Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“'Cause when I'd fight, you used to tell me I was brave. And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I stayed; look at how my tears ricochet. And I can go anywhere I want; anywhere I want, just not home. And you can aim for my heart, go for blood, but you would still miss me in your bones. And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky). And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies).” - My Tears Ricochet, Taylor Swift

Prince Link had not stopped shaking.

He sat across the table from Impa, drenched from the relentless storm and holding tightly to the Master Sword. Zelda had been entrusted to Purah and Robbie’s care. Impa wondered where they were; had they made it to the Great Plateau? Were they placing her in the Shrine of Resurrection this very minute?

Were they all dead?

“Link?” Impa gently called his name again. The prince, the last of the royal family, stared at the table with dead eyes. Blood and mud coated his clothes; dirt streaked his face.

According to the group of survivors, Lady Zelda succumbed to terrible wounds from the rampaging Guardians. They said she made a final stand- only for Link, with his shattered sword, to jump between her and the Guardian.

They said the prince glowed with sacred light, that the Triforce appeared on his hand. Blatchery Plain was shrouded in gold and the Guardians all died.

It should have been impossible. Princes of the royal line weren’t meant to inherit Hylia’s sacred power. The Calamity was meant to be fought by the queen and princess.

They had so many plans. The Divine Beasts had the perfect pilots. Queen Lianna and Princess Lianna were dead, killed when Calamity Ganon overtook the castle. The Champions were trapped within the Divine Beasts, likely dead as well. The only reason Link and Zelda hadn’t died in the castle was because they weren’t there; they’d left for a “pilgrimage” two days before.

Pilgrimage. Yeah right. If Impa knew her dear friends, they’d taken the opportunity to explore and simply have some fun. Oh, she dearly hoped they’d had fun. She hoped they’d laughed and forgotten their cares, just for a little while. 

Momo, one of the court bards and hopelessly besotted with the silent prince, nudged a cup of steaming tea towards him. She was only nineteen, a slight Sheikah girl with long white hair. Impa had always found her vain and silly, so obsessed with the latest fashions and making moon-eyes at Link, but that silliness was nowhere to be found now. Now, Momo looked haunted.

Impa wondered how the girl escaped Hyrule Castle. She was a bard, not a warrior. 

Link didn’t even seem to notice the tea. He didn’t move at all, besides those endless shivers.

“Link, please,” Impa said, her voice cracking. She reached out to take his hand and the prince suddenly leapt out of his seat and began to pace. His breathing was too quick, too raspy.

One sharp glance from Impa caused Momo to flee into the next room. Impa went to her friend, still clutching the Master Sword.

“Link? Link, look at me,” Impa urged. “I’m right here. You’re okay-”

Link shook his head, practically snarling. “No, I’m not,” he snapped. “No one is okay.”

He was, of course, correct. The Calamity continued to rage. Even if Link somehow inherited Hylia’s power, (was it because he was the last of her bloodline? Had she taken pity on them in their hour of need?) he couldn’t seal Ganon until he was weakened by the Master Sword.

The Master Sword, which was duller than Impa had ever seen it. Streaks of malice and black monster blood clung to it. 

And Zelda was dead. They had no heroine to wield the holy blade. Even if Purah and Robbie got her to the shrine…It had such a slim chance of working. They had no idea what side effects there could be. And that was assuming it even worked at all. How long would it take Zelda to wake up? Would she still be the Zelda they knew and loved when she woke?

Link stopped pacing. His golden hair clung to his face. His blue eyes, the eyes Momo wrote sonnets about, were still frighteningly dull…But his jaw was clenched, there was rising tension in his shoulders. Despite his obvious devastation, he looked ready for a fight.

“I know what I need to do,” he said quietly. It sounded like an apology.

Dread washed over Impa. “I’m not going to like this, am I?” she asked.

“No,” Link said.

He told her his plan.

It took all of her strength to let him go.

This power was never meant to be his, but wielding it felt so natural. Link walked through Hyrule Field, his body encased in sacred light. His footsteps felt oddly light; he felt almost like he was floating.

Monsters fled from him. Puddles of malice dissolved as he passed. With a wave of his hand, Guardians sputtered and died.

Ahead of him, Castle Town was ablaze, even with the relentless rain pouring down. Bodies littered the field, many charred beyond recognition or, even worse, blasted to pieces.

Inside the town was even worse. For the first time since leaving Korok Forest, Link’s steps faltered. This was the capital of Hyrule; it was meant to be safe. This was his home. 

He stood in the town’s gates, staring at the destruction. The light around him dimmed. The air burned, putrid and thick with the smell of malice, decay, smoke and charred flesh. When Link left to practise swordplay and explore with Zelda, the city had been alive. Merchants called out their wares; children played in the streets. The chapel bells rang; guards patrolled. People went to work, to school. They laughed, cried, argued and loved. 

Now they were all dead and gone. Seeing the destruction from a distance had been bad enough; when the Calamity emerged, he’d thought it was an earthquake. They were approaching Castle Town from the hills; he and Zelda saw the storm of malice surround the castle. They saw how quickly the golden light in his mother’s chambers was snuffed out.

He never even saw his twin’s magic ignite. Perhaps she didn’t have the chance to fight back.

Rivers of malice coated the streets. Entire neighbourhoods were smouldering ruins, while other buildings still burned. As Link watched, the chapel’s bell tower collapsed. The river had burst its banks. Multiple bridges had collapsed; chunks of the city’s walls were missing, the gates were smashed. At the eastern gate, a pile-up of bodies blocked the way. A stampede, trapping each other in the doomed city with the possessed Guardians.

Ahead of him, Calamity Ganon still swarmed around Hyrule Castle. The mysterious towers that spewed countless Guardians still stood, circling the castle. 

All around him, the malice seemed to growl.

Link was not meant to be here. The younger twin, the boy; the powerless one. Lia ’s Shadow, the court called him. It didn’t matter how hard he trained with swords, spears and bows; his mother hardly glanced at him. She shoved him towards the Sheikah, ordering him to make himself useful and assist with their research. Fascinating as their technology may have been, it wasn’t Link’s area of expertise. 

He was to keep his head down. Stay on the sidelines. Obey orders. Assist the Champions and crown when needed, and stay out of the way the rest of the time. 

And now he was the last one standing.

For Hyrule, Link reminded himself. Useless or not, he was all that remained. For better or worse, he loved his country, beautiful and wild as it was. He would do anything to save it.

Summoning his impossible power, Link marched towards the castle. 

Link was not expected to survive long after birth. He’d been born silent, with his eyes shut. The midwives had feared he was stillborn, until they saw his little chest struggle to rise and fall.

A quiet, sickly baby, but he lived.

He was prone to illness as a child. Migraines, fevers, chest infections. If someone sneezed nearby, Link would be stuck in bed with the flu within a day. He spent most of his time in his room as his father or nanny read to him and tried to cheer him up.

When he was five, he lingered on death’s door for a fortnight, coughing blood. He was not expected to survive.

But he lived. Once more, he lived.

He’d been shot at by a stray Guardian and saved by Zelda, using a pot lid of all things to deflect the beam. He’d been attacked by the Yiga and saved by Zelda yet again, only this time they fought side by side. 

Once, forced to pray for his mother and sister’s safety and success at the Spring of Courage, Link passed out in the freezing waters. Urbosa caught him before he could fall under, dragged him out, and screamed at his guards until they (seasoned knights and brave men that they were) burst into tears in the face of her wrath.

Link kept living. He kept falling, but he kept pulling himself back up, even when it sometimes felt like no one wanted him to.

And now this. Little Prince Link Hyrule, facing down Calamity Ganon; the titanic beast caught sight of him and bellowed, racing towards him.

Little dragon, Urbosa fondly called him, though Link had never felt like the nickname was accurate. There was hardly anything draconic about him. He used to wonder what she saw in him, to make her decide on that name.

Daruk’s nickname, Tiny Prince, felt more accurate, though Daruk only ever said it kindly. To him, everyone was tiny. 

Ganon’s burning golden eyes were full of hatred. He was hatred incarnate; a monstrosity in every sense of the word.

And Link would do everything in his power to survive this.

Link raised one delicate hand and the shining symbol of the Triforce appeared. The light around him swelled, growing brighter and brighter.

“Zelda,” Link said, clinging to his memories of the person he loved most. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

Then Ganon crashed down on him; darkness and light mixed together and Link was swept away.

The sun burst through the clouds. In seconds, all at once, the horrors ceased. The hurricanes vanished, changing to a calm breeze. Tidal waves crashed and calmed. Death Mountain ceased to erupt. Blizzards in Hebra paused, as if listening for instruction, and stopped. Sandstorms died with one last gust. Monsters appeared confused, fumbling as if lost in the dark, allowing the people to fight back or flee.

A stunned silence fell across Hyrule. The people lay in wait for Ganon to crush them like insects, to wash them away like pebbles on a beach. They waited for the slaughter to start again.

Nothing happened. The Calamity raged and then it stopped.

Whispers began. How? the people wondered. The Queen and Princess are dead. The Heroine is dead. The Champions are dead. How is this possible?

The Prince, it was said. The Prince has gone to save us.

Impossible. And yet, what other explanation was there?

Malice still swirled around the castle. Ganon roared in fury but, when the malice tried to move, it crashed against a field of golden light. The malice shrank back and the shield of light vanished.

Deep in the Sanctum, a golden glow could be seen, as bright as the sun.

All across Hyrule, there was a weary sense of relief. Amid all the terror, there was a spark of hope. They could rebuild, somehow. Life could continue.

In Kakariko, Lady Impa held onto the tattered remains of Lady Zelda’s tunic and wept against her big sister’s shoulder.

It would be one hundred years before she saw her dearest friends again.

Chapter Text

“And I can hear her sing, and I know she's giving up. And I don't know what to do, how to help her, how to bring her home. And I can hear him break, and he doesn't understand. And I wish that I could take his hand, but where I'm going is for me and me alone. And I can her sing, ‘If I don't make it back from where I've gone, j ust know I loved you all along.’” - Inkpot Gods, The Amazing Devil

At first, there was just darkness. Whether her eyes were open or shut, it didn’t make a difference; everything was black. She floated in the darkness and, as time passed, she wondered if she was meant to be doing something. She began to feel certain there was something she needed to do.

What that something was, she couldn’t say. Truthfully, she couldn’t even recall her own name.

She had a feeling that should frighten her a lot more than it did.

Then there was a change. Something in the dark. Something shining in the distance.

A voice, faint and exhausted, spoke to her; “Open your eyes…Wake up…”

She began to move towards the light.

“Wake up…”

“Zelda, please, wake up.”

She reached for the golden light and it changed, fading to blue. She blinked and the world came into focus: a dim room, a strange tub of sorts, full of glowing water. Blue lights shone above her.

The water drained away and she shivered, pushing herself up on her elbows. Scars littered her body, but her torso had the worst of it; massive red and pink burns, uneven skin, rippling like waves. They looked old. They looked vicious.

“Who’s there?” she called, looking around, but there was no one else in the room.

The voice spoke again, a boy; “You must go, Zelda.”

Zelda. That must be her name. It felt right. 

It took a few embarrassing tumbles, but she managed to haul herself out of the strange tub. Across from her, on a little pedestal, was a strange object: rectangular, mostly black, but streaked with thin blue lights and a strange eye symbol.

“I know you,” Zelda murmured, walking towards it on unsteady legs. She knew this object, she was sure she did. She lifted it up; it was light in her hands, nearly weightless. Smooth and cool to the touch.

She and the voice spoke at the same time: “It’s a Sheikah slate.”

Her first breath of fresh air was intoxicating. She stood on the edge of a cliff, watching the land below her with wonder. The Sheikah slate hung from her belt; her trousers were too loose at the hips and a little too long in the legs; she’d had to roll the hem up. The shirt fit well enough, but was too short on the torso, baring most of her stomach. They’d do for now anyway. 

First things first…Well, that was just it. She didn’t really know what to do now. The voice, the boy, asked for her help…But how do you help a voice? 

He’d sounded so tired…

Directions, Zelda decided. I must find someone and ask how to get out of here. After that…Well, I’ll figure it out. One step at a time.

As soon as the thought sprung to mind, she spotted two women just down the hill. Both of them had blazing red hair, both of them were dressed almost as simply as Zelda herself; the older woman wore a pale blue dress, while the younger wore a long grey skirt and white tunic. 

The younger woman, more of a girl really, was braiding soft blue flowers together. The older woman was staring at Zelda.

There was something about her gaze that sent shivers down Zelda’s spine. Still, they were the only people she could see nearby, so she’d better ask for assistance, right?

She didn’t really want to talk to either of them. That was ridiculous, wasn’t it? Hadn’t she just decided she needed directions? 

Oh just go talk to them, you silly girl, Zelda scolded herself. She clenched her fists, held her chin up and walked down the hill. She would not be intimidated. She was being so silly. She just needed to ask for directions, it wasn’t hard. 

As soon as Zelda was close enough, the older woman spoke; “Good morning, dear.”

She had a genteel voice. Her vivid hair had streaks of grey and was braided around her head in a crown. Her eyes were such a bright grey they were nearly silver. Even in her faded gown with its frayed hem, she was beautiful. Even sitting crouched by a little campfire, she managed to appear graceful.

It was unsettling. There was something…Something off. Her gaze was a touch too cold. Her voice was a touch too commanding. 

The younger girl heavily resembled the woman, but her red hair was loose and fell down her waist in a glossy waterfall, shining in the sun. She had freckles across her nose. Up close, she was plainly a teenager; maybe Zelda’s age. (How old was Zelda exactly? She didn’t feel like an adult…) Her head was bowed as she continued to braid those little flowers together, making a crown. She glanced up at Zelda, her eyes just as bright as the woman’s, and smiled.

“Good morning,” Zelda said, clasping her hands together. Her palms itched. She had the insane urge to slap someone. “I was wondering if you could help me. I’m lost, you see.”

“Lost,” the woman repeated. “Hm…Aren’t we all?”

Whatever was she talking about?

“How did you get all the way out here?” the girl asked.

Zelda did not have an answer for that. Instead, she changed tactics. “Where are we, please?” she asked, forcing a pleasant smile onto her face. Manners, she told herself. Just be polite and surely they’ll help. 

“This is the Great Plateau, child,” the woman said. She gestured to the sprawling landscape around them; the cracked staircase, the overgrown grass and wildflowers; the sparkling ponds, abandoned courtyard and a crumbling building overlooking it all.

Beautiful, but all clearly abandoned.

“See that ruin? It is the Temple of Time. Said to be the birthplace of Hyrule kingdom; many ceremonies were held there. Now, just like the kingdom, it is a ghost of its former self.”

“So this is Hyrule!” Zelda blurted out and she could feel herself blushing as the two women gave her startled glances. Oh that was stupid, she should have held her tongue. But the voice had begged her to help save Hyrule, and it turned out she was already in Hyrule, so…Gracious, she needed to keep her thoughts straight. Deep breaths. Focus.

“You really are lost,” the girl said. She finished her flower crown, but she didn’t put it on; she set it aside on the grass, next to two others. 

“Yes,” Zelda agreed.

“I’m Lia,” the girl said. “This is my mother, Lianna. And you are?”

“Zelda. It’s…a pleasure to meet you.”

The woman, Lianna, was still watching her with that disconcerting gaze. It was like she was trying to read Zelda’s mind. There was something deeply unsettling about her.

“Well…Never mind,” Zelda said, edging away. “I will find my way.”

She hurried down the cracked staircase, running to the courtyard. She thought she heard Lia call her name, but couldn’t be sure. She just knew she wanted to get away from those two. 

They set her on edge. They made her nervous. And, truth be told, Lianna made her angry. 

Mysterious towers rising from the earth. Just when Zelda thought this couldn’t get any stranger, she activated towers that rose up like mushrooms.

And then the voice spoke again.

“Please, try to remember.”

He sounded in pain.

“Where are you?” Zelda asked, looking around. No one was near, of course. It was just her, up on this tower.

“The castle. I’m here.”

Castle? He…He didn’t mean that building surrounded by darkness, did he? 

“Zelda, you have been gone for one hundred years. Calamity Ganon…His power keeps growing. When he breaks free, he’ll destroy everything. I- I’m sorry. I can’t do this alone.”

She had to sit down. She stared at the castle in the distance, at that horrible mass swarming around it. It looked, faintly, like a giant boar’s head, with fiery eyes. Even from up here, she could hear it roar.

And she could see a golden light inside the castle, flickering like a candle in the wind.

“You’re really in there,” she said, horrified. She felt sick. She felt like crying. “Oh goddesses…I…I’ll be there! I’ll be right there, hold on!” 

Zelda scrambled to her feet, heart racing with sudden panic. He was in there, he was trapped with that thing, that- what had he called it? Calamity Ganon? She needed to get him out of there right now. 

With shaking limbs, she began to climb down from the tower.

She thought of sad eyes, a shy smile. 

She knew that voice. She knew that boy. And, above all, Zelda knew she would do anything to protect him.

He could answer her questions. She could save him. 

She reached the bottom of the tower, stumbled and began to run, but a cold hand grasped her arm. She snarled, spun around with her fist raised- and froze.

Lianna was gripping her arm, frowning at her. Behind Lianna, Lia held a strange contraption of cloth and wood.

“You cannot climb off the plateau,” Lianna said firmly.

Zelda ripped away from her, tossing her hair back. “And how would you know what I’m planning?” she demanded.

“You saw that monstrosity,” Lianna said. “Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, he brought Hyrule to its knees. You need to get off the plateau, yes, but you cannot climb down. We are surrounded by sheer cliffs on all sides.”

Then how did any of us even get up here? Zelda wanted to snap. She waited, suddenly seething, for Lianna to continue.

“You will kill yourself and all of Hyrule if you run around blindly,” Lianna said impatiently. Zelda wanted to slap her.

Lia stepped forward, drawing Zelda’s attention back to her strange contraption.

“This is a paraglider,” Lia explained, her tone much more patient than her mother’s. “You can use it to fly off cliffs. I promise it’s quite safe.”

“We only have one,” Lianna said. “And we will only trade for it; we won’t give it away freely.”

“I don’t have anything,” Zelda hissed through gritted teeth. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug uncomfortably into her palms. How could Lianna be so…so…Blasé! One minute she made Zelda sound important, the next she sounded so condescending!

“Perhaps not,” Lianna agreed. She smirked and pointed across the pond to a strange black structure, dotted with orange lights. “But the shrines do. It’s said the Sheikah tribe hid treasures in their shrines and there’s three on this plateau. Bring me what’s inside the shrines and you can have our paraglider.”

She made the whole thing sound like an order, not a trade.

“You,” Zelda said. “Are an incredibly annoying woman.”

Lianna looked affronted. Zelda glared at her and headed for the shrine.

She heard Lia giggle. 

At the top of the Temple of Time, Zelda faced Lianna and Lia.

“I went into the shrines,” she said impatiently. “They had some weapons and the monks inside gave me Spirit Orbs, though I have no idea how to pass those along. I'm quite sure the talking statue downstairs just took them anyway! Do you want the weapons, is that it? Take them! I don’t care! Just give me the blasted paraglider and stop looking down your nose at me, you infuriating woman!”

Lianna looked calm. Too calm. Lia sat primly on the windowsill, heedless of the broken glass and dirt around her.

“Good,” Lianna said. “You still have fire in you. I believe the time has come to show you who we truly are.”

“A pair of con artists?” Zelda snidely asked, hands on her hips.

“I was Queen Lianna Naydria Hyrule,” Lianna said. A blue mist began to swirl around her feet. “I was the last Queen of Hyrule…A kingdom that no longer exists.”

Lia looked at Zelda, her hair twining around her in a non-existent breeze. “And I was Princess Lianna Hilda Hyrule.”

The mist around them grew; they began to shine with a ghostly blue light. It grew so strong that Zelda had to shield her eyes. There was a powerful flash and, when she looked again, the two women had changed.

They floated inches above the ground, surrounded by blue mist and flames. Lianna’s hair was more elaborately braided; her midnight blue gown was heavy with gold embroidery and she wore a diadem of gold and rubies. She wore a ring on every finger and matching ruby earrings. Her expression was imperious; but there was a strange anxiety suddenly shining in her eyes.

Lia’s hair was pulled back in a braid, studded with tiny sapphires. Golden triangles were around the hem of her gown and she wore long white gloves. Her smile was sad, regretful. She looked older somehow. Her tiara was a slimmer version of her mother’s. 

“We thought it would be best to not overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile,” Lianna said. “So we decided to disguise ourselves.”

“Apologies, Lady Zelda,” Lia said, inclining her head.

“Lady Zelda?” Zelda repeated, baffled. She’d been talking to ghosts this whole time? What next? Would ghosts follow her everywhere, giving cryptic warnings and nonsensical tasks? 

“I think you are ready to hear the truth of what happened, one hundred years ago,” Lianna said. She turned her back on Zelda, staring out at the castle.

“Calamity Ganon…He laid our kingdom to ruin. He is an ancient evil, Lady Zelda, reborn time and time again. Tales of him were passed down as legends, fairytales and folk songs. For a long time, it seemed like that was all he really was. Just a bad dream…But then the court prophet came to me and spoke of a prophecy. He’d been having the same dream every night, of Calamity Ganon’s rise. And, sure enough, the signs began to appear: monster numbers grew, their attacks were more vicious. They seemed more…More intelligent. Stronger.”

“Then there were natural disasters,” Lia said quietly. “Earthquakes. Floods.”

“The last time Ganon appeared was said to be 10,000 years ago,” Lianna said. The number staggered Zelda. 10,000 years? And that hadn’t even been his first attack? Ancient indeed…

“So we studied the stories. It was said our ancestors built machines capable of fighting Ganon: the Divine Beasts. We began to excavate large sections of land and, eventually, we recovered them. It was all the proof we needed: the stories were real. Ganon was real.” Lianna said, her proud shoulders slouching. “And we were in grave danger.”

“We discovered the Guardians as well,” Lia said. “No doubt you’ve noticed them, scattered across the Great Plateau.”

They made Zelda sick. They were dead husks, but they made her feel faint. One of them, near a shrine, had suddenly beeped and began to look around when Zelda approached it and she’d run away, sick with terror. 

It took her an entire day and night to work up the nerve to approach that shrine again.

“You could say that,” Zelda said to Lia. The ghost of the princess gave her that sad smile again.

“The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear,” Lianna said tonelessly. She sounded like she was reciting it from memory. “And the power to oppose him lies dormant beneath the ground. Heed our words, heed our warnings. Hylia’s Chosen Hero and the Sacred Princess will work as one to seal Ganon away. The Guardians will shield them from harm. The Divine Beasts will weaken Calamity Ganon’s power. The Master Sword will defeat him. The Princess will seal him. Heed our words, heed our warnings. Arm yourselves. Safeguard the future.”

“So what went wrong?” Zelda asked quietly. “And how do I fit into this?”

Lianna glanced at Zelda over her shoulder, offering her a tired smile. “You were the Chosen Hero. Or rather, the Chosen Heroine. The first of your kind. Truth be told, we were expecting a boy. But there was no denying your identity; the sacred blade chose you to wield it when you were twelve years old.”

“You were among the Champions,” Lianna continued. “The Hylian Champion. Alongside you, we selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule to pilot the Divine Beasts. I was your leader; my dear Lia was my second-in-command. And…” She looked at the castle again.

Lia looked ashamed of something. She floated away from Zelda and leaned against the wall, her head lowered. She looked like she was about to cry.

“There was a prince,” Lianna said. Her voice thickened and cracked awkwardly. “My own Link…You must understand, the men of our line do not inherit Hylia’s sacred power. Link worked alongside the Sheikah instead, studying the Guardians and Divine Beasts. You and he were…friends. It is pure luck you were not in the castle when it was overrun. You were off on a pilgrimage, praying for our victory.”

Sad blue eyes, a shy smile. A laugh, rare and beautiful as a diamond. Small hands holding the Sheikah slate, showing her an image on the screen; an image of beautiful flowers, Silent Princesses.

Zelda swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat. 

“We all believed Ganon was a mindless beast,” Lianna said. She spoke faster, more urgently. “We did not believe he was capable of learning. But believe me when I say he learned from his last loss. This time, he was prepared. He is cunning. All our plans crumbled to ashes. He took control of the Guardians, turning them against us. He appeared from beneath Hyrule Castle itself; he attacked so fast I barely had a chance to fight back. Our capital city was destroyed, and the Divine Beasts…They were taken over as well. The pilots lost their lives. But you and Link…You lived. You fought.” Lianna turned to face her again. She looked pale, exhausted. “You fought bravely, Zelda, I must give credit where it is due. Your fate…Took an unexpected turn, shall we say.”

I fought and I fell, Zelda thought. She felt cold. 

“And Link…It was impossible. Hylia’s power awoke within him. He instructed the Sheikah to bring you to the Shrine of Resurrection and here you stand again, one hundred years later.”

“Link went to face Ganon alone,” Lia whispered. A tear fell down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. “He’s…Been in there ever since.”

“You must save Hyrule,” Lianna said. “It is your destiny. You…” She wavered, looking somehow diminished. “You must save my son.”

As Lianna began to give her instructions, regarding Kakariko village and a mysterious Elder Impa, Zelda watched Lia. The princess stared at the ground; her hands trembled and there were tears in her eyes.

Even when Lianna’s presence faded, Lia stayed. The princess floated to Zelda’s side; together, they watched the castle.

“I was not a good sister,” Lia suddenly said. Zelda turned to her, startled, but Lia only had eyes for the castle and the light shining inside. “And…And Mother was not kind to him. I ignored him. She was unkind. So many people were unkind…But he locked himself away with Calamity Ganon anyway.”

The princess smiled incredulously through her tears, shaking her head. She looked at Zelda helplessly.

“I don’t understand him,” she said. “Why did he do it? It’s been one hundred years, why hasn’t he stopped?”

Zelda did not remember Prince Link, her friend, but the answer came easily; “I suppose that’s just the kind of person he is.”

Princess Lia gave a choked sob, looking at the castle again. She began to fade away; the rising dawn shone through her.

“He’s a better person than me,” Lia said, and she was gone.

For a moment, Zelda continued to watch the castle. She kept her gaze firmly locked on the light- Link’s light.

Then she grabbed the paraglider.

She had a prince to save.

Chapter Text

“The parade travelled on. With the sun in my eyes, you were gone. But I knew even then, in a crowd of thousands, I'd find you again.” - In A Crowd Of Thousands, Anastasia: Broadway

100 Years Ago…

The first time Zelda glimpsed Prince Link Aelius Hyrule, she was twelve years old. She’d just pulled the Master Sword and her life had swiftly turned upside down.

Her father tried to appear stone-faced, but even Zelda could see the anxiety in his eyes as he presented her to Queen Lianna and her court. Zelda had been in awe of the beautiful queen with her blazing red hair and silver eyes. In her royal regalia, she glittered with every movement as the light caught on her crown, the jewels sewn into her gown and her rings. 

“A girl?” Queen Lianna had appeared baffled for a second, but she was soon smiling. “Well, perhaps it’s time for a change,” she said, and she sounded so friendly. She walked down from the dais and took both of Zelda’s hands between her own cool, smooth ones. “Welcome, Zelda,” she said, squeezing Zelda’s hands. “I’m sure we’ll work very well together.”

Princess Lianna, only a month older than Zelda, gave her a smile and quick curtsy. She stood by her mother’s throne and, with her elaborate braid and gown to match her mother’s, she looked older and more mature than twelve. She had an air of grace and wisdom about her.

Behind Princess Lianna (known to all as Lia), was her younger twin. Small, slight, with golden hair and vivid blue eyes. Prince Link stood with his head bowed, his hands tightly clasped before him. His gold and diamond circlet almost blended into his hair, nearly the same shade as the metal. Zelda supposed he must have resembled the late king, because he looked nothing like his mother or sister.

His eyes darted up, catching her own. Unlike his mother and sister, unlike the courtiers surrounding them, he didn’t smile. He looked curious. Perhaps even a little anxious.

Zelda did not focus on him for long. Queen Lianna took all her attention, speaking of training Zelda as a proper knight, introducing her to Princess Lia. The queen said she was certain that Zelda and the princess would be good friends.

The second Divine Beast, Vah Rudania, had recently been excavated. Now Zelda appeared with the Master Sword. One more piece of the puzzle, one more warrior against the Calamity. She would be expected to work closely with the sacred queen and crown princess.

Prince Link was swiftly forgotten. Truth be told, Zelda didn’t see much of him anyway. She saw him in the training grounds, working on his sword skills with the Captain of the Royal Guard. She glimpsed him walking with Lady Impa, who was training to take her mother’s place as a royal advisor and aide. She saw him with the Sheikah researchers.

And that was about it. She never heard him speak, and did not have the opportunity to say anything to him anyway. He was never surrounded by friends and admirers like his sister. He was not a shining star like Princess Lia. The princess showed Zelda how her powers worked, so casually wielding her goddess-given magic, which she’d wielded since she was seven years old.

When Zelda was fourteen, things changed.

It was her day off and she’d decided to indulge her curiosity about the Sheikah tech. Many of the researchers were working on the Guardians on the castle grounds, taking up a good portion of the gardens with the mysterious machines. The Guardians were meant to fight autonomously; although the researchers had gotten many of the machines to move around, they still hadn’t worked out how the Guardians actually fought. Their powers, whatever they may be, were a mystery.

And Doctor Purah promised to give Zelda a tour.

“You’re here!” Purah ran over and linked her arm with Zelda’s as soon as she spotted her. “Come on, I’ll show you around. Have you met Robbie? He discovered some crazy shrine on the Great Plateau yesterday, I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it.”

Zelda was fascinated by everything she saw. To think such machines were actually built by their ancestors ten thousand years ago. They completely outshone modern technology. If they could adapt such technology for modern use…Well, the possibilities were endless! They could accomplish anything, surely.

She glimpsed Prince Link with Lady Impa. Another researcher was talking to them, gesturing to a slumbering Guardian next to them. Link signed something at the researcher and it seemed Impa was translating for the prince.

Robbie, Purah’s closest associate and best friend, was just as eccentric as she was. It was hard to believe Purah was Impa’s elder sister; they were nothing alike. The teenage Impa seemed so much calmer and serious than Purah. 

“Purah says you discovered a shrine on the Great Plateau?” Zelda asked Robbie.

“Yep!” Robbie adjusted his goggles, grinning. “Just started digging; no idea what it’s for, but it goes pretty deep into the hill and-”

He was cut off by excited gasps and whoops. Five more of the Guardians slowly stood up, their eyes shining blue. Zelda stepped closer, her breath caught in her throat.

Amazing, she thought. But then one of the Guardians began to slowly turn in place, looking at its audience. Its eye began to flash and the Guardian beeped loudly and quickly. A red light appeared in its eye and a beam shot out, aiming right at…At…

Prince Link! Zelda’s eyes widened. The Prince’s back was turned. Dread washed over Zelda and she began to run. She ran through the crowd, ignoring Purah’s shouts for her to stop. She ran past a group having lunch, snatching up their pot lid (it would have to do) and jumped in front of the prince just as he turned around.

The Guardian fired and Zelda parried just in time, deflecting its attack. The attack shot back at the Guardian and knocked it on its back. It beeped again, more loudly, its legs kicking as it tried to right itself. The researchers were frantically trying to deactivate it.

All in all, it was done in perhaps five seconds.

The pot lid had shattered. Zelda’s arm ached fiercely. 

Panting for breath, she turned to face the prince and Impa. Link’s eyes were wide and he tightly held that odd slate she saw him with so often. Lady Impa was grasping his arm, a kunai in her free hand.

“Are you alright?” Zelda asked as Purah and Robbie ran to join them.

Link nodded, looking dazed. He signed something, looking worriedly at Zelda.

“I…I’m sorry,” Zelda said. “I don’t understand.” She blushed as she said it, suddenly feeling like a fool. She served the royal family and couldn’t even understand the prince. She’d never thought of it before, but it seemed absurd to say it out loud.

“He asks if you’re okay,” Impa translated. She was still tightly holding Link’s arm. “Are you hurt?”

“Oh, n-no, I…” Zelda raised her arm and winced. “It just hurts a little.”

Link looked stricken. Purah grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her into a hug.

“Holy goddesses,” Robbie gasped. “That was amazing.”

“Amazing!?” Impa sputtered. “Link could have died, Robbie!”

“Well obviously that part wasn’t amazing Impa.”

Researchers began to gather around, all frantically apologising for the incident. Link ducked his head, hiding half-way behind Impa. She put her kunai away, but didn’t let go of him; she looked terrified, constantly glancing at the prince as if to make sure he was really unharmed.

Link glanced up at Zelda and signed something. Impa sighed and said, “He says he’s sorry, Lady Zelda.”

Zelda shook her head. “What? No, Your Highness, you don’t need to apologise.”

He didn’t look convinced. 

The royal guards were alerted and someone ran to inform the queen. Link tugged on Impa’s sleeve and whispered something in her ear, his hand raised to block his mouth from view. Impa glanced at him and nodded.

“Of course,” she said to the prince and turned to Zelda. “You need a medic to check over your arm.”

“I’m fine,” Zelda insisted.

“Nuh-uh,” Purah said, hands on her hips. “You’re going to a medic even if we have to drag you there.”

Purah, Impa, Robbie and Prince Link were all watching her. All of them looked stubborn.

Zelda was outnumbered.

With a sigh, she allowed Purah to usher her away, followed by Robbie, Lady Impa and Prince Link.

No doubt she’d have to make a report to Queen Lianna. Oh Hylia, she’d have to tell her father. He was going to freak out.

Zelda glanced back, catching the prince’s eyes. Link gave her a tiny, shy smile and ducked his head again, eyes on the ground.

She’d never seen him smile before.

Present Day…

Zelda stared at Lady Impa and willed herself to remember. The ghost of Queen Lianna said Impa could help and guide her. Impa herself referred to Zelda as a friend and said it was a delight to see her.

Zelda couldn’t remember a thing. Impa was a diminutive old woman, kneeling on a pile of pillows. There was grief in her eyes and wisdom to her words. She explained the Calamity from ten thousand years ago and the Great Calamity that Zelda herself was fated to fight.

A hundred years ago, Impa would have been a young woman. A friend, not much older than Zelda. A royal advisor, an aide to Prince Link. A great source of wisdom and help.

Perhaps she was more lively, before so much loss and responsibility weighed her down.

“You were a great friend to my sister, Purah,” Impa said, pouring them both cups of tea. “She’ll be overjoyed to see you again, dear girl.”

It was bizarre to think she had friends who still lived. Friends who missed her.

Zelda’s chest felt tight. There was a knot in her stomach. She felt guilty; these people knew her, loved her, and Zelda didn’t remember them at all.

As Impa took the Sheikah slate to mark the locations of the four Divine Beasts, Zelda thought everything over. That slate…It had been familiar the second she saw it.

“Was it mine before?” she asked. “It feels familiar.”

“It was Link’s,” Impa said with a soft smile. Her hands slowed and trembled, and she had to take a moment to steady herself. To fight past her grief. “My sister, her associate Robbie and I discovered it with him. Sheikah technology…It was not Link’s true interest. It was merely the queen’s orders that he accompany us…But he did love this slate. It could capture images instantly, it has a map function as you well know, and the runes of course. We only ever found one Sheikah tower back then, so the map was woefully incomplete, but we were all curious about it. As for the photos…” Impa trailed away, frowning at the slate. She tapped the screen, her frown deepened, and she tapped it again. “That’s odd. The camera’s locked.”

“Perhaps because it hasn’t been used in so long?” Zelda suggested.

“Perhaps,” Impa agreed. “I’d suggest going to Purah in Hateno village. She’ll be able to fix it up. Link took so many pictures.” Impa stared at the slate and sighed, handing it back to Zelda.

“He was a brilliant fighter,” she said quietly. “He trained until he collapsed, then he’d get up and keep going. But it didn’t matter to the queen. It didn’t matter to the court. He was just…the powerless one to them. The twin they didn’t want.” Impa’s eyes filled with tears and she looked away, dabbing at them. Zelda lowered her gaze, hoping to grant Impa at least a little privacy.

“He was clever, he was so dedicated,” Impa continued. “But none of those fools saw it. Queen Lianna had her own ideas of how things should be done, and ignored anything that didn’t fit with those plans. She was arrogant. She was blind. The nobles may have approved of her, but the common masses didn’t. But why should she care? Why should a queen care for the opinions of commoners? She focused all her attention on Princess Lia and she turned that girl into a miniature version of herself. Perhaps it’s a mercy she didn’t sink her claws into Link.”

“Lia…Lia told me that her mother was unkind to him,” Zelda said. “That the court was unkind.”

“They never noticed him,” Impa said mournfully. “And it only got worse when the King died. It was Yiga assassins and Link saw the whole thing. He was only nine years old and he shut down. He stopped speaking for a long time. Sometimes, I think Lianna blamed him. For being there. For reminding her of the king.” She shook her head and sipped her tea. 

“I don’t know,” she said, looking at Zelda again. “I certainly never asked her. I can only report on what I saw, and what I saw was persistent unkindness. Lianna considered Link useless, yet she sent him to present the offer of being Champions to the Divine Beasts’ pilots. She sent him all across Hyrule to study relics and pray at the sacred springs for their success. Maybe she wanted him out of the way, I don’t know. What I do know is that he spent more time with you and the other Champions than Queen Lianna and Princess Lia ever did. She never made him a Champion, never named him a member of the team, but he was more a part of that team than she was. He spent time among the commoners, listened to their woes and helped them. He returned lost children to their parents, gave people food and medicine. They loved him as they never loved her, or even Lia.”

“Did she know?” Zelda asked. “Did she care?” At the very least, wouldn’t Link’s popularity be a threat to Princess Lia’s future rule? If people wanted him as king…Well, rebellions were always possible. And if Link himself had any ambitions to rule, it sounded like he had the skills to back it up.

Maybe there was always a war on the horizon.

“I have no idea,” Impa said. “I’m sure someone reported to her, told her about his popularity. But if it ever concerned her…Well, she never gave an indication.”

“She didn’t take him seriously,” Zelda said.

“No, dear, she didn’t. She never really took anyone seriously, except herself.”

Zelda mulled it over. So, they were the Champions. Lady Urbosa, Princess Mipha, Daruk and Revali. And Zelda herself. They were meant to be led by Queen Lianna, with Princess Lia as her second in command, but the Queen spurned their company. She gave commands, but didn’t build a rapport with them. And, thanks to her influence, neither did Princess Lia. 

Instead, the Queen made Link do all the work. And, given her open disdain for him, Zelda wondered if anyone took insult at the prince’s presence. Did they see it as a snub? As a dismissal? Or did they work as a team despite their so-called leader’s absence? 

“Were we friends?” she asked.

“You were a family,” Impa said with a smile. She squeezed Zelda’s hand. “It was as if you’d known each other all your lives. Oh, you all had your moments to be sure. There were arguments. You and Revali certainly got off to a rocky start. But you all loved each other, it was plain to see.”

Zelda smiled, feeling warm. It was a comforting thought.

“Speaking of love…” Impa sounded hesitant now. “There is…There is something important I must tell you.”

“Yes?”

“It concerns Link.” Impa looked worried. She kept holding Zelda’s hand.

“What is it? Is it bad?”

“No, my dear, not at all. At least, I hope this will be joyous news.” Impa cleared her throat. There was a hint of pity to her smile, like she was about to give Zelda more cause for grief after all. “Zelda…You and Prince Link were courting in secret.” 

“What?” Zelda whispered. Her and Link? The prince? They were courting? And it was all a secret…Well, that part didn’t actually surprise Zelda too much. With the Calamity on the horizon and Lianna’s poor view of her son, maybe it was safer to stay quiet.

But still…Zelda and Link? Truly?

“I was the first you told,” Impa said. She smirked and added, “I believe I gave you quite the scare.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I threatened to gut you and feed you to moblins if you made him cry,” Impa said.

Zelda snorted despite herself. She looked at the slate on her lap and felt like crying. The Sheikah slate belonged to Link, it was his and it was all she had of him. 

“He…He had such beautiful eyes,” Zelda said, running her hand over the slate. She felt lightheaded, not entirely sure of her own words. Was she wrong? Imagining things? No…No, she was right. She had to be. “Didn’t he? I just- on the plateau, when Queen Lianna was explaining things, I remember thinking he had…Had a shy smile. A laugh as…As rare and beautiful as a diamond…And sad eyes, but they were beautiful all the same.”

Oh, please tell me I’m right, she thought, tears stinging her eyes. I want to remember him. I have to be right. Please.

“He did,” Impa said and Zelda felt dizzy with relief. Tears fell from her eyes and she wiped at them quickly, sniffling.

“You will remember, dearest Zelda,” Impa said, patting her shoulder. “I’m sure of it.”

“I will,” Zelda said, determined. The tears just kept coming. “I will. I have to.”

She held the Sheikah slate close to her heart and let herself cry. She let herself mourn for everything she lost and couldn’t remember. Her friends, her little rag-tag family, as well as the parents she couldn’t remember.

And Link. Oh, Link…She had to remember.

When Zelda saw him once more, she wanted to be able to hold her head high and tell him that she knew him.

Chapter Text

“I wake up screaming from dreaming, one day I'll watch as you're leaving and life will lose all its meaning. (For the last time.) It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me! (I'm the problem, it's me.) At tea time, everybody agrees, I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror. It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero.” - Anti-Hero, Taylor Swift

Past…

Zelda couldn’t comprehend it. Queen Lianna had ordered Link to travel to Zora’s Domain and request Princess Mipha’s aid. Queen Lianna and her council had, after weeks of debating, decided that Princess Mipha would be the perfect pilot for Vah Ruta. Only, of course, they needed King Dorephan’s permission to send his daughter and heir into battle.

Zelda didn’t know who they had in mind, if Dorephan refused.

But, more to the point- why did Queen Lianna order Prince Link to go? Shouldn’t she be sending Princess Lia? The sacred queen and princess would be the ones fighting the Calamity, leading the Champions (once they were recruited) and generally taking charge.

Link…Wouldn’t be doing any of that. Pardon Zelda’s bluntness, but he didn’t have a role. So why had the queen ordered him to go?

Queen Lianna did not smile as she gave the order. She eyed Link dismissively, a hint of impatience in her voice. As soon as Link nodded in assent, Queen Lianna waved him away. 

It didn’t feel like she wanted Link’s aid. It didn’t feel like a mother trusting her son with an important task. It seemed almost…Almost like Queen Lianna was bored. Like this wasn’t worth her time.

No, that couldn’t be right. Zelda was being silly. The Queen knew best. She understood, better than anyone, how important the Divine Beasts and their pilots would be. She wasn’t being dismissive. She was just…Stressed. Yes, that was it. And she didn’t want to send her own heir trapeising across Hyrule, which- hm. That sounded hypocritical, didn’t it? Oh, Zelda was getting tied up in knots over nothing. She was being stupid. Over dramatic. Reading into things too much. Her father, Rhoam, forever despaired that Zelda was nit-picky and high-strung. Really, her spiralling thoughts were proving his point. 

It’s just…It didn’t feel right. Asking King Dorephan to send Princess Mipha here, there and everywhere, while Princess Lia stayed in Hyrule Castle. 

What if King Dorephan took offence to all this? What if he wondered at Crown Princess Lia’s absence, or Queen Lianna’s absence? What if he, like Zelda, had a habit of reading into things too much?

No, of course not. He was a king. An ancient and wise Zora. He wouldn’t get stupidly worked up like Zelda did.

“Zelda,” Queen Lianna said. “You will accompany Link. I’m sure the presence of Hylia’s Chosen Heroine will help persuade King Dorephan.”

Why did that make Zelda’s chest tighten? The queen was trusting her, she should be delighted. She should be honoured…

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Zelda said, bowing. 

It wasn’t until the morning they left that Zelda had a mortifying realisation: at fifteen-years-old, she still didn’t know Hylian sign beyond the very basics.

There were no other knights accompanying them. No Lady Impa. Just her and Prince Link.

Oh fuck, Zelda thought. This was going to be excruciating. She was officially charged with Prince Link’s protection from this moment onward, until they returned home to Hyrule Castle…And she could barely understand a word he signed. 

Link looked up at her with those strangely sad and solemn eyes, and Zelda felt pinned to the spot. It felt, very suddenly, like he was looking right into her head and reading her thoughts.

Nonsense, of course. He didn’t possess telepathy. She was just so used to the queen and princess.

“Well…” Zelda straightened up and marched towards her horse, Aurora. “I suppose we’d better get going, Your Highness.”

Link’s horse, like his sister’s and mother’s, was a beautiful snow-white mare. Her name was Epona and the horse gently nudged her face into Link’s waiting palm. He smiled, slipping Epona an apple and climbed up into the saddle with easy grace. 

As they rode through the gates and into Castle Town, picking up speed as they reached Hyrule Field, Zelda realised something: Prince Link was a highly skilled equestrian. She’d never seen someone handle a horse so gently, or a horse respond so easily to every tiny movement their rider made. Her own Aurora was stubborn as a mule and easily distracted. Zelda adored her, but it was true. Even Princess Lia, who made everything look graceful, tended to look stiff on horseback.

Not Link. It was as if Epona responded to his very thoughts, as if she could sense what way he wanted to go before he could even direct her. His smile was a near-constant presence on his face, his eyes brighter. He giggled outright when Epona loudly sneezed.

Zelda hadn’t known he was good with horses. Or perhaps not horses in general, maybe it was just Epona. Still…She hadn’t known.

She’d lived in Hyrule Castle since she was twelve. She was counted among Princess Lia’s closest friends. Queen Lianna always praised Zelda’s dedication and strength. It wasn’t as if Zelda was an outsider, some minor courtier hiding in the shadows; she was the chosen knight. She was, like it or not, in the spotlight. 

And she realised, quite suddenly, that she knew nothing about Link. After the incident with the Guardian, she’d promised herself to learn Hylian sign, but her training took priority; guarding Princess Lia took priority. Showing new knight recruits how to handle a sword took priority.

She’d learned the very basics and promptly been swept up in her duties, soon forgetting her silent promise. 

So…She could barely understand him. She knew nothing about his likes or dislikes. She knew he assisted the Sheikah with their relics, but did that interest him? She didn’t know.

Zelda felt like the biggest fool in the world. 

He glanced at her and Zelda quickly returned her own gaze straight ahead.

She was being silly again. Being dramatic. She needed to stay focussed, not get lost in her own head. 

Drama queen, Zelda scolded herself, not for the first time. Really, she needed to get her thoughts and emotions under control.

The very first night they stopped to camp, Zelda woke in the middle of the night. She could hear faint grunts and hums, a soft swishing sound.

She emerged from her tent and, bewildered, watched as Prince Link swung his sword through the air. He went through the familiar movements that Zelda often practised herself. Thrust, slash, swing; brace yourself, pounce, dodge. His hair was loose and, mortified, Zelda realised he was shirtless.

She most certainly should not be looking at the Prince of Hyrule in a state of undress.

But what was he doing awake at this ungodly hour? It was well past midnight by now.

“Your Highness?” she softly called. Link faltered, froze; he stared at her like a frightened fawn.

“...Are you alright?” Zelda asked uncomfortably. Link nodded, but he looked pale. His hair was tangled and there was a sheen of sweat on his brow.

More uncertain than ever, Zelda crept closer. “Are you sure?” she pressed.

Link hesitated. Zelda stared him down. Uncomfortable as she may have been, Link was currently her charge. It was her duty to see to his health and safety.

He broke first. He gestured for her to wait there, hurried back to his tent and re-emerged with a little notepad and pencil. He hastily scribbled something and held the notepad out to her.

Nightmare, he’d written. Don’t worry, I have them all the time.

As if that mere fact was not concerning.

“...Do you need anything?” Zelda asked. “I could restart the fire, make some tea? Or I have hot chocolate if you prefer?”

Link shook his head. His sword lay abandoned on the ground, gleaming in the moonlight.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Zelda asked and could have bitten her own tongue off. Stupid! she thought. You’re so stupid! You’re overstepping!

But Link didn’t look offended, like Lia might have. He twisted a strand of hair around his finger, pulling it across his mouth. After a moment, he sighed and wrote again.

His handwriting was slightly shaky and crooked, nothing like his sister’s elegant script: It was pitch black but someone was glowing. They were screaming, but I couldn’t hear them, just see them. There was a lot of blood and fire. It’s alright, really, it’s not a new nightmare.

It certainly sounded unnerving. 

“I’m sorry,” Zelda said helplessly. Link shrugged and looked at the stars. 

She was about to ask about his sword practice, trying desperately to think of something comforting or distracting to say, when Link quickly wrote again.

I’m fine now. Sorry to wake you.

“It’s…It’s alright,” Zelda said quietly. She felt like she’d seen something she shouldn’t have.

Link quickly picked up his sword and fled back to his tent, letting the flap fall shut behind him. Zelda hesitated, biting her lip- but really, what could she do? There was nothing to do.

Sighing, she went back to her tent.

Princess Mipha was beautiful. Her greeting at the Great Zora Bridge was eloquent, so formal and perfect. But once the standard greeting was done, she beamed and held her arms out.

To Zelda’s shock, Link ran right into Princess Mipha’s arms. The Zora heir had a lovely laugh like silver bells and she clung tightly to Link, swaying them both from side to side.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you again, my friend!” she cried. “I’ve missed you dearly.” She pulled back and squeezed Link’s shoulders before letting him go. “Now, my dear, what’s all this about? Your mother’s letter only said she had an important request.”

Link signed rapidly. Zelda understood only a few words: Queen, ask, help, you. 

Mipha understood every word. Her bright gold eyes widened.

“Me?” she asked in a hushed voice. “Truly? She wants me to pilot Vah Ruta?” The princess’s gaze went to the hills, where the hulking figure of Vah Ruta stood vigil. “Oh, I’d be honoured,” Mipha said. Her smile was bright and eager. “It’s the strangest thing, but…I feel almost like I know Vah Ruta. As if we’ve met before...But I’m not sure my father will agree, Link.”

Prince Link nodded in understanding. Princess Mipha hummed thoughtfully.

“Well,” she said. “I suppose I’ll be making a request of my own to him. In the meantime…” She turned to Zelda, smiling. “My deepest apologies, my lady. I should have greeted you right away.” Mipha took Link’s hand and squeezed. The little prince beamed at her. “I got carried away. I haven’t seen my dear friend in over a year, I hope you can forgive my slip-up.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Your Highness,” Zelda said, bowing to her. “And it’s an honour to meet you.”

“And it’s an honour to meet you too, Lady Zelda,” Mipha said. “If you’ll both follow me, I believe it’s time to speak with my father.”

Princess Mipha led them through the beautiful and gleaming Domain, determination in every step. Her people smiled fondly as she passed. Little children called for her attention, waving. Mipha returned every greeting with a bright smile, totally at ease with everyone.

It was a surprise. Zelda was so used to Lia and Lianna’s formality. She couldn’t imagine Princess Lia giggling as a child thrust a ragged bouquet of daisies at her…Yet that was exactly what Princess Mipha did. She took the little offering and held it like it was a sacred treasure, thanking the excited Zora child warmly.

King Dorephan himself was another shock. Not just his sheer size (though that alone was awe-inspiring), but his warm laugh, the way he gestured for them to come closer. His bright smile, his friendly greeting. His appearance was intimidating, but when he spoke it was so kindly.

“Prince Link,” he said. “It’s good to see you again, dear child. And you, Lady Zelda; be welcome. If you need anything during your stay, do not hesitate to ask.”

Thank you, Link signed. He seemed like a completely different person, smiling so sweetly, eyes bright and sparkling. He didn’t look at the ground, but met King Dorephan’s gaze head on.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Zelda echoed. 

“Now then…Link, my boy, what brings you here?”

Link explained. His sign was quick and fluid; so easy, so casual. So at ease with these two royals, knowing they’d understand him and he wouldn’t have to look around for Lady Impa to translate.

Or write, Zelda thought guiltily. Oh, she really must dedicate herself to learning Hylian sign. 

King Dorephan hummed thoughtfully. He didn’t immediately turn them down, but he didn’t accept.

“This will be a heavy task,” he said, stroking his chin. “Piloting Vah Ruta…Attacking Calamity Ganon himself…It is a most dangerous task.”

“Father,” Mipha interrupted gently. “I want to. You know I do. From the moment Ruta was excavated…It’s felt like she’s calling me. Like I’ve known her for a long time. I know I can do this. It would be the greatest honour of my life to protect our people and our land. I swear I will not let you down.”

“You never could, my jewel,” Dorephan said, his eyes softening. 

Link held his hands tightly together, shoulders stiff again. 

“Oh, child,” Dorephan said, looking at him. “Please do not look so worried; I am not angry at you. You are merely following your mother’s orders.”

Slowly, Link nodded. Zelda felt completely out of the loop.

The Zora royals were not what she expected.

“I must think on this,” Dorephan sighed. “And carefully. In the meantime…Lady Zelda, you have never been to our fair Domain before, isn’t that right?”

Startled to be addressed again, Zelda said, “Oh, um- yes, Your Majesty. That’s right.”

“Then while I consider this…offer…Mipha will show you around.” Dorephan smiled at them, looking more weary. “Get settled in, have some fun. Goodness knows you deserve it.”

Again, Zelda felt like she was missing something. Dorephan certainly knew when Mipha deserved a break, but he could hardly say when Link or Zelda did. Why, he’d just met Zelda! 

It was…strange. Strange to have someone address her like…Like…Well, like she was fifteen. It was strange to realise that Dorephan hadn’t once looked at the Master Sword, but only Zelda’s face.

Mipha gave Dorephan one last imploring look but led Link and Zelda away. Once they were outside, she fell into step with them. She smiled at Zelda like they were old friends.

“Now then, my lady, is there anything in particular you’d like to see?” Mipha asked. “It’s your first time here, so you get first pick.” Before Zelda could answer, Mipha turned and lightly poked Link’s nose, grinning at him. “Don’t you dare pout, my friend, you know your way around the Domain like the back of your hand.”

I want to see Vah Ruta, was Zelda’s immediate thought. The Sheikah relics were all so fascinating, but none more so than the Divine Beasts themselves. Zelda had only ever seen illustrations of them and she was dying to see one up close. Ruta was right there, up in the hills, looming over Zora’s Domain like a silent protector. Oh, Zelda wanted a close look. She wondered if it would be possible for any of them to go inside. It was believed only the chosen Champions could enter the Divine Beasts. If Ruta let Mipha in, would that mean they were truly bound after all? If Ruta recognised the Master Sword, would she let Zelda in?

But that felt like she was pressuring Mipha. She absolutely could not be seen to be influencing Mipha in any way, not when it came to the Divine Beast and the role of pilot.

So…No Ruta. Not yet. 

That was okay. There was no shortage of amazing things to see in Zora’s Domain.

“I’d like to see the East Reservoir Dam,” Zelda said, feeling absurdly shy. “Is it truly the largest dam in Hyrule?”

“It is,” Mipha said proudly and Link nodded in agreement. As easily as breathing, Mipha took Zelda’s hand, and Link’s, and practically skipped along the path. 

“Let’s go!” she said cheerfully. “It’s quite the sight, I promise you.”

Present…

“Say, hey there! Young lady!” a voice cried. Zelda paused, looking around in bewilderment. The Zora she’d met along the way said their prince should be here at the bridge- surely that was his voice? But where was he?

The voice cried out again, somewhat amused; “Up top, above you!”

Zelda looked up. On one of the bridge’s lookout towers was another Zora. He was huge, nearly twice the size of the other Zora she’d met. Tula, Torefeau, Gruve and Ledo had all towered over her, but this Prince was an outright giant.

He waved at her cheerfully and jumped down from the tower with ease. His scales were bright red and white; his eyes were gold like the sun. There was no doubting he was the Zora Prince; his jewellery was so intricate, so delicately made. His headdress had a deep blue feather attached to it and…How odd! Was that a whistle attached to his cravat? It was an interesting choice.

“Pardon me, my lady,” the Zora Prince said. “I was hoping you’d have a moment to talk. I saw you fighting those Lizalfos by the tower there…You’re a warrior aren’t you?”

“Of a sort,” Zelda said with a smile. 

The Prince’s smile widened. “Oh, excellent! You see, my people have need of a strong Hylian warrior. The Divine Beast, Vah Ruta, is threatening to flood our home. Now, normally I wouldn’t drag a stranger into our troubles, but we need shock arrows to tame Vah Ruta, and us Zora cannot handle such arrows. Even a single shock arrow could kill us.”

What timing, Zelda thought, faintly amused. Vah Ruta is exactly where I was going.

She tightened her ponytail and smiled up at the prince. “I’d be happy to help,” she said.

“Oh, wonderful!” the Prince cried, clapping his hands together. “Thank you so very much, my lady! Oh, goodness- I haven’t introduced myself, have I? I am Sidon, the Zora Prince! And you are?”

“My name is Zelda, Your Highness,” she said.

“That’s a lovely name!” Sidon said happily. His smile momentarily faltered and he looked thoughtful. “Funny though…I can’t quite shake the feeling I’ve heard that name before.”

Exactly what Zelda thought. Sidon. Why did that feel so familiar? Had she known anyone named Sidon Before? In her mysterious past…

She pushed the thought away. She could brood later. For now, she had to focus as Sidon explained how to reach Zora’s Domain and the perils along the path.

“I can handle it,” Zelda promised. “I won’t let you down.”

His smile was warm as a campfire, comforting as a hug.

“I believe we are going to get along splendidly, Zelda,” he said, giving her an extravagant vow. “Now then- onwards!”

As Zelda fought her way to Zora’s Domain, slaying Lizalfos and octoroks, her thoughts kept wandering back to Sidon. The name was so familiar. She must have known someone named Sidon one hundred years ago.

And then, in the Domain itself, things clicked into place.

Sidon, giddy with glee, met her at the Great Zora Bridge and led her to the palace, right to the throne room.

And there, sitting on his throne (or rather in his throne, in the pool of water) was a titan of a Zora. His crown was silver and spiked; the gems on it faintly glowed. His scales, unlike Sidon’s, were deep blue.

Zelda knew him.

In a rush, memories flooded her mind. Mipha, smiling and laughing. Mipha, gently teasing Revali. Mipha, distracting Queen Lianna so that Zelda and Link could sneak away. Mipha, walking through the castle gardens, arm in arm with Zelda. Mipha, seething with a sudden and fierce rage, as Queen Lianna called Link useless.

Mipha. Oh sweet Hylia, Mipha. How could Zelda forget Mipha? Her dearest friend. Sweet, gentle, loving Mipha. Mipha with her big heart and bravery; her surprising, iron-clad will, so stubborn and strong. 

Mipha, who called Zelda her heart’s sister.

King Dorephan looked at Zelda and his eyes widened.

“Zelda?” he gasped, his voice hushed as if he was praying. “Zelda, you…You’re alive?”

Tears stinging her eyes, Zelda fell to her knees before the king.

“King Dorephan,” she choked out. “I am so sorry.”

Chapter Text

“When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful. Every hour we spent together lives within my heart. And when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears. And when she was happy, so was I. When she loved me…” - When She Loved Me, Toy Story 2

Past…

After a long fight at Gopongo Village, Zelda and Mipha finally escaped the crowds atop Vah Ruta. The Gopongo villagers were full of praise and thanks, offering all manner of gifts and swearing the two girls were gifts from Hylia. The Zora had fussed over them both, first fretting over their injuries (minor and healed by Mipha) and then insisting to King Dorephan that a celebration was in order.

Gopongo Village was safe. There had been no casualties, other than the monsters. The damage to the village was minimal. The soldiers who fought with the girls insisted a reward was in order: Mipha and Zelda had led the charge and fought side by side the whole time. The soldiers said they moved together flawlessly, as if they could read each other's minds. 

King Dorephan told Mipha he was incredibly proud of her, and thanked Zelda for her courage. Zelda had worried he’d fuss more than everyone else combined, but Dorephan seemed to understand they wanted to get away from all those watching eyes and quickly gave them the chance to escape by keeping his council busy.

“Oh, gracious,” Mipha sighed, stretching her arms over her head. “I’m happy to help everyone, you know that- but sometimes all that praise can be a bit…much. I never quite know what to say. After a while ‘thank you,’ starts to sound false and stiff.”

“I know what you mean,” Zelda said. She lay down on Ruta’s trunk, staring at the twilit sky. She let her ponytail down and tried to smooth out her tangled hair. “I swear, it’s always one extreme or the other: people claiming we’re not doing enough, or people acting like we’re goddesses.”

Take her father for instance. Rhoam always said Zelda needed to do more, to be more. He said that, as the first Heroine after so many Heroes, she must be perfect. She must be brave and strong at all times. Whenever the opportunity rose, she must show her strength and dedication. He urged her to train with the other knights, to make sure as many people saw her as possible. He pressed her to stay close to Princess Lia, so that all the court may see they were friends. He told her off for laughing, for smiling too much. “You must not appear frivolous,” he scolded. He hated her interest in the Ancient Sheikah tech. He always said that wasn’t her problem to deal with. Rhoam said to focus on the Master Sword and the growing number of monsters. He sighed when she went into Castle Town and helped people with odd jobs. “You’re a Heroine, not a maid!” he’d always snap. “Their petty grievances are not your problem! You are Hylia’s Chosen, you cannot be seen chasing down unruly children!”

Zelda thought her father was an idiot. Pardon the bluntness, but it was true. He was Captain of the City Guard, a strong knight, a smart leader…But he’d always held himself so above everyone. Camaraderie and friendship were not things he worried about. If he had it his way, Zelda would never leave the training grounds; she’d never put the Master Sword down.

Sometimes, she thought her father forgot she was still his daughter. That she was still just a girl.

So many people looked at her and saw a symbol. But if she was to be their Champion, shouldn’t she build a rapport? She wanted the people to know her and trust her.

She could have sworn she saw Prince Link helping some of the merchants last week, and helping to dig a new well. She didn’t dare ask. She’d look ridiculous if she was wrong. And if she was right…Well, so what? Unless he did something dangerous, it wasn’t her business. Helping merchants with their deliveries wasn't putting his safety at risk. Besides, she'd be such a hypocrite if she told him not to.

Mipha flopped down next to her, all her usual grace abandoned.

“You know what,” Mipha said. “After we defeat Ganon, we need a break. I say we go to Gerudo Town and have a spa day. We’ll have the most stereotypical Girls’ Day Out ever. And after that, we must gather our friends and find somewhere nice to have a get-away together. We'll need a holiday after the battle.”

“I like the sound of that,” Zelda hummed happily. She hadn’t gotten the chance to try the spa treatments in Gerudo Town, but they all sounded fantastic. Oh, she’d give her right arm for a massage. 

“We need manicures and pedicures,” Zelda said.

“And massages,” Mipha said with a knowing grin.

“And then we can go shopping and buy all the useless trinkets we want,” Zelda said. “And jewellery! Ooh, the Gerudo are superb jewellers!”

“We must find you as many books about the ancient technology as possible,” Mipha teased. “As a reward for a job well done.”

“And we’ll need to hire your own personal band,” Zelda retorted. “To follow you around and sing all those romantic songs you love so much.”

“You can roll your eyes all you want, dear,” Mipha said primly. “But I think that sounds like a great idea.”

Zelda snorted, Mipha giggled and, the next thing Zelda knew, they were both in stitches laughing.

“Oh, but the Champions’ holiday!” Zelda said past her laughter. “How will we ever find somewhere to satisfy everyone?”

“Revali won’t want anywhere too hot and Urbosa won’t want anywhere too cold,” Mipha said, humming thoughtfully. “Daruk won’t mind either way. Hm…Ooh, how about Lurelin? Link and I have always wanted to visit.”

“Link?” Zelda asked, thrown off. What did the prince have to do with it?

“Well he deserves a vote,” Mipha said. “Though he forever denies it. I’ll force an opinion out of him if I must.”

It occurred to Zelda, quite suddenly, that she could easily imagine the prince joining them on this daydream holiday. Urbosa would dote on him like always. Revali would, in his own brusque way, try to drag him into conversation and make Prince Link give an opinion on something, even if the matter appeared utterly trivial. Even if Revali didn’t agree with whatever the prince said, he’d listen, and he wouldn’t relent until he’d dragged the prince into some ridiculous debate. Daruk would be merry as always and offer the prince another rock roast. Mipha would link their arms, her, Zelda and Link, and march along happily. Maybe, with Ganon gone, Zelda could finally pester Link about getting a closer look at his Sheikah slate. Maybe he’d let her examine it at her own pace, or even let her borrow it.

Yes, she could imagine Prince Link joining them.

She could not imagine Queen Lianna or Princess Lia with them.

She didn’t know how to feel about that.

Queen Lianna would never act so informally. She would not smile and joke with them. Besides, Zelda saw how Lady Urbosa scowled at Queen Lianna. Everyone saw the tension between them. If Queen Lianna was there, Urbosa would not smile and joke with them all. She’d spend the whole time keeping a suspicious eye on the queen and doing her best to ignore whatever Lianna said.

As for Princess Lia…She enjoyed spending time with her friends, but she hated being outdoors. She liked sitting and listening to the court bards and poets. Perfectly fine activities (Zelda enjoyed a good poem or ballad), but trekking through Faron to reach Lurelin? Swimming in the ocean and lounging on the beach? Climbing cliffs or hiking? No, Princess Lia would not want to go on a holiday like that. She’d likely decline. If she was forced into going, she’d make her anger and discomfort known. Then Revali would snap and call her spoiled again, and it would turn into a true argument. 

The queen and princess weren’t at the last three Champions’ meetings. Two in Hyrule Castle and one in Rito Village to check on the progress with Vah Medoh, and Lianna and Lia had not been there. They very rarely were…

They’re meant to lead us, Zelda thought uncomfortably. But they don’t feel like part of the team.

The Champions were her friends- yes, even Revali, bullheaded and snarky as he was- but the queen and princess…

She felt guilty for even thinking it. Of course Princess Lia was her friend. Lia always said so. 

Yet Zelda knew any excursion with them would be a disaster. 

Why could she imagine Link with them so easily, when he wasn’t even a Champion? Why would the group feel incomplete without him, yet tense and awkward with their own leaders?

This was not a productive line of thinking. She needed to stop being so dramatic. 

Zelda looked at Mipha and smiled. “Well, if anyone can make the prince speak up, it’s you,” she said.

Mipha gave her such a curious little smile. “You’d be surprised,” she said. “You can too.”

Present…

Dorephan was delighted to see her. Zelda sobbed against his floor, making a total fool of herself, and Dorephan was still happy to see her. She’d hadn’t stopped the Calamity, Mipha was dead, yet Dorephan smiled at her anyway.

He asked Sidon to help her stand and the prince hurried to her side, gently urging Zelda to her feet. Muzu gaped at her like he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing.

Same here, Muzu, she thought tiredly.

“Dear girl, please don’t weep,” Dorephan said gently. “None of this is your fault.”

Even Muzu nodded in agreement. “It was your queen,” he said in tones of ice. “Her and her arrogance, her blindness. Her actions led to this. I hope she kneels before our own Queen Damona and Princess Mipha even now, begging for their forgiveness.”

Zelda barely remembered Queen Lianna, yet she could confidently say Lianna would never kneel or beg forgiveness for anything. Besides, Lianna was on the Great Plateau, her ghost wandering the old sacred site.

Was this why Zelda felt so much anger she couldn’t explain towards Lianna? Did she subconsciously blame Lianna for the Champions’ deaths? 

“Muzu, please,” Dorephan said. “Not now. We don’t want to overwhelm the poor girl further. But, Zelda…You are still seventeen. How is this possible?”

“I…I fell. I failed,” Zelda said weakly. She wiped uselessly at her eyes. The tears just kept coming. “I was put in the Shrine of Resurrection. Impa said I need to free the Divine Beasts from Ganon’s control before I save Link.”

“Link?” Dorephan’s eyes widened. “Then…He is alive too?”

“In the castle,” Zelda confirmed. “He’s been holding Ganon back all this time.”

Dorephan, Sidon and Muzu exchanged stunned glances.

“There were rumours,” Muzu said, eyes narrowed in thought. “People said he awoke Hylia’s powers. When the destruction stopped, some believed it was Prince Link’s doing. But that…That shouldn’t be possible. Only women of Hylia’s line can access her magic.”

“Well, people believed Hylia’s Chosen had to be a boy and we were all proven wrong. Guess we were wrong about Hylia’s magic too,” Zelda said. “He’s been wielding that power for a hundred years.”

It was a chilling thought. Had other princes held Hylia’s sacred power, hidden in their blood? Had they simply not been given the chance to unlock it? Or was Link truly the first? Zelda was the first Heroine…Was Link the first Sacred Prince? 

A new twist to the fairytale. A reversal of roles that Hyrule hadn’t anticipated. Well, if Zelda could be Hylia’s Chosen, why couldn’t Link wield Hylia’s golden power? 

Zelda dearly wished she had time to sit down and ponder all this. To examine the mystery from every angle. Examine the evidence and come up with theories of her own. 

She did not have time. Hyrule didn’t have time. 

“Then you both survived,” Dorephan said. His smile was gentle and fatherly. “Good. Good. After you defeat Ganon, I expect you to visit. I’ve missed you both dearly. But until then…First, we must appease Ruta. If we don’t act swiftly, our entire Domain will flood. If the dam bursts, who knows where the tidal wave will end? We must not allow that to happen.”

Zelda listened closely as Sidon explained about shock-arrows. He told her that Seggin, a retired sergeant, managed to hit Ruta with a shock arrow, momentarily slowing the water. The prince told her Seggin, though injured, was still insisting on going after Ruta himself. Indeed, Zelda thought she could hear pained yelps and shrieks from outside. 

Muzu gave her a somewhat apologetic glance as he told her the rest of the shock arrows were atop Ploymus Mountain…Along with a Lynel. 

Ruta bellowed in the distance. Zelda imagined Mipha trapped inside, dying alone.

Ganon’s going to pay for this, she thought, fists clenched. 

Princess Mipha, beloved of her people. The Zora Champion, pilot to Vah Ruta. A master fighter and healer. Zelda’s best friend. Mipha, with her heart of gold, the gentlest soul Zelda had ever known. Her heart’s sister.

Oh, Ganon would be begging for death when Zelda was done with him. 

“No time like the present,” Zelda said, tilting her chin up, even as her eyes watered again. “Let’s begin.”

Zelda and Sidon stood at the edge of the East Reservoir Dam, watching Vah Ruta.

“We are unsure of all the powers Ruta may possess,” he said softly. His previous bright grins were replaced by a solemn frown. “She may be capable of anything. Only Mipha really knew all of Ruta’s secrets.” His golden eyes, so much like Mipha’s, flickered to Zelda. “Father always told me stories about Mipha, you and Prince Link. He said that you and Mipha were like sisters. He said Mipha and Link were like siblings. ‘Her heart’s sister and her soul’s brother,’ he said.” Sidon hesitated and blurted out, “She intended to marry him once. Link, I mean. Father said she planned to propose.”

Zelda flushed, her eyes widening. “I beg your pardon?” she sputtered. No, surely not. Zelda and Link were courting. Mipha wouldn’t betray her like that; Link wouldn’t betray her like that. Sidon just called Link Mipha’s brother. 

“Oh, not because of any romance,” Sidon said quickly. “No, nothing like that. It was to protect him.”

“...From what?” Zelda asked, suddenly dreading the answer. Not from me, right? Oh Hylia, what did I do? Did Mipha feel like she had to save him from me? 

“From…Well, from Queen Lianna,” Sidon said, rubbing the back of his neck. Zelda had a sudden flash of Link doing the same thing. “From Princess Lia. From the entire royal court, really. Queen Lianna…She is not remembered fondly. Not at all. Mipha wanted to get Link away from them all. The way the queen spoke to Prince Link…No one should speak to their child like that. No one should treat their child the way it’s said Queen Lianna treated him.”

Zelda stood frozen to the spot, wide eyes trained on Sidon.

“Father told me that Mipha was quite open about it to him. Once she had the idea, she went right to Father and told him. He agreed with her. She was going to craft the traditional Zora armour, speak to Link privately to explain her plan, and then propose officially. Queen Lianna couldn’t hurt him in Zora’s Domain. No one could. And, even if Link had to visit Hyrule Castle, the court would have to treat him with respect as a future King Consort. If they didn’t, they’d risk offending all of the Zora. Queen Lianna was well aware that Father could revoke his permission for Mipha to be a Champion at any time. She tread more carefully with him than she did with others.”

The idea had merit but it still made Zelda want to claw her skin off. All she really remembered of Link was his smile, his sad eyes, his rare laugh. She didn’t remember him much at all, yet the mere thought of him in another woman’s arms made her sick.

“So…What happened?” Zelda asked. 

Sidon looked at her and grinned. “You did, of course,” he said with a bright laugh. “Mipha abandoned the whole idea once you came along.”

“Wait, who knew about us?” Zelda asked. “Impa said our relationship was a secret.”

“I believe the Champions knew,” Sidon said. “And Father, but that’s because Mipha had to explain why she had changed her mind. I only know because Father told me, but he told me after…Well, after everything.”

Oh, Mipha, Zelda thought with a pang of grief. So, that was just the kind of girl Mipha was: someone who would propose marriage, all to protect one of her best friends. No romance, no pressure for physical intimacy; just the most sure-fire way to protect Link she could think of.

In another world, it likely would have worked. Zelda could imagine it so easily. 

But what Sidon said about Queen Lianna…Princess Lia told Zelda that her mother and the court were unkind to Link. And Impa…

“He was a brilliant fighter. He trained until he collapsed, then he’d get up and keep going. But it didn’t matter to the queen. It didn’t matter to the court. He was just…the powerless one to them. The twin they didn’t want. He was clever, he was so dedicated, but none of those fools saw it. Queen Lianna had her own ideas of how things should be done, and ignored anything that didn’t fit with those plans. She was arrogant. She was blind…I can only report on what I saw, and what I saw was persistent unkindness. Lianna considered Link useless, yet she sent him to present the offer of being Champions to the Divine Beasts’ pilots. She sent him all across Hyrule to study relics and pray at the sacred springs for their success. Maybe she wanted him out of the way, I don’t know…”

And Zelda’s memory of her and Mipha atop Ruta…That bone-deep certainty that Queen Lianna and Princess Lia would never join the Champions on a trip for fun. She’d so easily imagined Link joining them, and Mipha spoke like it was obvious he’d be there, that he’d be invited.

Neither of them had even mentioned Lianna. 

Lianna considered Link useless. She didn’t want him. Yet she sent him all across Hyrule to do her bidding, to offer the title of Champion to Mipha, Revali, Urbosa and Daruk. So what did it say about Lianna’s view of them and their mission, that she sent her unwanted child to do her job? She hadn’t even sent Princess Lia, her second in command. Lianna’s ghost said she and Lia led the Champions. It didn’t sound like she did much leading at all. 

Zelda could brood on that later. She could rage against the queen once Ruta was appeased and the Domain was safe.

Once she took her first step towards avenging Mipha’s death.

“Mipha was a good person,” Zelda said to Sidon. “Seeing your father…It brought memories back. We- it’s so silly, but we were planning a Girls’ Day Out once Ganon was gone. We wanted to visit the Gerudo spas and get our nails done.”

Sidon grinned, though his eyes watered.

“That sounds like Mipha,” he said softly, a little gruffly. “She looked on the bright side of things.”

Maybe that was why Zelda had been so drawn to her. The optimist to Zelda’s realist. The dreamer and the scientist. Two girls facing impossible duties, clinging together. 

“She will be avenged,” Zelda promised. “I’ll rip Ganon apart with my bare hands if I must.”

Sidon wiped his eyes and nodded. “Good,” he said. He glared at Ruta and her unnatural red lights. “Then let’s get started.”

Zelda had already spoken to two ghosts, so perhaps Mipha’s ghost shouldn’t have been such a surprise. But it hurt. Her friend should be at peace, not trapped within Vah Ruta. Not trapped with the very monster that killed her.

Mipha called it the Waterblight. Zelda looked at its giant spear, a mockery of Sheikah tech.

The spear that killed her friend.

Zelda gripped her sword and, with a scream of rage, she sprinted at Waterblight, attacking with all her might.

Mipha giggled as Revali’s feathers puffed up. He tried to push Daruk’s plate of rock roast away from his face.

“Oh dear,” she said. “I think Revali needs saving.”

Zelda swung at Waterblight’s neck and the damn bastard turned into blue light and soared across the room. Its screech sounded almost like laughter.

Protocol said Mipha should greet Queen Lianna first and then Princess Lia, but Mipha marched right to Link and drew him into her arms.

“Happy birthday, my friend,” she said loudly, for all the Sanctum to hear. Queen Lianna’s eyebrow twitched. Princess Lia looked lost. Mipha was the first party guest to brush right past her.

Zelda caught Mipha’s eye and grinned. Oh, her friend knew how to get her point across.

She used Cryonis to shatter the ice Waterblight threw at her. She hit it right in the eye with a shock arrow.

“Yes, Zelda!” Mipha’s ghost cried. “That’s the way!”

Mipha carried Sidon in her arms. The little prince was fast asleep. 

“Where was he this time?” Zelda asked with a grin.

“Veiled Falls,” Mipha said. “He was trying to catch hot-footed frogs again.”

Three bomb arrows shattered the Waterblight’s spear. A shock arrow froze it in place, twitching like a puppet on tangled strings.

Zelda threw her own spear and it went right through Waterblight’s chest. It clawed uselessly at the Zora spear, trying to pull it out, its electrified arms still twitching.

“Now, dearest!” Mipha cried.

With one swift, furious swing and one last scream, Zelda beheaded the Waterblight.

The Champions all sat around the campfire. Link had fallen asleep, his head on Mipha’s shoulder. Zelda yawned and curled up. Mipha gently tugged Zelda closer until Zelda’s head was on her lap.

Waterblight exploded in beams of red light. As it disappeared, Ruta’s lights shone blue for the first time in a hundred years. The air felt clearer and Zelda was sure the malice littering Ruta was vanishing, slowly but surely. 

A pair of glowing arms, flickering with blue fire, embraced her.

“I knew you could do it,” Mipha said fiercely against Zelda’s shoulder. “Oh, my sister, I always had faith in you.”

Just like that, Zelda began to sob. She clung to Mipha’s ghost as her knees buckled and Mipha gently lowered them both to the floor. She didn’t try to shut Zelda up; she just let her get it all out.

“I’m sorry,” Zelda sobbed. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Come now, none of that,” Mipha said gently. “None of this is your fault. Not at all.”

“But-”

“No buts. We were all taken by surprise.” Mipha pulled back just enough to smile at Zelda. She was crying too. “I’m just- I’m so thankful that I get to see you again, Zelda.”

All Zelda could do was sob and nod in agreement. She was thankful too. Awful as the circumstances were, she was grateful that she got to talk to Mipha one more time.

And Mipha, wonderful, kind, brilliant Mipha still worried about everyone else. Even now, as a ghost, she fretted about the safety of her loved ones.

So she gave Zelda her healing powers.

“It is wasted on me now,” she said. “Who will I be healing in here? I want you to have it. What kind of friend would I be if I left you without protection, hm?”

“Mipha…” Zelda could only gape uselessly, stunned.

Mipha’s smile was almost mischievous. She brought her small hands to her chest and her chest began to glow.

“Please accept Mipha’s Grace,” she said and the light shot towards Zelda. A soft, cooling sensation flowed over her. Water swirled around her, glowing like stars, and all of Zelda’s injuries vanished in the blink of an eye.

“Promise me you will call upon my power whenever you need,” Mipha said. “No fretting or second-guessing; use it. Protect yourself. Promise me, Zelda.”

“I promise,” Zelda said, because she could not deny Mipha anything. Not now. Not ever.

Mipha smiled in satisfaction. “Good,” she said, chin up and regal like the princess she was. “We’ll do it, Zelda. We will defeat him. We’ll annihilate Ganon together, I promise you.”

They stayed kneeling on the ground, their hands joined and their foreheads pressed together.

“Can I be selfish and ask for one more promise?” Mipha asked.

“Anything,” Zelda said quickly.

Mipha took a deep breath. She was quiet for so long that Zelda’s anxiety began to spike.

Finally, Mipha spoke. “You’d better wax poetic about me in your wedding speech. Honestly, the amount of times I distracted Lianna for you! I’m amazed there’s not an army of mini Zeldas and Links running around.”

“Mipha!” Zelda shrieked, blushing furiously. 

“Zelda,” Mipha mimicked. She giggled in delight, pulling Zelda into another hug. “But truly…Save him. Save him and then live long and happy lives together. Will you promise me that?”

“Gladly,” Zelda said, hugging Mipha as tight as she could. It felt like hugging thin air. “And I promise to save your seat as my maid of honour.”

There was a tugging sensation, like someone was yanking at her arm. A shimmer of golden light appeared in her chest, spreading outward.

Smiling sadly, Mipha let her go.

“Get started on your promise, sister,” she said. “Save Link. I’ll be waiting to strike Ganon with everything I have.”

“Wait- Dorephan and Sidon!” The light nearly encased Zelda now. “What do you want me to tell them?”

“That I love them,” Mipha said. “I love them with all my heart and always will. And when this is over, I will tell Mother hello for them.”

The gold light swept over her vision and Zelda was gone.

She landed in Zora’s Domain, right in front of Mipha’s memorial statue.

The rain had stopped. The sun was shining.

Zelda sprinted for the palace.

“Dorephan, Sidon!” she screamed. “Where are you!?”

“Zelda!” came Sidon’s voice. He was racing down the stairs towards her. “Oh, thank goodness! Are you hurt at all?”

She grabbed his hand and continued to run for the palace, for Dorephan.

“Zelda!” Dorephan grinned at the sight of her. “Child, we were-”

“She loves you,” Zelda said fiercely, eyes stinging. “Mipha loves you both with all her heart and always will. When this is all over, she will tell Queen Damona hello for you. She loves you.”

“...Oh.” Dorephan’s voice broke and he softly began to cry. Sidon clung to Zelda’s hand so tightly that it began to ache.

“She loves you,” Zelda repeated, because they had to know, she promised. 

“And we love her,” Sidon said hoarsely. “We always will.”

It felt like another promise. Zelda added it to her own lists of promises: she would always love and remember her best friend.

An army of mini Zeldas and Links, Mipha said. Well, wasn’t that a promise to make too?

One day, when she had children of her own, Zelda would tell them all about Princess Mipha.

Chapter Text

“I wish I'd done things different, oh, I wish I'd made it right. But we'll burn a hundred theatres, if it means we get the wallpaper right. I'll brick-by-brick rebuild us, out of how's and why's, not when's; nothing quite prepared me for when that piano sang again. Tomorrow I'll do things different. Tomorrow I'll be brave. Tomorrow I'll be brave, tomorrow I'll be brave. You'll make me brave.” - Ruin, The Amazing Devil

Purah and Impa believed the Sheikah slate would help jog Zelda’s memories. After seeing Dorephan, after so many memories of Mipha flooded back upon seeing Ruta and the Domain, they became even more convinced.

Link had taken plenty of photos one hundred years ago. Zelda wasn’t there when they were all taken, but she’d been there for most of them, and had visited nearly every location the pictures showed. Even if she hadn’t been with Link specifically, they were still places she’d been. 

One hundred years ago, Zelda had been so curious about the Sheikah slate. She’d watched with rapt attention as Link tapped away at its screen. He took pictures and notes, made clever use of the runes and tried to puzzle out what other uses the slate might have. Zelda had ached to use it for herself. It was so fascinating! Such a powerful device and it fit between Link’s small hands like it belonged there. An ancient device without a scratch or dent on it.

Zelda sat on a bench in Hateno and swiped through the pictures. Columns atop a hill and a shrine. A spring with a statue of Hylia, surrounded by greenery. A view from Hyrule Castle, perhaps from one of the walkways or even one of the towers. Pictures of the desert: a bazaar, sand dunes, an oasis and city walls. Gerudo Town, Zelda realised. And what else? Busy city streets, full of people, wagons, horses and dogs; was it Castle Town? A picture of Death Mountain, many pictures of Zora’s Domain. Snowy mountains and a cosy looking village; she could see some Rito flying overhead. 

There was a picture of the Champions, all huddled together. Daruk was grinning broadly; Urbosa was smirking. It seemed Daruk was pushing them all together. Poor Mipha had lost her balance and clung to Link’s arm. Revali’s mouth hung open and his eyes were wide with shock. Zelda herself in the middle of reaching out for Link and Mipha. Link just looked perfectly stunned.

“Click, snap!” she could hear Purah say.

She wondered why Queen Lianna and Princess Lia weren’t in the picture. 

Fields of flowers, a close up on a truly beautiful flower: it was shaped somewhat like a lily with delicate white petals tipped with blue, and bright gold stamen. There was another shot of that same flower, glowing in the dark.

A silent princess, Zelda thought. That flower…She’d seen it outside Kakariko. It was such a stunningly beautiful flower…

The memory hit her hard and fast.

“And of course, you know the uses of lavender,” Zelda said, holding up a sample. It smelled heavenly. “Sleep tonics, relaxants, even pain medicine. Outside of its medicinal properties, it makes for very popular perfumes and oils.”

Prince Link sat next to her on the grass. He had his knees tucked up to his chest, his arms wrapped around his legs. His cheek rested on his knees as he tilted his head to look at her. He was smiling softly, eyes bright.

He looked like he was hanging on her every word. 

People didn’t want to hear Zelda talk about science. Not botany, not biology or physics, not chemistry. Certainly not the Sheikah technology. When Zelda spoke, people wanted her to talk about the Master Sword. They expected rousing speeches about how they were certain to defeat Calamity Ganon. They wanted Zelda to talk about training, about defeating Yiga and monsters alike. If Zelda must talk about history, they wanted to hear about the Chosen Heroes and Sacred Princesses. They didn’t want Zelda to take an interest in the mysterious Zonai, or the history of Hyrule’s founding, or even how the four races of Hyrule came together as allies. 

Zelda was the Chosen Heroine, not a scholar. She was to focus on the Calamity and only that.

But Link…He watched her and smiled. He nodded for her to continue. He asked questions.

He lifted the Sheikah slate and took a picture of the patch of lavender. Zelda ached to ask for a turn with the slate.

“What about that?” he asked, pointing at another flower. “Is that useful?”

“Oh, yes! That’s begonia! When stewed in hot water, it creates a tea that relieves headaches.” Zelda scooted closer to the bright blossom and clipped some with her shears. Link took notes on his slate. 

“Ooh, and if you look closely at the hills there, I believe that’s some swift violet!” Zelda cried. “I’ve only ever had an elixir with swift violets once, but gracious, I noticed a difference! It really boosts your speed and-”

Link’s sharp gasp cut her off. Zelda froze, terrified he’d hurt himself somehow.

“Look,” he whispered, tugging on Zelda’s arm. “Right there. See it?”

She tried not to blush at their sudden proximity, or stare at his lips. Those were not platonic thoughts and she wouldn’t let her mind go there.

Then she saw what flower Prince Link was pointing at and let out a startled gasp of her own.

A single silent princess. She’d never seen one in person before; only as illustrations in books, or depicted in beautiful paintings at Hyrule Castle. But here, on this beautiful sunny day, she could finally see one for herself. It was just as lovely as the stories said: a small, delicate flower with white petals, tipped with blue and bright gold stamen. Its shape reminded her of a lily. It swayed gently in the breeze and, even though it was just one flower, Zelda could smell its fragrance. It was sweet, maybe even a little refreshing. Sharp and lovely.

Link snapped another picture, his bright eyes trained on the beautiful flower.

“It’s my favourite,” he confessed quietly. “The gardeners at the castle have been trying to grow them domestically for years. I even have a seed in my study. The gardeners have had no luck, of course, so I can’t imagine I would…” He shrugged, still watching the silent princess like he was afraid it would vanish. “I think it can only thrive out here in the wild. And I know it’s endangered, but…” He glanced at her with a small smile. “But maybe it will manage to survive on its own.”

“I think it’s stronger than it looks,” Zelda said. She couldn’t bear to imagine this lovely flower, the subject of so much art and poetry, so many myths about love, dying out. Disappearing forever. Gone without a trace.

No. No, she believed the silent princess would thrive. Its numbers would increase again. One day, it wouldn’t be endangered at all. Maybe they’d even get them to grow domestically after all.

One story said that, if a couple proclaimed their love over a silent princess and vowed to be true to each other, they would live a charmed life together.

Zelda was blushing and she knew it. Link glanced at her quizzically, no doubt wondering why the Hylian Champion suddenly resembled a Hylian tomato.

Luckily, Zelda was saved by nature.

A little ribbit caught her attention and, with an excited squeal, Zelda threw herself across the grass and barely managed to snatch up the hot-footed frog before it could escape.

“I can’t believe it, I actually caught one!” She grinned at Link from her spot on the grass, lying on her front with her arms raised triumphantly. “Purah told me all about this! She says that research from the castle indicates that hot-footed frogs are even more potent than swift violets, rushrooms or even hightail lizards! If brewed with monster parts, this little fellow could produce an elixir that would have my speed boosted to its absolute maximum for hours! Oh, I simply must try it!”

So many people would have laughed at her or made her put the frog down. Princess Lia, Zelda was coming to realise, would scoff and tell her not to be so childish. Her father would scold her for getting grass stains on her Champion’s tunic and slap the frog from her hand. The court would surely say Zelda had gone mad.

Prince Link only grinned.

“Then we’d better get you back to the castle,” he said.

Zelda snapped back to reality, trembling. She clutched the Sheikah slate to her chest, her heart pounding.

A memory! It was a memory of Link! Oh, it was all so vivid, as if they’d only spoken yesterday.

Silent princess flowers…Zelda would have to take some pictures of her own. There’d been a surprising amount around Cotera’s fountain. Zelda would take pictures to show Link after they beat Ganon. And, once she took him to Kakariko (because she would, of course she would, it would be their first stop), she’d show him the flowers in person. 

She hoped it would make him smile.

Past…

Queen Lianna told Link to go pray for their success and safety at the Spring of Courage. By now, Zelda knew that really translated to “Get out of my sight and stay out of it.”

Zelda hated her. She hated her so much it hurt. She’d grown up revering the Queen; her father always said she was a woman worthy of admiration. But now…No. No, Lianna was not worthy of any sort of admiration or respect.

Link, on the other hand…

Zelda made a plan and put Queen Lianna on the spot in front of the entire royal court.

“Your Majesty,” she said with her sweetest smile. “I wish to pray at the Spring of Courage. To thank Her Grace Hylia for choosing me as her knight, for trusting me with this sacred task. I wish to pray for our success and the courage of all our brave soldiers, our dear Royal Guard, and our beloved Champions of course.”

There were approving nods from the courtiers. Some of the Royal Guard even smiled at her. The Hylian Champion, Hylia’s Chosen, praised their courage and wished to pray for them all. The Hylian Champion finally spoke as a girl chosen by the Goddess should, instead of asking about Guardians. 

Queen Lianna stared at her. Her face was totally expressionless. 

“Very well,” she said. After a brief pause she said, “I’m sure the soldiers and knights thank you for your faith in them.”

Zelda bowed deeply to hide her smug smile. 

She hurried to find Link, to tell him the good news. Her dear friend beamed at her, some of that sadness leaving his eyes. What’s more, with Zelda escorting him, that meant there was no need for other knights. Zelda alone was worth an entire squadron and everyone knew it. They could take their sweet time getting there and back. They could work some exploring in and bask in the wilderness around them.

Then Momo proclaimed she was joining them. The queen had agreed. Momo wanted to write new songs for the queen’s enjoyment: one about the fabled Spring of Courage, one about the long line of Chosen Heroes; one about the bravery of the queen and princess, and one about Hyrule itself, the strength of the people in the face of the oncoming Calamity.

“And of your own courage, Lady Zelda,” Momo said, smiling and showing her dimples. “You are the bravest of all.”

Zelda wanted to slap Momo’s pretty face.

Momo, one of the best court bards. Momo, the daughter of a head Sheikah scientist and one of the very best court painters, the man most frequently commissioned to paint the queen herself. Momo, two years Zelda and Link’s senior, with her long moon-white hair and big brown eyes, and stylish dresses. Pretty, lively, outgoing Momo with her dimples, obsession with fashion and silly jokes.

Momo, who forever stared wistfully at Prince Link and wrote numerous songs about his eyes, his hair, his grace, his silence…Well, he was silent to her. To almost everyone. He spoke to Zelda now. She couldn’t help but feel a bit smug about it. Momo could bat her eyelashes and style her hair all she wanted, but Link spoke to Zelda. 

Impa rolled her eyes when she heard Momo was joining them.

“Ugh, good luck,” she muttered to Zelda. “She’s so annoying.”

“Oh, Impa, don’t be mean,” Zelda said, though she felt the same. Strange, really. She’d liked Momo well enough a few months ago.

Impa only rolled her eyes. 

Sure enough, Momo drove Zelda insane. The worst part was that Momo wasn’t even mean, or rude, or snobby. No, she just sang as they rode their horses through Hyrule Field, her voice clear and bright as bells. Her perfume smelled of roses. Her rich red dress was styled in the latest fashion and her hair was in elaborate twists, held in place by black silk ribbons. She looked like she was going on a date, not a trip through the woods.

Zelda wanted to rip a chunk of Momo’s pretty hair out. She was seething and couldn’t quite understand what was wrong with her. Momo had never offended her. In fact, Momo was always perfectly pleasant. It was just…Just…Oh, it was so obvious that Momo asked to come because she wanted to be near Link! Zelda doubted the bard actually had any new songs in mind at all- unless they were about Link’s “blue eyes to shame sapphires, to set all hearts afire.” 

Perhaps not one of Momo’s best songs, but she’d gazed right at Link as she sang it. Zelda hated her with a sudden, intense passion she hadn’t known she was capable of.

Momo continued to sing, oblivious. It was a fun little ditty about racing from stable to stable in search of a golden horse. It was a song that Zelda usually liked, but she suddenly hated it as much as she hated the singer.

At least Link didn’t seem to be enjoying himself either. They could be frustrated and miserable together. His gaze wandered from the road ahead, to the sky, to Zelda. He never once looked at Momo and Zelda felt stupidly glad about it.

When Momo finally stopped singing, Zelda barely bit back a sigh of relief. However, as they reached Riverside Stable, Momo turned to Link and spoke.

“So, Your Highness, may I ask how your ancient technology research is going? I hear you were present at the latest Guardian experiment. That must have been fascinating!”

It had been a fascinating day. Zelda would know, because she was there. Link had invited her to accompany him and Impa to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. Zelda had spent the day in a happy daze, badgering Purah and Robbie with relentless questions and squealing outright as the newfound Guardian (Purah called it a Guardian Turret) came to life.

Link hummed thoughtfully. It was interesting, he signed. Zelda urged Aurora closer, keeping a careful eye on the prince’s balance. No need to worry, of course; Epona never minded when Link released the reigns. She stayed on the path, perfectly trained.

“They’re working on a new type of Guardian, aren’t they?” Momo asked. She batted her eyelashes. Zelda imagined pushing her off her horse.

They are. Link shrugged. Zelda can explain better, she’s smarter.

Zelda wanted to protest that Link was smart, he was so smart and she was sick of people saying he wasn’t. She hated that he believed them. 

But Link wouldn’t thank her for causing a fuss in front of Momo, someone who wasn’t even his friend. He wouldn’t want the extra attention.

Besides, she recognised when he was trying to dodge a conversation.

You owe me, she thought, narrowing her eyes at him. Link just looked at her expectantly.

Zelda forced a pleasant smile onto her face and launched into an explanation about the Guardian Turret. For a moment, Momo pouted, her eyes darting constantly to Prince Link…But Momo was a Sheikah and the daughter of a scientist. Her own curiosity won out and she was soon listening carefully…Even if she did keep looking at Link.

I hope you drown in the spring, Zelda thought and immediately felt like a horrid bitch.

The Spring of Courage took Zelda’s breath away. Even Momo fell silent, looking around with awe. The spring was nestled at the northernmost point of the Dracozu River, surrounded by an ancient structure of a dragon. The dragon’s mouth formed the entrance to the tunnel and they walked inside, emerging at the spring. Shattered columns circled the area. Some still had rusted old iron sconces attached. Flower petals and leaves floated in the spring’s clear water. A statue of the Goddess Hylia loomed over the spring with a benevolent smile. The great wall behind her was elaborately carved with dragons and Triforces. 

It was beautiful, ancient and imposing. Zelda felt totally at ease here and wondered if it was her connection to the Triforce of Courage. She’d never been here before and wondered if she really ought to pray, at least for a while. If Hylia was truly listening, maybe she’d have some advice for Zelda, or reassurance.

This was her first time accompanying Link to a sacred spring. She didn’t know much about these old royal rituals, beyond that Link would be praying. She expected him to kneel at the water’s edge and pray as if he was in a chapel.

Instead, as the sun set, Link signed to her that he needed to get changed.

“Oh, are you cold?” Zelda asked.

I need to change into my robes, Link signed. Zelda’s eyebrows rose. Robes? Whatever was he talking about?

It’s part of the ritual, he explained. It’s tradition.

He went into his tent. Momo strung a few notes on her lute and scribbled a few verses in her notebook, pouting.

“I’m quite overwhelmed,” she admitted to Zelda. “I’m not sure how to do justice to such a sacred site. Nothing feels right.”

“Oh,” Zelda said. She shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sure it will come to you.” Faced with the solemnity of the Spring of Courage, her previous anger at Momo suddenly seemed juvenile. She felt stupid and dramatic. She truly felt like a bitch.

When Link emerged from his tent, Momo was swiftly forgotten.

His hair is unbound, was her first nonsensical thought. She’d only ever seen him untie his hair when it was time for bed. Now it cascaded freely to his shoulders. His prayer robes were snowy white silk; the wide collar bared his shoulders and the short sleeves barely covered his biceps. The robes were cinched in at the waist by a belt of sapphires and gold, emblazoned with the Triforce. The pants of the robes cut off just below his shins, but a train of fabric swept down from the belt and reached the prince’s ankles. His sturdy boots were replaced with brown sandals. He wore gold bracelets that looked so delicate, elaborately shaped like the Triforce in the middle. His gold necklace bore the Triforce and Hylia’s wings.

You’re so beautiful, Zelda thought. He looked as sacred as his mother and sister ever had. He looked like a vision from Hylia’s herself.

Link caught her eyes and quickly ducked his head, twisting strands of his golden hair around his fingers as he stared at the ground. 

I’ll just… He gestured vaguely at the spring. Zelda nodded dumbly. Across from her, Momo had gone totally still and silent. Zelda didn’t dare look away from Link.

She jumped to her feet when he stepped into the water.

“What are you doing?” she demanded. “Prince Link, it’s sunset- the water will be freezing soon!”

It’s the ritual, Link signed. I thought Mother explained?

She did no such thing! Zelda fumed. Out loud, she said, “No, Highness, she did not. Please, that’s- you’ll catch a chill. Can’t you pray by the steps?”

Link shook his head. It has to be at Hylia’s feet, he signed.

Zelda tried to imagine Princess Lia or Queen Lianna doing such a ritual. They’d look divine in shining white prayer dresses, but it was a struggle to imagine them standing in freezing cold water.

Link walked forward until he was only a few steps away from Hylia’s statue. The water brushed against his hips. With a soft sigh, he clasped his hands before his heart…And that was all. He did not pray aloud. He merely stood there in the spring, as divine as the statue itself, and prayed in silence. Zelda wondered if that was a rule of the ritual, or if he prayed silently because he had an audience. 

The moon slowly rose. The pale light glinted off Link’s hair and jewellery. It nearly made his white robes appear to be glowing. 

Zelda could not look away. She tried to tell herself it was because she was on guard duty.

She almost expected Hylia’s golden power to emanate from him. Foolishness, of course. Link was a boy, he’d never wield the sacred power of the royal line. Still…Standing there, bathed in moonlight, looking like a spirit from the Sacred Realm…Zelda could imagine it. She could vividly imagine gold light swirling around Link, proclaiming to the world that he was something divine.

Platonic, Zelda firmly reminded herself. He’s your friend. One of your best friends. Settle down, little missy. 

There was a wistful little sigh and Zelda glanced over her shoulder. Momo still knelt before her own small tent, but she was looking at the prince with open longing.

Zelda wondered how many songs Momo would get from this.

Eventually though, the spell broke. The moon was high in the sky. The air had a crisp bite to it. One glance at the Sheikah slate told Zelda it was ten minutes past eleven o’clock. Link was beginning to tremble.

“Highness,” she called softly. “I believe it’s time to sleep.”

Link didn’t turn around, but he shook his head.

“Highness,” Zelda repeated more firmly. Link half-twisted to face her.

I’m supposed to pray all night, he signed. He was too pale and his hands shook terribly.

Zelda looked at Hylia’s statue, at that sweet smile and thought, This is what’s expected of your bloodline? To freeze all night? Why is this placed on his shoulders and not the queen’s or princess’s? Why is Link standing here shaking, when the wielders of your divine light stay home? This isn’t fair. None of this is fair. He’s praying to you, he’s asking for your reassurance- answer him and be done with it!

Hylia did not answer Link and she did not answer Zelda.

Gritting her teeth, Zelda marched right into the sacred spring. And why not? She was Hylia’s Chosen, Farore’s Child. The Sacred Knight, Wielder of the Triforce of Courage. Any pilgrims could enter the water, anyone at all, and surely Zelda had more of a right than most.

All the same, Momo gasped. Link’s eyes widened.

She grabbed his hand. It was cold as ice.

“That’s enough,” she said firmly. “You’ve been praying for hours. You’re going to catch your death if you stay here any longer. Highness, please.”

Still, Link hesitated. He glanced at Hylia’s statue.

Zelda did something either incredibly daring, or incredibly foolish. Her grip on his hand tightened and she sharply yanked Link against her; her free arm wrapped around his waist, pinning him to her. She whispered right in his ear, too quietly for Momo to hear; “If anyone should be beseeching Goddess Hylia, it’s your mother and sister, but they’re not here. You are. You’ve done your part and their part. Don’t ask me to watch you freeze, Link. I won’t do it. If you’re going to stand in these waters all night then so will I.”

At first, the only answer she received was the chirp of restless crickets. Fireflies gently danced through the air. Hylia smiled down at them, silent and unmoving.

Finally, Link nodded, his forehead nudging against her shoulder.

“I’m cold,” he admitted in a barely-there whisper.

“Then we’re going to get you warmed up and we’re going to bed,” Zelda said. Still holding his hand, she led him out of the water. The white robes, heavy with water, clung to him and Zelda narrowed her eyes at Momo for staring. His teeth began to chatter and he shuddered. To Momo’s credit, she immediately worked at growing the fire when she noticed. She looked between Zelda and Link with such an odd look on her face; her eyes had dimmed, she looked lost.

Zelda did not let go of Link’s hand until they were right in front of his tent. Link squeezed her hand and let go, ducking inside. Zelda stood at attention outside the tent, tightly holding onto Fi’s hilt.

If Prince Link was a princess, there is a 100% chance he would unlock the sacred sealing powers with ease, Fi whispered.

Zelda agreed.

Link re-emerged from the tent in warm, dry clothes. His hair was still loose. Thankfully, he wasn’t shivering as much. 

Zelda hated that sad, defeated look in his eyes.

“I brought hot chocolate,” she said and delighted in his smile.

Present…

Zelda stood in the Spring of Courage, right at the foot of Hylia’s statue. The Triforce on the base of the statue, right above the altar, had nearly eroded away. 

The water was full of leaves and flower petals, but it didn’t look as clean as it had a century ago. Moblins and lizalfos made their camp just outside the dragon’s jaws. The spring was ancient and now, more than ever, it looked ancient. 

I owe poor Momo an apology, Zelda thought with a rueful smile. Even if she hadn’t said anything nasty to the musician, she was sure she’d made her dislike obvious. No, not her dislike- her jealousy. Momo had been pining for Link, a teenage girl with a major crush, and Zelda had resented every second in her company. Zelda wondered what had happened to her. Died in the Calamity, most likely…

The Spring of Courage was silent. Hylia was silent. Zelda leaned her back against the statue and stared at the spot where Link once stood and shivered. Praying for his sister and mother; their safety, their bravery and success. Praying for the Champions’ victory against Ganon. For Zelda’s victory.

Another job that was expected of the queen, or at least of Princess Lia, but the queen sent Link to do it. The sacred queen forsaking a sacred ritual. Making her disdain too obvious by sending her hated child to do it for her.

No wonder she wasn’t popular with the people.

Zelda re-attached the slate to her belt and sat down, running her hand through the murky water. She still felt safe here. Still felt something calling out from her heart, as if this place was home.

“Link,” she said, wondering if he could hear her. “I didn’t say it then, but you looked divine that night. You looked like a vision from Hylia herself. And Fi…The Master Sword…She said if you were a princess, you would have awoken the sacred power with ease. I wonder if she sensed it in you even then. If she suspected…I’ll have to ask her when I find her.”

Past…

This was infuriating. The last few days had been entirely terrible. First her father shouted at her for (of all things!) helping an elderly woman carry her laundry indoors. Rhoam insisted it was a waste of her time; as he always said, she was the Heroine, not a maid. But what was so wrong with helping someone? 

Then Princess Lia scoffed when she found Zelda in the library, pouring over research notes that Purah had loaned her. 

“What are you bothering with that for?” Princess Lia asked with a dismissive wave of her hand. She laughed and Zelda immediately felt her temper spike.

“It’s fascinating,” Zelda tried yet again to explain. “And they’ll be invaluable against Calamity Ganon.”

Princess Lia smiled like Zelda was a particularly silly child. “We don’t need them,” she said with a shrug. “We have Mother and me.”

The sheer unfairness, the gall of it, took Zelda’s breath away. Lia looked at her and added, “And we have you, of course.” Perhaps she understood she had crossed a line. What if the Sheikah heard her speak like that? They’d surely take offence, and then what? Didn’t Lia understand that they all had to work together?

“Princess,” Zelda said quietly, icily. “That was completely uncalled for. Of course we need the Guardians. We need the Sheikah. We’re all supposed to work together and-”

“Oh, please, you sound like Link,” Lia laughed. “Lighten up.”

Zelda didn’t even get to respond. The princess left the library without looking back. She’d been whispering about Zelda wasting her time and laughing at her ever since.

We’re not friends, Zelda thought, and her heart hurt. She always said we were, but we’re not. 

Friends don’t spread gossip and laugh at each other. Friends don’t dismiss the other’s interests. Friends don’t constantly tell each other to be quiet and “Just follow my lead, Zelda.”

And now, now, Zelda had been sent to fetch Prince Link. Queen Lianna wanted him to go to Gerudo Town, to recruit Chief Urbosa as Vah Naboris’s pilot. Zelda heard that name and felt anxious. All of Hyrule knew that Chief Urbosa hated Queen Lianna. Urbosa would say no, maybe her infamous temper would blow up in their faces, and Zelda would have to tell the queen she failed. Because it would be Zelda’s failure; men weren’t allowed in the Gerudo capital, so Zelda would have to speak to Lady Urbosa without Prince Link. 

What’s more, Queen Lianna told her in front of everyone to “Leave the Sheikah be and focus on your sword.”

The watching courtiers laughed at her. The usual whispers started up; they were stuck with a scholar, not a true warrior. Hylia’s little test subject, her first Heroine, was faulty. They snickered and said she was stuck on babysitting duty, because Prince Link was sure to fall into a ravine or get blasted apart by a Guardian without someone holding his hand. They said it was a punishment for Zelda, because she kept getting distracted. They said such a demeaning task might finally humble her.

The prince was not in Hyrule Castle. He was in Tabantha, at the Ancient Columns. Zelda was to head there and bring him straight home, so the Queen could give her orders to him. It took days of travel and Aurora was restless, perhaps sensing Zelda’s seething anger. 

When Zelda finally reached the Ancient Columns, her temper was at breaking point. She found a pair of knights at the base of the hill and could have screamed at them for letting the prince go ahead unattended. And she was accused of shirking her duty?

“He wanted to be alone, my lady,” Sir Gale said.

“We wouldn’t be any help anyway,” Sir Leonidas added. “We don’t understand any of that Sheikah tech.”

Sir Gale snorted. “Neither does the prince,” he said.

Zelda scowled at them and pushed past them both. She could hear them whispering as she marched up the hill, clenched fists swinging at her sides.

As they said, she found Prince Link at the very top of the hill, walking in a slow circle around one of the mysterious shrines. He paused and tapped the Sheikah slate against the terminal, but nothing happened. The prince sighed and stepped back, staring at the shrine as if willing it to spill its secrets, if he only stared long enough.

“Your Highness,” Zelda said, more harshly than she intended. “The queen wants to see you. She commands you home at once.”

Prince Link seemed startled by her appearance. He stared at her for a moment and Zelda was about to repeat herself when he turned and tapped the slate against the terminal again.

“Are you even listening to me?” Zelda demanded.

Prince Link walked towards her and held the slate out. He started to sign something, but Zelda was beyond caring, well past her breaking point.

She snapped.

“I don’t care!” she screamed. “I don’t care what excuses you have or- or whatever so-called theories you have! The queen wants to see you immediately! She wants us to go to Lady Urbosa with all haste and you’re sitting here…What? Pursuing a dead end? Whacking a unique piece of ancient technology against a dead shrine! As if that’s going to solve anything! If Purah and Robbie couldn’t figure these shrines out, no one can! What makes you think you can? Now, if you don’t mind, Your Highness, I would like to get back home to begin preparations. This is a waste of my time!”

It was all unfair and she knew it. Link hadn’t done anything wrong. This was the first time she’d seen him in two weeks. Impa said he was indisposed last week, and he’d stayed in his room. First thing in the morning on Monday, he’d left to come here. But a dark, mean part of her knew she could raise her voice at him and get away with it. He was a prince, but she could insult him openly and no one would care.

No one would defend him.

The realisation washed over her like cold water. What had she just done?

Prince Link clutched the Sheikah slate so tightly that his knuckles were white. He was shaking, his head lowered.

“...I…Your Highness, I-” She was cut off by the impossible: Prince Link spoke.

“Do you really think I don’t know that?” he whispered. Zelda was so stunned that she just froze, gaping at him like a fool.

She’d never heard him speak before. Three years of living in Hyrule Castle and she’d never once heard Link speak…Until now. Now, when she’d said such horrible things.

“Of course I know this is a waste of your time,” he continued, still at a whisper. He looked up and his eyes- there was no light in them. There was nothing in them. Zelda usually thought Prince Link had sad eyes, but now they were dead. He looked at the slate and sighed heavily. He glanced back at the shrine, expression unreadable. His shoulders slumped.

“This is a waste of everyone’s time,” Link said and walked past Zelda with his head bowed, the slate held tightly to his chest.

“Your Highness,” Zelda said, choking on her own poison. “I- I’m so-”

“Let’s just go,” Prince Link said. He didn’t look back. “You’re right, we should go back to the castle.”

She hurried after him, sickened with herself. Prince Link went right to Epona and he led their little party back across the Tabantha Great Bridge. He didn’t look at any of them. He waved limply when one of the stable’s children called out to him, but he didn’t look up. 

It took four days to reach Hyrule Castle, and Prince Link didn’t speak again, or even sign. He just shook or nodded his head in response to questions from Sir Leonidas, and that was all. He refused whenever he was offered a break. He still didn’t look at anyone. 

I’ve messed up, I’ve ruined everything, Zelda thought. She’d been so stupid. She’d completely lost her temper and look what happened! Look what she’d done! Maybe her father was right afterall; she was too emotional.

She wanted to fall to her knees and beg his forgiveness, even if Gale and Leonidas were watching, but Prince Link still kept his back firmly to her.

Serves me right, she thought. 

And who could she even ask for advice? Lady Impa would tear Zelda’s head off her shoulders for this. Princess Mipha was Link’s oldest friend, she’d be furious- no, she’d be disappointed, which somehow felt worse. 

The second they were on the castle’s grounds again, Prince Link went to the Sanctum. Queen Lianna gave the expected orders: he and Zelda were to head to Gerudo Town and recruit Lady Urbosa as a Champion. Lady Impa, standing near the throne, looked doubtful. Zelda wondered if anyone dared point out the obvious: Lady Urbosa would never help Queen Lianna. 

“You leave in two weeks,” Lianna said. She looked Link up and down, and gave a dismissive sniff. “For pity’s sake, you look dreadful. Did you even change into clean clothes before coming here? Get out of my sight, Link, this attitude simply isn’t good enough.”

Prince Link bowed and left. Lady Impa stared at the queen and, for the first time, Zelda saw hate in Impa’s eyes.

It was just Queen Lianna, Lady Impa and Zelda in the Sanctum (besides the Queensguard, of course), but…Zelda had to admit, Lianna’s words and cold bearing were nothing new. She’d have spoken to Link like that even if the Sanctum was crowded, no matter who was there.

How had Zelda never truly noticed that before?

She felt dizzy. She felt dangerously close to throwing up. 

You’re horrible, she thought, staring at Queen Lianna with wide eyes. It felt like tearing open heavy curtains; suddenly, Zelda could see, blinking in the harsh light of reality.

Queen Lianna was not stressed, or awkward. She didn’t just have no role for Link in this oncoming war; she hated him. And, following her example, most of the nobility hated him too. If he was no use to their queen, what use was he to them?

Zelda nearly fell into that same trap.

And now Prince Link wouldn’t look at her, or at anyone. Now he’d completely retreated into himself.

Surely Zelda’s words alone hadn’t caused this reaction? No…No, she hadn’t caused it by herself…But her words had been the breaking point. The straw that broke the camel’s back. 

Zelda stared at Queen Lianna. She looked like the perfect sacred queen, sitting on her throne, wearing a beautiful purple gown, her sparkling crown on her head. She looked beautiful, almost otherworldly. But that smile…Oh, that smile was mean. 

Zelda left as quickly as she could and locked herself in her chambers. 

Queen Lianna was not a strong and regal queen. Princess Lia was not a gracious and kind princess. Prince Link seemed like a puppet of himself since the Ancient Columns and, even before that…That week he’d been in his rooms…Impa said he was indisposed, but Zelda didn’t hear anyone else say he was sick. Was he ill or avoiding everyone? Worn out or perhaps ordered to stay out of sight? 

Zelda didn’t like any of the possibilities. 

She hated that she’d contributed to this.

Gritting her teeth, Zelda wiped at her damp eyes and marched to the kitchens like she was marching to battle. She needed to fix this. She needed to apologise, to make it up to the prince somehow.

She knew he liked apple tart. That would be a good start. Zelda couldn’t cook, but she couldn’t imagine the chefs would deny her.

So…Apple tart, a sincere apology, a promise to respect the prince’s boundaries even if it meant he never forgave her. There was a world’s difference between Zelda being awkward with him and being mean. She didn’t want to be mean again. 

She had to try. She wouldn’t forgive herself if she didn’t.

Present…

Zelda knelt on the grass and tried not to cry. She’d been awful. Why had she thought, even for a second, that it was acceptable to yell at Link like that? 

How had he ever fallen in love with her?

She wasn’t remembering things in order. Her memory of the silent princess flower, and her memory of the Spring of Courage…They were friends by that point. She’d wanted to kiss him, even if she kept denying it. What changed? They’d gone from Zelda being awkward with him, to lashing out, to friends, to secret lovers. How did they get to that point? What happened?

And the shrine…Hylia help her, he’d tried to hand her the slate! Had he theorised that the shrine would only open to Zelda? He’d been right that the slate was the key.

“You were right,” Zelda said out loud. “Link, darling, you were right about the shrine. I’m sorry I didn’t let you explain.”

No answer. Maybe he didn’t hear her and she was talking to thin air. Maybe Ganon was hurting him. Maybe he’d remembered how nasty Zelda had been and just didn’t want to deal with her.

Zelda hauled herself to her feet and activated the shrine. If she’d just listened… Well, she hadn’t listened back then. There was no changing that now. She had to keep going; she had to free the Divine Beasts and save Link. She had to remember.

As she went into the shrine, she pondered where to go next. 

Vah Naboris, Zelda decided. Lady Urbosa doted on Link and hated Queen Lianna. There was a story there, and Zelda wanted to hear it.

When Zelda left the shrine, the sun was setting. She thought she could remember a woman saying, “He’s something special. I just wish he could see that.”

Lady Urbosa, Chief of the Gerudo. Champion and pilot of Vah Naboris…And one of the only people to openly despise Queen Lianna, and utterly adore Prince Link.

Oh yes, Zelda wanted answers. 

She only hoped Urbosa wouldn’t blame her for Link’s current entrapment with Ganon.

Chapter Text

“Try to lock me in this cage, I won't just lay me down and die. I will take these broken wings and watch me burn across the sky. And it echoes, saying I won't be silenced, though you wanna see me tremble when you try it. All I know is I won't go speechless.” - Speechless, Aladdin

Past…

Link didn’t have a role. That was what everyone said. When it came to the Calamity, he didn’t have a role in this fight. Queen Lianna, The Queen of Light, would lead the charge. Crown Princess Lia, her pride and joy, would be her second in command. Lady Zelda, Hylia’s Chosen Knight, the First Heroine, would fight Calamity Ganon head on. The Champions, once they were chosen, would pilot the Divine Beasts and weaken Ganon.

Link was to stay out of the way. He was to help the Sheikah with their relics and otherwise keep his head down. He was tasked with recruiting the Champions, but would never be one of them. He trained with a sword and spear until his hands cracked and bled, he trained until he was faint, but he would never be in charge of any warriors. He was to pray at the sacred springs for his mother and sister’s success and safety, the safety of all of Hyrule, but he’d never be capable of wielding any sacred magic. 

He was…A prop. An assistant at best. Easily discarded and set aside when he had no use.

And, according to his mother, he was perfectly useless.

A new shrine had been uncovered at the Ancient Columns and Queen Lianna told Link to go investigate. 

And Link…He didn’t want to. That was the simple truth, he didn’t want to. He felt perfectly wretched. Everything hurt. He felt tired and sad, so completely fed up with everything and everyone. He just wanted to stay in his room. He didn’t want to go all the way to Tabantha with two guards trailing him, no doubt whispering and snickering. He knew the usual lines: if the Sheikah couldn’t figure it out, what made the prince think he could? How arrogant! How foolish! 

He didn’t want to deal with this. Not now. Maybe not ever again. 

Link wanted to go back to his bedchamber, bar the door, and go back to bed. He wanted to close his eyes and forget the rest of the world existed.

What was the point? What was the point in any of it? Everyone said he had no role, that he was useless and stupid. So why not send someone else? Why not leave Link alone? 

“No,” Queen Lianna said coldly, when Link asked to stay home. “You harp on about wanting something to do, so make yourself useful for once.”

Link tried not to flinch. He felt sick. His instinct was to agree with whatever his mother said and then get away as fast as possible, but this time he tried to stand his ground.

“I just…” His voice deserted him, just like that. It always did around his mother. Can’t I help some other way? I’m not saying I want to do nothing, just…Maybe something closer? he signed.

If he told her he wanted to hide away from everyone, she’d sneer and dismiss him. She might laugh. She’d surely send him gallivanting all across Hyrule if Link dared to say he wanted to avoid all those eyes staring at him.

“You lazy brat,” Lianna hissed. Her hands, resting on her great oak desk, clenched into fists. “You will obey orders, Link. I didn’t have to give you any task at all, you’re the one always harping on about helping, so stop slouching and whining and do what you’re told! I am your mother, I am your queen, and I say you are going to Tabantha to investigate this shrine.” She scoffed and stood up, marching to the window. She stared down at the flower garden, at the statue of his father, King Oberon.

“You’re impossible,” she said. “Utterly impossible to deal with, do you know that? You don’t fit.”

I want to help, I do, Link signed desperately. He wanted her to stop, to please stop talking like that. To leave him alone for once. I’ll go, I’m sorry.

“You will go,” Lianna agreed. “And will stay gone until I summon you, is that understood?”

Link nodded. What else could he do? 

It felt like there was a gaping chasm in his chest. His eyes stung, his throat was too tight. He wanted to scream; he wanted to run away and never stop. He wanted to find some quiet, abandoned place; somewhere with no people to sneer and whisper about him. Somewhere he could practise swordplay, draw whatever took his fancy, practise cooking, and read in peace. He wanted to take Epona and ride far away.

Maybe he’d finally find somewhere he fit in.

Queen Lianna stared at him, eyes ice-cold.

“Oh, child,” she said softly, almost affectionately. “Don’t you understand? Without me to give you a role, you are nothing.”

Link went to his bedchamber and dismissed the waiting trio of manservants and two guards at the door. Then he barred the door, closed the curtains and went back to bed, pulling the heavy covers right up over his head.

He didn’t cry. He shut his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing, keeping it as calm and steady as he could.

When Impa knocked, he didn’t answer. 

He stayed in bed and imagined running away into the wilderness. Disappearing in the jungles of Faron. Getting swallowed up by the dunes in the Gerudo Desert. Vanishing beneath the water in Zora’s Domain. 

He remembered a story about the Hero of Time; the story said the Hero of Time got lost in fog and ended up in a different world by complete accident. Link wished that would happen to him; he’d go for a walk and end up somewhere entirely new. Somewhere kinder. No royal court, no Queen Lianna or Princess Lia. No one who called him useless or said he didn’t fit. 

A place where people wanted him.

But who was he kidding? There were no alternate worlds. This was Link’s world and, even if he could leave, he wouldn’t. Not so long as Calamity Ganon was a threat.

Hyrule Castle suffocated him. But the people of Hyrule…No, he’d never abandon them. 

Even if he didn’t have a role. Even if he didn’t fit.

The Sheikah technology was fascinating, of course it was, but Link wasn’t passionate about it. He’d been studying it since he was eleven and still couldn’t wrap his head around it all.

Link just wasn’t a scientist or scholar. He wasn’t sure what he was, really. 

You are nothing, Lianna’s voice echoed in his head. You are nothing.

The fragile threads holding him together broke. Link buried his face in his pillow and burst into tears.

He wished his father was here.

Present…

Kara Kara Bazaar was stunning, but Zelda couldn’t shake the feeling it had been much bigger a hundred years ago. She passed stalls of food; spiced meat skewers, voltfruit sweets and fruit salads of hydromelons, apples and wildberries. She saw merchants with bolts of brightly dyed fabrics and another merchant showing off completed outfits, all in traditional Gerudo style. There were guards on patrol, all in bright and colourful uniforms, their hair tightly tied back and their faces covered by veils. There was an inn overlooking the small oasis, with a lookout tower on the roof. Beedle waved when he saw Zelda; he sat under some awning, looking quite comfortable despite the heat.

As Zelda hurried to her friend’s side, other merchants watched her. A trio of Hylian men with a cart full of wares. One whistled, only to be elbowed sharply by his friend. Zelda rolled her eyes; she wasn’t going to give them any response if she could help it.

She sold Beedle some ore and bugs she had, and bought some more arrows. 

“I’ve always heard Gerudo Town has an amazing spa plan at their inn,” Beedle said. “Be sure to try it for me, okay?”

“Gladly,” Zelda said with a grin, remembering how she and Mipha once dreamed of trying all that Gerudo Town had to offer.

The sun was beginning to set and Zelda had been travelling non-stop for days, so she booked a bed at the inn. She got some food from the stalls and traditional Gerudo garb to deal with the heat. The stall’s owner, Vilia, insisted that Zelda should take the blue and green outfit, with the purple patterns curling across it. “It suits you beautifully, sweetheart,” Vilia said happily. “You’ll turn heads everywhere you go!”

Zelda wondered if Link would like it and found herself blushing. 

As she went back to the inn to claim her bed, she saw the trio of Hylian merchants arguing with a trio of guards. The guards kept insisting men weren’t allowed in Gerudo Town. The Hylian men were seriously pushing their luck, claiming it was unfair to “make” them come all this way and turn them away. The one who whistled at Zelda was barely listening, too busy ogling the guards abs.

They’re going to get themselves kicked out of the bazaar, Zelda thought, scoffing. And good riddance. 

Past…

The journey to the Gerudo Desert was tense to say the least. Two weeks ago, Zelda had gone to Prince Link’s chambers with an apple tart to apologise. He took the tart and nodded when Zelda profusely apologised for the awful things she said…And that was it. During the two weeks of preparation, Link stayed in his chambers and his study. When Zelda visited Purah, her friend mentioned Impa was worried; apparently Prince Link was barely even signing and seemed ill.

Zelda felt sick with guilt. She’d done this. Her words had been the breaking point. Prince Link had entirely withdrawn and Zelda couldn’t blame him. The whole court dismissed him, sneered at him and disrespected him. His mother was…Oh Hylia, she was outright abusive. His sister ignored him. He was told, again and again, that he didn’t matter. 

Of course he’d stopped trying. Everyone had a breaking point. 

Zelda had smiled hopefully when the prince entered the stables, but he only walked to Epona with his head lowered. The two handmaidens, two manservants and two guards didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. 

Zelda could have screamed at them. How did they not see anything wrong?

This journey was much more formal than Mipha’s recruitment. Perhaps because of the tensions between Lady Urbosa and Queen Lianna. Maybe Lianna felt a show of strength and formality was needed. Whatever the reason, she’d commanded that Zelda pack her most formal dress and for Link to bring his court attire, such as might be worn to a ball. She’d ordered two handmaidens to accompany Zelda, two servants for Link and two guards to join them. 

When recruiting Mipha, it had all been much friendlier. Oh yes, Dorephan had his reservations about Mipha being a Champion, but their welcome to Zora’s Domain had been warm. Mipha was so sweet, and Dorephan was so warm and kind. Little Sidon was adorable, a total delight.

This was so different. Zelda didn’t know what to expect.

When they reached Kara Kara Bazaar, Zelda wanted to abandon all their plans and explore. It was a huge, sprawling bazaar, full of all kinds of goods. Food, jewellery, clothing; drinks, knick-knacks and funny little souvenirs. The bazaar surrounded a small oasis and the inn overlooked it all. 

Two guards stepped forward to greet them, addressing Prince Link.

“Welcome, Your Highness,” the one on the right said. “Lady Urbosa has been expecting you.”

Prince Link couldn’t enter Gerudo Town, so Zelda went ahead with the two handmaidens. It felt strange to have the girls trail her, walking just a few steps behind her. Zelda was used to doing the following.

Still in her travel gear, Zelda was escorted to Urbosa’s palace, right into the throne room.

The sun shone through the open windows. Water coursed through the throne room; it poured from fountains on the walls and followed cut-out patterns on the floor. The whole room was built of sandstone, even Lady Urbosa’s throne and the pedestals. Bright mosaic tiles decorated the pedestals, the pillars and cut-out sections of the floor. Gerudo banners hung from the walls; silk curtains hung from the windows and archways. 

It was not nearly as large and imposing as the Sanctum, but it was still intimidating. After all, who wouldn’t be intimidated by Lady Urbosa staring them down?

The Gerudo chief was over eight-feet tall, a muscular woman with long red hair and bright green eyes. She was beautiful, but there was a sharp quality about her, like she was ready to spring into a fight at any moment. Her clothing was gorgeous; all dyed black, but the vivid blue and green patterns reminded Zelda of peacock feathers. Urbosa wore her elaborate crown, a heavy necklace, multiple rings and bracelets and hooped earrings, all in gold and studded with jewels. The infamous Thunderhelm sat on a pedestal next to her throne.

Zelda felt very small and shabby in her presence. She wished she’d had time to change into her gown, but the guards had ushered them straight here.

“Lady Zelda,” Chief Urbosa said, looking Zelda up and down. “Hylia’s Chosen Knight.”

Zelda hastily fell into a deep bow. Behind her, the two handmaidens did the same.

“Lady Urbosa,” Zelda said. “It is an honour to meet you.”

“So, it’s true then? Queen Lianna wants me to pilot Naboris?” Urbosa asked, cutting straight to business.

“Yes, my lady,” Zelda said. Oh, please don’t let Urbosa lose her temper with Zelda. She’d heard how terrifying Urbosa was when she was angry. She just prayed Urbosa wouldn’t take her grudge against Lianna out on her.

“Hm…I’ll need to speak with Link first,” Urbosa said. “Where is he?”

“At the bazaar, my lady,” Zelda said.

Urbosa’s eyes narrowed. “Alone?” she demanded and Zelda thought she heard thunder in the distance.

“No, my lady!” Zelda said, horrified by the very notion. “No, there are two guards with him!”

Urbosa hummed, looking unconvinced.

“Come along then,” she said. She stood from her throne and walked briskly to the doors. Zelda hurried after her. The handmaidens made to follow, but Urbosa bluntly told them to stay put.

Oh, this isn’t off to a good start, is it? Zelda fretted. Urbosa certainly didn’t seem interested. If anything, she seemed annoyed.

Lady Urbosa lived up to her reputation; she seemed like a stern and no-nonsense sort of woman. Hard to impress, certainly. The walk to the bazaar was uncomfortably silent as Urbosa strode through the sand, head held high. The long skirt of her formal gown brushed across the sand, swishing with every step.

Given Urbosa’s deep frown thus far, Zelda was surprised when Urbosa's stern face suddenly melted into a fond smile. She picked up the pace, almost at a run and Zelda struggled to keep up.

“Little dragon!” she called warmly. Link, perched on a rock overlooking the oasis, looked up and beamed. He scrambled to put his sketchbook away and ran into Urbosa's open arms. 

Link’s two guards, chatting with the Gerudo guards, looked up. The manservants lingered uncertainly nearby. The guards stepped forward, prepared to follow the prince, but the Gerudo guards stopped them, stepping into their paths with warning glares and tight grips on their spears. 

The Hylian guards didn’t dare argue. 

Safe in Urbosa’s arms, Prince Link was still smiling, eyes brighter than Zelda had ever seen them. It was the happiest Zelda had seen the prince in weeks. No thanks to my own wretched behaviour, she thought with another stab of guilt.

“How are you, my little dragon?” Urbosa asked Link, gently tucking his hair off his face. “Have you been well?”

Okay, Link signed. He didn't look at Zelda. He didn't even meet Urbosa's gaze. Urbosa hummed, eyes narrowed, plainly unconvinced.

“And your mother?” Urbosa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Link didn't respond. Urbosa sighed and nodded, seeming to understand something in that silence, something Zelda was beginning to understand more and more.

“Well then…” Urbosa gestured for Link and Zelda to follow her and she led them to a quiet spot behind the inn. “So, Queen Lianna wants me to pilot Vah Naboris,” she said quietly. Almost too quietly. It sounded more like a hiss.

Link nodded. Zelda crossed her fingers behind her back and prayed, once again, that the chief's infamous temper wasn't about to erupt. Surely she wouldn’t explode on Link, not when she was so plainly fond of him. Zelda, however, was a different story.

Urbosa's face could have been carved from stone. She gazed across the desert at Naboris's prone form.

“I see,” she murmured, seemingly to herself. She suddenly gave a sharp bark of laughter and pulled Link into another hug.

“I will pilot the Divine Beast," she said. "You are precious to me, little dragon, and you need my help. I couldn't possibly refuse.”

The last of the tension left Link’s shoulders. He returned the hug and, for the first time ever, Zelda thought he looked peaceful.

As the sun set, the formal recruitment took place. They gathered in the bazaar, with every merchant, guard and tourist watching. Lady Urbosa came back to the bazaar in her regalia, riding in on a sand seal. Her hair had been restyled and she’d changed into a clean dress. Zelda’s two handmaidens were ushered back to her side by Gerudo guards. The two royal guards stood behind the handmaidens and manservants, their hands on the hilts of their swords and their gazes were hyper-vigilant.

Zelda changed into her formal gown, the Master Sword still strapped to her back. The dress was bright sky-blue, which Lianna said would be the uniform of the Champions once the team was assembled. The Master Sword was embroidered from the neckline down across Zelda’s chest and reaching to her stomach, embroidered in shining gold and white. 

Link changed into his royal garb; a spotless white shirt with tight sleeves that turned into fingerless gloves with gold bracelets attached. The deep blue and gold jacket reached his knees, heavy with embroidery. His belt buckle was shaped like the royal crest, the Triforce, and gold ornaments hung from the belt itself. His boots had goldwork creeping up the sides in swirling patterns. His simple blue hoop earrings had been replaced with dangling diamond and gold ones; the shape reminded Zelda of fairy wings. His hair was pulled back in a braid and he even wore his crown, a rare sight indeed.

They met at the oasis’ shore and Urbosa spoke in ringing tones. “Prince Link of Hyrule, I accept your proposition without hesitation. As Calamity Ganon looms over us, the Yiga Clan seek to resurrect him and it seems they are after our Thunderhelm as well. They have attacked our soldiers, our civilians and anyone who enters our land. I will not sit idly by and allow this. You have my word, I will not rest until the Calamity falls.” Urbosa held her head high, offering a small smile. “I will gladly pilot Vah Naboris.”

There were excited whispers from the merchants and tourists.

Gerudo Chief Urbosa, Prince Link signed. On behalf of Hyrule and its Queen, I thank you. He bowed to the chief, his hands held to his heart. Urbosa returned the gesture.

Zelda, along with the handmaidens and guards, hastened to follow the prince’s example. 

When Zelda dared to look up again, Urbosa was genuinely smiling.

“I will meet you back here in an hour, Prince Link,” she said, tone still formal. “We have much to catch up on.”

Link nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face. Urbosa returned to Gerudo Town, riding away on her sand seal, her guards following her.

Just like that, the second Champion was recruited.

When Urbosa returned, she was dressed much more casually; she wore tight pants under a shorter skirt and a silky tunic. She’d replaced her embroidered gold-and-green slippers for boots. Her crown was gone, though she wore a gold circlet. 

Link rushed out of the inn to meet her, back in his casual travelling gear.

Zelda went to follow, but Urbosa waved her back to the inn.

“He’s safe with me, little vai,” she said with a grin. “Get some rest, you’ve earned it.”

“Oh, um…” Zelda glanced uncertainly at Link. He gestured to the inn.

Sighing, Zelda returned to the inn. When she glanced back, Urbosa and Link were walking away, across the bazaar. Urbosa said something and Link burst out laughing.

Two days before they left, Link went with Urbosa to Vah Naboris, to examine the Divine Beast and get an idea of how she worked. Vah Naboris was as gigantic as Vah Ruta; shaped like a camel, it was believed she had the ability to summon sandstorms and lightning strikes.

Zelda heard the whispers spread through the bazaar: the guards said the Divine Beast glowed blue when Urbosa approached. The chief had been accepted.

They were gone all day. Zelda spent her day at the bazaar, dismissing the maids, manservants and guards so she could wander in peace. She bought herself a beautiful bracelet of amber beads, and a green silk shawl. 

After dinner, a guard found Zelda at the inn.

“Lady Urbosa requests your presence, Lady Zelda,” the guard said. “At Vah Naboris.”

“I’ll go straight there,” Zelda promised and hurried on her way.

She felt dreadfully nervous approaching Naboris. What if the Divine Beast turned her away? What if Naboris decided she didn’t like Zelda, and summoned a sandstorm as the legends said?

Zelda walked in with no problems. The doors opened at her approach.

She found Urbosa and Link on one of the balconies. Urbosa had brought blankets and pillows, all in jewel-tone colours. The Thunderhelm rested on a pillow by her side. Link was fast asleep, his head on Urbosa’s lap; his hair was loose, spilling across his shoulders and falling into his face. The Gerudo Chief looked so much softer than before, gazing thoughtfully out at the desert, while her hands gently undid the tangles in the prince’s hair.

“You wanted to see me, my lady?” Zelda asked.

“You got here fast,” Urbosa said with approval. She glanced at Zelda and smiled. “Atta girl. Link’s been dodging my questions all day, I figured I might have better luck with you. Tell me truthfully, how has he been lately?”

For a moment, Zelda hesitated. She should lie, shouldn’t she? She should follow Link’s lead and insist he was fine, she shouldn’t gossip…

“Not well,” Zelda admitted. “For the last few weeks he’s been…Withdrawn. Completely silent. Lady Impa was worried he’d taken ill, she said he looked too pale and wasn’t eating much. I…I haven’t seen him with his sword in weeks either…” She bit her lip and avoided Urbosa’s gaze. Time to be brave. “Part of it is my fault,” she admitted. “I lost my temper at the Ancient Columns and said something awful. Then when we got home, Queen Lianna was…Um, she was…Impatient. And His Highness has been staying in his chambers ever since.”

She waited for Urbosa to erupt. For her to scream at Zelda and demand to know what exactly she’d said. She expected to be struck by lightning, for Urbosa to shoot the messenger.

“I see,” Urbosa said sadly. She looked down at Link, nothing but love in her gaze. “He’s something special. I just wish he could see that.”

“My lady?”

“You know, he once passed out in the freezing waters, praying for Queen Lianna and Princess Lia, just as the queen ordered. I caught him before he went under; he was only a child.”

Zelda froze in horror. She could only stare at the chief, hanging on her every word.

“He’s a brilliant swordsman, he’s highly skilled with spears and bows. He taught himself how to cook, even the chefs at the castle were impressed. He’s wonderful with animals and children. He spends days at a time wandering Castle Town, helping people with any problem they have. That well near the city’s main square? He helped dig it.”

Zelda hadn’t known that.

“The queen will deny it, but he’s a better dancer than Princess Lia. It seems like such a small, silly thing to deny, doesn’t it? But she does anyway. He has a close relationship with the Zora; Princess Mipha and King Dorephan adore him. Many of the Sheikah researchers care deeply for him. I know Lady Impa certainly does; she fusses like Link’s her younger sibling. Queen Lianna dismisses him completely; she openly insults him, but she sends him to recruit the Champions and aid in the research of the weapons meant to save us. What message do you think that could send, Lady Zelda?”

“It…A pricklier person could…Could take it as an insult,” Zelda said slowly, puzzling it out. “If Queen Lianna sends him to…To recruit everyone…But doesn’t name him a member of the team, and doesn’t come herself or send Princess Lia, or show any interest in the Divine Beasts and Guardians…”

“It seems like she’s dismissing us Champions too,” Urbosa finished. “And our destined weapons and protectors. She is to be our leader. Lia is to be our second in command. Yet where are they?” She shrugged languidly, reminding Zelda of a cat. “Queen Lianna makes pretty speeches, my dear, but she’s hollow. Her words, her promises, her heart are all hollow. She will use the Divine Beasts and their pilots, but she will not respect us. She will loathe sharing any glory.”

Zelda nodded, her heart in her throat.

“I know,” she whispered, a choked admission.

“Link’s mentioned you in his letters,” Urbosa said. “He said you were kind.”

He said that about her? Really? Zelda looked up hopefully and Urbosa smiled at her.

“Link wouldn’t dismiss us,” Urbosa said, tucking Link’s hair behind his ear. “I don’t know where he came from, but he’s nothing like the queen, thank the Seven. They smiled upon us, the day they decided to let us keep him, instead of whisking him away to the Sacred Realm as we feared...” She trailed off with a small, tired sigh.

“My lady…Why are you telling me all this?” Zelda asked.

“Because I have a request for you, Lady Zelda,” Urbosa said. She looked Zelda right in the eye, her face changing from soft and fond, to commanding and regal. “Look after him.”

Look after him.

Ah, Zelda thought, watching how Urbosa softened when she looked at the little prince, seeing how all that fierceness washed away. The gentle smile and eyes, the careful hands, the dedication and request of protection…Ah, that’s what a mother should be like, Zelda thought.

With that realisation came another: it was no wonder Urbosa hated Lianna.

Zelda bowed to Urbosa. “I will,” she said. “I’ll do my best, my lady.”

“Call me Urbosa, little vai. We’re to be teammates, are we not?”

“Yes, my la- uh, Urbosa.”

Urbosa grinned. “Well then…It’s getting late and the night brings a chill. We should get him inside.”

Zelda expected Urbosa to shake the prince awake, but the chief had other ideas. Urbosa’s grin turned sharp and mischievous.

With a snap of her fingers, lightning crashed down. It was so loud and so close that it shook Naboris and Zelda yelped, covering her ears. She could smell the lightning, the ozone in the air. The air crackled and her teeth chattered, she could feel the sparks dancing across her skin.

Prince Link shot awake.

“Urbosa, what was that?” he demanded frantically. “Did you hear that? I- wait-” He’d spotted Zelda and gazed at her with big eyes. “Wait, what are you…?”

Urbosa burst out laughing. Zelda tried to get her frantic heartbeat under control, wheezing against her knees.

“Urbosa? What’s so funny?” Link frowned at the chief, his arms crossed.

“Oh, you’re both easy to startle, little dragon,” Urbosa said fondly. She stood up and offered her hand to Link. “Come along now, it’s late. We need to get you to a proper bed.”

“Of course we’re startled! You summoned lightning right next to us, didn’t you?” Link snapped, but he took Urbosa’s hand.

“She did,” Zelda mumbled.

“I knew it!”

Urbosa laughed shamelessly, unapologetically. Link huffed, rolling his eyes, and marched ahead of them both, back into Naboris.

It was the most Zelda had ever heard him speak, the loudest she’d ever heard him be.

It was the most expressive she’d ever seen him either. The calm, blank mask was gone. Right now, Link was acting like…Well, like a teenager. Emotional, huffy, letting himself be a little silly. 

It was nice.

Urbosa caught her eye and grinned. “Something special,” she repeated, and followed the prince.

Present…

Oh, Zelda thought, blinking awake as the sun rose. So that’s what happened.

Every dream that night had been a memory; the long journey to Gerudo Town, meeting Urbosa, the chief’s official recruitment…And their conversation on Naboris. 

Look after him, Urbosa had requested. Zelda had clearly failed miserably.

In her new Gerudo clothes, Zelda walked across the sand towards Gerudo Town. Far in the distance, mostly hidden by a sandstorm, was Vah Naboris. Zelda could hear the stomp of her massive hoofs; she could hear the crackle of lightning and rumble of thunder. Lightning struck out with every step Naboris took. The Divine Beast’s lights were red, just like Ruta’s, and Naboris bellowed as if in pain.

Funnily enough, Zelda wasn’t too worried about meeting the current chief. No, what worried her was seeing Urbosa again. Her spirit was surely trapped, just like Mipha’s. What if Urbosa blamed Zelda for what happened to Link?

Trapped with Ganon for one hundred years…Urbosa loved him with all her heart. She’d asked Zelda to look after him. They’d just met, but Urbosa had seen something to make her trust Zelda, to entrust her with Link’s well-being. 

An old phrase came to mind: any woman can be a mother, but it takes someone special to be a mama.

Queen Lianna had not been a mama, not in any sense of the word. No, Urbosa had. Urbosa had been Link’s true parent.

Zelda had questions and Urbosa would have the answers…If Zelda could persuade her to not blast Zelda to pieces first.

One absolute weirdo jogging up and down in front of the town’s gates called, “Hello, beautiful!” as Zelda came closer. How was he not fainting from heat-stroke? Why would he want to jog in the desert? He picked up the pace, trying to run to catch up with her, but the guards at the gate stepped between them.

“Hurry on, little vai,” one said to Zelda. “We’ll handle the rabble.”

“Much appreciated, ladies,” Zelda said and ran into Gerudo Town.

The jogging weirdo still tried to call after her, asking if she was looking for “A real man,” and she heard a thump as a guard hit him.

Oh gracious, is this what they have to put up with all the time? Zelda wondered. I'd want to hit him too.

But as soon as she stepped into the town square, all thoughts were forgotten. Gerudo Town was beautiful, just as bright and lively as it had been before the Calamity, albeit smaller. There were buskers performing for tips, women calling out their wares at stalls, directions pointing towards the bar, advertising something called a Noble Pursuit. 

And, looming above it all, was the palace.

Here we go, Zelda thought. She held the Sheikah slate tightly and marched for the palace, head held high.

Hold on, Urbosa. I’ll be there soon.

Chapter Text

“But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison, and I'm locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me. I'm done with it. (Ooh.) This is the start of how it all ends; they used to shout my name, now they whisper it. I'm speeding up and this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart.” - Yellow Flicker Beat, Lorde

Past…

Zelda raced through the dunes, heart pounding.

Please let me get there on time.

One of the Gerudo guards, bleeding from a wound on her stomach, stumbled into the bazaar and gasped out that Yiga were attacking Prince Link. Two guards ran to find Urbosa, the injured guard was led into the inn and Zelda ran into the desert, following the injured guard’s directions.

She heard blades clashing. Mocking laughter. 

She’d found them.

Three Yiga surrounded Prince Link and he was keeping them at bay with surprising ease. She’d known he was good with a sword, she’d certainly seen him training all the time. But to hold off three Yiga and not a scratch on him?

Zelda had the nonsensical thought that she’d love to spar with him.

“We were hoping your bitch mother would send your sister,” one Yiga snarled and gave a bark of vicious laughter. “But you’ll do, Princey. We can still use you to send a message. Master Kohga will be pleased.”

Link’s glare deepened. It was fierce enough to freeze a Lynel in place.

One Yiga charged forward but Zelda was faster.

She ran right up behind the Yiga and stabbed him straight through the back. The tip of the Master Sword poked out of his chest.

The Yiga gasped, choking on his own blood. When she withdrew her sword, he fell to the ground in a blood-soaked heap. She didn’t spare him a glance; she jumped over his corpse to Prince Link and they stood together, their weapons aimed at the remaining Yiga.

“Two on two,” Zelda hissed at them. “That about evens the odds, wouldn’t you say?”

“Y-you killed him!” one of them gasped. He had the nerve to sound shocked and horrified, as if they weren’t trying to murder a teenager. They were both men from the look of things. How old they were was impossible to guess. Young enough at any rate.

He was right, of course. Zelda had just killed a man. A person, not a monster, even if he was an assassin. She had a feeling that would hit her later.

For now, she had two more assassins to fight. A prince to protect. 

She chanced a glance at him; he was glaring at the remaining Yiga, a sheen of sweat on his brow. No injuries she could see, thank the Goddess. 

“Shall we, Highness?” she asked, jerking her head at their enemies.

Link nodded. Together, they charged at the Yiga.

Present…

Now, Zelda had heard the Gerudo Chief was young, but she’d still expected someone in her early twenties, or perhaps Zelda’s age.

She did not expect a twelve-year-old girl. 

Lady Riju was stunningly pretty, with sharp green eyes, warm brown skin and deep red hair. Her hair was so long it brushed her ankles, kept back in a thick fishtail braid. She was dressed in a formal gown of black and white; the bright blue and green patterns resembled peacock feathers. Her belt was made of gold medallions; the tips of her curved slippers, peeking out from the hem of her dress, were gold and green. Her intricate crown looked so heavy- the same crown Urbosa once wore. Her lips were painted blue, just as Urbosa’s once were. She was the only Gerudo that Zelda had seen with blue lip-paint. Perhaps it was a royal custom.

Riju was surprisingly petite for a Gerudo, even for a pre-teen Gerudo. Her throne was plumped up with thick pillows and her feet didn’t reach the steps. 

Next to her throne was an empty pedestal. The Thunderhelm sat there during Urbosa’s reign, Zelda recalled. Perhaps they’d stopped that practice. 

“Good morning, ma’am,” Lady Riju. “Welcome to Gerudo Town.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Zelda said, bowing. 

“A Hylia vai…You’ve certainly come a long way. What brings you to us?”

Zelda straightened up and held out the Sheikah slate. “My name is Zelda,” she said. “And I can calm Vah Naboris, my lady.”

Lady Riju’s eyebrows rose. Her guard looked doubtful, understandably so.

Zelda explained and prayed they’d believe her.

“It’s true you don’t seem like an ordinary traveller,” Riju said thoughtfully. “There’s something about you…And that’s genuine Sheikah tech, no doubt about it. You’re truly the same Lady Zelda from one hundred years ago? Lady Urbosa’s friend?”

Zelda nodded. “She tasked me with protecting Prince Link,” she said. “The very day we met, she asked me to look after him. She summoned me to Vah Naboris and…Well, we had a talk about Queen Lianna.”

The guard, Buliara, snorted. “Goddesses curse that woman,” she said, with surprisingly vicious anger.

They must have seen Zelda’s surprise, because Riju explained. “We all know how Lady Urbosa loathed Queen Lianna,” she said. “Her diary is very blunt about it. And, of course, we all knew- or rather, we all believed- that Prince Link died sealing Ganon within the castle. Queen Lianna is remembered as the woman who not only failed in her duty after boasting of her power, but she is also remembered as the woman who abused the prince that saved us.”

The Zora had not been happy to speak of Lianna either. Muzu openly cursed her. Dorephan had not commented on the dead queen, but even Sidon could tell Zelda tales of Lianna and the poor regard people had for her.

One hundred years ago, the royal court had adored Queen Lianna. Most of them anyway. She’d given them power and wealth, all at the expense of the masses. She’d seemed like a perfect queen, albeit aloof…To her nobles. To anyone else…Even Princess Lia’s ghost admitted that Lianna had been unkind to Link. The court followed Lianna’s lead and scorned Link. Lianna had seemed genuinely thrilled to meet Zelda, but she could remember Lianna scolding her, scoffing at her interests and dismissing her opinions.

She had not been a kind woman. Even without memories, Zelda had wanted to punch her ghost.

Zelda was not surprised to find that Queen Lianna was not remembered fondly. 

She’d hardly defend Lianna. She had nothing kind to say about the queen.

“I understand,” Zelda said to Riju. “Believe me, I do. Shaky as my memories are…I was never fond of her.”

“Children are a gift,” Buliara said, her eyes flickering to Riju. “They are to be cherished and protected.”

Zelda wholeheartedly agreed.

Zelda and Riju sat together on Riju’s balcony. From here, they had a perfect view of Gerudo Town- and of Vah Naboris in the distance, kicking up a storm of sand and lightning.

“We need the Thunderhelm,” Riju said. “It’s the only thing strong enough to repel Naboris’s lightning. The Yiga stole it last month and…” She trailed away with a small, defeated sigh. Her shoulders hunched in. “We found their hideout, but the first soldiers who went there were all killed. Killed on my orders, I…” Her eyes filled with tears. “I let them down. I let their families down. I’m still letting my people down.”

“You’re not,” Zelda said firmly. “My lady, I heard so many people speaking of you fondly on my way here. Just from the gate to the palace, I overheard many Gerudo speaking of you with kindness and admiration.”

“I can’t help but feel like I don’t deserve their kindness,” Riju said.

“Believe me, if they didn’t think you deserved it, you wouldn’t have it. Your people know you and they know their own minds.”

Riju looked conflicted, like she wanted to believe Zelda but couldn’t quite bring herself to do so.

“What happened to the others?” Zelda asked. “You said the first squad were…Defeated…But were there any others?”

“The second squad got away, but two of them were badly injured. The Yiga have strengthened the patrols around their base. They’re hiding all around their valley now. The worst part is that they can disguise themselves as anything, as people and as objects. And Captain Teake tells me that Barta is missing; that she wandered off alone and hasn’t been seen in three days. She wanted to spy on the Yiga, to figure out their patrol schedule. I…I fear her lost as well.”

Zelda opened the slate’s map and Riju pointed out the Yiga Clan’s hideout. How frustrating it must be, to know exactly where they were, yet not be able to do anything about it.

But maybe Zelda could. Maybe this Barta woman was right and a one-woman mission was the way to go. 

“I’ll go,” Zelda offered. “I’ll retrieve your helm and we’ll take on Naboris together.”

Riju’s eyes widened. “Lady Zelda, I couldn’t ask that of you!”

“You’re not asking, Chief Riju, I am offering.”

Riju stared at her in astonishment. Zelda smiled reassuringly.

You’ve always been good with kids, Link said and it was so sudden that Zelda nearly dropped the slate, her head jerking around to stare out at the desert again.

“Lady Zelda?”

“A-apologies, Lady Riju, I…Prince Link was speaking to me.”

Riju gave a small, startled gasp. She leaned out over the balcony’s edge, peering at the horizon, as if hoping to hear him too.

“He can hear us?” she asked. “He can see us?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Riju’s eyes were so wide that Zelda almost expected them to pop from her head. The young chief stared at her and then at the horizon again. She looked down at the town square, bustling with people. So many voices blended together; laughing, talking, shouting. 

Riju placed one hand on her heart and one fist on her stomach, then lowered her head and closed her eyes. She bowed at the waist for one long moment; the traditional Gerudo show of respect. 

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Riju said, loud and clear. “For your many years of sacrifice for the sake of Hyrule. We all owe you our lives.”

Zelda swore she could feel Link’s surprise.

Oh, he said quietly. I…Please thank her.

“He says ‘thank you,’” Zelda told Riju.

Riju beamed and reclaimed her seat. 

“Well then,” Zelda said. “The Thunderhelm…Do you have any idea where it would be in the hideout?”

“I’m afraid not,” Riju said. “We have no map of the layout; we just know it goes deep into the mountain. But my guess? I’d expect Master Kohga to keep it close to him.”

Master Kohga. The Yiga leader. Who knew what tricks he had up his sleeve? Zelda would have to proceed carefully.

Hylia bless the Sheikah and their inventions. The Sheikah armour made sneaking so much easier. Zelda’s footsteps were practically silent as she crept into the hideout.

Within minutes, she found the missing Gerudo soldier, Barta.

“Are you nuts?” Barta hissed from her cell. “You need to leave, little vai. There’s so many Blademasters on patrol right now.”

Zelda continued to pick the lock on the cell. “Have you noticed anything about their movements?” she asked.

“I- well- they just patrol and eat bananas,” Barta said. “I’ve no way of telling the time in here, but they change over at least every…Hm, I think every four hours. There’s a five minute interval between the old guards leaving and the new ones arriving. Although there’s always plenty of guards in one spot, they don’t patrol together; they always walk alone in different sections of the hideout, even in different sections of the same chamber.”

“Any sign of the Thunderhelm?”

Barta shook her head. Above her veil, her eyes looked defeated. “Nothing,” she said sadly. “I’ve heard them boast about having it. All I know is that Master Kohga has it.”

The cell’s door swung open. Zelda summoned a spare weapon from the Sheikah slate; a soldier’s sword. She handed it to Barta.

“You can go home,” Zelda said. “Or you can come with me.”

Barta swung the sword. Zelda couldn’t see her face, but Bart’s eyes crinkled with a grin.

“I think I’d like to show these traitors what I’m really capable of,” she said.

The hideout was huge and had so many long, winding corridors that Zelda soon felt lost. She and Barta stuck to the shadows, creeping along slowly. They climbed walls and jumped from rafter to rafter. They stuck to quiet, seemingly abandoned hallways as they made their way from room to room. At one point, they had to hide in a crate of bananas to hide from the guards.

They examined every room they came across, searching every nook and cranny.

They couldn’t find the Thunderhelm anywhere.

Even worse, they couldn’t be sure of the way back out. They tried to trace their steps, but it was next to impossible. They couldn’t even leave any sort of markers behind, lest the guards see and grow suspicious- or, even worse, outright realise there were intruders in the hideout.

“There’s got to be a short-cut out of here,” Zelda huffed. “I can’t imagine they wander through all these hallways whenever they need to leave.”

Frustrated, she activated the Magnesis rune. Maybe there was a hidden door, or a passageway. Heck, maybe it would help her spot the Thunderhelm.

She sighed in relief when a hidden door lit up, bright pink on the screen. When they opened it, they found a staircase behind it, leading upwards.

“I didn’t think this place went any higher,” Barta murmured.

They went up the narrow staircase. It was weirdly opulent, lit with bright lanterns and the stairs had a rich red runner up them. The wood was highly polished.

At the top was a bedchamber. Yiga Clan tapestries hung from the walls. The huge bed even had the Yiga symbol on the pillows.

And, right next to the bed, on a marble pedestal, was the missing Thunderhelm.

“Bastards,” Barta hissed.

Zelda’s eyes widened. “Is this Master Kohga’s room?” she asked.

Barta paused. She looked around, taking in the gold ornamentation, the Yiga symbols everywhere, the comfortable furniture and the many weapon stands. 

“I think so,” she said. “The barracks we saw were nothing like this.”

Well, there was no point in wasting time. Zelda darted forward and grabbed the Thunderhelm.

She expected a trap. A hidden wire or something. Poison darts to spring from the walls. A trap door beneath her feet. Swords dropping from the ceiling like guillotines. An alarm. Anything really.

Nothing happened.

Zelda eyed the pedestal warily and stepped back.

“I don’t like this,” she said. “It’s too easy.”

“Agreed,” Barta said tensely. “So let’s go before something happens.”

They fled the room, careful to close the hidden door again, making double-sure it was all but invisible again. With that, they had to find a way out of here. If retracing their steps wouldn’t work…They’d just have to keep going and pray Kohga didn’t return to his room any time soon.

Kohga did not return to his room, but he still found them. Well, no. It was more embarrassing than that. When Barta and Zelda escaped through a hidden backdoor, they emerged into a huge courtyard. There was a huge circular chasm in the centre of the courtyard, so deep and dark that Zelda expected something horrible to emerge from it.

Nothing came from the chasm, but a voice came from thin air.

“Eh? What the heck…?”

In a puff of smoke, a man appeared before them. Rotund, wearing a Yiga uniform with an elaborate neck ruff and belt studded with gems. His mask had gold ornaments dangling from it like earrings. Even his gloves had gold trimming.

Oh shit, Zelda thought.

It was Master Kohga, no doubt about it.

“Who’re you?” Kohga demanded. “What’re you doing in my…napping…spot…” He stopped. His mask entirely hid his face, but he was facing Zelda.

He suddenly burst out laughing.

“That slate! That’s Sheikah tech! Holy shit, are you Zelda? You are, aren’t you? Hahaha! Oh, this is too good; I sent my scouts all over Hyrule to find you, and you just walked right into our hideout!”

Zelda pulled her Sheikah mask down, glaring at him. “And how would you know that?” she demanded.

“Oh damn, you really do look exactly the same! Haha! You really don’t remember a thing, do you? I am-” He disappeared and reappeared on a pillar. “Your greatest adversary! I am the strong!” He disappeared again. “The courageous!” He floated above the chasm. “The beautiful!” He appeared on the ground, just before the chasm. “Leader of the Yiga Clan: Master Kohga!”

Zelda had only one question: how did he know about her amnesia? 

Koha looked at Barta. “And who the heck are you?” he asked, hands on his hips.

“Barta,” Barta snarled. “A Gerudo soldier, serving under-”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You’re not my problem. Now, Little Miss Heroine…Prepare yourself!”

With a clap of his hands, Kohga summoned a gigantic spiked ball, painted with the Yiga symbol. It floated above his raised hands. 

His laugh was downright maniacal.

He flung the ball at them, never once touching it. Barta jumped to the left, Zelda jumped to the right and the ball crashed against the cliffside. Kohga crooked his finger and it went flying back to him.

When Zelda shot a shock arrow at him, he summoned a shining blue shield with a snap of his fingers. His laughter grew louder.

“When I’m done with you, Lord Ganon will finally bring this foul world to its end!” he cackled. “It will be reborn in his glorious image! Don’t worry, we can send your little boyfriend to join you.”

“Don’t you dare talk about Link!” Zelda snarled. She shot a bomb arrow and his shield reappeared.

The giant ball flew at her, and Zelda had to duck and roll to dodge it. Barta charged at Kohga with a battlecry, but he merely disappeared and reappeared above the chasm.

“Coward!” Barta shouted. “Face us!”

Kohga ignored her. All his attention was on Zelda.

“I will bring your head to Hyrule Castle,” he promised, almost sweetly. “And lay it at Lord Ganon’s feet.”

Zelda raised her Sheikah slate and activated the Magnesis rune, eyes trained on the giant spiked ball. Maybe, just maybe…

When Kohga sent it flying towards her, Zelda grinned. The ball was shining pink.

With a jab of her finger, the rune activated and caught the ball in midair. Kohga’s shout of pure bafflement was music to her ears. 

“Don’t worry,” Zelda told him with a smile. “I’ll send Ganon to join you.”

She sent the ball flying back towards him. It smacked right into him. He howled in pain as the spikes cut into him, and whatever magic or trickery he used to stay afloat failed him. Flailing, Kohga fell into the chasm.

“COWARD!” he shrieked as he fell into the darkness. “I WILL BE AVENGED!”

Zelda and Barta looked over the edge. In seconds, Kohga was gone from sight. They could still hear him screaming, but even that soon stopped.

The Thunderhelm was safe and sound in the Sheikah slate and the leader of the Yiga Clan was dead.

“You did it!” Barta gasped. “You really did it!”

“I did it,” Zelda echoed. She turned to her new friend with a smile. “We’d better hurry back to Riju. I wouldn’t want to be here when the Yiga come looking for Kohga.”

Barta winced and nodded. She stood close to Zelda as she opened the slate’s map and tapped on the shrine just outside Gerudo Town’s walls.

Just as they began to teleport away, the hidden backdoor opened, revealing a trio of frantic Blademasters.

“Master Kohga!” the one at the front shouted. “The Thunderhelm is-”

There were loud, furious swears as they spotted Zelda and Barta, but it was far too late. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

The guards at the gate immediately zeroed in on Barta. Even they, the stern professionals that they were, let out happy cries at the sight of their friend.

The jogging weirdo was still lingering. He ran out from under his canopy and, as the two guards pulled Barta into a hug, he tried to talk to Zelda.

“So, hey,” he said. “I’m Bozai, I’m thirty and I love to jog! I must say, your beauty is enchanting. You took my breath away when I first saw you! Ssssoooo- what’s your name, or should I just keep calling you Beautiful?”

He winked at her. Zelda wanted to throw a Sheikah bomb at him.

“I’m seventeen,” she said flatly.

Bozai blinked. “So?” he asked.

Forget the bomb, she should just skewer him.

“I have a boyfriend,” she snapped, holding the Sheikah slate tightly.

“Oh,” he said, drooping. “W-well- he can’t be a real gentleman letting a delicate flower such as yourself-”

Zelda shoved past him, pushing him aside so harshly that he stumbled and fell.

“My boyfriend is in grave danger,” she seethed. “I am here to get help. Now kindly fuck off.”

I can’t believe Link’s stuck protecting creeps like you, she thought.

Barta hurried to her side, standing between Zelda and Bozai, wielding her borrowed sword.

“Is this voe bothering you, little vai?” one of the city guards asked.

“Yes,” Zelda said, nose in the air. “Yes he is.”

“Hold on!” Bozai protested, scrambling to his feet. “It was just a bit of harmless-”

“He is thirty and I am seventeen,” Zelda announced.

Barta and the two guards bristled with fury. Bozai had the good sense to take several steps back.

“Barta, you go ahead,” the guard on the right said. “Report to Teake. We’ll handle the rabble. Little vai, I would suggest a visit to the spa to unwind.”

She would certainly be visiting the spa once Naboris was calmed.

Barta offered Zelda her arm. Linked together, they entered Gerudo Town.

Zelda heard a loud squeal from Bozai, but didn’t bother to look back. He wasn’t worth any more of her time.

Maybe this time he’d learn not to mess with the Gerudo guards- or any woman for that matter.

Faintly, she thought she heard Link laugh.

Riju and Buliara openly gaped when Zelda walked in with Barta and presented the Thunderhelm. She bowed as she held it out to Riju.

“Your Thunderhelm, my lady,” Zelda said. “As promised.”

“Master Kohga is dead,” Barta announced. “Thanks to this little vai.”

Zelda straightened up. Riju and Buliara were still gaping.

“Oh, I need to hear this story,” Buliara said and Barta gave a bark of laughter.

As Barta explained, Riju’s shock gave way to glee. She stood from her throne and came to Zelda, standing before her with a beaming grin.

“Sarqso, Lady Zelda,” she said. “A thousand times, sarqso. Now we can finally face Vah Naboris.”

And Zelda would finally come face to face with Urbosa again. Mipha had been relieved to see her, as warm and loving as ever. How would Urbosa react? Pleased? Angry? Disappointed?

Zelda would handle whatever Urbosa threw at her. Even if Urbosa was angry at her, she and Zelda still shared the same goals: protect Hyrule and Link. Defeat Calamity Ganon.

Maybe, just maybe, Urbosa could help Zelda to remember more of what happened so long ago. To remember Link. 

And maybe Urbosa would tell her more about Queen Lianna and why she was so cruel- or if anyone knew why at all.

Chapter Text

“I could play nice or I could be a bully. I'm tired and angry, but somebody should be. ‘Come on, little lady, give us a smile!’ No, I ain't got nothin' to smile about. I got no one to smile for, I waited a while for a moment to say, ‘I don't owe you a goddamn thing!’” - Nightmare, Halsey

The Thunderhelm was slightly too big for Riju; it kept slipping sideways and tilting forward. When Riju ran for Patricia, her sand seal, it nearly fell off her head entirely.

She was only twelve, just a child, yet Zelda was taking this girl into battle. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say this child was taking Zelda into battle.

“Do not let any harm befall her,” Buliara ordered.

“I won’t,” Zelda promised. It was a futile promise, she knew that deep down. But she’d do her best to keep Riju safe, of course she would.

Zelda and Riju rode their sand seals out into the desert. The sun shone harshly overhead, but it was soon blocked out by the sand storm caused by Naboris. The giant mechanic camel bellowed and roared as if in pain. With every stomp of her feet, lightning shot out of the sky and the ground. More lightning struck from Naboris’s head.

“Okay,” Riju said, drawing to a halt. “Let’s do this.”

The little chief adjusted her Thunderhelm and held her arms wide.

“My name is Makeela Riju, descendent of the royal line, and chief of the Gerudo people!” she called, head tilted to the sky. “With the power of my family’s sacred heirloom, I will calm Divine Beast Vah Naboris!”

Lightning crackled at Riju’s fingertips. Tiny specks of electricity danced around the Thunderhelm.

“Ancestors, hear my call!” Riju shouted. “Aid me now, so that I may protect our people! Help me free Vah Naboris from Calamity Ganon’s grasp, so we may free all of Hyrule!”

There was a mighty crash of thunder and a wave of lightning shot from the Thunderhelm, surrounding Riju and Zelda in a protective dome of bright green and gold light.

“Oh, wow,” Zelda breathed.

Smirking, Urbosa put the Thunderhelm on. It did nothing to hide her smug smirk.

With a snap of her fingers, she called down lightning; so much more than usual. BOOM! BANG! BOOM! BOOM! BANG! The monster horde was killed in seconds, blasted to pieces, killed where they stood.

“There,” Urbosa said. “That’s more like it.”

“Ready, Lady Zelda?” Riju asked.

Zelda nodded, downed an Electro Elixir and made double-sure her topaz earrings were secure. Never hurt to be prepared.

“Let’s do this,” Zelda said.

Together, they raced for Naboris.

“Well, well, well,” came Urbosa’s voice. “You know how to make an entrance, little vai.”

Zelda smiled, hooking the Sheikah slate back onto her hip. “Hello, Urbosa,” she said. “I…I must apologise, my memories of you are very hazy.”

“Your memories? I expect the full story while we free Naboris, my dear.”

“You shall have it.”

“Good. Now then, first things first; let’s get you to the guidance stone. Follow the sound of my voice, little vai.”

The guidance stone was the easy part. According to the map, the terminals were in some very awkward places. The controls allowed her to move the entire inside of Naboris, turning it like a cog. 

As she explored, she told Urbosa everything. In turn, Urbosa warned her of the monster that killed her.

“Thunderblight,” Zelda decided. “I called the monster in Ruta the Waterblight. This one’s Thunderblight.”

Urbosa laughed. “I’ve always just called it That Bastard,” she joked.

Zelda grinned. “That works too,” she said. “Urbosa…I was hoping to ask you about Link and Queen Lianna.”

“Tch, her. What do you want to know about her?”

“Well…Do you know why she was like that? Was there even a reason? You told me once that…That she was hollow. We’d just met, but you trusted me enough to tell me that. You tried to warn me about her and how the masses viewed her outside Hyrule Castle. Heck, I can’t imagine the servants liked her, so maybe it was just the nobility that liked her. I don’t remember enough. I saw her ghost on the Great Plateau and I hated her, I wanted to punch her.”

“You and me both, Zelda,” Urbosa sighed. “Oh, if I ever see her again, I’ll blast her into oblivion. I should have just taken Link and damn the consequences.”

“It would have been war, Urbosa,” Zelda said. “Kidnapping a prince would be treason by anyone’s standards.”

Urbosa only huffed, plainly unconvinced. Zelda couldn’t see her, but she imagined Urbosa was rolling her eyes.

“...She was always confident,” Urbosa eventually said. “That’s not a bad thing. By the Seven, I was the same…For a time. When we were just girls. But as she grew, she slowly turned from confident to arrogant. My mother used to say that being told you were sacred, being a descendent of a goddess could easily go to someone’s head. It went to Lianna’s. It went to her grandmother’s and her great-grandmother’s before that. Her great-great grandmother was called a just and fair ruler; she was popular. But it’s well-known that she spoiled Lianna’s great-grandmother rotten. Her only heir, her only child, after years of miscarriages and stillbirths. Queen Zelda meant well, but her daughter, Queen Lianna the First, turned into a nightmare.”

A bit of royal history. It was useful at any rate. 

“I share a name with a queen?” Zelda asked.

“You share a name with many queens and princesses, my dear. But back to the royals…Queen Lianna the First remained spoiled, vain and arrogant all her days. She emphasised her divine right above all. She was known to be merciless; there was even a small rebellion against her, swiftly squashed.”

Zelda wondered how different things would have been for the Royal House of Hyrule, if this Queen Lianna had been deposed. What influences would have prevailed?

“Her daughter was Queen Lianna as well, but known as Anna. Our Lianna’s mother. A kind woman, known for her charity work. But her mother overpowered her, wore her down. She forced her to marry a man as arrogant and cruel as Lianna; Queen Lianna and the King always pushed their teachings onto Princess Lianna- the future queen you and I knew. They always told her she was special; that she mattered more than anyone else. A descendent of the goddess, a natural born leader, incapable of being wrong. She was strong, she was infallible, she was perfect; her life would be a fairytale, if she only followed their teachings…Queen Anna’s influence fell on deaf ears. Over time, our Lianna became more and more like her grandmother and father. I didn’t notice at first. Then I tried to tell myself I was being over-sensitive. Surely my best friend was not turning into a monster…”

“But she was,” Zelda said softly.

“But she was,” Urbosa said with a tired, sad sigh. “Oh, she turned on the charm for Oberon when she courted him. I believe she truly loved him, much as I hate to admit it. But the cracks showed even then. She was dismissive. She was mean. She heard of a terrible plague in Hebra and shrugged when she was told.  I saw it with my own two eyes. Lianna didn’t care, Zelda; not about the people, not about Hyrule. She cared about her crown. She cared about her power. She cared about nobility. Lianna…She was thrilled with Lia. She was terrified when Link was born so sickly…But she soon focused all her attention on Lia, even when the twins were infants. Sometimes, I think the whispers that Oberon meant to divorce her and leave the castle with Link were true.”

Zelda listened attentively, leaning against the wall. It felt like Urbosa was right next to her. 

“I loved the twins,” Urbosa said sadly. “I loved them both, I swear I did, but…But as Lia got older and became more like Lianna…I tried to step in. I tried to steer her right. Lia never took me seriously. The princess turned into a spoiled bully. She’d smile and charm in public, but she knew how to be downright nasty, and Lianna encouraged it. Everything I said fell on deaf ears. But Link…He used to follow me around like a little duck. He was always such a kind child. So, yes, Link was my favourite by far and I won’t apologise for it. He was- he-”

“He was yours,” Zelda all but whispered. “I remember, when we had that talk here…I remember thinking that you were what a mama should be like.”

“...I always longed for children,” Urbosa said. “And Link needed someone in his corner, especially after Oberon died. I was honoured to be that someone. I loved that boy with all my heart.”

“He loved you too, Lady Urbosa.”

“I know. I do, I…” Urbosa trailed away and sighed. “My poor little dragon. And you, Zelda- I know what you’re both like. You both always blame yourselves for anything that goes wrong. But please, please do not blame yourselves for what happened to us. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. No, don’t pull that face, little vai, I mean it. You couldn’t have stopped Ganon from possessing the Divine Beasts. You couldn’t fight him by yourself. You could not have known what he would do. None of us could. Promise me you’ll try to accept that.”

“I…I’ll try,” Zelda promised. She couldn’t quite agree. Surely there was something Zelda could have done to save her friends? Some trick, some strategy? Something she couldn’t remember now and had overlooked at the time? 

Was it truly possible that the Champions were doomed from the start?

“And please tell Link that too. I don’t want either of you to suffer anymore than you already have.”

Zelda nodded. She could easily do that much.

“And let him know…That I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

Past…

“You don’t care!” Urbosa screamed, slamming her hands onto Lianna’s desk. “That’s your problem, you don’t love anyone but yourself! What if I hadn’t been there? What if those slow-witted knights you sent with us hadn’t reacted on time? Link could have drowned, Lianna! Don’t you understand that? By the Seven, he could at least have gotten pneumonia, how could you possibly order a child to stay in freezing water all night!?”

Thunder crashed and lightning struck, though the sky remained clear. Lianna stood with a swish of her skirts, her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched.

“Have a care how you speak to me, Urbosa,” she hissed. “I am your queen.”

“You are my nothing! You are not my friend, my queen, or my anything, damn you! How can you hear a little boy passed out in freezing water and not even blink!? What kind of mother are you!?”

“I’d say you’ll understand when you have children of your own,” Lianna spat. “But that’s not likely, is it?”

Silence reigned. Urbosa’s hand went to her stomach.

Last year, she’d had her fourth miscarriage.

Lianna’s eyes widened. Perhaps, for once, she understood that she’d crossed a line.

This could never be taken back. It would never be forgotten or forgiven.

“‘Bosa,” she stammered. “I didn’t-”

“Fuck you,” Urbosa snarled. Lightning crashed again. “You don’t deserve your twins, you never have. You’re turning Lia into a bully and you’re doing your best to break Link into tiny pieces. For what? Because he’s a boy? Because he can’t use Hylia’s magic? Because he was there when Oberon died? Have you taken my advice and gotten him a therapist yet? …Are you even capable of loving anyone, Lianna Hyrule?”

Lianna took a deep breath.

“I was harsh with you,” she said. “I didn’t mean it.”

“You meant it, don’t fucking lie to me. One of these days, you’ll be left with nothing and no one. Believe me, Lianna, you’re not half as special as you think you are.”

Urbosa stared at Lianna and wondered how bad it would really be to start an uprising. 

She was a Gerudo, so of course people would say she must have gone mad with power. Perhaps she could convince Dorephan to lead the charge. Perhaps not. But Princess Mipha might be happy to, young as she was.

It was madness, but Urbosa thought about it anyway. It would be foolish. It would lead to bloodshed and chaos. And for what? To put Link, a thirteen-year-old boy on the throne? No, it was more like Urbosa wanted to break into Hyrule Castle and spirit the child away to the desert. She wanted to take him away from Lianna, from all her sneering sycophants, and hide him somewhere safe. Somewhere no one would ever hurt him again.

Urbosa stalked past Lianna and went to greet Link, pulling the child into her arms.

“My little dragon,” she said, unable to keep the smile off her face. “How are you?”

Link looked exhausted. Too pale, too thin, with dark shadows under his eyes.

I’m okay, he signed, his eyes flickering to Lianna. The queen stared at them, frowning. 

You don’t deserve him! Urbosa wanted to scream. If you don’t want him, I’ll gladly take him! I love him, why don’t you? What is wrong with you? Do you have ice instead of a heart? Do you have anything beating in your chest at all? Children are a gift, why do you insist on ruining BOTH their lives?

Princess Lia was plainly bored. When Urbosa’s handmaidens presented the princess with Urbosa’s gifts- a pair of amethyst earrings and matching necklace- Lia didn’t even say thank you or smile. She only rolled her eyes and handed them to her own handmaiden, ordering the young woman to put them away. Urbosa heard her mutter to her friends, “This is so stupid.”

Lia tried to trip Link, smirking, and only stopped when Urbosa loudly cleared her throat. The princess’s eyes widened. Urbosa glared at her and Lia slinked away, looking stunned to be called out, even in such a minor way.

Where had the giddy, smiling little girl gone? The little girl who brightened any room she walked into and always insisted on holding her twin’s hand?

Link watched Lia go blankly. Urbosa personally handed him her gift; a pair of topaz bracelets and a new paint set. 

The little prince beamed at her and hugged her tightly. 

She wished she could just take his hand and leave.

“You spoil him,” Lianna said flatly.

Urbosa stared at her, unimpressed.

“Oh, trust me,” she said. “He’s not spoiled.”

When Urbosa woke up in Naboris, she couldn’t make sense of it. She’d died, hadn’t she? She could hear the monster, still shrieking and rattling about.

She looked down at herself and gasped. She was surrounded by blue mist and flames, hovering a few inches off the ground.

She was dead after all. The Calamity had struck, Ganon had sent a beast to Naboris, and Urbosa was dead.

She could feel her friends, her chosen family: Mipha, Daruk and Revali, trapped within their Divine Beasts. Zelda was trapped on the Great Plateau- what was she doing there in the first place?

And Link…Her little dragon…

He was in Hyrule Castle. Alive, alive, alive. Alive and surrounded by sacred magic and Ganon’s malice. For a moment, Urbosa thought that Lia or Lianna were wielding the magic and shielding Link. But no; no, the magic came from him. 

Her little dragon had done the impossible. Always so much stronger than he believed, stronger than anyone else saw. So impossibly brave. 

The first prince to wield Hylia’s golden power. Protecting all of Hyrule and keeping Ganon at bay. 

Lianna and Lia were on the Great Plateau. Dead. Trapped spirits like the rest of them. 

Urbosa had always said that Lianna would be left with nothing and no one, but she hadn’t wanted Lia to be dragged into that. Oh, Princess Lia was mean and arrogant, but she was seventeen . She could have grown, could have changed. And now she’d never have the chance.

And Link, oh Link…He was all alone in there. No Zelda. No Champions. Urbosa couldn’t be with him. 

Even now, Urbosa couldn’t get him out of there. It was a relief to know he was alive but so cruel to know she couldn’t save him.

But someone could: Zelda. As time passed, her spirit changed. She grew stronger, more stable. She began to feel more alive. 

“Atta girl,” Urbosa whispered to herself. Inside Naboris, all was silent. The beast had hidden itself away in the control unit. “Atta girl, Zelda. Link…Little dragon…Hold on.”

Present…

The Thunderblight was fast, so damnably fast. Its attacks and parries were exact matches for Urbosa’s.

But not for Zelda’s. It knew how to mimic Urbosa, how to cancel out her lightning magic. It wasn’t prepared for Zelda’s fighting style, and certainly not ready for the Sheikah slate. The Magnesis rune took control of Thunderblight’s metal spikes and, when the beast next summoned lightning strikes, the metal spikes redirected the lightning to Thunderblight.

When it was finally down, Zelda raced forward, her sword held high.

She stabbed the Thunderblight in the chest, in the stomach, in the neck and right through the eye. For good measure, she went back to its chest, frantically stabbing down again and again and again.

She didn’t stop until the Thunderblight vanished into mist and exploded in a burst of red light.

Slowly, the air cleared. The malice vanished from Naboris.

Zelda slammed the slate against the control unit and it shone blue. Naboris roared in triumph as her lights turned blue for the first time in a hundred years.

A pair of glowing hands landed on her shoulders and Zelda looked up to meet Urbosa’s proud gaze.

“Atta girl,” Urbosa said with a grin. “That’s our Zelda.”

Tears stinging her eyes, Zelda collapsed into Urbosa’s waiting arms. 

“I’m proud of you, Zelda,” Urbosa said gently. “I’m so proud of you.”

Urbosa took Naboris into the mountains and took aim at Hyrule Castle. Together, she and Zelda sat atop Naboris’s vast head, staring out at the horizon.

Zelda thought she could see a tiny flicker of gold among all that darkness. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

“I bet Lianna would have pretended to act proud if she’d lived,” Zelda eventually said. “If Link and I had managed to fight Ganon together. If his powers woke sooner, if I hadn’t died…If Lianna had still be alive when we got there…She would have pretended that she believed in Link all along, wouldn’t she? She’d try to pretend she was…I don’t know. Trying to make him stronger? I can’t imagine her apologising.”

“I think you’re right,” Urbosa said unhappily. 

“She lied to me,” Zelda said. “On the plateau. She acted like she was this loving mother. She said she was our leader and Lia was her second-in-command, but so far all of my memories of the Champions don’t involve them. She said Link worked with the Sheikah to study their technology, like that was what he wanted. When she was gone, Lia told me that Lianna was unkind to him. Lianna had me running around the plateau to investigate the shrines and she didn’t breathe a word of the truth until she wanted to. I just…I can’t…She hasn’t changed, has she? She’s dead, she lost! Link’s been fighting for one hundred years and she didn’t give me any message for him!” She stood up, beginning to pace. Her chest felt too tight. “You gave me a message- for me and for him. You’re proud of him. You love him. You don’t want us to blame ourselves. Lianna just quoted the prophecy about Ganon at me! She kept stressing how impossible Link’s magic is, like she was already trying to excuse herself, I don’t- I can’t- Goddess, I hate her, Urbosa! Is she even sorry? Didn’t she ever love anyone except herself!?”

“What are you wasting your time on this for?” Queen Lianna snapped. Zelda froze on the staircase, hidden in the shadows.

Even so, she had a clear view. Link was holding some sort of Sheikah relic; it was a small disc that fit in the palm of his hand. Its lights flickered between orange and blue. 

You told me to study the relics today, Link signed. Zelda could see how stiffly he held himself, how rapidly he turned pale as Lianna glared at him. 

“You’ve had that rubbish for years,” Lianna said impatiently. “Throw it away.”

Link took a deep breath. He shook his head.

“No? Did you just say no to me?”

“It’s the first one I found by myself,” Link said quietly. It sounded like he was fighting for every word. His fists were clenched and shaking at his sides. “I-I’m trying- It’s just that- I’m s-studying it to figure out its use.”

“Plainly it’s useless,” Lianna snapped. Quick as a flash, her hand darted out and pried the relic from Link’s closed fist. “Maybe that’s why you’re so fascinated with it, hm? Two of a kind.”

“Mother!” the prince protested as loudly as he dared. He reached for the relic, only for Lianna to hold it out of range, encased in her golden light.

“If the best minds of the land have not discovered its use in six years, what makes you think you can? Don’t be so arrogant, child. You’re not nearly as clever as you think you are.”

Zelda trembled. The Master Sword burned on her back, reacting to her rage.

It’s mine, Link signed with shaking hands. Give it back.

Lianna stared at him. She smiled.

In a burst of golden light, the relic disintegrated. Its ashes fell to the floor.

Link stared at the ashes in stunned, horrified silence. Queen Lianna smiled sweetly and tucked Link’s hair off his face.

“Don’t even defy me again,” she said, still smiling, her voice as cold and harsh as ice. “Do you understand me?”

Slowly, Link nodded. Lianna squeezed his shoulder too tightly and left him there. She didn’t once look back.

Zelda jumped down the steps and ran to Link. He knelt down and his shaking hand ran through the ashes of his relic. Zelda could see little flecks of metal among the ashes. A little blue light flickered and died.

“Zel…” He looked up at her with horribly dead eyes. “I don’t…What do I…” He trailed off and stared at the ashes again.

Zelda all but collapsed next to him and pulled him into her arms, holding on as tight as she could.

He’d shown her that mysterious little relic before. The first one he’d ever found by himself, without Impa, Purah or Robbie’s help. The first one to truly catch his interest, the one he was most fascinated with. They hadn’t found any other relics like it before or since.

One of Link’s few points of pride and Lianna had just destroyed it.

“We’re getting out of here,” Zelda said. She kissed his cheek, heedless of who may see. The hallway was empty for now, but there was no guarantee it would stay that way.

Fuck them all. Let them see. Let them talk. With how angry she was, Zelda may just start swinging. 

There was nothing holy about Lianna’s powers. She didn’t deserve them. Wielding Hylia’s sacred power just to hurt others- just to hurt her son. If the Goddess was watching, surely she was ashamed.

“Come on,” Zelda coaxed, pulling Link to his feet. “We’re going riding. Damn her. Damn her to the lowest pit of hell.”

“Oh,” Zelda sobbed. She clapped her hands over her mouth, sick to her stomach.

“Little vai?” Urbosa floated to her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Zelda, my dear, what’s wrong?”

Zelda sobbed against Urbosa’s chest, trying not to gag. How could she, how dare she, she was a monster, what was wrong with her, how could she, how could she, how could she, WHY, WHY, WHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!?

Her thoughts spun out of control. Sudden and sharp, she remembered her father’s voice; “You’re far too emotional.”

Maybe not. Maybe everyone else wasn’t emotional enough. 

Zelda clung to Urbosa as much as she could. Urbosa, fierce as a storm and warm as the sun. Urbosa, who always looked after her, Mipha and Revali. The only real mother Link had.

The only real mother Zelda or Revali had too. Neither of them could remember theirs.

Lianna was not a mother. She was a monster.

From here, Zelda could see the Great Plateau. She could see the blue light from the shrines and tower, shining in the twilight.

“I’m going to destroy her,” Zelda seethed. “I’m going to tear her to pieces.”

She could hug a ghost. She’d hugged Mipha and Urbosa.

It stood to reason she could hit one too.

“I don’t know what you just remembered, little vai,” Urbosa said, hugging her tighter. “But it plainly wasn’t pleasant. When you go to Lianna, please remind her what I think of her. Let her know what all of Hyrule thinks of her. And when you see Link, tell him…”

Zelda tilted her head up, meeting Urbosa’s gaze.

She already knew Urbosa’s message, didn’t she? To reassure Link that the Champions’ deaths were not his fault, that he couldn’t have done anything. To tell him that Urbosa couldn’t be prouder of him.

“He is my son,” Urbosa said, tears in her eyes. “The child of my heart. I called him little dragon because I saw how strong he was and I wanted him to see it too. Let him know I will always be with him.”

Zelda wiped her eyes. “I promise,” she said, her voice cracking. “I promise, Urbosa.”

“And as for you, little vai…” Urbosa’s smile widened and she poked Zelda’s nose. “I love you dearly. And you have my full-hearted blessing; you always have.”

Zelda hugged her again, close to tears again just like that. 

“I’m going to get him out of there,” she promised. “We’re going to be okay, I swear it.”

But before she went to the other two Divine Beasts, she had a dead queen to visit.

I’m going to make Lianna wish she stayed in her grave.

"Before you go, little vai, I have a gift for you. It would be remiss of me to let you go unprotected." Urbosa stepped back with a wide smile. She bowed, one fist on her heart and the other on her stomach. "Please accept my gift: Urbosa's Fury."

Yellow light shot from Urbosa's heart, crackling with lightning, and soared right into Zelda's chest. A rush of power washed over her; her fingertips tingled, her hair stood on end and her heart raced.

When Zelda snapped her fingers, lightning crashed. Urbosa gave a delighted laugh.

"Oh, little vai, Ganon won't know what hit him."

Past…

“Halt and face me,” Urbosa suddenly said. Link looked at her in bafflement. She had one hand on her scimitar and she was glaring at a pair of travellers.

“Unlike you traitors, I prefer to fight my enemies head on,” she continued. She drew her Scimitar of the Seven and her Daybreaker shield. The two travellers exchanged surprised glances.

“Do your worst!” Urbosa said. 

The two travellers stared at her. Their confusion was quickly exchanged for amusement. With barks of laughter, they suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

In place of the travellers was a pair of Yiga.

How did she know? Link wondered, eyes wide. He’d have to get her to teach him whatever trick she had.

The Yiga raced at Urbosa, but she was faster. She elbowed one in the stomach and, when he was bent over in pain, she lashed out with a swift kick right to his jaw. When he was down, she stomped on his wrist and he released his blade with a pained howl. Urbosa tossed it to Link and he caught it, swinging around just in time to block a slash from the other Yiga.

“Link, get back!” Urbosa shouted. “Come here!”

No need to tell him twice. Link backflipped away from the Yiga and landed at Urbosa’s side. She pulled him against her and, with a snap of her fingers, lightning struck both Yiga assassins.

Their screams were loud and piercing. Link tightened his grip on the Yiga’s stolen blade.

The Yiga were electrified gasping messes on the ground. The one who’d slashed at Link crawled uneasily to his companion. They knelt together, staring at Urbosa. Their faces were hidden, but their terror was obvious.

“Out of respect for our prince, you may keep your lives,” Urbosa said stiffly. She stood at an angle, keeping herself between Link and the Yiga. “Now go before I change my mind.”

The Yiga scrambled backwards. The one felled by Urbosa glanced at Link, at the stolen blade in his hand, but he crawled faster when Urbosa snarled in warning.

The two Yiga pushed themselves unsteadily to their feet, staggered a few steps away and disappeared in puffs of smoke and tags.

“Fools,” Urbosa spat in disgust.

“You’ve got to teach me how to spot them,” Link said, unable to hide his impressed smile. Typical Urbosa. She always knew how to surprise people and she was always five steps ahead.

“Gladly, little dragon,” Urbosa said. She released Link and grinned at him. “Now then- you said you had something to tell me about Zelda?”

Link tried not to blush, but there was really no hiding it. Urbosa spotted it and burst out laughing.

“Oh, wonderful!” she said, throwing an arm around Link’s shoulder. They kept walking, the moon and stars shining overhead. “Tell me everything, little dragon.”

Chapter Text

“See, the horns on my head, they're from goddesses, goddesses, on God. No, I never knew what it meant, what it meant to be content with you. Everything I expressed, I professed, it never quite made it through. Said it's all in my head, all in my head whenever I spoke my truth. No, I won't defend you to all my friends. This time I refuse! If you bite my hand again, I will never feed you, you can call me evil. Take it to the grave if you wanna play pretend. I won't be mistreated, please call me conceited. Took me way too long to put this to bed. Lovin' you was lethal, guess that makes me evil.” - Evil, Melanie Martinez

Past…

Princess Lia didn’t even know she was dead at first. The last thing she knew, she’d been in her private sitting room, talking and laughing with her ladies in waiting. Rosanna was telling them about her first date with Sir Gale, blushing to the tips of her ears.

There was a great rumble and the room shook. A wave of darkness and a beastly roar.

Then nothing.

When Lia opened her eyes, she was on the Great Plateau and the world was burning. She saw Purah, Robbie and two Sheikah guards carry Zelda into the Shrine of Resurrection. She screamed and shouted for them, but they didn’t hear her or see her.

She found her mother in the Temple of Time. They quickly found that neither of them could leave the Great Plateau. They watched Guardians kill the priests and priestesses, blasting apart the Temple of Time and its surrounding abbeys. Some of the clergy tried to flee and were quickly cornered. Others distracted the Guardians so that Purah, Robbie and their guards could safely hide Zelda away.

As the Sheikah fled the plateau with only two living priestesses in their wake, the entrance to the plateau collapsed under the strain of Guardian lasers and swarms of monsters.

The moon shone red in the sky. Ash, embers, malice and smoke all mingled in the air. If Lia had any breath left, it would have choked her.

We lost? she thought, utterly confused. How could they have lost? Where were the Champions? Why were the Guardians attacking people? Their lights were red, not blue. Why were their lights red? 

Lia died so quickly that she hadn’t even known it was happening. From the look she got of Zelda, the Chosen Knight had fought until her last breath. 

“I don’t understand,” Lia said to her mother, voice breaking. This couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t have lost. They were Queen Lianna and Crown Princess Lianna. They wielded their sacred power with ease. The Champions had perfect control of their Divine Beasts, poised as back-up. Zelda was legendary with the Master Sword. Lia didn’t really think they’d need the Guardians, but they were still there. 

How did this happen?

“Calamity Ganon,” her mother said stiffly. “Was more cunning than we realised.”

“But…But…” Lia could only stammer, shaking her head, lost in denial. This couldn’t be happening. She was only seventeen, she couldn’t be dead. Hyrule wasn’t falling. She was having a nightmare. She had to be dreaming. Any moment now, she’d wake up.

“W-where’s Link?” she asked her mother. Zelda was in the Shrine of Resurrection, dead or close to it. She and Link had left Hyrule Castle two days ago on a pilgrimage of sorts. So where was Link?

Was he dead out there?

Queen Lianna wouldn’t look at her. Her mother’s eyes, dim and confused, were focused entirely on the burning land before them. Even from up on the Great Plateau, Lia could hear the screams. The desperate calls for family and friends. The pleas for mercy. She could hear the shrieks and roars of monsters. She could hear Guardian lasers. She saw buildings collapse, and fields and forests burn. Ice and fire rained from the sky, mingling with the storm. Chunks of malice fell like falling stars.

The Champions weren’t firing at Ganon. Had they retreated or were they dead too?

Was Link lying dead in a ditch somewhere?

This isn’t happening, this isn’t real. I’m dreaming. I’ll wake up in a moment. Hylia, if you’re listening, please make this stop. Let me wake up now. Is this a vision, a warning? I swear, if you let me wake up now, I’ll go straight to Mother’s study and tell her what you’ve shown me. 

Lia did not wake up. As the hours passed, her country continued to burn. Ganon swarmed around the castle, a being of smoke, fire and malice. He was gargantuan and his bellow of triumph shook the earth.

Then Lia felt it. A spark of light, moving north. Aiming for Korok Forest.

A shining golden light, warm and enveloping. A power that Lia knew as well as her own heartbeat, for it was her power. The birthright of her family, Hylia’s sacred power.

“...What?” her mother asked hoarsely, sensing it too. The queen looked, pardon the pun, dead on her feet. Her eyes widened, she looked gaunt. If the dead could faint, then Lianna was close to it.

“But…But it’s Link,” Lia said. “He’s…” A boy, a prince. He’s Link. Her strange, silent twin. Her too-solemn brother, who Mother always accused of sulking. She always told Lia to ignore his “little tantrums.” Unreliable, too scatter-brained, too strange, too quiet. Link was not capable of wielding Hylia’s power. No men were.

But her little brother marched through the destruction of Hyrule, shining like the sun, a guiding light in the darkness. Lia could feel malice disintegrate as Link approached. She felt Ganon’s power flee from Guardians and felt the Guardians sputter and die when Link waved a hand at them. She felt monsters flee from him, only to be encased in light and burned to ashes. 

Link wielded Hylia’s sacred power like he’d always possessed it, like he was born for it. There was a determination to his soul, a deep certainty that Lia hadn’t known he was capable of.

He walked into Korok Forest and everything felt muggy. There was so much magic in there that it was hard to single Link out, especially when he stopped actively using the power. His power. He was good at it.

Unable to pin-point her brother anymore, Lia was stuck watching her country be destroyed. All around the Great Plateau was silent now. No more screams, no more moans from the dying. The Guardians on the plateau settled down, but remained alert.

Teary-eyed, Lia turned to her mother.

“You said we’d be okay,” Lia accused, barely biting back a sob. Her mother sighed and continued to watch Hyrule.

Something in Lia snapped.

She grabbed her mother by the arm and yanked Lianna around, forcing the queen to face her.

“You told me we only needed each other!” she screamed. “You said that we only needed you, me and Zelda! You said we’d be okay!” She shook her mother and screamed with all her might, “You said no men could wield Hylia’s magic! You said we didn’t need Link for anything!”

“Lia, control yourself!” Lianna barked.

“We’re dead! I’m dead, my friends are dead, they died in my rooms with me!”

Lia pushed Lianna away, sobbing. Chest heaving, her only thought was, I don’t want to be here.

Just like that, she was atop the Temple of Time, while her mother remained on the ground near the plateau’s caved-in entrance.

Sniffling, Lia sat on the window ledge and let herself cry. It wasn’t like there was anyone to see and spread gossip anymore.

The worst was yet to come. Within a day, she’d watch as Link made his way to Castle Town, all alone. Onwards to Hyrule Castle.

Lia would sit in the Temple of Time’s tower and scream as Ganon swooped down and crashed down on Link, as light and malice pushed against each other and they were both sealed away.

Gone, but not dead. Not like the Champions were. Not like Zelda, Lia and Lianna.

Link was holding Ganon back within the castle, within the Sanctum itself.

I don’t know if I could do that, Lia thought and that terrified her.

Present…

“LIANNA!” Zelda screamed as soon as her feet touched the ground. She stormed away from the Oman Au shrine, fists clenched and seething with every step.

“LIANNA, GET OUT HERE! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU DAMNED COWARD!”

Queen Lianna appeared in a swirl of blue mist, eyes narrowed.

“Lady Zelda,” she said tensely. “That is hardly approp-”

SMACK!

Zelda struck her so hard that Lianna’s head jerked to the side. She snapped her fingers and lightning crashed down, three huge strikes of it, mere inches from Lianna.

“How dare-!?”

“Shut up, you horrible, abusive, monster,” Zelda hissed. 

“What’s going on?” Lia suddenly appeared. “Lady Zelda, what-?”

Zelda pointed at her, never once looking away from the dead queen. “Leave, Lia,” she ordered. “I mean it, get out of here. You don’t need to be involved.”

“She is your princess,” Lianna snapped. “How dare you presume to order her?”

Zelda smirked when she heard the faint rush of Lia disappearing. 

“Looks like she’s smarter than you,” she said. “Now…Let’s get to business. You lied to me. You made out like you were some loving mother, like you were just so worried about Link. You made it sound like he worked with the Sheikah because that was what he wanted. You said you led the Champions, but that’s a load of horseshit! You know who really led us? Urbosa and Daruk! You know who was really part of our team? Link!”

Lianna drew herself up to her full height, floating a few inches above the ground. Even now, as a ghost, she appeared regal and commanding.

“You will watch your tone and your words, girl,” she ordered.

Zelda couldn’t help but laugh.

“Or what? You’ll arrest me? Banish me? Execute me? You’re dead! You lost! You failed, Your Grace! You failed and all of Hyrule knows it!” Zelda stepped forward and her grin turned vicious when Lianna floated back.

“Do you know what Hyrule says about you?” Zelda asked with false sweetness. “Do you? They say you failed. They say you lied about your strength, that you must have lied about how strong you were, or else you wouldn’t have died so quickly. They say you were cold and heartless. The commoners hated you, not that you cared, but it’s the commoners who mostly survived. The nobility is all but gone- Hylian nobility anyway, and they were the ones who kissed your feet. The survivors, all those people out there…No one cares about you. You know who they care about? Who they raise toasts to and give thanks to? Prince Link. They believe he died sealing the Calamity away, doing what you couldn’t. You are remembered as the monster who abused Hyrule’s real saviour. You are remembered as a failure. As a queen who sat on a throne of blood and ash; the blood of her people.”

Lianna stared at her. Ghosts couldn’t turn pale, but the light and flames around her dimmed. She looked shaken. Perhaps just shocked that Zelda would dare speak to her like this.

“Urbosa told me, once, that you were hollow,” Zelda said. “I agreed. You were hollow. You were small. You were cruel. You were empty.”

“...I loved my children,” Lianna said and Zelda lashed out, striking her again.

“Don’t lie to me! I remember how you treated him! I remember how you spoke to him and about him, regardless of who was present! You don’t break people you love! You are incapable of love; you love yourself and power, you never loved anyone!”

“Don’t presume you know me, girl,” Lianna snapped. She tried to return the slap, but Zelda caught her wrist. Useless, of course. Lianna could just disappear in a puff of light and flames.

So why didn’t she? Was it possible- was she actually afraid of Zelda’s wrath?

“Do you remember the relic you burned?” Zelda asked. “Link’s relic?” She let Lianna go and pulled an Ancient Shield from her pack. “It looked like this, didn’t it? Do you know what it is, Lianna? A shield. A shield capable of deflecting and perfectly withstanding Guardian beams. A shield that doesn’t melt against malice. I earned this in one of the shrines. I wonder…If you’d just left Link alone, what would have happened? I think he would have figured out the relic’s use. I think he would have activated it eventually and, once he did, the Sheikah researchers could replicate the shield. Imagine the difference it would have made to have such shields produced for the knights and soldiers. He was clever, Lianna. So much smarter than you ever believed.”

Lianna stared at the shield. Smirking, Zelda activated it and it sprung to life, shining bright blue and humming with power. The dead queen staggered back, her mouth agape.

“I wonder how many people would have lived if you’d just left Link alone.” Tears stung her eyes, but Zelda refused to let them fall. “I am going to save him. Not for you, but because I love him. And he loves me. We hid it from you, we outsmarted you, because we knew you’d never allow it. But guess what? You failed there too. He’s mine, I’m his, and you have no place in our story.”

Oh, it was glorious to throw Lianna’s words back at her. You have no place, she used to say to Link. You don’t fit. You’re useless.

In the end, Link was the one who turned the tide. Zelda wondered just how crazy that made Lianna. 

“Urbosa asked me to tell Link that she loves him; that he’s her son in every way that matters. Mipha asked me to ensure we both live long and happy lives.” Zelda deactivated the shield and put it away. “Your story is over, Lianna. You don’t fit in this one. But don’t worry, you’re not forgotten; as I said, Hyrule sees you for the monster you truly are. And I’ll make sure it stays that way.”

She spun on her heel and walked away. When Lianna called her name, Zelda snapped her fingers again and more lightning struck.

“My children will know you for the abuser you are,” Zelda vowed. “I hope you’ve practised your excuses over the years, Lianna. After all, you’re the one who will have to face King Oberon when this is all said and done.”

Zelda sat on the edge of the pond, running a comb through her hair. In a quiet rush of flames, Princess Lia appeared sitting next to her.

“...Do you feel better?” Lia asked.

“Yes, actually,” Zelda said. She began to braid her hair, twisting it around the crown of her head. Once the braid was pinned in place, she tied the rest up in her usual high ponytail. 

“I refused to talk to her for twenty years,” Lia offered. Zelda turned to face her so quickly that her neck snapped. Lia gave her a tired smile. 

“Pardon?” Zelda asked.

“After we ended up here. I just…” Lia gestured to the plateau and sighed, her cheeks puffed. She suddenly looked her age, instead of older. “I couldn’t handle it. I…I learned too late. Far too late. I’m dead, I can’t fix anything. And I’m stuck here until Ganon’s gone. Maybe I’ll still be stuck here after that, I don’t know. But I just couldn’t deal with her. I couldn’t stand looking at her or listening to her excuses. I think she’s sorry…As much as she can be. I want to believe that. I have to.”

“I didn’t like you,” Zelda said bluntly. “I admired you for so long, then I realised what a bully you were. I didn’t like you…But by the Goddess, Lia, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’re stuck here. I’m sorry you died.”

“It was quick,” Lia said, fiddling with the end of her long braid. “Just this rush of malice and, next thing I knew, I was here. One moment the ladies and I were giggling over Rosanna’s date with Sir Gale. The next moment I was waking up here.”

Zelda did not remember her own death yet. She was morbidly curious and dreaded it at the same time. For all she knew, anything could trigger that memory.

“I wish I could do things over again,” Lia whispered. She clasped her hands on her lap, skirts spread out around her in a circle of sapphire silk. “If I could go back…I’m sorry. For everything. Please tell Link that I’m sorry.”

Zelda stared at her. There were tears in the princess’s eyes and her clasped hands shook.

Zelda still couldn’t say she liked Lia. She’d spent so long resenting her, after the hero-worship faded away. Growing up, Zelda always wished for a sibling, especially a twin, and Lia blatantly ignored and made fun of hers. It drove Zelda to distraction. She couldn’t understand it.

Lianna really had twisted Lia into a miniature version of herself.

But Lia was sorry. Lia could look back and admit she was wrong. Lia was a teenager, following her mother’s lead. A brat, spoiled and selfish…And capable of growth.

It was more than could be said of Lianna. The queen still hadn’t even apologised.

“I’ll tell him,” Zelda said and Lia sighed in relief.

“Thank you,” she said.

Zelda could have easily teleported away, but it somehow felt wrong. Instead, she walked to the edge of the plateau and Lia followed her.

“Good luck,” Lia said quietly. 

“Good luck dealing with her,” Zelda said. Lia shrugged.

“I ignored her for twenty years,” the princess pointed out. “I can ignore her for a few days until she wears herself out.”

They made Lianna sound like a tantrum-throwing toddler. Zelda would freely admit it amused her.

“Where will you go now?” Lia asked.

“I want to find Robbie,” Zelda said. “Purah says he’s been researching ancient weapons for decades now. Beedle- ah, he’s a friend- tells me that Robbie’s made arrows that can kill a Guardian in a single blow. It will be invaluable.”

As Zelda unfolded her paraglider, Princess Lia spoke up again; “So…Children, hm?”

Just like that, Zelda was a blushing mess. Lia had been listening to her rampage? Of course she had.

The princess’s cheeky grin was shockingly like Link’s. Zelda wasn’t sure she’d ever seen such an expression on Lia’s face before.

“Just don’t name any of them Lianna,” she said. “We’ve had more than enough of that, don’t you think?”

Zelda could only nod. As she flew away, the princess laughed.

Zelda used to be told that she was too much. She could remember, albeit faintly, how her father always used to tell her she was too emotional. She was told that shouting was inappropriate for a Champion, let alone for the First Heroine. 

She’d been raised to worship Queen Lianna as a paragon of strength and perfection. 

Zelda was a knight. A Champion. Perhaps she should have felt ashamed after all that shouting. Perhaps, now that she felt calmer, she should have felt embarrassed.

She did not. She stood by everything she’d said and done. She didn’t know if Lianna was truly sorry or not, and she didn’t care. It simply wasn’t her problem. The queen was no longer her concern.

Link was her concern. Always had been, always would be.

He never got the chance to put Lianna in her place. Zelda did it for both of them and she wasn’t the least bit sorry about it. Perhaps her father was watching from the Sacred Realm with shame. Perhaps he finally saw the truth too.

One day, hopefully one day soon, all of this would be over. Link and Zelda would be free to live their lives. The Champions would finally move on.

Lianna would have to face the Goddess Hylia, King Oberon and Urbosa. Zelda hoped the queen kept up with her prayers, because she couldn’t imagine Urbosa showing her any mercy.

Zelda opened her map and placed a pin northwards, past the Lanayru border.

It was time to find Robbie and his treasure trove of ancient gear.

And maybe she could hunt for more memories on the way.

Chapter Text

“For you, I would cross the line. I would waste my time, I would lose my mind. They say, ‘She's gone too far this time.’ Don't blame me, love made me crazy; if it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right. Lord, save me, my drug is my baby, I'll be usin' for the rest of my life. Don't blame me, love made me crazy; if it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right. Oh, Lord, save me, my drug is my baby, I'll be usin' for the rest of my life.” - Don’t Blame Me, Taylor Swift

Past…

Link hadn’t expected Lady Zelda to rush in and kill a Yiga. Frankly, when he urged the injured Gerudo guard to flee, he’d expected more Gerudo.

Zelda beat them all there by a solid fifteen minutes. By the time back-up arrived, one Yiga was dead and the other two were badly injured, fleeing before they could join their comrade on the ground.

Zelda had just killed someone for him. Should he thank her? Apologise for putting her in this situation? He wasn’t at all sure what to do.

She stared at him, still tightly gripping the Master Sword. She looked ready to spring back into battle at a second’s notice. But, the longer she stared at him, the more relieved she looked.

“Are you hurt at all?” Zelda asked. Link shook his head and Zelda finally relaxed.

“Thank goodness,” she said. “If you were- I don’t…” To his horror, she looked close to tears. “I shouldn’t have left you.”

I told you to take a break, Link signed quickly. He couldn’t let her blame herself. I ordered you.

She just shook her head, eyes wet. “I shouldn’t have left you,” she repeated.

When the Gerudo guards arrived, Zelda stuck to his side. She kept glancing at him and quickly turning away again. 

It had been months since the Ancient Columns. Link knew he’d been withdrawn. Impa was worried out of her wits. Purah and Robbie not-so-subtly quizzed him. Urbosa reminded him, again and again, that Link could tell her anything. During her last visit, Mipha had quietly asked if he was well.

He wasn’t blind, he’d seen Lady Zelda watching him throughout their travels. She looked at him like he was about to break apart, or like he was a particularly confusing experiment. 

He just…He was tired. He was so tired. There didn’t seem much point to any of this. His friends could compliment him all they wanted, but with an entire court bemoaning how useless he was, it was hard to focus on anything good. Link wished he could just stay in his room, or run off into the wild. 

But Link couldn’t do that, of course, so he continued to go through the motions. He went where Mother sent him. He recruited the Champions and studied the Sheikah relics. He wished, again and again, that Father was alive. 

After spending two days trying to puzzle out Naboris, Link had just wanted a break. He’d ordered Zelda to take a break and went to explore, though Urbosa insisted he take one of her guards.

He’d expected a quiet afternoon exploring the dunes, not an assassination attempt.

He…Really hadn’t expected Zelda to jump in like that. 

She’d apologised after the Ancient Columns. Brought an apple tart and earnestly apologised for what she said. 

When was the last time someone apologised for yelling at him? 

Safe inside their room at the inn, Zelda broke.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sitting on her bed and hiding her face in her hands. “Oh Hylia, I keep making a mess of things. I- I can’t- Prince Link, I’m so sorry. I keep messing up with you, I swear I’m trying. I’m not doing it on purpose. I don’t want you to get hurt, I don’t.” Her voice broke, her next breath hitched awkwardly on a suppressed sob. “Goddess, what’s wrong with me? First I didn’t learn Hylian sign for years, then I yelled at you, then I left and you got attacked! I’m s-sorry, I…I…”

Her voice deserted her and Zelda began to cry in earnest.

For a moment, Link froze in horror. How could she possibly be blaming herself? She hadn’t known Hylian sign, so what? Did she have any idea how many people Link dealt with that didn’t know what he was saying? She yelled, okay, Mother and Lia did that all the time. Especially Mother. It wasn’t…It wasn’t a big deal, she just…Well, she was right, wasn’t she? It was all a waste of time. Link was a waste of time, didn’t she understand that? 

You’re nothing, you’re nothing, you’re nothing.

And maybe he was. But Zelda was crying. She clearly thought Link was angry with her- or that he should be. And he wasn’t, he’d stopped being angry months ago. 

Zelda thought she was messing up.

He felt like he was teetering on the edge of something. Some big unknown. 

They had minutes until Urbosa arrived and then they wouldn’t have a moment alone until they left. Link had to do something before he lost his nerve.

Zelda didn’t deserve to feel so awful. She shouldn’t be left to spiral like this.

Link went to her and knelt down, gently pulling her hands away from her face. Her face was flushed, wet with tears. When she saw him kneeling, her eyes widened.

“W-what are you doing? You shouldn’t be kne-”

“You’re not messing up.” His voice was too quiet, too hoarse. Zelda’s eyes widened further, practically popping out of her head.

“Bu-but I…I…” She sniffled, her cheeks turning pinker. “You could have died.”

When he was nine, the Yiga killed his father. Link saw the whole thing. The Royal Guards were slain and King Oberon died shielding Link from a Yiga’s blade. 

His father died. Link didn’t. Not then and not now. 

“I didn’t,” he said. He was still holding her hands and, as soon as he realised that, he had to resist the urge to pull back. He could feel himself blushing. He felt out of his depth and stupid, but he had to try.

“You should hate me,” she said.

“You…You’re great. And I-” His throat tightened. He had to look at their joined hands, unable to make eye contact anymore. “I don’t hate you. I never did.”

Zelda started crying again and Link winced, certain he’d fucked up completely.

“S-sorry!” she gasped. “Sorry, I just- hell, I’m exhausted. And don’t think I didn’t see those stunts, I fully expect a spar with you on our way home. Several spars, in fact.”

Link grinned. Zelda smiled through her tears, giggling.

“Then we’ll spar,” he said. “Promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Highness.”

Past...

The storm was harsh, sudden and freezing. There was an old abandoned cabin near Lake Hylia and Zelda grabbed Prince Link, steering him towards it.

They could have turned around and gone back to the Great Plateau, but it would take much longer than simply running down the road. 

“I’ll get a fire started,” Zelda said as she shut the door behind them. “You get into something dry.”

Link blinked at her. Zelda looked at him expectantly, hands on her hips.

“We’re not sitting in wet things,” she said primly, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “I’ll start the fire, you get changed, I get changed, and we both promise not to look. Yes?”

Link nodded. Zelda practically jumped across the room to the fireplace. 

As the fire crackled to life, she reached for her pack, turning slightly.

But turning meant she saw Link and, once she did, she froze, promise be damned. 

His back was to her as he knelt on the floor, wringing out his wet hair. Shirtless, his travelling cloak pooled about his hips as a make-shift sheet. The fire cast a golden glint on his hair and skin.

Oh goodness, that’s a lot of skin, she thought, fists clenched in her lap. One bare leg peeked out of the cloak and she had the sudden, mortifying (wonderful) thought that perhaps the prince wasn’t wearing anything.

She couldn’t breathe. Zelda was quite sure her heart skipped a beat. Her throat was too dry. Perhaps she was coming down with something? It surely wasn’t healthy for her stomach to be doing backflips like this.

Link looked over his shoulder. Their eyes met. 

She braced herself for him to glare, to sign at her to fuck off and look away, what was she thinking? 

You’re friends, she reminded herself firmly. You are friends, settle down there, old girl. He’s your prince. Queen Lianna would never allow it. By the Golden Three, does he have to be so beautiful?

…He looked too. He didn’t know I was looking. He looked.

He didn’t glare at her or look away. Neither did Zelda. Link’s eyes darted down and she became very aware that she was crouching before the fire in her soaked white under-vest. Her tunic lay on a wet heap on the floor.

She sat up straighter. Link gulped.

Lightning crashed, the storm only grew in strength.

“We’ll be here a while,” Zelda blurted out, desperate to say something. “Is that- is that okay?” Books made this sound so easy, but she could scarcely string a sentence together, let alone think of something seductive to say.

Books had let her down. Oh, the betrayal. Books did not prepare her for her pounding heart, the brightness in Link's eyes, the butterflies in her stomach.

Slowly, Link nodded. He was blushing just as much as she was.

“Okay,” Zelda said quietly. “Okay.”

She took a deep breath and, before she could lose her nerve, she pulled her vest off.

Present…

Standing on the threshold of the abandoned cabin, Zelda choked on her own breath. Perhaps she could blame the truly terrible amount of dust in here. She sputtered and coughed, blushing to the tips of her ears and all the way down her chest.

Oh, the bed is still here. Lovely, she thought, slightly hysterical. 

Well…At least it was a nice memory.

Squeaking, she lightly slapped her burning face, willing it to cool down.

Courage, Zelda, she remembered thinking and she’d wondered, with a faint giggle, if Hylia had ever expected Zelda to call upon the Triforce of Courage in such a manner.

Zelda stepped in and closed the rickety door, shutting out the rain. Here, in this small cabin, she almost expected to find Link behind her when she looked over her shoulder.

Past…

Their swords clashed and Prince Link grinned at her, eyes alight from within, almost fiery.

He was bright and fierce, and it suited him perfectly. There was no sadness in his eyes. No shadows. Just pure enjoyment and a stubborn determination to win. 

They had only a day until they reached the castle, until they had to report to Queen Lianna. A day until they had to face her reaction to the Yiga’s assassination attempt.

Back to the court and their stifling rules. All those eyes, always watching, and all those voices whispering behind their hands. Back to a strict routine. Back to being the First Heroine and the scorned prince. 

But out here, hidden away in a clearing, they could just be Link and Zelda.

Zelda won the spar, but just barely, and she was impressed.

So far, their records were Zelda in the lead by three spars. Only three. When had she last playfully fought with someone like this? When was the last time someone could keep up?

When had sparring last been fun, and not another pressure point?

She hadn’t known Prince Link was this good.

Even with the tip of the Master Sword at his chest, Link was beaming. His hair had slipped from its ponytail, a tangled mess. Zelda was sweating terribly. Both of them were out of breath. 

“Again?” Zelda asked.

They really should get going. They were nearly home. It wouldn’t do to be late.

Link’s smile widened. He nodded and retrieved his sword from the ground.

He wasted no time in swinging at her, and Zelda barely blocked it. Both of them were laughing, and Zelda couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like herself and not just the Heroine.

Present…

The atmosphere was very different now. Even the outskirts of Hyrule Field was not an especially safe place to be. 

The clearing was mostly scorched earth now. But…There! Right there, that was…

“I don’t believe it!” Zelda gasped, falling to her knees before the Silent Princess. A single, beautiful flower, flourishing despite all the devastation around it. One perfect little flower, poking out of the black grass and earth.

Link’s favourite flower.

As carefully as she could, hyper-aware of her shaking hands, Zelda plucked the flower and safely stored it in the Sheikah slate. It would stay fresh in there. It would stay safe and sound, so she could give it to Link.

Past…

The Spring of Power was beautiful, and so different from the Spring of Courage. The Spring of Power was surrounded by high walls; the spring was fed by small waterfalls and rivulets. 

The Goddess statue was the same. Towering over them, that same serene smile. 

They were on a strict schedule: visit Akkala Citadel and collect their order for Guardians. Zelda was to help train new recruits while she was there. Onwards to the Spring of Power, to pray for the safety and success of Queen Lianna and Princess Lia. Then they were to visit Daruk and the Sheikah at their dig site, pass over the Citadel’s Guardian orders and Link was to join the Sheikah at their research and help Daruk with Rudania. Zelda was to clear out any monster dens reported to her. Then one more stop at the Spring of Power before heading all the way to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. Once Link was with Purah and Robbie, Zelda was expected to return to the castle.

They’d left the Akkala Citadel behind (Zelda did her best to avoid Rhoam) and they’d arrived at the Spring of Power as the sun set.

Now, as midnight approached, Zelda walked into the water and wrapped her arms around Link from behind. Link, her best friend, her prince, her boyfriend. The very word made Zelda smile giddily.

“What do you pray for, truly?” she asked him, her lips against his shoulder. Link tilted his head to meet her gaze. At the Spring of Courage, so many weeks ago, he’d been pale, shivering and tired. Now he smiled at her, eyes soft.

“You,” he said and kissed her.

Zelda couldn’t imagine ever letting him go. Hylia herself would have to pry him from her arms.

Present…

She sat on the edge of the spring, kicking her feet in the water. Disrespectful, perhaps, but who cared anymore?

“I pray for you too, Link,” she said. Feeling small and tired, and suddenly painfully lonely, Zelda scaled the wall and left.

She didn’t look back, forcing herself to focus on the distant lighthouse. Robbie’s lab. 

“Hey, you!” a voice barked. “What are you…Doing…Here…Hm? HHHMMM!?”

Zelda turned around and found an elderly man and middle-aged woman gaping at her. The man was plainly Sheikah and those chameleon goggles hadn’t changed at all.

“Hello, Robbie,” Zelda said. Her chest ached, her arms felt unbearably empty. She wanted Link. “It’s been a while.”

“Zelda!?” Robbie sputtered. “You- what- I’m going to kill Purah and Impa, they could have warned me you were coming!”

Despite herself, Zelda grinned. Robbie gruffly pulled her into a hug, clapping her on the back.

“It’s good you’re here,” he said with his familiar, mischievous grin. “Because I’ve got some presents for you.”

Chapter Text

“And the walls kept tumbling down, in the city that we love. Great clouds roll over the hills, ringing darkness from above. But if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? And if you close your eyes, does it almost feel like you've been here before? How am I gonna be an optimist about this? How am I gonna be an optimist about this?” - Pompeii, Bastille

Robbie presented her with ten ancient arrows and an ancient shield.

“These bad boys can take Guardians down in one hit!” he proudly proclaimed. “Though your aim needs to be perfect; you’ve gotta hit ‘em right in the eye. But don’t worry, even if you miss their eye, you’ll still do plenty of damage. And this shield can withstand Guardian beams! It’s sure saved my sorry butt a few times.”

The first thing Zelda did was march down halfway down the hill and take out the Guardian stuck in the dirt. 

Guardians still made her stomach churn and her heart race, as if she was about to be terribly sick…But she had to admit, the arrows and shield made her feel much safer.

“When you need more, come see me,” Robbie said, clapping her on the back. “But I’ll need ancient parts to make gear for you, so don’t toss any Guardian parts you find.”

His mannerisms were much the same, even if she remembered him being…Well, much taller. And younger. But those bright gold goggles were the same, even his hairstyle was the same. He still danced in place and struck poses when inspiration hit.

Robbie, like Impa and Purah, was still her friend. 

Before Zelda set out for Eldin, he pressed three books about Sheikah tech into her hands.

“For your studies,” he said with a grin and Zelda hugged him so tightly that she nearly lifted him off the ground.

Past…

Vah Rudania loomed over Goron City, perched atop the hills near Death Mountain. Sheikah researchers were busy examining what they could, but Rudania had yet to allow anyone inside. 

Which was precisely why Zelda and Link had been sent here by Queen Lianna. The queen and her council had decided that The Great Daruk, the mightiest Goron warrior, would be the perfect candidate. 

Things were still painfully awkward with the prince, but at least Zelda knew enough Hylian sign to properly converse with him now…Not that he seemed interested in talking to anyone…

She wished she knew what to do. Prince Link had always been quiet, but he’d been so withdrawn and tired lately. Impa was worried sick. 

“Look after him,” Lady Urbosa requested. Zelda wanted to uphold that promise, but Link didn’t seem interested in making friends anymore.

They’d never been friends per say, but Prince Link had always been kind to her, in his own quiet way. He’d certainly never begrudged her presence at the Ancient Tech Lab, or any of the research sites. He’d always answered her questions and asked how she was, with Impa translating for him.

Now he hardly looked at her. At anyone.

Zelda didn’t know what to do.

Focus, Zelda told herself as Daruk, the living legend, took in Prince Link’s request. He watched the prince’s hands carefully, sometimes mouthing the words to himself. She hadn’t expected Daruk to know Hylian sign; it was a pleasant surprise.

“Count me in, tiny prince!” Daruk laughed as the three of them walked towards Rudania’s site. “What kinda Goron warrior would I be if I just sat back and did nothing? If Hyrule needs me, I’ll be there!” He placed his fist on his heart. “Even if it means laying down my life.”

There wasn’t even a hint of fear in Daruk’s voice or bearing. He seemed totally confident, and plainly meant every word he said.

Zelda wished she had such confidence.

Thank you, Prince Link signed.

Daruk grinned proudly. “You can count on me!” he said. “And by the way- Boss Igneous says you two are travelling alone?”

“Oh, yes,” Zelda said. “We are.”

Daruk hummed unhappily, looking between Zelda and Prince Link. “Hm…Well, be careful. I dunno if it’s really Calamity Ganon’s fault or not, but there’s been plenty more monsters in the area. Lots more people getting hurt, even killed. No offence, little girl; I know you’re tough as rocks, but no one should be wandering around alone right now. You two ought to have a team of strong Gorons watchin’ your backs while you travel.”

Not to toot her own horn, but it was an acknowledged fact around Central Hyrule that Zelda alone was worth an entire team of the strongest knights around. She could keep herself safe, no problem. And she would watch the prince’s back too. After this visit, they were heading straight to Hebra to seek out Master Revali. 

So far, Princess Mipha and Lady Urbosa had accepted the title of Champion. King Dorephan had been reluctant, but he’d agreed to let Mipha pilot Ruta in the end. And now Daruk happily accepted; he didn’t even need time to think about it, he just said yes right away. Three down, one to go. 

Zelda wished to assure Daruk that she and Prince Link were being perfectly safe…Only to be interrupted by the shrieks of monsters.

Up ahead, at least ten bokoblins were waving their weapons and screaming. They’d cornered something- or someone- behind some rocks.

Zelda drew the Master Sword, Prince Link’s hand went to his own sword, but Daruk was quicker.

“Watch the tiny prince!” he told Zelda, wielding his infamous Boulder Breaker. He ran to the monsters as fast as he could, swinging with all his might.

Smash! Two red bokoblins were killed on impact. Crash! A blue bokoblin was sent flying, hit the ground with a snapping sound, and didn’t get up again. Daruk spun around and the edge of his Boulder Break slammed into a blue bokoblin’s head. The monster’s teeth fell from its mouth and, with another slam of his weapon, the bokoblin died. Three more were crushed by his mighty weapon; one hit was strong enough to take them down together.

The remaining bokoblins fled. 

“Cowards!” Daruk shouted after them. 

For a moment, Zelda was stuck in place by sheer awe. Such strength, such confidence, and absolutely no hesitation…No wonder he was called The Great Daruk! She’d yet to see any of the chosen Champions using their abilities; now she understood exactly why Daruk had been nominated as the top choice.

She sheathed the Master Sword, gesturing for Prince Link to follow as she hurried to Daruk’s side.

“That was incredible,” Zelda told him. Daruk grinned at her and slapped her on the back, nearly knocking her to the ground. 

“Just doin’ my job, little girl!” he said.

Prince Link gasped, there was a blur in the corner of Zelda’s eye and she spun around, expecting to find some terribly injured traveller.

Instead, she was greeted by the sight of a dog cradled in the prince’s arms.

“Oh!” Zelda gasped. “Oh, is this the poor fellow they were attacking?”

Prince Link nodded, petting the dog’s head. It lounged against him, trembling, and plainly in no hurry to leave his side.

“The poor little thing…” Zelda crouched down and gently ran a hand through the dog’s fur. “Foothill Stable isn’t too far from here; perhaps he’s theirs, or they may know who owns him. He’s certainly not a stray, he’s too well fed and behaved.”

Prince Link only nodded again, his hands too preoccupied with the dog to sign. 

There was a low, frightened whine…But it didn’t come from the dog. 

Baffled, Zelda and Link faced Daruk.

The Great Daruk, who had just taken on a pack of monsters, known far and wide for his fearlessness…Was trembling like a leaf. A fiery, glowing shield surrounded him. It must have been the ability Zelda had heard so much about: Daruk’s Protection. But why did he look so frightened?

Prince Link stared at Daruk, then the dog. Are you scared of dogs? he asked.

“Hah! No,” Daruk denied weakly, still encased in his Protection. “Just, uh…Keeping an eye out. For more monsters. Yep, that’s it.”

She would not have expected The Great Daruk to have such a common fear. 

Daruk was not just an ideal. Not just a mighty warrior. He was a person, with hopes and fears of his own. 

Curiously, it made Zelda feel less wary. Daruk was a person, just like her. She would not be working with living legends, but with people. Strong, brave people, but still people at the end of the day. They would not be perfect.

Perhaps, with that in mind, they wouldn’t expect ever-lasting fearlessness and perfection from her too. 

As it turned out, the dog belonged to the stable. When they got close, the dog joyfully ran ahead to be reunited with his owners. The stable employees thanked them profusely, and tried to give them rupees, but all three of them refused the money.

“Just be sure to give that poor boy lots of affection,” Zelda said. “He’s been very brave.”

“Good riddance!” Daruk called after the dog. Sheepishly, he added, “Stay safe!”

Link smirked, quickly hiding it behind his hand. Zelda tried to hide her own grin.

With the dog safely restored to his family, they turned back for Rudania, to see if the Divine Beast would acknowledge Daruk.

“Uh…Prince?” Daruk asked, oddly uncertain. He was rubbing sheepishly at the back of his head.

Link looked up at him, eyes less dark than before. He tilted his head attentively, nodding for Daruk to continue.

“I was just wonderin’...Well…This Calamity Ganon thing- he’s not some sorta dog monster, right?”

Link stared at him. He suddenly snorted and quickly pressed his hands to his mouth, trying to contain his amusement.

Sorry! Link signed quickly, still snickering, head lowered to hide his smile. Sorry, sorry! No, he’s said to be a boar.

But Daruk was not offended. He burst out laughing too. “Ah, I know I sound silly!” he said. “Lemme tell ya, I used to get chased by dogs all the time as a kid. They still freak me out.”

“It’s not silly,” Zelda assured him, though she couldn’t help but giggle a little. After all, if Daruk was laughing, it was probably okay to join in.

If he was a dog would that change your answer? Prince Link asked.

“Nah,” Daruk said with a grin. “After all, someone’s gotta keep an eye on you two!”

The prince’s smile faltered. I’m not on the team, he signed.

“No?” Daruk shrugged. “Seems to me like you are.”

Present…

From atop the Sheikah tower, Zelda observed the burning landscape. As her memory faded, she took in the changes all around her, big and small. Some hills seemed higher than before, whereas some were missing entirely. Death Mountain was continuously erupting; one hundred years ago, it had been quiet, albeit smoking, with lava trickly down its side. Now the lava flow was intense. Even from a safe distance, Zelda could see huge waves of lava and the volcano rumbled.

So many former paths were missing. Rivers of lava flowed through Eldin; great lakes of lava littered the landscape. She wondered if the hot springs had been washed away by lava flow. 

Zelda could see a huge, hulking thing creeping across the volcano’s edge. It nearly blended in, thanks to its red lights and golden-brown structure.

Vah Rudania.

The Divine Beast roared and stomped. To Zelda’s horror, Death Mountain erupted. With a mighty roar of its own, the volcano spewed lava and great balls of rocks and magma. The smoke pouring from its crater grew darker and thicker.

Even the Sheikah tower trembled.

How am I even going to get near Rudania? Zelda fretted. All this lava, the constant eruptions, the fiery monsters everywhere…And she’d only just gotten past the first marker on this hiking trail. The only direct path to Goron City.

Daruk had told her and Link that they should have a team of Gorons protecting them. Right now, Zelda wished she did.

She needed to find something stronger than Fireproof Elixirs to keep her safe from this heat.

Hold on, Daruk, Zelda thought, opening her paraglider. I’ll be there soon.

Provided she didn’t burn to a crisp on the way.

Chapter Text

“Hell raising, hair raising, I'm ready for the worst. So frightening, face whitening, fear that you can't reverse. My phone has no signal, it's making my skin crawl; the silence is so loud. The lights spark and flicker with monsters much bigger than I can control now.” - Panic Room, Au/Ra

The Flamebreaker armour was clunky, but Zelda was relieved to have it. The journey into the city had…not been fun.

Magma bombs. Rudania just has to cause eruptions, doesn’t he? she thought tiredly. Thankfully she’d managed to dodge them all, but it had been far too close for comfort. She’d just left the Southern Mine when the volcano violently erupted, thanks to Rudania stomping about. 

Well…At least she’d directed Greyson to Tarrey Town. He’d seemed interested. Who knew, maybe he’d actually take the chance. He’d certainly been unhappy at the mine, and worried about his little brother’s safety. Zelda certainly couldn’t blame him; she’d taken one look at the children rushing around the tiny mine and felt horrified. With so many eruptions (not to mention the monsters nearby) the mine wasn’t safe for anyone, let alone children. Yet, thanks to the eruptions, it wasn’t safe to leave them unattended in Goron City either.

They were caught between a rock and a hard place. No matter the decision, the risk of injury was high. 

But that was why Zelda was here. She could put a stop to this. She’d already freed Ruta and Naboris; she would free Rudania. 

She just wished it wasn’t so hot. 

The Goron Boss, Bludo, was not hard to find. His dwelling was the largest in the city, with the most decorations, and a Hylia shrine right outside it. It was at the top of the hill, and Death Mountain loomed in the distance, making for quite the striking sight. Rudania practically blended in with Death Mountain, thanks to its golden-brown colour and red lights. But, even from the city, Zelda could hear the Divine Beast’s shrieks of fury.

Riju and Sidon had both jumped into battle with her. In fact, they had battle plans long before her arrival. Boss Bludo on the other hand…

Crack! “Ffffuuuuuu- er, damn, ” Bludo hissed, bent over. He rubbed at his back, trembling with pain. “My achin’ back!”

“Here, let me help you,” Zelda urged. He was such a massive Goron that it was a laughable notion; she could not truly support him. All the same, he seemed to appreciate the sentiment as she gently led him into his home.

“Ah, aren’t ya sweet,” Bludo said. His grin was more like a grimace of pain. “What brings a Hylian all the way out here? It’s not safe for the likes of ya, you’ll burn to a crisp if you’re not careful.”

“I’m here to help,” Zelda said. Before she could truly explain, Bludo interrupted.

“In that case, would you fetch Yunobo for me? The kid was meant to be back with my medicine two hours ago. Dunno where he’s wandered off to…” Bludo sighed and slowly lowered himself onto his bed, which was full of ash and volcanic rocks. “Ah, that’s better. What was I sayin’ now?”

“Yunobo?” Zelda prompted.

“That slacker,” Bludo sighed. “Nice enough kid, don’t get me wrong, but he’s sure no Daruk. Hard to imagine they’re from the same dirt, ya know?”

It took a baffled moment for the implication to hit her.

“Wait- he’s related to the Great Daruk?” Zelda asked, eyes wide.

“So he is. Daruk’s own great-grandson, his last descendent. Though how a kid who’s scared of his own shadow is related to Daruk is beyond me! You a Daruk fan, kid?”

“Of a sort,” Zelda said.

“Good for you; shows you’ve got taste. When you find Yunobo, be sure to check out our monument. Shows Daruk in all his glory. Ah, if he could see how Rudania’s turned on us…I’m sure it’d break his heart. Wherever his spirit is, I hope he can’t see all this chaos.”

Well, Zelda knew exactly where Daruk was. As for what he knew…She’d find out soon enough. 

Just like Bludo, a part of her hoped that Daruk couldn’t see the devastation that Rudania caused.

As Zelda left Bludo’s residence, her gaze wandered to the giant monument overlooking the city. Carved from the mountainous terrain, it even upheld a huge bridge over the city. She recognised the grinning face of Daruk, flexing and showing off his muscles. As for the other two Gorons, she wasn’t sure. Past heroes or leaders, perhaps. Either way, all three Gorons on that monument were of incredible importance. 

She looked at Daruk’s grin, so familiar, forever frozen in time.

And she remembered.

Past…

“There, that’s better!” Daruk said as Rudania moved along with ease. The Divine Beast’s feet were encased in fire, something that, according to Daruk, had never happened before. Rudania stomped along, his movements no longer jerky and slow, his lights brighter than ever.

“Incredible!” Zelda gushed. She stood at the edge, watching Rudania’s huge feet. The Divine Beast scaled a cliffside in seconds, marching towards Death Mountain. “Daruk, your control has improved so quickly!”

“Thanks to you and the Tiny Prince!” Daruk said cheerfully. He slowly brought Rudania to a stop. Prince Link, standing near the control unit, marked something down in his journal.

“Your advice really helped,” Daruk said to Zelda. “You were right. I just needed to get to know Rudania and match his pace. Think we’re finally friends now!”

In response, the Divine Beast hummed. It was a surprisingly soft sound, pleasant and downright friendly. 

“And you, Tiny Prince!” Daruk said, whirling around to Prince Link. “Dunno how you figured those guidance stones out! You’re way smarter than me, I don’t get any of it.”

Prince Link looked mildly startled. His eyes darted around, as if to make sure that Daruk wasn’t somehow talking to someone else. Once it hit him that Daruk was in fact thanking him, the prince shrugged and offered a small smile. To Zelda, he looked quite uncomfortable.

“We’ve gotta have some rock roasts to celebrate!” Daruk said, clapping his hands together. “My treat!”

Zelda should probably explain that Hylians couldn’t eat rock roasts. Prince Link looked at Daruk curiously. He scribbled something else in his notebook, humming softly. To her astonishment, when he looked up again, Prince Link nodded in agreement with Daruk.

“Your old Da once ate two rock roasts on a visit here,” Daruk told him. “He must’ve been mighty hungry.”

The king did what? Zelda could only gape in horrified fascination. What she wouldn’t give to ask King Oberon if that was true. 

Before she could even open her mouth to ask Daruk about it, the ground shook. Daruk looked up sharply, eyes narrowed.

“Huh?” he muttered. His gaze went to Death Mountain and he tensed. “No way…”

His suspicions quickly proved correct. The ground shook violently, Death Mountain itself seemed to tremble. Rivers of lava poured down its sides, faster and thicker than ever before.

With a deafening rumble and belches of black smoke, Death Mountain erupted. Huge flaming boulders rained down from the sky.

Zelda grabbed Prince Link and Daruk grabbed both of them, throwing them behind him.

“Stay behind me, kids!” he bellowed, all joviality gone. He slammed his fists together and the infamous Daruk’s Protection burst to life. The fiery crystallised octagon surrounded all three of them, but Zelda didn’t dare loosen her grip on the Master Sword.

The flaming rocks beat against the shield and bounced away like pebbles, easily repelled. A force of nature, Death Mountain itself, was losing to Daruk’s Protection. The shield didn’t once falter, Daruk didn’t falter. He stood tall, suddenly imposing, magic flaring from all over his body. His hands shone the brightest, as if they’d been encased in fire. 

“I’ve never heard of Death Mountain doing this,” Zelda whispered, her heart sinking. This wasn’t good. This could only be a sign, an omen of things to come.

Monster numbers continued to rise. Strange weather patterns were reported all over Hyrule. And now this: Death Mountain erupting violently for the first time well over seventy years.

Ganon, Prince Link mouthed. 

“Ganon,” Zelda agreed quietly. “I fear so.”

Finally, it stopped. Zelda prayed no one was hurt, but with all those flaming rocks and tremors…She hated to admit it, but it would be a miracle if no one was harmed. Was Goron City okay?

Daruk lowered his hands and his Protection vanished.

“Death Mountain’s been quiet for decades,” he said softly, the most serious and worried that Zelda had ever seen him. “For it to shake enough to send out boulders like that… ” He glanced back at Zelda and Link. He tried to smile, but it was plainly forced. “We’d better head back to Goron City,” he said. “See if anyone needs help.”

And this eruption would have to be reported to Queen Lianna. Zelda wondered how far the tremors reached. Who had seen the smoke pouring from the volcano? 

Prince Link stepped ahead of her, fists clenched, staring up at Death Mountain. His face was solemn, but the ever-present sadness in his eyes was gone. His gaze was firm, sparking with determination. The warm breeze rustled his hair and (it was a trick of the light, surely it was) for just a second, his eyes…They didn’t seem quite right…

For a split second, Zelda almost swore they flashed gold.

Present…

Zelda pushed past Drak the guard, and entered the Northern Mine. Monsters had made it their den and, what’s more, it was flooded with lava. Only a few patches of earth remained visible and a few rail tracks. Beyond that, it was a sea of lava. 

Calamity Ganon’s influence, no doubt. Death Mountain had been experiencing constant eruptions since the Calamity struck; that was what Impa said, that was what the Gorons themselves said. The volcano practically burst when Calamity Ganon rose from the ground and Vah Rudania only made it worse. With the Divine Beast stomping along the volcano, more lava flowed from Death Mountain. And, of course, those horrible magma bombs flew through the air.

Drak said Yunobo went to the Vault, right at the heart of the mine. 

The entrance was caved in.

Oh dear, Zelda thought. She picked up the pace and ran, summoning her paraglider from the slate. The updrafts lifted her right up into the air and Zelda flew to the nearest patch of land, high above the lava.

If Yunobo had really gone to the Vault…Oh, she hoped he wasn’t hurt. 

Daruk’s great-grandson. It was a bizarre thought. 

Daruk, stalwart, kind, funny; protective, fierce and so very brave. She would not let anything happen to his remaining family.

Hold on, Yunobo, she thought, taking aim at a Lizalfo. Help is on the way.

BOOM!

The cannon broke apart the debris and the entrance to the Vault revealed itself. Zelda jumped across the gap and ran to it.

Huddled inside the Vault was a young Goron. He was crouched down, hands over his head. He wore a bright blue scarf- and he was surrounded by a familiar shield. A fiery shield, crystalline in appearance. Impenetrable. 

Yunobo had inherited Daruk’s Protection.

“Oh man, oh man, oh man,” he was mumbling to himself. “What am I gonna do?”

Zelda stepped forward softly. “Yunobo?” she asked. “You’re Yunobo, right?”

His head snapped up, his eyes were wide and startled. Gracious, but he looked so much like Daruk…

“Oh, you’re not a monster!” he cried and his shield vanished. “I- um- y-yeah, I’m Yunobo. Did you…break that debris?”

“I did,” Zelda said. She smiled and held her hand out. “My name is Zelda.”

“Hi,” Yunobo said. He shook her hand with a shy smile. “What’re you doing all the way out here? It’s really dangerous, goro! Especially for a Hylian.”

“I’m here to help,” Zelda said. “I can calm Rudania.”

Yunobo’s eyes, already big and surprised, widened impossibly. “You can!? Really? You’re not joking, right? Please don’t joke.”

“It’s not a joke,” Zelda promised. “I’ve already calmed Vah Ruta and Vah Naboris.”

Yunobo stared at her. Their hands were still clasped together.

“But…Goro, if you…If you can go inside the Divine Beasts…That would mean...” He stared at her, something vulnerable in his gaze. “Are y-you Lady Zelda? Great-Grandpa’s friend?”

“I am,” Zelda confirmed. “It’s a long story.”

“I’ll bet…” Yunobo released her hand and got unsteadily to his feet. “Shouldn’t you be old? Or, uh…Dead?”

“I was,” Zelda said. “Some quick thinking saved me. But I promise I’ll explain it all. First thing’s first, Boss Bludo is looking for you and I need information on Rudania. How to reach him, any attacks he has…Anything at all, really.”

Still plainly stunned, Yunobo nodded.

“Okay,” he said faintly. He looked like he'd been hit on the head; sort of dizzy. “Righto. Um…Follow me, bro- er, sister. We’d better talk to Boss.”

Past…

“What do you think?” Zelda asked Prince Link. “About Death Mountain erupting like that?”

The Prince glanced back at the volcano. He frowned and signed, I think it’s another omen.

“Agreed,” Zelda sighed. “I wish we knew how much time we have. It’s the fact that Calamity Ganon could return at any point that worries me. It feels like we’re flying blind.”

Prince Link nodded with a soft sigh. He unhooked the Sheikah slate from his belt and tapped at it. He tilted the screen towards Zelda and she saw he’d written a list. It took a moment for her to realise what exactly she was looking at. Not just a list, but a list detailing all the unusual things that Prince Link had noticed or heard of.

Reports of flooding in Lanayru. Hurricanes at Lurelin. More monsters in Faron Woods. More monsters and snow storms in Hebra. Lynels working in groups with other monsters. Tremors at Kakariko. Similar tremors at Akkala. 

There was more. It went on and on. 

She looked at the Prince, at the dark circles under his eyes and blurted out, “Are you still having nightmares?”

He looked surprised that she’d remembered such a thing. She could have bitten her own tongue for overstepping in such a manner- except they were friends now, weren’t they? Sort of. Since the Yiga attack, Prince Link had thawed, more like his usual self. 

Link sighed again and hooked the slate back to his belt.

I’m always having nightmares, he signed.

Zelda couldn’t quite shake the feeling that was an omen too.

Chapter Text

“And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love. Without love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on. But I know, all I know, is that the end's beginning. Who I am from the start, take me home to my heart; let me go and I will run, I will not be silent. All this time spent in vain, wasted years, wasted gain. All is lost, hope remains, and this war's not over. There's a light, there's the sun, taking all the shattered ones to the place we belong, and his love will conquer.” - Shattered, Trading Yesterday

Past…

Light and dark whirled together in a sickening whirl. Light encased him, darkness surrounded him, and Ganon’s roar was so deafening that it seemed to shake the world.

Abruptly, it stopped. Link found himself standing before a wall of golden light, hand outstretched, the Triforce shining as bright as the sun. Beyond the wall of light, darkness beat against it in waves. No, not darkness. Malice. It stank of rot and sulphur; waves of thick, swampy malice beat against his shield, pitch black and streaked with blood red.

Ganon stood among the malice, a pig-demon made of that same horrible substance and surrounded by blood red fire. His eyes were made of fire, as gold as Link’s shield. Fire danced down his back, encased his tusks, swirled around his legs. He met Link’s eyes and roared in hatred, breathing fire and acrid smoke.

FOOL BOY! Ganon bellowed, and more malice beat against the wall of light. YOU THINK TO DEFEAT ME? YOU? YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE, STUPID CHILD!

So, Ganon shared the same opinions as Lianna. What did that say about his mother?

Besides, Link wasn’t here to defeat him. He couldn’t do that alone and he knew it. He needed Zelda, the world needed his Zelda. Zelda and the Master Sword, Fi. Link could only seal Ganon away once he’d been thoroughly weakened by Zelda and Fi. 

But Link could hold him back. Link would keep Calamity Ganon here for as long as he must. The Shrine of Resurrection could heal Zelda in a week, a month, a year, ten years, one hundred years, a thousand years…And Link would wait. He’d stand tall and firm, he wouldn’t let Ganon go. He wouldn’t look away for even a second, he would not allow his guard to slip.

Where here was, Link couldn’t say. His wall of light stretched to the heavens, up into the night sky, and stretched from horizon to horizon. Somehow, Link knew that no matter how far he walked, he would never find the end of the wall. The ground was made of obsidian and patterned with gems, reflecting the stars above. The stars moved overhead like dancers, swirling and twirling in the midnight-blue sky. A circle of silent princess flowers were around Link’s feet, growing impossibly from the gem studded ground. Everything about this place was impossible. Behind Link, in the distance, he could see a forest and even the trees seemed to be made of light and gems. Behind Ganon, even further away than the forest, was a gigantic mountain range that seemed to be made of pure smoke.

Ganon roared again, wordless and furious. 

Link, a tiny speck before him, did not even flinch.

A pair of warm hands landed on Link’s shoulders, encased in golden light just as he was. Pale hands, a woman’s hands, and tendrils of pale blonde hair floated in his peripheral vision. He tried to turn to face the woman, but he couldn’t move an inch.

“My dear boy,” the woman whispered. “My brave descendent. Hold fast, sweet one. You will prevail, I know you will.”

Hylia, Link realised, eyes wide. But how? Were they in the Sacred Realm after all? 

Her hands squeezed his shoulders reassuringly and She spoke again; “Your Zelda will come for you. Stay strong.”

Then She was gone and Link was left alone with Calamity Ganon again. Prince Link Hyrule and Calamity Ganon. The prince with Hylia’s magic and the incarnation of rage and hate.

He should have been terrified. He should have felt alone and abandoned, but he didn’t. For the first time in his life, Link felt utterly assured of himself and what he was doing.

The light around him grew brighter and the wall of light grew thicker. The next wave of malice dissolved into sparks of red light, and Ganon growled; the ground rumbled with the force of it.

Link stepped closer. More silent princesses bloomed in his wake.

Fool boy, stupid boy, USELESS boy, Ganon hissed.

How could Link possibly feel foolish, stupid or useless when he’d done the impossible? The first male of Hylia’s line to unlock Her sacred Golden Power. The boy Zelda had chosen to love. Here he was, holding Ganon back, as if he’d trained for this all his life. The Golden Power came so easily, as easily as breathing. It felt natural. It felt right.

Protecting Hyrule and his people would always feel right.

“You may as well settle in,” Link told Ganon with the cheekiest smile he could muster, a smile that would make Urbosa proud. “We’ll be here for a while.”

Present…

We’ll be here for a while. Oh, how true that was. One hundred years and counting. 

Link was exhausted. Even holy magic had its limits. While he grew tireder, Ganon only seemed to grow stronger- and more furious.

Thin streams of malice seeped through cracks in the wall of light. Smoke was thick in the air, stinking of corpses. Ganon beat endlessly against the wall, and Link knelt on the obsidian-and-gem ground, gasping for breath.

Zelda, Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, he reminded himself. Impa, Purah, Robbie.

He staggered to his feet, fists clenched, chest heaving. He tossed his tangled hair back and glared at Ganon, thrusting his hands out and watching with tired satisfaction as the cracks in the wall mended themselves. The streams of malice on his side of the wall dissolved, joining the foul-smelling smoke.

YOU WILL DIE SCREAMING, Ganon roared, not for the first time and not for the last. He breathed fire and malice at Link’s light and Link focused every ounce of power he had onto the protective barrier, trying with all his might to keep it in place. It seemed to shake and panic threatened to overwhelm him for a moment.

Zelda was doing brilliantly. What would happen if Link slipped before she freed all the Divine Beasts? Before she could find Fi? If Link gave in, if he made a mistake…

No. No, he wouldn’t even entertain the idea. He wouldn’t fail.

He imagined his mother’s face if she could see all of this and light burst from his hands, strengthening the wall. Perhaps it was petty, but imagining Lianna’s shock never failed to urge Link on. 

She was wrong about him. She’d always been wrong about him.

And Ganon was wrong too. Link wasn’t useless or weak. The evidence was right before them and all around them. Link wasn’t stupid and he could hold his own against Ganon.

Funny how all of his old fears seemed insignificant after so long. Facing down the incarnation of hate and malice made everything else seem so…Small. 

Perhaps other princes would have let Hyrule fall. Those more bitter and angry, those full of despair, may have turned their back on the world and let Calamity Ganon have his way.

Not Link. Never. It didn’t matter if all of Hyrule (save the Sheikah) believed him to be dead. It didn’t matter that he’d become a fairytale and myth to the world. They were still citizens of Hyrule, still under Link’s protection, and he would not let them down. Anyone worthy of his hate was long dead.

Besides, there was Zelda. That alone was all the motivation Link needed. He would hold Ganon back. He would survive. He would fight Calamity Ganon at Zelda’s side and, aided by the freed Divine Beasts, they would seal Ganon away once more. Who knew, maybe they’d even destroy him for good.

They were good at pulling off the impossible.

Link ignored Ganon’s continued threats, his deafening roars, and turned his sight out across Hyrule, seeking out Zelda. Where was she…? There! She’d reached Eldin, she’d reached Goron City. She walked alongside a young Goron, maybe a little older than her and Link; he looked like a teenager anyway. He looked a lot like Daruk. He even wore a similar scarf.

The sheer height that Sidon had grown to surprised Link, but the fact he was alive and all grown up had been a relief. Lady Riju had been a pleasant surprise. After all, Link hadn’t even been sure if Urbosa’s sister survived the Calamity. And this boy looked like Daruk. Either it was one insane coincidence, or Daruk’s daughter had survived the Calamity too. It meant Daruk still had descendents.

Revali wouldn’t have descendents, because Revali was only nineteen. Even if Elder Tariq survived, there wouldn’t be anyone else. Do the Rito remember him? They must, surely…

The Champions were all remembered. They must be. Link refused to even entertain the notion that his friend had been forgotten. 

He continued to watch Zelda and the Goron. Yunobo, Zelda called him. He was nearly the exact same orange colour Daruk had been. He had Daruk’s grin. His voice was surprisingly high-pitched. He moved a little awkwardly, like he was afraid of falling over, and he couldn’t quite manage eye-contact with Zelda when she spoke to him. 

Well, Link knew the feeling. Goddesses knew that Link had been dreadful at eye contact for a long time. 

And Link knew that look; a little stunned, giddy, utterly awed. Oh yes, he knew the look of someone with a sudden crush. He couldn’t even bring himself to be annoyed; if anything he was a little amused.

Get in line, buddy, he thought with a smirk. Yunobo was not the first person to have a crush on Zelda. Link hadn’t even been the first. Zelda was, after all, simply amazing. She’d attracted admirers wherever she went, though it mostly used to annoy her, way back then. She’d always rolled her eyes and been so certain that people admired the Master Sword and nothing else.

Zelda used to insist that Link had plenty of admirers of his own, and she’d certainly been annoyed by it. Link told her she was imagining things. Zelda insisted she wasn’t, and her gaze always darted towards the court bards when she said it.

“So, you’re Daruk’s great-grandson?” Zelda asked Yunobo. Yunobo nodded quickly, fidgeting with his scarf.

“Y-yeah, goro,” he said shyly. “That’s right. My, um- my grandma was his daughter. Ruri.”

“Ruri,” Zelda repeated thoughtfully. For a moment, she looked woebegone. “I don’t think I remember her…”

“Oh, I can tell you all about her if you’d like!” Yunobo seemed more relaxed as he happily talked about his grandmother. About how strong and brave Ruri had been, how stubborn she was, what a great story-teller she was. “She…Well, she died a few years back, and Da died three years ago. So it’s just me now. But Boss takes care of me, goro! He’s super cool too.”

“I’m sorry for your losses,” Zelda said solemnly. “I wish I could have met them.” Yunobo seemed a little surprised. 

“Oh,” he said, rubbing the back of his head. “Thanks, Miss Zelda. I bet Grandma would have loved to see you again.”

Ruri had been one of the few female Gorons that Link knew. According to Daruk, when Ruri was fourteen she marched right up to him one morning and said, “Da, I’m a girl.” That was that. No fuss, no fanfare. Daruk happily clapped Ruri on the back and never referred to her as a boy again. All of Goron City accepted it with ease. 

She definitely would have been happy to see Zelda again. Elderly or not, she’d have demanded a sparring match.

Smiling, Link turned away from Zelda and focused on Calamity Ganon. The wall stood as tall and strong as he could manage. Ganon seemed more and more furious with every passing second. The longer Link simply stood there and watched him, the more Ganon seemed to take it as a horrible insult.

I will ruin this land, he hissed, his voice insidious, poisonous. I will tear Hyrule apart piece by piece and make you watch. This world be shrouded in darkness. And when nothing is left, then I will allow you to die. I will make you face the magnitude of your failure and make you beg for death.

The threat made Link feel sick. It would be a blatant lie to say it didn’t. After one hundred years of constant fighting, Link was exhausted. His powers were draining; his light was paler, weaker. Cracks kept appearing in his protective barrier. The light encasing him flickered. 

If he slipped, if he messed up, Ganon would break through that barrier and escape into the world. And then all of Ganon’s threats would be made reality.

Hyrule would be destroyed. The world would be destroyed. Everyone would die and he’d never see Zelda again, Link would never see the end of this.

He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t. 

Link’s legs trembled with exhaustion and his muscles ached with pain. He felt short of breath and dizzy, but he still stood there and faced Ganon with his head held high.

“You’ve been saying that for one hundred years,” Link said, as casually as he could. As mockingly as he could. “Try come up with some original threats.”

He forced himself to keep smirking as Ganon completely lost it, throwing his entire weight into Link’s barrier, breathing great waves of blood-red fire, waves of malice crashing against the wall again and again and again.

Light poured from Link, re-enforcing the wall, and he tried to ignore how pale the light was.

It’ll be fine, I’ll be fine, we’ll all be okay, he told himself.

Zelda was going to free Rudania and then Medoh. She’d already freed Ruta and Naboris. She just needed to free two more Divine Beasts and find Fi. And Link…He needed to keep fighting, to hold on just a little bit longer.

His eyes burned from the exhaustion and he felt like he could have slept for a thousand years if given the chance.

Hold on, just hold on.

He’d see Zelda again, and Impa, Purah and Robbie. He’d get to meet Sidon again, and Dorephan. He’d get to meet Riju and this new friend of Zelda’s, Yunobo. Maybe he’d even get to meet the Bolson Construction crew; they were certainly colourful characters.

He’d be free soon. All of Hyrule would be free. They could do this, they would do this. Link just needed to buy Zelda a little more time.

He would, he would, he would.

Ganon kept roaring, cracks appeared in the wall. The smoke in the air grew thicker, and Link tried to ignore how alone he felt. 

He wouldn’t be alone forever. He was going to be okay.

Please hurry, Zel, Link thought. She couldn’t hear him, he made sure to keep his distance as he thought it. He didn’t want to frighten her. 

Instead, Link took a deep breath and as he reached out to Zelda, his mind brushing against hers, he thought, You can do this. I love you.

Perhaps his sudden message would worry her anyway. But Link couldn’t help himself. He needed her to know.

He didn’t expect her response. Not with so many of her memories still missing.

But Zelda responded, so happily and so easily. 

I love you too, Link.