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Chapter Text

            In a blaze of glory, Hyrule Field is empty. There is no more beast taller than any building Link had ever seen rampaging around, and there is no bow made of light in his hands anymore. He is standing on a small bluff overlooking the field, and Zelda is beside him, clad in the same all-white dress she was wearing one hundred years ago.

            He had heard her voice so many times before, she was the first voice he had heard when he had awoken, and she whispered to him on the wind as he crossed the entire land, desperately hoping he wasn’t too late. He had heard her voice so many times before, in his memories, and in-between blades of grass, but it didn’t compare to finally hearing her speak to him in person once again.

            “Link.” She said his name softly and grabbed his hand.

            He turned to face her and studied her face, her beautiful long hair, glowing in the waning light. Her eyes were wide, blue, and shimmering. She was exactly how he had always remembered her.

            “Do you remember me?” She asked softly and looked away.

            Their hands were still clasped between them. How could I forget? He tugged on her hands gently and she looked back up at him, and he nodded at her. Yes, of course I remember you.

            Zelda grinned and suddenly rushed forward, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He stumbled back from the force of it before returning the hug, holding her tightly as she sobbed into the crook of his neck. He couldn’t tell if it was from relief for the anguish of holding back a divine evil for a century.

            “Thank you.” Her words were muffled, and she tremored in his arms. “I knew you would come.”

            All he could do was nod and cup the back of her head, gently threading his fingers through her hair. How could I ever leave you? No, never again would he leave her behind, to face the world on her own.

            She had commanded him to find her when he had first awoken, and now that he had, he had no intention of leaving her again. Even when he had given his own life for her, he had only ever tasted the bitter sting of betrayal. His death was a betrayal to her all in its own.

            Zelda took a step back and he instinctively reached up and brushed the tears away from under her eyes. Suddenly she was laughing, still holding tightly on to his hands.

            “I can’t believe it’s over.” She smiled at him.

            He nodded in response and they both looked over at Hyrule castle, no longer mired in evil, and no longer sitting in the center of a churning Calamity.

            “I don’t suppose I can go there.” She laughed nervously. “I should make my way to Kakariko, I suppose.”

            Link shook his head. No, there would be time to go see Impa tomorrow, there would be time to visit the towns and announce the defeat of the Calamity. Hateno Village was closer, anyways, and there were less people and less prying eyes.

            “You can stay with me.” He offered quietly.

            She blinked at him in surprise. “Are you sure?”

            He nodded again. Words had never come easily to him, not around others, and still not around Zelda.

            “You still don’t speak very much.” She stated, but still smiled at him.

            He shook his head. Maybe one day words would find their way into his mouth, and he wouldn’t have to think about it so much, but that day was not today. It probably wouldn’t be tomorrow, either. Someday he would find the right words for her.

            They rode on his horse to Hateno, through the field where he had originally fallen, and past the main gates. His house was off to the side and secluded, and he tied the white horse up near the trough he kept.

            The lights were off when they entered and Zelda looked around the small space in wonder, at the weapons and shield adorning the walls, and a picture of the two of them and the other champions from a hundred years ago. He lit a few candles as he rummaged around and produced a soft shirt and shorts for her and offered them to her awkwardly.

            “Thank you.” She took the clothes from him. “For everything.”

            He dipped his head in response.

            Zelda changed into more comfortable clothes in the loft, and he too shed the blue tunic he wore in exchange for the large shirt he usually slept in when he stayed the night in Hateno. Zelda peered down at him curiously, still smiling at him. He couldn’t help but return it.

            She was okay. After all this time, she was okay.

            There was nothing left for them to do but return home. Home. Hyrule was safe, Zelda was safe, and there would be things to do tomorrow. He could already see the gears turning in her head. There would be things to do tomorrow and until the end of time, but he was content to bask in their victory today.

            “You can have the bed.” He said, already rummaging around for spare pillows and hay.

            He could sleep just about anywhere. Zelda had been awake for a century.

            “Don’t be ridiculous.” She scowled at him. “Come here.”

            “Are you sure?” He whispered.

            Zelda nodded and disappeared from the ledge. He shifted his weight from foot-to-foot, uncertain if he should follow through on her offer. After a brief moment he relented and snuffed out the candles and stepped up into the loft.

            Zelda had already burrowed under the blankets and was curled on her side, illuminated by the moonlight leaking in from the windows. She glanced up at him from the bed and gestured for him to come closer.

            “You don’t have to sleep on the floor, Link.” She said sleepily.

            He sat down on the edge of the bed, and she reached up and took his hand again, tugging him up the bed until he was sitting with his back to the headboard while she laid down beside him. She looked up at him expectantly and he finally got under the blankets himself, feeling the warmth of her body beside him.

            He rolled to his side, his back to Zelda, and was surprised when she scooted closer to him, slinging her arm over his side. He stiffened at the affection momentarily before relaxing into the embrace.

            “Thank you.” Her words were muffled by his sleep shirt. “For everything.”

            All he could do was nod and relax in her arms.

            “You should get some rest. Hylia knows you deserve it.” He murmured.

            Zelda reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and said nothing more. After a few moments her breathing deepened and her heartbeat slowed. Crickets chirped outside the window.

            Zelda was safe and for now, that was all that mattered.

            He fell asleep.

Chapter Text

            There were birds chirping.

            That was the first thing that Zelda noticed.

            There were birds chirping and there was a warm ray of sunlight filtering through a window, situated just about the bed. I’m in a bed? She blinked into awareness and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, and looking around.

            She hadn’t seen sunlight in a century, much less felt its warmth on her skin. When she looked around, she realized she was in a small house, and Link was sound asleep beside her, on his stomach, and his face pressed into one of the pillows. The bed was in a small loft overlooking the one-room house.

            After a moment she looked down and realized she was no longer wearing that tattered dress she had attended the ceremony in but was instead wearing an oversized plain shirt that must have been Link’s. She glanced back over at his sleeping form and resisted the urge to run her fingers through his disheveled hair.

            He came. Her heart wrenched. She had never doubted him, never doubted his resolve. She had doubted the Shrine of Resurrection, she had walked into Hyrule Castle still unsure if its ancient power was nothing more than rumor. She walked into Hyrule Castle unsure if she would ever see him again.

            She carefully maneuvered out of the bed, careful not to disturb him, and padded down the wooden steps. The walls of the house were adorned with weapons from all over the land, a fabled shield from the Gerudo, and a glimmering trident from the Zora. Carefully she traced her fingers across the cool metal.

            He freed the Divine Beasts too, and their champions. All of them had died. The two of them had been seemingly fated to live. Why were we fated to live and them to die? What makes this our right?

            There was a framed picture on the wall too, and she immediately blinked away tears. It was a terrible picture taken of the two of them with the other Champions, everyone blurry and mid-motion as the frame was captured. The moment to her felt like it happened only days ago. She could still hear their voices.

            Daruk, pulling them all together. Revali, squawking loudly as the picture was taken. Mipha, stumbling forward as Link rushed to catch her. Urbosa, still able to stand her ground amid the chaos. I sent them to their deaths. Her stomach turned. Did I doom Hyrule?

            She stood in the single room of the home she was staying in, trembling. Link still slept peacefully in the bed. Did I doom Hyrule? Did I doom my own people? Her hands balled into fists as she bit down on her lower lip.

            A sound cut through the early morning birds. She heard a distant joyous shout and the sound of hoofbeats. There were faint conversations happening, ones she couldn’t pick out. Her heartbeat sped up. She hadn’t gotten a good look at where Link had taken them the night before.

            Zelda began to quietly rummage through chests, finding a clean-looking pair of pants, and grabbing a pair of boots that seemed like they would fit alright. She gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror beside the door.

            She was wearing what was clearly some of Link’s old clothes. She didn’t look like Princess Zelda anymore, she just looked like someone who lived in Hyrule. A normal person. A girl who hadn’t spent a hundred years sacrificing her life force to hold back an amalgam of pure evil. She pulled back her hair and tied it down with a small elastic band sitting on the table, and grabbed a handful of rupees and shoved them in her pocket.

            I’ll pay him back. Zelda smiled up at the loft where Link slept. Let him rest.

            She opened the door and stepped out into the sunlight. The warmth on her skin was immediate and she stepped onto the little dirt path. When she turned around and look at the home, she suddenly realized it looks familiar. Link had pointed it out to her when they had visited Hateno once and told her that he had once lived there with his mother before she had fallen ill and died.

            I’m in Hateno, then. The little sign next to the home declared it ‘Link’s House’, and she couldn’t help but smile.

            The sound from the main street of the town rose up onto the small hill the house was on. She smiled and walked down the dirt path, past two other small houses, and down little wooden steps until she stood just to the side of the main road leading through the town. People on horses plodded through and some farmers milled about, chatting with each other by the storefronts.

            She wandered out into the street in a daze. No one seemed to notice her as they went about their life, a woman bought a bottle of milk from the general store, and two men chatted as the one of them showed off an arrow he had bought. She caught a snippet of their conversation as they walked back.

            “Have you seen the castle?”

            “What happened?”

            “The cloud around it suddenly disappeared late yesterday, I’m getting reports from the Wetland Stable that there was a large beast seen in Hyrule field, and there was someone on a horse fighting it.”

            “And now the castle is clear?”

            “It appears so.”

            Zelda bit her tongue and looked around. Oh, her heart hurt a bit, Hyrule survived. People survived the Calamity. These people were weathered, they were fighters, but they were alive. People continued to bustle about their day, paying her no mind. There were whispers of what had happened at the castle, but it seemed like their life was continuing on as it always had.

            She wandered out between some of the buildings and into an empty field, ready for planting. There were a few Hylian children in the middle of the field, sitting in a circle, and she slowly approached them.

            There were two young girls and a young boy, all carefully braiding the stems of flowers together. She watched them for a moment before making her way over slowly and crouching down.

            “Can I see?” She asked.

            One of the girls looked up at her with wide, bright eyes, and presented a half-finished flower crown. “My mom taught me how to make them.” She grinned at her. “I’m Aster, this is Azu, and Nebb.”

            “It’s nice to meet you all. I’m Zelda. Could you show me as well?” Zelda crossed her legs and sat down next to the young girl and took the cut flowers she handed her gently.

            The children crowded around her, carefully guiding her hands as she braided the flowers together carefully. Soon it began to take a ring-shape, beautiful blue and yellow flowers adorning it, and when she finished, she set it on the top of her head.

            “Thank you for this.” She smiled widely at them and helped them set their own flower crowns atop of their head.

            After a moment she heard the sound of frantic footsteps, and she glanced over to see Link running up the hill in a frenzy, slightly out of breath. He stopped a few feet away from them, catching his breath, and when he finally looked up, a huge smile crossed his face. He didn’t say anything, just walked over slowly and sat down next to her.

            The children greeted him by name, and he waved at them good-naturedly as they ran off, back towards the town. Link and Zelda didn’t say anything for a very long moment. A gentle breeze blew across the field, ruffling her hair. She watched Link’s loose hair sway with it as well.

            “I was worried when you weren’t in bed.” He said quietly after a moment.

            She wasn’t used to hearing Link speak. In the time before the Calamity, she had only ever heard him speak a few times, and although it seemed like he talked more now, the words were still quiet. His voice was very nice. It sounded like stones that had been allowed to tumble and smooth in a stream for many years.

            “I’m sorry—”

            “You’ve been asleep for three days.”

            “Why didn’t you wake me up?” She asked him, incredulously. She had never slept that much in her entire life.

            “Why would I wake you up?” His eyebrows came together in confusion. “Are you alright?”

            She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.” She heaved a deep sigh. “When I went to that castle to seal Ganon away, do you know what my worst fear was?”

            Link shook his head.

            “I was worried I had doomed all of Hyrule, the same way I had doomed you and the other Champions. I was worried everyone would die, fall to the Calamity, and to the monsters around the land. I worried that the Shrine of Resurrection was just a myth and that I…” her voice hitched as she looked at Link, studied his face, his earnest blue eyes. “I was worried I would never see you again.”

            Link looked down and bit his lower lip, shaking his head.

            “I knew you would come.” She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I never doubted that if you woke up, that you would come.” Zelda glanced back at Hateno, up the tall hill, looking towards the research lab. “I’m so relieved that Hyrule continued on.”

            “It’s because of you.” Link whispered.

            “And you.” She reached up and tucked some of his blond hair behind a pointed ear. “You, too. Thank you for keeping Hyrule safe.”

            Link looked like he was on the verge of tears and only responded with a small nod, unable to meet her eyes.

            “I think I should head up the hill and talk to Purah, what do you think?”

            Link looked up again and nodded with significantly less trepidation.

            “And I expect a full tour of Hateno.”

            They smiled at each other.

Chapter Text

            “Kakariko hasn’t changed much.” Zelda looked up at the flags hanging above the path to the village, her arms securely wrapped around Link’s waist as he guided the horse down the trail.

            The sound from the village floated up gently, of people talking, and children laughing. He loved spending time in Kakariko and found himself gravitating towards the small and secluded village more than any other place.

            He didn’t remember Kakariko from before the Calamity. He would simply have to take Zelda’s word for it. Kakariko did feel like a place suspended in time, not quite ancient, but definitely not new. It felt firmly rooted right where it was. Possibly like it had always been there.

            Link guided the horse down the path as some of the children waved at them. A few of them called him by name and some of the adults gave small, knowing nods at him. Zelda looked around in wonder, at the towering cliffs, and the quaint homes nestled against them. Her grip on his waist tightened.

            He brought the horse to a gentle stop in front of Impa’s house and slid off the horse. He reached up, offering his hand to Zelda, and she took it and slid down next to him. Together they walked up the wooden steps and stood in front of the sliding door before Zelda timidly knocked on it.

            Paya answered the door and seemingly didn’t register either of their presences before a severe look of shock took over her face. It looked like her eyebrows were going to fly off of the top of her head and she began instantly stammering before falling to one knew before them.

            “Princess Zelda,” her head was bowed. “You’ve returned.”

            “Paya, who is that?” Impa’s voice called quietly from inside the house.

            “It’s—” Paya stood back up, looking rapidly between Link and Zelda, and the interior towards Impa. “It’s Princess Zelda. She’s returned.”

            “Ah, I see. Well, let her in!”

            She opened the door with tremoring hands, and they stepped into the wooden building. It smelled of the forest, of wood treated against the elements, and decorative candles being lit. Impa sat where she normally did, on a small pillow against the center back wall. Her eyes widened at the sight of them.

            “Princess Zelda.” She bowed her head. “I am honored you have returned to Hyrule.”

            “It’s good to see you, Impa.” Zelda smiled broadly at the old woman.

            “You have succeeded, Link.” Impa turned to him and nodded appreciatively. “I knew you would.”

            He simply bowed his head in return to the elder leader of the Sheikah. There wasn’t much left he could really say to her. He had completed the task she had set out for him, he remembered, and he returned Zelda to Hyrule. His charge was complete.

            “I hope this doesn’t come across as terribly rude, but Link, would you mind giving Zelda and I some time alone? I have some questions I’d like to ask her.”

            He nodded, turned around, and left the building. He stepped out into the town center again and for a moment just looked around at his surroundings. Far in the distance on the mountain he could see the very top of the Great Fairy Fountain, the home of the fairy Cotera.

            He also had a surprise in one of his saddlebags, a favorite memento of his from Kakariko. After a brief moment he stepped across the makeshift wooden bridge to the statue of the Goddess Hylia, positioned in a picturesque way in the center of a small pond, and a babbling waterfall set into the stone behind it.

            Link kneeled at the base of the statue. He had no reason truly to pray, he did not need to fortify himself against a growing evil anymore. However, he still felt compelled to take a moment for her.

            Whenever he came to Kakariko, he liked to pray at this specific statue. Something about it felt so familiar, he couldn’t place it. He loved the waterfall behind the statue and the fish that encircled the little island the statue was set on.

            He loved Kakariko. He had made a point to spend as much time in the small village as possible, and in his time there had found so many small things to love. He loved the statue of Hylia, he loved the small shops, he loved cooking for the children in the town, and wrangling Cuccos.

            During one of the countless times he stopped in the village, he had picked up a special set of clothing. It had made him nearly silent when he moved and when he looked in the mirror after putting it on, he got another shaking feeling that he was looking at someone he knew in the mirror.

            Even at the time he thought that Zelda would like the armor. He had a gut feeling that it would remind her of something very far back in the past, too. So while he waited for her and Impa to come back outside, he bought a second set for her, and tied the stack of clothing together with a neat red ribbon.

            He grabbed his own set of clothes out of the saddlebag of their horse and changed. He was careful to keep the mask that covered his nose and mouth down, tucked below his chin for now.

            After a while, Zelda and Impa emerged, still quietly talking. Zelda blinked away tears as she said something to Impa he couldn’t catch and walked down the steps towards him. There was a brief look of confusion on her face before she walking up to him and smiled, gently hitting the bun on the top of his head with her palm and laughing.

            He smiled back at her.

            “I like this, where did you get it?” She asked, inspecting the outfit. “It’s Sheikah, right?”

            Link nodded at her and reached up into the saddlebag to hand her the set he got for her. She took it from him with a smile, running her fingers over the smooth fabric. He didn’t say anything.

            “You have something you want to show me, don’t you?” She correctly guessed his intentions and he nodded in response. “I’ll get changed, give me a few minutes.”

            Zelda disappeared into Impa’s house and came out wearing the armor. His heart immediately jumped into his throat at the sight of her wearing it. Her blonde hair had been pulled back, but wisps of hair still hung down over her forehead. She had the mask pulled up over her nose and mouth and she waved at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiled at him.

            As she walked towards him, the overwhelming feeling that he had seen this before returned. Zelda in the armor made him think of someone he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he felt a familiar pull as she approached.

            “It’s very comfortable.” Her words were muffled by the fabric over her nose and mouth. “It’s for stealth, isn’t it?” She turned around curiously, her footsteps almost silent in the grass now.

            Link nodded at her once again and gently grabbed her hand. She didn’t say anything as he led her up the gently sloping path towards Ta’loh Naeg shrine. He pulled his own mask up around his nose and mouth as he led her into the trees behind the shrine.

            Zelda looked around the area in wonder, the animals around them hardly seemed to notice them as they walked through the woods. In the distance he caught a glimpse of the Great Fairy Fountain but did not see Cotera as they approached.

            He heard her softly gasp as they approached as she looked around the space around the beautiful pink flower fountain. Around the fountain, small white fairies floated around, and more Silent Princesses had bloomed since the last time he had come to the fountain.

            Zelda immediately crouched down and approached one of the drooping blue flowers, her fingers carefully skimming over the blue petals. There weren’t many places he had been able to find these flowers, but to see them growing freely was very rewarding.

            As she studied the flowers he carefully dropped down and crept towards one of the low-flying fairies. He caught it quickly in both hands and made his way over to Zelda, nudging her shoulder with his own.

            She jumped when he did and then quickly relaxed when she realized it was just Link. He opened his palms, and the fairy flew out, and the two of them watched its soft white light float upwards and then dart away into the forest.

            Zelda laughed, and before he could think about it too much, he leaned in and quickly kissed her cheek through the mask. It was such a relief to see her smile, to see her happy, to see her at all, that he didn’t think twice.

            She froze at the affection and immediately he felt the urge to slink away. I’ve overstepped. He took a step back, but she grabbed his wrist instead, shaking her head. With her other hand she pulled her mask down revealing her nose and mouth again.

            With a shaking hand he reached up and pulled down his own mask.

            Zelda leaned in so their faces were close together, her eyes half-closed, and he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her lips. They had never kissed before now, despite the staggering number of times he had thought about, despite how much he had wanted to before this moment.

            There was a loud splashing sound and the over joyously loud laugh and the two of them scrambled apart, looking up at the Great Fairy, Cotera, who was now smiling coyly down at them. Link immediately felt his face heat up and he pulled the mask back up to hide the violent blush.

            “Well don’t mind me.” Cotera cooed at them as they both stood up. “It’s good to see you, Princess.”

            Zelda stood up next to Link and shuffled awkwardly in place. “I’m sorry to bother you—”

            “Nothing to apologize for.” Cotera leaned forward on the flower with a smile. “It’s always good to see young lovers.”

            Her eyes flicked down to where Link and Zelda had instinctively grabbed each other’s hands when they had jumped up in surprise. Link fought the kneejerk reaction to let go and fought the thought that he was overstepping as he glanced over at Zelda now chatting with the Great Fairy to regale the story of her escape from Hyrule Castle.

            Young lovers. He couldn’t help but look at Zelda fondly. We were both trapped for a hundred years. Are we still young lovers, then?

            Zelda squeezed his hand reassuringly as they walked back through the woods, back towards the shrine, and the village. Young lovers. She smiled quite beautifully and talked about how amazing it was to see a Great Fairy again. I suppose we are.