his frustration was evident as he waved a hand and dismissed the soldiers, pulling off his helmet and clutching it under his arm as he walked off. Shuichi felt as though he were intruding, observing a private moment that Kokichi had not intended for he or anyone else to see.
“Shuichi? You coming?” He swallowed, watching the prince’s figure grow smaller until he disappeared through a doorway. The knight nodded and returned to the Princess’, hands by his side and his sword upon his back.
Perhaps next time he and Kokichi would be able to fight again. This time, for as long as they pleased.
four
Shuichi never knew what to expect when he was with Kokichi, that was one of the reasons why he enjoyed spending time together so often. Their late-night escapade tonight was no exception, with Kokichi swimming up the rivers to sneak into Shuichi’s chamber and rush him to go to their spot. After they arrived, the hike up the hill by foot, Shuichi was pleasantly surprised to see a cooking pot beneath the tree which had not been there before.
“Seriously?” Shuichi grumbled, setting down his bag on the ground. “You dragged me out here in the middle of the night for this?”
“What?” Kokichi countered, laying flat against the grass to look up at Shuichi, albeit upside down. “This isn’t boring, is it?” Shuichi smiled softly, pulling out a piece of flint and dropping it next to the cooking pot.
“No, it isn’t.” He used his sword to make a spark, blowing air to help the fire grow. “So this is why you asked me to bring materials for cooking.”
“Yeah! My darling knight is going to treat his dear prince while I sit and watch the stars!”
“I’m not ‘your’ knight. And you don’t even like stars,” Shuichi countered, tossing some meat into the pot, along with some rice. “Isn’t that more like Kaito’s thing?”
“Don’t bring up that oaf while we’re on a date!” He grumbled, ignoring Shuichi’s quiet squeak of, ‘d-date?!’ “Chop chop, servant! I’m hungry!” In response Shuichi could only sigh, taking care not to let the rice balls burn. Kokichi was pleased, but he quickly devoured them and sent Shuichi scrambling to make a fruitcake—with difficulty, of course.
“Hey, what if I throw a frog into the pot?”
“Don’t!” Shuichi squawked, shielding the pot with his body. “If you do it will turn out disgusting and I’m forcing you to eat it.”
“Boo, you’re no fun!” Kokichi poked him playfully, unable to hide his excited eyes at the sight of the fruit, wheat, and sugar coming together to make a delicious cake. “Wooow, you’re actually pretty good at this! It’s fluffy and airy but not dry, moist but not sticky…” As always, his antics pulled a laugh from the knight.
“I didn’t realize the Prince of the Zora was a food extraordinaire.”
“Well, that’s simply offensive! I should have you drowned for that!”
“Uh-huh?” Shuichi entertained him, pulling the last of the ingredients from his bag. The crack of a bird egg was satisfying in and of itself, but it only grew as he sprinkled more cane sugar and poured in fresh milk. “If you did that, who would cook for you?”
“All of my Zora underlings, of course!”
“But that’s a lie, isn’t it?” Shuichi smiled, checking the consistency of the egg pudding and stealing a taste for himself before scooping it into a bowl and handing it to the prince. He put out the fire and sat next to him. “We both know you don’t see the other Zora as lesser beings.” Kokichi smiled in turn, but didn’t say anything. Brimming with joy, Kokichi dug in. With a mouthful of pudding he said,
“You know, Shuichi would make a great husband.” Shuichi choked on air in response, struggling to manage a coherent word.
“I-Is that so…?”
“Yeah!” Kokichi licked pudding from the side of his lip, twisting to face Shuichi as he tossed the empty bowl next to the pot. “You’ve got big strong arms, and you could totally protect your poor wittle partner! Not to mention you’re good with animals, and you’re kind.”
“It sounds like you’re trying to court me,” Shuichi mumbled through a flushed face. The prince laughed and said,
“Maybe I am!” After a moment, as though he were considering his words, Kokichi hummed. “Hey, Shuichi, how about you become my house husband after all this?” He choked on air again.
“ What ?!” Kokichi pouted, still not turning to face him.
“You heard me! I want someone to cook meals like this for me all the time!” There was no way he could actually, genuinely mean that. Surely this was just another one of his jokes. Any minute now, Kokichi was going to start laughing at him, point and shout, ‘I gotcha! That was just a lie!’ He waited. Kokichi didn’t retract it. In fact, he lay with a blank expression, staring up at the leaves from the tree above them. And that’s when Shuichi realized, he was serious. Kokichi was serious about him becoming, as he’d put it, his ‘house husband. The worst part?
Shuichi didn’t dislike the idea.
There was a long, deafening silence. Crickets chirping, the wind blowing past them, the crackling of the fire. Until finally Shuichi whispered, “Okay,” Kokichi tensed and turned to face him with wide eyes. Shuichi smiled gently. “Sure. We can do that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.” Shuichi lay down on his side, placing one arm under his head while his other hand tugged at the grass between them. He shyly met Kokichi’s eyes. “We could build a house right up here by the tree, then we’ll always have the view. And… and we can build a stable right at the bottom for Prince and Panta.”
“Yeah?” Kokichi spoke softly, slowly reaching until he slipped his hand into Shuichi’s. They locked fingers, the knight giving his hand a small squeeze. “Tell me more.”
“We’d get some Cuccos and raise them so we’d always have fresh eggs… maybe make a farm so the vegetables are fresh, too.”
“And you’ll cook for me?”
“Well, I don’t want to do all the cooking by myself.”
“Then… you’ll teach me?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’ll teach you. And we can cook together.”
“I’d pick some flowers…” Kokichi started, shifting a bit closer. “Surprise you when I came home.”
“And I’d put them in a vase, and put them on the table where we’d eat.”
“Or we could put some chairs out here,” Kokichi smiled. “Eat dinner while watching the sunset.”
“What else?” Shuichi questioned, earning a hum from Kokichi.
“We could go swimming in that pond together,” he offered. “The one just up here. Secluded… hidden…”
“You sound like we’d need it to be private.”
“Well, duh! We’re not going to be wearing clothes! Unless Shuichi is into public stuff like that~”
“Well... if it’s hidden up here, I don’t see a problem with it.” He laughed softly as Kokichi’s cheeks dusted with flush. “...Tell me another thing.”
“You’d probably come home all battered up from hunting or falling off a cliff, or something dumb like that…” Kokichi squeezed his hand. “And I’d fix you up. Scold you for getting hurt.”
“That sounds… really nice.” Shuichi said slowly, trying to piece together the proper words. The Zora’s smile faltered, and he pulled his hand away suddenly, sitting up-right. He looked out at the horizon over the cliff, something causing his fins to quiver.
“Hahah, welp! Guess we’d better get on it, destroying Ganon and all!” Shuichi frowned and sat up, hesitantly reaching out again to grasp his hand. Kokichi tensed.
“I’m serious, you know. That sounds wonderful.” Kokichi still did not turn to face him. “I wasn’t saying those things just to say them… I really do want that with you.”
“...With me?”
“With you.” At Shuichi’s encouragement, Kokichi lay back down by his side. Fingers intertwined, the two lay in comfortable silence until the sun spilled pale golden rays over them.
Kokichi awoke by himself, the grass dewy and dented beside him with fresh honeyed fruit in the cooking pot.
five
As the days trailed on, Ganon’s arrival only felt closer and closer. Perhaps it was only his own paranoia, but he found himself walking around with the Master Sword unsheathed more and more often in the event that they were ambushed by monsters or Yiga Clan members. The Princess was feeling the pressure as well. Perhaps that’s what made him so anxious, seeing Kaede who had always been so strong and confident growing more quiet by the day as she failed time and time again to unlock her powers.
It had been a while since he’d seen any of the Champions, as well. Though he wasn’t surprised when the Zora Prince caught him while training.
“Shuichi,” he called. His face was blank, void of any emotions—positive or negative. “Come sit with me.” He shouldn’t. He really, really shouldn’t. He had training to do, he had perimeters to check, he had the princess to protect. And yet he still found himself following Kokichi back to Zora’s Domain, arms around his neck hanging onto his back as the prince swam up Vah Ruta’s waterfalls and landed gracefully upon her back. The Divine Beast seemed pleased at Kokichi’s return. The two of them had spent hours sitting on Ruta, talking into the dark of night or the early light of mornings. Like the tree, it was one of their special places. A place with meaning and memories.
“Shuichi,” it startled him to hear his name so close, despite how low Kokichi murmured it. It startled him even more to face the prince and be nearly face-to-face with him.
“K-Kokichi…?” The Zora chuckled and inched closer. Cold fingers grabbed his chin causing him to shiver as his breath hitched.
“You Hylians blush so easily,” he teased, retracting back into his own space. Completely ignoring what had just happened, he changed the topic. “Why do you think I asked you here?” Shuichi’s mouth gaped, opening to find words to say and closing again as the feeling of Kokichi’s touch lingered and made him lose all feeling. Not only that, but…
He swallowed and turned to face the horizon. Hyrule Castle sat in perfect view. Instinctively, his jaw clenched and his fingers twitched for his sword. “Go on,” Kokichi urged. “Say it. I want to hear the truth.”
“We may not have much time left,” he said softly after a moment. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, much less talked to you. And even longer since we’ve been here.” Kokichi nodded acknowledging his theory, but it seemed to be more directed at his own thoughts. Once again, Shuichi shivered at Kokichi’s cold touch as the prince grabbed his hand. They met eyes, sunlight reflecting off Kokichi’s many jewels and silver armor. The Zora always had been one of the prettiest things Shuichi had ever seen.
“Shuichi—“ an arrow whizzed past him before Kokichi could say another word. Electricity sparked as the arrow landed in the lake where Vah Ruta stood, and Shuichi jumped on his guard. The two looked in the direction that the arrow was fired.
“A Lynel?”
“Ridiculous—“ Kokichi muttered, somewhat fearfully. “I knew there was one at the top of the mountain, but why is it all the way down here near Zora’s Domain?”
Shuichi was running before Kokichi could get in another word. “I’ll be right back!” He called over his shoulder, pulling out his shield and jumping onto it to gain momentum as he went down the curve of Vah Ruta’s back.
“Shuichi, no!” As he disappeared from sight, only to reappear a bit later climbing the cliffside towards the Lynel, Kokichi couldn’t help but grab his head fins and pace. “Goddess damn you, you idiotic knight!” Ruta made a low sound to comfort him, as the only thing he could do was watch. Kokichi wanted nothing more than to run over and help him, but he knew he would be useless. He would only get in the knight’s way, especially with his sensitivity to electricity. He tensed every time the Lynel swung at Shuichi, clenched his fists whenever he was hit by the edge of the weapon or was struck with an arrow. Finally, as Kokichi prayed to the Goddess with bated breath, Shuichi hopped upon the Lynel’s back and delivered the final blow.
Although he was bloody and hurt in too many places to count, Shuichi still looked at Kokichi from the distance and grinned, pumping his fist in the air. With a mix of emotions, he finally released his breath and allowed himself to relax as Shuichi made the slow return from the mountain. He thought about why he had brought Shuichi here. He thought about the chest he had tucked away until the right moment… and he gave up.
Kokichi kicked the chest away, hidden by Vah Ruta where even the observant knight wouldn’t notice. Kokichi would be sure to bring the chest back down to Zora’s Domain after Shuichi left. Until then, they would return to the Divine Beast’s head where Kokichi would heal Shuichi’s injuries as he had so many times before, with a pain in his chest at the mere thought of anything worse happening to him and the feelings he cramped away into a tight bottle which was certain to explode one of these days.
The painstakingly hand-crafted Zora Armor sit in the chest, shimmering of dragon scales and gems which would be hidden for at least a century more.
one
Shuichi, despite being somewhat of a pessimist, could have incredibly baseless hope. Mostly when facing an enemy that was ten times his size, or when throwing together new dishes with varied ingredients. A lot of this hope came from the Princess, whose own hope was outmatched only by the Goron Champion. Many times, this hope pulled through.
His hope did not pull through this time.
The trek down the mountain was silent, and not simply from Shuichi being nonverbal at the moment. Tension lingered between he and the Princess, who descended quietly down the path just a few steps ahead of him. He wished desperately he could comfort her, but he knew that even if he could speak, nothing he could say would help. He fought physical monsters, not the ones inside people’s heads.
The four Champions stood anxiously in wait at the foot of the mountain by the gate. He didn’t miss the way they lit up upon seeing their return, specifically Kokichi. Shuichi clenched his fists and swallowed dryly.
“Well?” Kaito urged with nervous encouragement. He approached Kaede. “Don’t keep us in suspense. How’d everything go up there on the mountain?” Kaede’s lip trembled as she shook her head, adverting her gaze to her own feet. Shuichi briefly caught Kokichi’s worried eye in the corner of his own. Rantaro stepped towards her.
“You didn’t feel anything? No power at all?”
“I’m sorry, no,” she whispered, voice breaking. Shuichi could sense her claustrophobia at being surrounded, suffocating from her own doubt and the pressures from the Champions. Tenko must have sensed it as well, because she ushered Rantaro and Kaito away and brought an arm around Kaede’s shoulder.
“Then let’s move on. Pressuring you and feeling sorry for yourself won’t be of any help. You’ve done all you could.” Kaede clenched her fists. Shuichi, being keen to people’s body language (especially the Princess’) could tell that the words were only making things worse. None of the Champions noticed.
“After all, it’s not like your last shot was up there on Mount Lanayru!” Tenko continued. “Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that… thing.”
“That’s kind of you, thank you,” she forced through her teeth.
“Princess,” Kokichi started, unnaturally serious. “If I may, I might have… a theory on something that could help you unlock your power.” Kaede’s eyes widened, a faint shimmer of hope returning. She answered him breathlessly.
“Really?”
“I mean, I was thinking about what I do when I’m healing. I’m not quite sure how to put this into words. Actually, I…” As he spoke, he began to hesitate and stumble over his words. Shuichi thought he may have seen his cheeks flush, but he chalked it up to the sunset. “I’m never going to admit this, so don’t even try and bring it up again. It helps me hone my focus when, well... it’s a bit embarrassing to say... When I heal, it helps when I think—when I think about—”
No one would know how Kokichi would end his sentence, because at that moment the very ground beneath them shook to its core. Shuichi stumbled forward, grabbing Kaede’s arm to steady her from falling. Rantaro summoned a gust of wind around himself, using the drift to fly into the air and see what had caused the rumbling. However, even from the ground it was obvious. Far ahead, from the shadows of where Hyrule Castle sat, emerged a dark pulsing mist saturated with red. The sky itself seemed to split in half, staining like a wine glass shattering on a pale blue tablecloth. A thunderous roar shook the mountains and chasms alike. The Champions muttered things themselves, but Shuichi was frozen. Just the sight sent adrenaline pulsing through his veins, and he sensed the Master Sword pulse weakly against the sheath on his back. He didn’t snap back until he heard Kaede speak.
“It’s awake…Ganon!”
“Alright,” Kaito pounded his fists together. “Let’s stop wasting time! We’re gonna need everything we got to take that thing down!” His motivation trailed off into background noise, time slowing around him. That’s not right, that should only happen when he’s fighting— why was that happening now? For the first time, he actually had doubt that he would be able to defeat an enemy. He had fought Lynels and Taluses, he suffered explosions and sword wounds and every injury imaginable. But staring at the rising calamity in the distance, Shuichi felt fear in his heart.
“Champions! To your Divine Beasts!”
It was then, with Kaito’s booming voice pulling him back to the present, when Kokichi did the thing Shuichi expected least. He had no snarky comment in response to Kaito. No, “I don’t take orders from you, I’m Prince of the Zora!” No taking charge of his own, no ordering others around.
He just ran.
“Kokichi?” Shuichi called the other’s name desperately through a mouthful of cotton. Kokichi always responded to his call. He always reacted to the little moments where Shuichi would speak around the others, because he knew it was so rare. Kokichi paid attention, he listened to him. Kokichi listened when others did not. He treated Shuichi as an equal when others ordered him around. Kokichi never ignored Shuichi. Even when he was joking, he couldn’t go more than a few seconds before giving in and snickering, sending Shuichi a familiar mischievous grin.
Kokichi did not turn around. He didn’t even spare Shuichi a single glance, face blank and jaw tense with determination. With a pained clench in his chest, he watched as Kokichi dashed towards Zora’s Domain, spear in hand. The reddening sky and anxiety surging through his veins screamed at him to run after the boy. To grab hold of him, at least say something before they went to their respective places to fight. But choked by his own breath, Shuichi was frozen in place, forced to watch as the Zora ran farther and farther until diving into a river and swimming faster than Shuichi had ever seen him before. He couldn’t go yet… this wasn’t real- this wasn’t happening. Shuichi needed to- he needed to tell him—
“Shuichi!” Kaito’s booming voice shook him from his wallowing, a rough hand gripping his shoulder. Rantaro and Tenko had already gone off towards Rito Village and Gerudo Town, respectively. “You can count on us for support, but it’s up to you to pound Ganon into oblivion! We’re counting on you, Little Guy!” Shuichi grit his teeth and unsheathed the Master Sword.
Right. None of that mattered. He had a duty to fulfill.