Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

    Long ago, when this land was first cultivated, the spirits of good lovingly cared for all who resided within. The people followed them, worshipped them, and entrusted their lives to them. All was well, and so were the bonds between the people and the spirits above. Unfortunately, such peaceful times would come to a halt, and their lives would be threatened. 

The Demon King had risen to power and vowed to destroy anything and everything within his path. The screams and cries of caretakers, children, and warriors armed to the teeth echoed across the lands until there was nothing left but dread and death that lingered in the air. The spirits came down from the heavens with aching hearts to assess the blood-stained soils. The desolate lands imprinted on their minds as they watched the life leave the eyes of those barely clinging.  

The pain and suffering of mortals, their pleas for mercy fruitless, brought joy to the Demon King and his subjects, and the spirits felt that they had no other choice but to declare a horrid war to save those who dedicated their lives to them. The war felt like an eternity, the lives of the people torn apart while the spirits did all they could to piece what little they had together. Blood soaked the grass and stained the walls of their homes, and fear was soon all that the people of this land knew.

Fortunately, the spirits had successfully subdued the Demon King, yet could do no more than seal him away. With what little power they had left, they sealed him beneath the ground. The spirits formed shackles and erected a tower to lock his power, and thus his life away, which now stands to this day, its mark on this land’s history well known and repeated throughout time.
Their home was at peace, and the spirits rose back to the heavens. With the lands bereft of demons and spirits, it had been entrusted to the humans who walked on their lands. Time trod on, and the people rebuilt their lives and cherished the peace and their well-being in place of the spirits that had assisted them before.

     “So, do I know how to tell a story or what, kid?” An old man chortled, his laugh transitioned into a dry cough. He peeked from behind the mini mural; his grin was proud and mighty.
     “I call it: ‘Spirits and Demons… at war!’ I only tell this story once a year, you know!” He coughed, his enthusiasm present as ever despite his age.
“It’s a blasted masterpiece!! Dare I say, A…” He paused in thought. He scratched the back of his head before he jolted back up with a sudden spike of energy.
“A blasterpiece!!” He exclaimed, his eyes on the boy he told the story to. The tween nodded off, his body on its side while his palm dug into his cheek. Soft snores could be heard from the child if close enough, but the elderly man didn’t have time to dawdle at the sight. 

“What’s this?” He squinted, eyebrows furrowed in focus. “You fell asleep during my magnum opus?” He frowned and made his way over to the kid as best he could with his cane. He tapped the boy’s head with its tip, which promptly startled him awake. 

The kid sheepishly turned, his eyes droopy and his glove covered in drool. He completely forgot that Niko wanted to show him his latest story.
Foolish of him to stay up as late as he did the other night. 

His roommate gasped as he pressed his wrinkled hand dramatically on his chest, feigning pain.
    “I can’t believe this! You know, Link, many people would love to be in your position!” He jokingly scolded.
Link nodded, both out of exhaustion and understanding. “I know, Niko, but-“

    “Ah Ah! No buts! As my roommate, you get to see my work for free!” Niko griped. “ ‘Sides, I’m not getting any younger here.” He added, his voice quiet and solemn.
“This story might be the only thing that proves I existed.” He stood by a picture of him from his younger days. The man in the painting stood tall, the winds of the ocean depicted via the mess of strands that flew about from under his striped bandana.
He admired the portrait before turning his head toward the boy. “Can’t you pay attention for one minute and listen to an old man’s final creation?” He asked gently as a smile formed on his aged face. 

  Link felt horrible about how little he did to show he cared. Niko had practically raised him with the help of his teacher, and he indulged in his own ‘boring’ interests, so what was so ‘boring’ about his?
He had thought of him as his grandfather, so the least he could do to repay him for everything he had done was listen.
Maybe a ride on the train could suffice, though it wouldn’t beat the thrash of the sea.

Link’s ashamed silence was all that filled the room, the air nearly suffocating until Niko piped back up.
    “Are you listening to me, Link?”

Link shook his head awake and out of thought before he smiled and shrugged. “Yes…? I think...” He mumbled, still tired. 

Niko sighed, the hunch in his back gained slope as the air left his lungs.
“Ok, Ok. I can take a hint. Sorry for boring ya.” He chuckled and tapped Link’s head with the tip of his cane. 

    Link wasn’t bored at all.
He desperately wanted to tell him that. In reality, the poor boy was drained from studying for his final exam and graduation ceremony until dawn. The mere idea of failing the one test he had been preparing for YEARS for nauseating him. 
He opened his mouth to justify himself, but before he could get a word out, the door swung open. The slam nearly shook the paintings on the walls onto the floor while the glassware on the shelves rattled for a moment.
He looked behind him and saw Alfonzo glaring at him with impatience. His eyes were narrow and tense, arms crossed and stance menacing. The burly man raised an eyebrow. 

  “Why are you still here, Link?” He shouted, Niko warmly smiling at the new addition. 
    "Why hello to you too, Alfonzo." He smiled, the wrinkles on his face emphasized his glee.
“There's no time for greetings, Niko." He sighed before fixing his gaze back to Link.
    "Come on now— wipe the sleep out of your eyes!” He commanded, almost like Link was a soldier. When the tween stared back at him blankly, his mentor grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shook him until the boy got dizzy, repeatedly telling him to wake up.
“Today is an important day, boy!” He started, his strong gaze boring into Link’s own.
“It’s your audience with the princess!!” 

An audience... with the princess?
THE  princess??
  Link swallowed his shock. After all this time, he was under the impression that Alfonzo would be the one to hand out the certificate. If not him, then at least someone who was qualified and well versed in train travel, not the princess .
He slowly turned his head to his mentor, a look of confusion mixed with fear on his face. “Wh...What?!”

  Alfonzo sighed, the kid falling to the floor in a daze while he shook his head in disappointment.
“Don’t tell me you forgot, boy. You won’t amount to much if you don’t pay attention."

The boy sat there and swayed while the room spun around him in various circles. How could he have missed that? His heart pounded in his ears while the room continued to move in its dizzying fashion. Bile threatened to rise in his throat while he watched Alfonso.

Alfonzo continued. “Don’t you want your engineer’s certificate?! The graduation ceremony is at the castle, and Princess Zelda is going to lead it herself!” He scolded.
He yanked the boy up from the scruff of his shirt and softly set him standing. “Let’s get going. You have a final exam to do. I’ll meet you at the station, and don’t you dare get lost, boy!”

While Alfonzo slammed the door behind him, Link awkwardly frowned in embarrassment. Behind Link, Niko laughed to himself while his hand laid itself upon the child’s shoulder. This reminded him a lot of his pirate days with his swabbie and his captain. He never liked to dwell on those memories, as they both ended with the tragedy of their deaths. 

The elder poked Link in the back, the push getting Link to use his feet.
    “Better get going, swabbie. Make your parents proud of ya’” he coaxed, his smile warm. Link nodded and quickly hugged the old man.
    “Thank you, Niko. I promise to come back soon!” 
He rushed out of the home soon after.

Chapter Text

    Link stepped into the village, the warm spring sun on his cheeks and the salty, yet comforting, smell of the ocean in the air. He started to scramble over to the station but ended up veering his attention to someone who called his name. 

    “Hey! Hey Link!! Over here!!” Waved a girl, no more than 9.
The graduate groaned internally, but rushed over, hoping that this wouldn’t take up too much of his time.
“Link! I’m so glad you came by-“ she gasped. “Geez! You look like a nightmare!! Anyway, I need your help!”

The boy shifted his eyes in search of Alfonzo, his breath baited. He exhaled once there was no sign of him. A nightmare? Spirits, how bad did he look? “What’s up, Viv? What do you need?” He smiled, his hand combing the leftover knots in his hair. 

    “There are these rocks in the way of my house, and I can’t lift them by myself! Do you think you could help me?? Just for an opening to the doorway, please????” She begged, blinking her eyes and pouting to convince him.
    “Look, I don’t know if I have the time, kid-”
    “But Link!” She whined, tears threatening to spill from her doe eyes. “How else am I gonna get home?” She sniffled.
Link physically wilted at the insistent begging, his eyes going back to the platform in case Alfonzo stood ready to reprimand him.

    “Fine, but make this quick, I gotta get going!”

    Once the rocks were out of the way, Link gave Viv a quick pat on her head, before running off to the train station. He was 2 minutes past his time, and it wasn’t going to stop for him anytime soon! 

He stepped onto the platform, out of breath and face flushed from rushing to get there. Alfonzo immediately pulled up to the platform on his wooden train. The conductor jumped off once the train stopped and kneeled at Link’s height.

    “Geez, Did you get any sleep at all last night, kid?” 

Link shook his head. Everything in his mind faded out, and his words slipped away from him
    “Studying.” He finally coughed out, the cool air making its way back into his lungs. 

Alfonzo sighed and pulled him into a hug. “Listen, Link. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I promise you.” 

Link melted in Alfonzo’s arms. The boy was silent while Alfonzo comforted him and his sleepy body.
It was overwhelming, to say the least. Always thinking about all of these things and having to handle other’s problems and demands. Now this.

The sound of the ocean riding up against the sand and the rustle of the palm trees provided a simple solace that felt ‘right’. His ears focused on the sound while his heart slowed to a… somewhat normal pace. At least, as calm as it could be with the nerves of this exam on his mind.

 When his mentor pulled back, Link began to sign, his hands fast and shaky. 

    “Alfonzo, how do you do it? How do you remain so calm??” 

Alfonzo chuckled, his hand ruffling the boy’s hair.
    “I’m hardly calm, boy. The tracks are full of surprises that can strike fear in the strongest of men’s hearts. Now, let’s take a breath for a second, alright?” 

    “But I’m ready!” Link signed embarrassingly fast, his hands nearly fumbling the words altogether.

    “Are you now?” Alfonzo laughed as he flashed the boy a toothy grin. “Well kid, you remember the significance of today, right? To become an engineer, you must have an audience with the princess. Once that’s over, you can drive a train by yourself.” He reiterated.

Link frowned. His nerves shot up once more, His brain functioning at 100 miles per second.
    What if the princess thought he wasn’t worthy?
    What if the princess didn’t even show up?
    Would she even be willing to give him the certificate?
    What if he did something to offend her?
    What if—

    Alfonzo’s hand on his head snapped him out of his thoughts. “Look, kid, I can tell you’re nervous. You’re practically shaking!” He began while both hands found their way to his shoulders, “But listen to me when I say this: You’re going to do great. From what I’ve seen you do and how much you’ve grown and learned, there’s no doubt in my mind that you will be the greatest engineer that New Hyrule has laid its eyes upon.” He grinned as he gave Link a final pat on the shoulders.
“Now come on, Link, let’s ride. ALL ABOARD!” He ruffled the kid’s hair and stepped onto the train. 

    Link felt warm. Alfonzo had trusted him enough to handle the train, and he was grateful that he was the one to guide him on his engineering journey. He stepped into the train’s conductor's cabin, hands shaking as they touched the wheel, and prepared himself for his final exam. 

    Alfonzo peeked out from the passenger cabin. “Now Link, your mission is to get us to the castle within 5 minutes! Can I trust you to do that?”

    “ Yes, sir!” He replied, tone weak.
    “What was that, captain?!” He shouted, the word ‘captain’ nearly getting to his head.
    “YES SIR!” 

    “Good, remember to follow the road signs and remember the gearbox settings. Let’s hit the road, Soldier!” 

Link saluted as the train began its slow start, but before they knew it, they were in Castle Town. 

    The train slowed to a stop, and Link breathed a sigh of relief. Alfonzo met him on the platform and grinned. He lightly shook the boy by the shoulders with pride.  

     “I told you, Link. You’d make a fine engineer. Even with the little bumps on the way, you got us here safe and sound in one smooth ride. I’m proud of you, kid, now get going! The princess is probably waiting for you.”

Link nodded. “Thanks, da-” He caught himself and cleared his throat. “Alfonzo. Thank you for being my teacher”
He hugged him and rushed out of there before the man could see the harsh flush on the kid’s face.
    Alfonzo chuckled to himself as he watched as Link ran to the castle, being stopped by the postman for a quick introduction. It felt like yesterday that he watched him swing a stick around, commanding the adults of the village to follow the rules of his train ride.
But alas, the days of him crying about a ‘boo-boo’ on his knee and keeping him and Niko up and about throughout the night were over, and all he saw was a boy eager to get on the road with his new certificate and make his village proud.
    This boy was going to be Aboda’s best. 
    His boy was going to be Hyrule’s best. 

    Link messed with his collar and his outfit one last time before he made his way to the guards at the giant door. He cleared his throat to gain their attention. 

    “What is it, kid? We’re kind of busy protecting Hyrule Castle. If you’ve got no business here, then SCRAM!” The stout one commanded, his tone condescending. 

Link’s eyebrows furrowed, his annoyance visible. He never liked being talked to in such a way, he was always taught to either respect or fight back against disrespect of any kind.
    “I do have business here, sir.” He said, straightening his posture to look more in control. “I’m here for the engineer graduation ceremony.”

    The guard looked at him blankly until a look of recognition hit him. “Ah, I had forgotten that today was the graduation ceremony.”
The guard looked Link up and down, his laughter held back.
“I didn’t know that they gave engineering certificates to little kids like you… I guess times are changin’.” He wheezed out.
“Well, go on in.” The guard moved to the side quickly, which left Link little time to cool off.
He begrudgingly bowed his thanks to the guard, the guard’s eyes watching his every move.

    The castle felt cold and empty. Its stone walls are a constant sight against the red carpet and drapes that lead to different rooms. The tapestries that hung down loosely had an embroidered Hylian dove and a triforce, both in gold thread. Link admired the intricate work, his mind enamored with its detail. As a (future) engineer, he had learned that details are the most important factor when it comes to anything, and it had bled into his daily life. 

    While the apprentice wandered around the main corridor, he nearly bumped into another guard. 

Link, flustered, nearly screamed in shock but contained it for a more favorable reaction. “Hello, sir. Do you think you could tell me where I can see Princess Zelda?"

    “The Princess’s throne room is up these stairs. Only invited guests are allowed in.” 

Link nodded. He expected the guard to ask him why he was there. Instead, he heard this man use his power over him. 

    “What that means for you is… GET LOST!”

The sudden command caught Link off guard. Rage bubbled up inside of him, as he was just about to yell at the guard until he was interrupted by a nasal voice from a man wearing two hats. Two hats?? Weird.

    “What’s all the commotion here?” 

The guard stood pin straight. “Ah, good day, Chancellor Cole! Apologies for the disturbance, but I was just telling this kid here to leave the castle’s premises.”

     Link piped up, a little weirded out by this Chancellor Cole guy. His beady eyes held nothing but a hidden hatred and annoyance for everything in this castle, though his smile said otherwise. “I’m actually here to see the princess, Sir Cole.”

The chancellor fiddled with his mustache. “That is Chancellor Cole to you, child! As for why you’re here…” He trailed off, a subtle frown on his lips. “You’re here for the graduation ceremony, aren’t you?” The short man held back a laugh.
    “But you’re so young!” He sighed, “What a waste of resources! The spirit tracks are vanishing, and the princess still wants to uphold these stupid traditions” He snorted.
He began walking past the guard. He looked back to Link, a smile present on his face. His grin held sharp teeth, while his eyes sparkled with a feeling that Link could only describe as malice.

    What did he mean that tracks were vanishing? He had just driven on them to get here. His eyebrows were furrowed in thought before he heard the chancellor clear his throat. “Ahem. Come along now, boy. Let’s get to your graduation ceremony.”

Reluctantly, the guard moved and let him and Link pass. Link felt that something bad was brewing, but he didn’t know what he could do to prevent it.

    Link looked around the throne room, every piece of furniture and artwork under suspicion. His eyes moved up, and he stared at the stained glass window of the founder of New Hyrule, Tetra. He couldn’t place it, but something felt familiar… like he knew her.
He knew of her ruling, but he never had the chance to meet the queen in person. Niko told him she died when he was younger, at around age 4, but that was about as far as he could get before Niko shut down any other inquiries. 

“What are you doing just standing around and gawking? Kneel, boy!” Barked Chancellor Cole, the boy flinching back to reality. His voice was grating against the ears, but Link couldn’t do anything but obey his words. 

He knelt, his head facing the ground just like he had practiced while he studied. He hoped that this ceremony went well, but his brain knew better. 

    “PRESENTING: PRINCESS ZELDA NOHANSEN II, OF NEW HYRULE!”  A guard called out. He hit the end of his spear on the ground twice before he walked off. 

    Link heard the soft clack of heels on the ground. ‘Don’t look up.’ He thought. 
The clicks paused in front of him. A soft pink fabric was on the ground before him, and the symbol of the kingdom was displayed. Despite his constant reminder not to look up, he had, and it was both the worst and the best mistake he could’ve made. 

    There the princess stood, full of grace and poise. Her deep eyes held a welcomed warmth while her smile lightened the tension. The curls of her hair neatly followed gravity, and her posture was that of pride and excitement. Link felt his cheeks heat up ever so slightly. He rushed to move his eyes back to the floor, hoping the princess hadn’t noticed.
Time almost seemed frozen between them, but the voice of the chancellor quickly soured the mood. 

    “Raising your head without permission? You ill-mannered urchin!”

Zelda scowled and held a hand up to silence Cole. She turned back to Link, this time with a more apologetic smile. 

    “My apologies about my chancellor’s-” She glanced back at him before acknowledging Link. “-behavior. Pay no mind to him, he’s just antsy to finish this ceremony. You must be the new engineer! May I have your name, good sir?”

    “Link, Your Highness.” He spoke, nerves rattling every bone in his body. He hoped she hadn’t noticed the slight quiver of his voice. He’d die of embarrassment right then if she did. 

“Oh, Link is such a wonderful name!” She squealed, her smile happy and bright once more. “Well, Link. By the power vested in me, I hereby proclaimed you as-“

    The chancellor cleared his throat loudly. “We’re wasting our time here, Your Highness!! Please just hurry up and finish this foolish ceremony.”

    Zelda almost looked like she deflated, her eyes sad and her smile gone. “Very well, chancellor.” She looked to her left and meekly asked for the certificate.

An older man strode up to the princess with the certificate in hand, the other pushing up his round glasses. 

    “Thank you, teacher.” She sighed, already drained from the day. This was not how she wanted this day to happen. Everyone had been so pushy, especially the chancellor.  

She held out the paper to Link, her smile only slightly present to the human eye. “I… I hereby recognize our newest royal engineer, Link! Work hard, for we all rely on you, Link.” She announced, her voice echoing throughout the throne room.

Link glanced back up to the princess, his heart a little heavy for her.

    “You may rise, and receive your certificate!” She proclaimed, a bright smile on her face.

Link stood up and grabbed the paper held out to him. He half expected the princess to finish the ceremony quickly thereafter, but was instead greeted by the princess near his ear. Startled, his breath hitched and his eyes shifted over to where she stood. 

In her hand, there was a letter with the royal crest upon it. “Sh—- take this.” She whispered. 

    “Wh-“

    “No! Do not say a word right now.” She handed him the letter. Carefully, she slid it on top of the certificate where it would be impossible to see. “Read this later… and beware of the chancellor!” She warned.
Quickly, she backed away to hide any suspicion, and then she walked off to a room that Link assumed was her quarters. 

    The chancellor came up to Link. His eyes bore into his soul. “The ceremony is over, so I suggest you move along! Why don’t you go… polish your train, or whatever you engineers do.” He spat out bitterly.
He then smiled, his voice low and frightening.
“That thing will be useless before long…” 

Link stood there in shock. He scrambled out of the throne room to open whatever letter Zelda had handed him. 

He hid behind a wall and gently peeled the letter open. The princess’s handwriting was there, neatly expressing her thoughts. 

    I have a great favor I must ask of you in person. Follow this secret path I have written at the top of the castle! Please come to my quarters as soon as you can, and don’t let anyone see you! - Zelda 

Chapter Text

    Link’s eyes widened as he scanned over the letter for a third time. The princess wanted to meet.
She wanted to meet with him, of all people. His heart dropped to his stomach as he folded the letter back up and hoped he did not crease its delicate edges.
Carefully, he began his trek to Zelda’s quarters.
‘Why am I doing this?’ He thought to himself, his legs weak beneath him. ‘I could just… leave?’
The engineer shook his head vigorously. ‘No, Her Highness herself asked of me.’ He rationalized, body wilting under the pressure. ‘It’d be rude of me not to go…’

His heartbeat echoed in his ears while a guard passed by him without a clue of his presence. His stomach was queasy, but he had already made it this far.
‘What do I possibly have to gain from this???’ He wondered.
 
  Sweat now dripped down his cheek while anxiety clouded every bit of his brain.
The princess was a powerful woman despite her age; she could command his head on a pyre if brutally asked.
He sped through another corridor, adrenaline coursing through his veins as his legs carried him around a sharp corner. That was until he nearly crashed into two guards patrolling around the staircase that Zelda had detailed in her mini-map.
Link felt as if he were going to throw up. His stomach churned and his heart raced, and his hands shook from the fear that held rule over his body. The only thing that kept him from falling apart was the conversation that piqued his interest between the green-clad men. 

  “Say, what do you think about this whole 'tracks disappearing' situation, Cyrus?” The tall one muttered. His face carried a look of concern, the grip on his spear weakening. 

Cyrus shrugged.
    “I have no clue, Alexander, however, I do believe that Chancellor Cole guy might be the one behind it.”

    “You tellin' me there’s something up with the chancellor?” Alexander’s eyebrows furrowed while his eyes widened. It was a sudden accusation, but not unfounded.

    “Indeed I am, Alex.” Cyrus nodded. “Princess Zelda hasn’t required a chancellor for quite a while!”

    “That’s because her parents were alive, Cyrus-“

    “No, that’s not what I mean!” He rushed to explain, the palm of his hand signaling the other soldier to silence himself.

Alexander’s eyebrow raised while he waited for his comrade to continue.

    “Oh. Sorry.” Cyrus huffed, the hand that was held high dropping awkwardly to his side. “I thought you wouldn’t have let me speak.”
He covered his mouth to ‘cough’.
“Now, as I was saying, this family has carried itself for years without the need for someone to help,” He began while he looked around in caution, almost as if looking to find the Chancellor behind him.
“And I just don’t think it’s fair that our princess is being treated like she isn’t fit to be a ruler as well, especially since it’s said that former queen Tetra started as a young ruler.” The soldier’s shoulders slumped in pity.

    “That is true…” Alexander muttered, his fingers tapping on the shaft of his weapon. “But what does that have to do with the chancellor?”

    “I’m getting to that. Be patient! We both know Her Highness used to be able to go out. She was able to do what she wanted once her work was concluded!” Cyrus frowned.
“Now she isn’t even allowed to step foot outside of her room unless it is for guests or hearings. All, by the orders of Chancellor Cole. Don’t you think that’s a little strange, Alex?” 

    Alexander slightly hunched over while in thought.
On one hand, it wasn’t his job to butt in the affairs of the royal family, but on the other, he knew that Cyrus was right.
 

    Link leaned out from behind the wall he hid behind to listen in further to this conversation. If there was anything he could take from this at all, maybe it would be something to help the princess.

Cyrus threw up his free hand. “Now, you may not believe me, but I-“

A loud bell rang throughout the castle, its ring pierced the child’s ears. 

    “Shit. Looks like it’s time to switch out. I’ll see you next cycle, Alex.”

    “Likewise, Cyrus. Don’t get too far in your head with these theories.”

    The guards parted ways, which left Link an opening to dart past and up the stairs.
‘This Cyrus guy has a point. I haven’t heard of this family having any help with their ruling whatsoever…’ he thought, the step of his dirt-covered boots resounding with each step.
‘I don’t think they were ever assigned a chancellor before.’

The light in the dark tunnel grew brighter and brighter, the end of the staircase nigh.
Just as he was about to make his exit, he heard a guard march toward the opening. The metal of his boots clashed with the concrete floor. Their silhouette against the sun’s light was harsh to Link’s eyes as he abruptly stopped in his tracks. The guard stood there, and their body halted in suspicion of Link's faint but labored breathing.
His heart stopped, and the air in his lungs grew limited.
The guard picked up a stray rock and tossed it into the dark staircase. Each step the rock bounced from loudly made itself known, yet ultimately hid the boy from the soldier's watchful gaze.

“Huh… false alarm.”

    Not long after, they moved to make their rounds once more, and Link took his opening to run toward the back way where the princess’s room was. He ran up the stairs and sped around a corner. His boots nearly lost traction against the floors, and small bits of stone from the narrow pathway rolled off the ledge and onto the training grounds. Link looked over the ledge; the height between him and the grass below was daunting. He opted to watch the different recruits slash and fumble their way into knighthood as a distraction.
They looked a bit clumsy, but it wasn’t like he could do better. 

    The engineer took a moment to catch his breath. He felt trapped in the corridors, the outside air cooling the heat of his face.
Faintly, he could hear a flute from his left. The sound was melancholic, each note flowing into the next like a river into a lake. As lighthearted as the instrument was, its musician felt otherwise.

    Link followed the sound, its gentle melody leading him to a staircase into Zelda’s room. 

There the boy stood, admiring the princess and her song. 
Mesmerized, he watched as she swayed with the music, its melody engaging her in its private dance. 
Unfortunately, in his brief moment of peace, the dust that he had gathered from his trek here culminated in a loud sneeze.

Startled, Zelda nearly dropped her instrument, the pan flute fumbling in her hands until she gripped it against her chest.
She turned to Link with a weak smile and a look of relief.
    “Oh, it’s only you. I’m so glad you made it, Link… I was worried you might’ve decided not to come here. Did any of the guards see you?”

Link’s breath hitched.
    “I… I don’t think so, Your Highness.”

Zelda grinned as she set her pan flute down. “That’s great!” She quickly walked up to Link, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
    “Listen, you’re the only one who can help me.”

    “And what might I assist you with, your grace?” He choked out as he tensed up. The last thing he wanted to do was make a horrible impression.

    “Oh please, just call me Zelda.” She curtsied, formalities soon forgotten once she stepped toward the engineer.
“I have a great favor to ask of you, so please listen well.” She pleaded. 

Link nodded, his hands were antsy from the leftover adrenaline he had.

    “As we know, the tower of spirits has protected our kingdom for ages!” She began, worry slowly working its way onto her freckled face.
“It connects all the spirit tracks that cross the land. However, for some reason, they’ve been vanishing from… everywhere!” The princess exclaimed. Her hands fiddled with one another.

    “I believe that something happened at the tower. That must be why all of this is happening! I must go there to investigate, Link.” She bit her lip while her eyes looked out to where the tower was in her view. It stood tall, its various patterns and colors seamlessly blending while the sun’s light reflected against a golden figure at the top. 

    “What do you think happened?” Link asked, her statement piling on top of him.
“I haven’t seen the tracks disappear just yet. I keep hearing about it, though, and to be frank, it sounds scary as-” Link cut himself off before he said another word. His face went red while he tried to recover from his statement.
“Scary. Yes, that’s what I meant.”
He kicked himself for his behavior. Though casual at home, it was no way to speak in front of a lady.

    The princess held back a giggle, her shoulders tense. Her hidden laughter was short-lived and was replaced with a sigh of worry.
“I’ve heard of tales of a sage that guards our lands and lives in the tower. Perhaps… Perhaps she might be able to shed some clarity on what is happening. Unfortunately, Chancellor Cole forbids me from leaving the castle due to “safety concerns.”’
She added quietly. Her tone was dreary. The princess turned her back towards Link to focus on the tower ahead.
    “Really, I think he just doesn’t want me going to the tower. But why?? It’s clear he’s hiding something …”

Link’s eyes widened at her final statement.
  “Did you feel like something malevolent was around while he was at the ceremony??”

    “Yes… Yes, I did!!” Zelda whipped around at his understanding, the sudden movement startling him.
“I have a feeling that something terrible is about to happen, Link! That is why I absolutely must get to the tower!”

Link nodded eagerly before he paused in thought.
    “But, how will you get there?” He questioned. As far as he knew, the only concern of his was her and Alfonzo’s safety.

    “I was thinking that maybe…” her eyes shifted to the side, her fingers fiddling with each other.
“Maybe you would take me on your train.” She responded, a little hesitant to request such a thing. She clasped her hands over Link’s and gave him a look of desperation.
“Please, Link. I don’t think we have much time left to sit around and do nothing.” She begged. 

    The boy stood there, taken aback by the fear in her voice. She sounded like she had everything to lose.
“I’m… I’m not sure that I can, Zelda. I only recently got my certificate, are you sure you could trust your life in my hands??” He muttered and stared at her hands that graciously held his. 

    “I am positive. I won’t be much trouble after this, I promise you.” She reassured with a lovely smile on her face.

Link muddled over the request before eventually looking back at the princess.
    “I… I suppose, but you can not tell anyone that I let you ride on my train. It could jeopardize my career.”

    “Your secret is safe with me.” She saluted, the sudden weight of gravity back on his hands.
“Oh, thank you so much, Link. I will pay you back somehow!” She squealed, clapping her hands in excitement.

Link dreaded the outcome of wherever this hastily made decision was going. The overwhelming energy of the princess as well as the fear of losing everything he dreamed of nearly shut him down.
    “I just have one question. Well, two, but they both matter.” He sucked in a breath of courage (or lack thereof). “One: Do you have a plan? Two) Do you sign, or at least know sign?”
Realizing the absurdity of the last question, he began to justify himself.
“If we’re going to sneak around, we should at least make sure to keep as quiet as possible.” 

     “I do, actually!” She chirped, her answer quick.
“That’s the answer to both questions. I’m sorry, I just feel like I need to be fast. Here, put this on. This is the recruit uniform.” She quickly turned to grab green clothing and happily held the garb out to him.
“I hope I picked the right size. I… somewhat estimated.”

    Link took it from her hands. He awkwardly stared at the princess, who looked at him with such eagerness. 

    “Please, get changed so we can go!!”

    “Well, your highness, if I need to get changed, could you… uhm…” His hand motioned for her to turn around. He hoped that it was polite enough to get his point across. 

    “Oh. Oh my goodness! Of course! My apologies, Link.” She gasped, her face a light shade of red before she turned around. “Let me know when you’re done, okay?” 

Link rushed to put on this (in his opinion) embarrassing outfit, pausing at the hat. Did he seriously have to wear this thing?? It didn’t seem very practical, especially with the green cap. “Alright, princess. I’m ready.”

Zelda twirled around, her dress fluffing up some at the hem.
    “Again, you may call me Zelda.” she grinned.
That was until she raised an eyebrow.
    “And what about the hat?”

    “You're telling me I have to wear this??” He gawked, waving the green fabric around. 

    “Yes!! It’s to sell the look!” She huffed. “Here, let me put it on.”
Zelda went around him and made sure that his hat stuck to his head.
“See, that wasn’t so bad.” She laughed. “You look…” she paused, memories of paintings of her grandfather in his youth in her mind. The former king and this engineer looked alike with the same hopeful light in their eyes.
“…good enough, I suppose.”

    “What’s that supposed to mean?!” Link cried out, a faint pink on his cheeks.”

    “Nothing of your concern! Now, let's go before the guards find us!” 

 Zelda grabbed his hand, and they rushed out of her room. 

    The once-empty corridor was now filled with guards, each one of them on high alert.
Link knew there were only two ways this could go, and both of them most likely ended with him in jail. 

Zelda tapped his shoulder and gave him a comforting smile.
    “Hey, cheer up.” She gently brushed her hand over his tunic, dusting away any unsightly features.
“With your outfit, they’ll think you’re one of them. You’ve got nothing to worry about right now except getting me out of here. 

Link stared at the guards, everything almost seeming to close in on him.
    “And if they see you?”

    “Oh, they’ll just make a big fuss and never let me out.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “So right now, our mission is to get past the guards without letting me be seen!” She whispered encouragingly, a hand patting his back.
    “I’ll follow behind you, but if you want me to take a different route, let me know, okay?”

Link shook his head. “If you think that is the best option, then so be it, your high-“ he cut himself off. Link shook his hands as if to reset his words. “- Zelda.”  

    With their plan in motion, Link quietly guided the princess around the guards. He feared that the clack of her heels would draw attention, but was surprised to see her shoes in her hand.
   
    He conversed with different guards while Zelda snuck past. Occasionally, she stuck her tongue out at them and mocked them before going back to business. While amusing, Link rushed her to get out of the corridors and out into where the training grounds lie. 

    Zelda twirled around, her arms in the air. “Oh, sweet freedom !” She quietly laughed. "How long I've waited for you!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a guard. He stood still, almost like a statue.
    “Hey, Link, that guard isn’t moving… What if you spoke to him? Do you think that would be a good enough distraction?”

Link shrugged, his hands quickly forming his response.
    “I don’t know, Zelda, but I can sure try.”

He hopped down, boot skidding on the side of the wall until they landed on the grass.
Before he made his way to the guard, he instead turned to look up at Zelda.
    “Go ahead and jump.” He signed with a smile on his face. “I’ll catch you.” The boy raised his arms and motioned for her to jump down. 

Zelda, scared out of her mind, slowly climbed down until she couldn’t do anything but hold onto a ledge. 

“Are you sure that this will work, Link?” She panicked. 

    “Trust me on this, Zelda. My top priority is making sure you get out of here safely. Take my hand.” He reassured her. His courteous attitude warmed her heart. She felt a bit sad that they wouldn’t interact anymore once he got her to the Tower of Spirits. 

She reached down and felt him grab onto her, his hand yanking her down toward him in order to break her fall. 

    “Thank you, Link. I owe you twice now!” 

Link rolled his eyes and went over to the guard and tapped his arm. 

    “Don’t you have work to do, rookie? Why don’t you go… cut the grass or something?” He said a bit confused why as to a recruit stood in front of him and demanded his attention. 

Link, with a false glimmer in his eye, asked the man about what made him choose to become a guard, which led to a long ramble. The guard was so caught up in his stories of glory and heroism that he completely forgot why the kid was here in the first place.
 

Zelda, seizing the opportunity, zipped past him and hid behind a large bush. She peeked from behind the hedge and motioned for Link to be by her side. 

With the guard sighing about his life decision, Link congratulated him on his job before saying that he had to go. He bid the guard farewell and scurried off to Zelda. 

    “You sure know how to start a conversation!” She tittered, a cheeky grin on her face. 

    “Oh, hush! I could easily stop assisting you, right here, right now .” He retorted, a similar smile returning her own.
If he and Zelda had met in different circumstances, perhaps they would’ve been great friends.

    “Okay, okay!!” she relented, her heels swaying as she held her hands up in surrender. “Let’s get going, Link.” 

He continued to distract the guards with meaningless conversation while Zelda slipped past them like she was made of oil.
One guard, however, gave them both trouble. 

He stood there, rigid and focused, waiting for the sight of any trespasser to move through.
Zelda squinted at him, a plan brewing in her mind. 

“I don’t think that he’ll move any time soon…” she began. She looked at her surroundings and spotted a couple of boulders.  They were big enough to cause a loud noise, but they were small enough to carry around with a bit of effort.
“Hey, Link? Do you think you’d be able to distract him with loud noises?”

Link stared at her like she just made the weirdest request possible.
    "Do you just want me to walk up to him and start screaming like a cuckoo?? What in the world is that gonna do?”

     Zelda crossed her arms, miffed.
“First of all, cuckoos cluck .” she corrected.
“And what I mean–” she pointed her finger at the boulders by the wall. “-is that you pick up that boulder right there, and toss it at the wall. The castle’s foundations and structures are sturdy enough to handle it.” 

Link nodded. “Your wish is my command, my fair lady”  

The boy pushed himself off the ground and strode over to the boulder.
He rolled up his sleeves and picked up the rock with ease. Zelda was astonished that he could carry such a thing so easily, though lifting heavy objects might come with his job.
While she was amazed by his feat, the guard that previously bothered them both looked away and to Link. “Don’t do that!” He yelled. “I’m startled by loud noises easily.” 

“Sorry, sorry” He muttered, his act of shame mildly convincing. “I thought to clear away the path here…”

    While Link was scolded by the guard, Zelda made her way past the entrance to the castle.
Just as she heard the soldier finish up his reprimands, she motioned for Link to hurry and follow her. 

Link hurriedly apologized to the guard and promised to do better.
He hated being scolded like that, but sacrifices needed to be made for Zelda to figure out what was going on. 

He ran over to Zelda’s side, and they both snuck out of the castle and into Castle Town.

Chapter Text

The streets of Castle Town were as lively as ever. People corralled the cuckoos while children went into game shops to spend whatever allowance they had gotten from their parents.

In the distance, Alfonzo knelt by his train, polishing the iron front for when Link returned.
The conductor wiped the sweat off his forehead, the oil from the engine staining his worn gloves.
His rag cleaned off any of the excess dust accumulated from the ride to the castle, his ear catching the faraway sound of a familiar laugh. He glanced at the polished metal, watching as two figures made their appearance quite a ways away from behind.

Zelda twirled in circles, bubbly giggles and squeals accompanying a bright smile.
“We did it! We made it out of the castle!!” She shrieked in delight. Her arms wrapped around the faux recruit and squeezed him in a big hug, her excitement unable to be contained.
It had been so long since she roamed the streets of Castle Town. The repetitive patterns etched within the stone roads and bright murals seemed like a distant friend.

“Princess- Princess Zelda…” Link winced, constricted in her hold. His hands tapped frantically at her shoulders, breath crushed out of him. “You’re crushing me…”

The princess let go almost immediately, wiping her hands hastily on her dress.
“I am so, so sorry!! I’m just so happy we made it out.” She sheepishly twiddled her thumbs together, eyes shifting from building to building, soaking up the sight before she was eventually found out and locked in her office again.

“Well so much for keeping things on the down low.” Link scoffed, his hand hiding his smile. He watched as the princess whipped around, eyebrows furrowed and fists clenched.

“Oh, hush!! How would you act if you were stuck in a room nearly every day!” The princess smacked the boy’s arm, a pout on her lips. 
Link’s cheeks flushed pink, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as he searched for an apology.

“Let’s just get ready to head out!”
She began to walk ahead, her pace a bit rushed. She yanked Link by the arm, the boy stumbling on his two feet while he tried to keep up.

As Link followed behind, his watch was keen on their surroundings. Though they were out of the castle’s walls, their adventure was not yet done. Any minute now the alarm could sound that the princess was gone, and it would send anyone in a 10 mile radius into a frenzy.
The air seemed foul to the engineer, the dark and heavy atmosphere seeping into his soul through the smallest of cracks.
The clouds in the sky rolled together into a storm, the grey clouds almost laughing at him with their quiet and distant thunder.

Once by Alfonzo’s side, he tugged on his uniform. The fabric was almost comforting between his fingers, the threads of his clothes thick and dirty with grease.  

Alfonzo turned around, worry etched on his face. It was quickly replaced with something more callous. “What took you so long, Link?” He skimmed his eyes over the kid’s outfit and leaned forward. His voice lowered a considerable amount. “Did you keep me waiting just so you could change clothes?” He questioned, but silenced himself as soon as Zelda made her presence known.
“Ah! Good Afternoon, Your Highness.” His posture stiffened, almost soldier-like.
“What are you doing here?-” He leaned down, eyebrow raised and eyes on Link with suspicion, his voice low. “Did Link here trick you into coming?”
He watched as Link’s eyes shifted between him and the princess, a bead of sweat trickling down from his forehead.

Zelda laughed, a quiet snort hidden behind the soft clap of her hands. “Not at all, Alfonzo! He was just showing me around.” She vouched. 

She briefly smiled at the boy before focusing on Alfonso.
“How have you been? Well, I presume?”
Alfonso nodded. Link was surprised to see the man so disciplined and obedient.
Normally, he’d swear like a sailor and spit onto the ground with such precision that put even the best archer to shame.
Never in his life would he believe he had a side like this.

“I’m sorry we haven’t spoken since you left the castle guard…” She sighed, a reminiscent smile on her face.

“I must admit, I miss hearing you bellowing orders in the courtyard!”

Link was in shock. It was no wonder why he behaved like this, and all of the memories of him clinging to his leg and begging him not to go away for so long made sense now.
He never knew where exactly Alfonzo went, but he came home exhausted and annoyed.
Never at him, though. He’d always ruffle his hair and lift the boy into the air despite the obvious tremble of fatigue in his arms with a soft expression.

The Engineer let out a belly laugh, the sound echoing in the wind.
“You’re too kind to me, princess. I’m sure hearing me yell all day was far from pleasant-“ He stopped himself and looked at the princess, a suspicious glint in his eye.
“I see what you’re doing, young lady. Don’t distract me by bringing up the old days.” He coughed out.

“What are you doing here without a proper escort?!” 

“Link is my escort.” Zelda challenged, nose turned up and arms crossed. “I asked for his assistance, and I can only hope that you can help me too, Alfonso.”
She switched up her look, her eyes now sparkling with anticipation.
“I would feel much safer with you at my side! Please, come with us to the Tower of Spirits!!” She begged, hands fidgeting with one another. She needed to convince him. She felt manipulative with the way she pleaded with him to help her, as her main goal was to use the train he had just cleaned.

The man cocked his head to the side. “What for, your Highness? It’s nothing dangerous, correct?”

Zelda, frustrated, pulled at his arm and tried to lead him to the train.
“We don’t have time to discuss it right now! I’ll tell you when we’re on that train going to the Tower!” She proclaimed, a finger swiftly pointing to the train behind him.

“But miss, what if something happens?!”

Zelda groaned, knowing how immature she was being. She hated when she acted like a child, but no one would listen to her unless she behaved as what many would say: a ‘spoiled brat’. At least, no one but Link.
She felt like he understood the desperation she faced when it came to this whole situation.
“‘If something happens” is exactly why I need you! You were once the greatest swordsman in the whole kingdom!!”

Hurriedly, Link up stepped to Zelda’s side, ready to pull her back if he needed to. “Please, Alfonso. She has a point!”

Alfonzo exhaled in defeat, shoulders slumped.
“ That was a long time ago, your highness. Now, I’m just a simple train engineer, living in the countryside. I can’t be any more than that,”
He watched as both Link and Zelda stared at him with bright puppy eyes. Though he was immune to one, he wasn’t immune to the other.
“But, and this is only IF you both plan to be on your best behavior, I will come along with you both if you wish.”

“Oh, thank you, Alfonso! We promise!” Zelda nodded. She turned to Link and put her hands on his shoulders. “And thank you again, Link. I owe you so much.”


Zelda was nervous as she boarded the train, fidgeting with her gloves while she sat on the cushioned seats of the car. She had to figure out what troubles awaited her kingdom of New Hyrule.
Alfonso began his trek to the train and patted Link’s head.
“Alright, you two. Next stop: the Tower of Spirits.”
He smiled down at the new engineer.
“How would you feel about conducting the train, newbie?”



The start of the ride was quiet. A heavy mood hung between the former captain and the princess. 

 Zelda felt her muscles tense as she felt the train slow, then speed back up. Each curve and turn toward the tower felt menacing. She sat and wallowed in her mind, every thought flowing in one after the other like river rapids. 

“So, princess,” Alfonso began, posture more relaxed as he sat across from her. “Tell me, what caused you to flee the castle with such haste?”

Zelda stared at her hands, worried that whatever she said might slide off his mind like melted butter.
“I believe that New Hyrule is in danger.”
She stared out the window beside her, watching the blur of grass and trees pass by.

Alfonso’s eyes narrowed, interested in what she had to say.
“Go on.”

“As you know, I was recently appointed the chancellor a year ago. Cole is his name. Nothing more, nothing less.” She felt her throat tighten up, hands clenching and unclenching into fists as she thought of the man’s devilish grin and his strange demeanor.
“He’s the reason why I am stuck in the castle most of my days. He says it’s for work, but there is barely anything to do anymore.”

He nodded as he leaned back against his seat.
“I can understand why he would-”

“Please, do not cut me off.”

“My apologies, my lady.”

“Earlier, I'd estimate a few months ago, he had mentioned that the tracks would become obsolete. I have little reason to believe why that would be true!”

Alfonso’s eyes widened, a look of dread on his face.
“How do you mean?”

“There would be no reason why our mode of transportation would die out so fast.” She began, her hands now pulling at the fingers of her gloves.
“There are no plans for any future mode or any improvements to be suggested so far.”
She shifted her gaze to Alfonso, the adult now leaning onto the table with an intense look in his eye.

“I believe something is going to happen to the tracks. I’m not sure exactly what, but something will. It will be detrimental to not only my people but the land itself.” Her voice quieted down, a slight tremble sneaking its way into her tone.
“That’s why I need to be there. I need to see the tower and make sure it’s okay.-”

The door of the conductor's cabin burst open, and everything turned into chaos.


While the train sped off to the tower, the tracks had begun to fade away before Link’s eyes.
He rushed to open the door to the passenger car, nearly falling on the floor as he burst through.
“Grab the princess, NOW!”
He jumped back to the conductor's cabin, and yanked on the breaks, the loud screech of metals grinding against each other piercing his eardrums while the shock of the stop sent Alfonso and Zelda tumbling.

With the tracks underneath them gone, Link had immense trouble steering the train. His muscles felt like they were going to rip at the seams with the amount of strength he used to turn the steering wheel, but it all proved to be futile.
The train toppled over, and Link was thrown to the side while Alfonso cradled the princess in his arms and was thrown against the seats and walls of the passenger cabin.
Zelda, too shocked at the current predicament to even scream, clung to him for dear life.
They felt the train car shake beneath them as the train itself skidded across the grass, dirt, and rocks pelting the roof of the cabin.

Once the senior engineer felt it was safe to come out, he crawled to the door at the end of the hall and kicked it open with whatever strength he could. The light of the sun shone against the now empty plains of the forest realm, and he was left with no words.
Zelda wept against his uniform and didn’t even dare to look out ahead.
She already knew what sight there was without a single glance. 

Alfonso called out for Link, setting the princess furthest as he could from the train in case of a bigger disaster than what happened now.
He yelled out for his boy, panic tunneling his vision as he thought of the worst scenarios imaginable.
Then, as if by some miracle, he heard the whimpers of a boy on the ground with dirt and small traces of blood present and smudged on his clothing.
He rushed over and sat the child up, hoping that his arms provided a security that was well needed. “Link, Link are you okay?!” 

Link winced as his hand touched his arm, the other cradling it as best as he could while he could only muster incoherent mumbles. “Link, where does it hurt, boy?” He asked.
He checked around for cuts and any possible limb bent out of place.
“Come on, son, talk to me!”
 

“ Arm. ” The kid coughed out through gritted teeth, his brain focused on the burning sensation from recently locating it back into place.
Everything felt wrong, everything felt constricted.
He felt as if he couldn’t breathe, as if he couldn’t speak.
The more he tried, the more he felt his heart pound and the nauseating pain closed him off. He could feel himself shut down, and he decided, no matter how painful, the least he could do was tell him.
Gently, he let go of his arm, his hand shakily moving.

“disl’ated… sorry. Train.” He signed, hand jumbling the figures together as he rushed to cradle his arm again. The pain shot up his arm, causing the child to wince.

“No, no no. The only thing that matters right now is that you and Zelda are safe, child. Do not blame yourself.”
The adult looked back at the wreckage, hot coal tumbling onto the grass and starting small fires. The train would most likely be engulfed soon, but none of that mattered to him.
He looked back to Link, a strong hand on his cheek.
“You did good, you did everything right,” Alfonso assured.

The silence between them was interrupted by Zelda’s scream of pure horror, the wind’s howl picking up pace.
Alfonso whipped his head around to look at her, the tears on her face stained her dress. Zelda covered her mouth, and her eyes were fixed on the Tower of Spirits.
Link tried to stand, but the force of being thrown off the train made his whole body weak. He knelt by his mentor’s side and looked up at the tower, which now had a cloud of a strange purple miasma floating around it, almost forming a portal-like structure.
Zelda, noticing the boy’s struggle, rushed by Link’s side to help him stand, but neither of their eyes could be taken off of the scene that lay before them. 

Dark tendrils spun around the tower, almost as if it were ropes flailing in the harsh wind. They latched onto the stone structure, an electric atmosphere around each section while the grip of each one could crush even the strongest stones.
One by one, they pulled apart the tower and divided it into pieces like it was child's play.
The explosion from the structure threw debris in the air, and Alfonso rushed to block both children with what he could. Small pebbles and the occasional chunk flew by them and around them, the cries of the children being the only sound to accompany the disaster. Zelda held onto Link, and Link cried out in pain due to the pressure while Alfonso held them both in his arms.

His boy was already injured enough, and the princess’s life was in grave danger.
He had once promised his life to New Hyrule's royal family, and if he had to do it once more, so be it. 

The rumbling of the tower and the ground beneath them suddenly stopped, the pieces of the tower in the air locked in place by a bolt through the middle.
The cracks in the walls and the foundation were present, and the feeling of doom permeated the air with its rancid scent. 

The conductor let go of the children and held their faces in each hand while ensuring they were physically fine. He wiped their tears with his thumbs and stepped aside so they could assess the scene as well. Zelda felt nauseated, and Link could do nothing as the princess crumpled onto the ground.
In a hushed voice, she finally broke the silence that chained them together. “What… what’s happened to the Tower of Spirits?…”

Her words were overpowered by the loud crack of thunder, and the sight of dark clouds in the sky reaching for the ground. A train flew in the air, its roar heard for miles across the land. The blue flames that arose from its face and its wheels licked the air, violently searching for something to burn.
Alfonso yanked the children back, Link crying in pain from the jolt while Zelda yelped from the velocity. The train glided over them, and the children ducked away as best they could.
Frightened, they looked back to see where it had headed but were met with nothing but the loud sounds of its mechanics running within. 

“Out for a leisurely stroll without permission, Your Highness?” A familiar man cackled. He clicked his tongue, “Oh, you know that’s not allowed!”

The princess’ eyes widened. The man strolled up to them as if nothing had happened, cane twirling in his hand.
“By whom?” She retorted, her tear-stained face left with nothing but anger “I can’t imagine you , Chancellor Cole?”. 

The imp of a man growled as the dark miasma from before covered him and revealed what he truly was. Nothing much has changed about him aside from the fact that he had two little horns that poked out from his head.
It was a bit anticlimactic, maybe even comedic, especially after what had just happened.

“Who else, you brat?!” He spat, saliva falling from between his thin lips. “Who do you think is in charge?!”
Cole bared his teeth at the princess while a strange man appeared at his side. His hair was pulled back, and a mask covered the lower half of his face. His eyes held greed, a desire for something he hadn’t attained yet. His metal hand twitched as if waiting for a command to attack.
“Goodness, pretending to be one of you is just exhausting!” Cole complained, his town bitter. “Who knew this job was just another definition for ‘royal babysitter.’” He hissed, his eyes fixed on the princess. 
He dusted off his coat, flicking any dust towards the princess and her companions.

Zelda flinched at his hostility, shuddering as his dark beady eyes bore a hole into her head.
“You know you had the choice to leave!” She shouted, a tremor in her timbre. “No one forced you to remain at my side!”
He feigned sadness, his eyes teary, as he ignored the princess and continued his speech. “D’aw… I had planned to keep the ruse up a bit longer, but you pushed me to this, princess.” His eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth went into a snarl. He glared at the three, fingertips brushing the edge of his mustache.
“Bringing the boy and the engineer,” he scoffed, pointing a finger at them, “did not aid my plans either.” The chancellor rolled his eyes, twirling his wrist around in dismissal.
“Thankfully, I’ve learned to adapt while living in your wretched kingdom. Its government is not that hard to piece together.”

“What are you talking about, Cole? What plans?!” Zelda demanded her words fueled by the rage for her people, years of pent up disappointment and frustration behind her.
Cole rolled his eyes and mocked her words with his hand. 
“‘ What plans?! Boo hoo!’- I’m talking about your infernal meddling!” He shouted, walking over to the ruins of the now separated tower.
“But now that those vile tracks have disappeared, the time is finally at hand.” He gleefully chuckled to himself in pride.
“All we need now is a little help-“ he paused, his menacing smile widening, “- from you, Your Highness,” He said as he pointed to the princess. His body language seemed to switch from competent to unstable, his figure trembling with an unknown enthusiasm.

The princess’s eyes widened as Alfonso stepped in front of her.
“I don’t know who these two are, my lady. But I’ll gladly teach these bastards some manners when commanded.” The man resolved, hastily grabbing a sword lying on the ground from the wreckage. 

A few steps behind them, Link gaped at Alfonso.
He wanted to call out to him, to stop him from doing what he was about to do, but nothing came out of him. He was frozen, and he could do nothing but watch.
The adult glanced back at Link, a determination in his eye that the boy hadn’t seen before. His blood ran cold, and the pound of his heart seemed to amplify the already throbbing pains that wracked his body from the crash.
He knew that if Alfonso couldn’t protect them, the man would die trying.

The chancellor cackled as he rose off the ground, the dense air around him giving a boost. The imp zipped over to the strange masked man and leaned onto his shoulder, his horn nearly digging into his neck. 
“Oh, how gallant! How brave!!” He teased, his smile never-ending. “How incredibly foolhardy!” His laughter subsided, and Zelda looked around to see if he had slipped past her guard.

“That is enough,” The senior engineer commanded.
“I, just as many generations before me, have served this family,” He snarled at the man. He yanked his sword out from the hilt as he stood in formation for battle.
“I’ll be damned if I let you do anything else.”
His eyes shifted from between the imp and the man next to him, body prepared for whoever made the first attack.

The stranger looked toward the imp, awaiting a signal. His cold, dead eyes seemed to darken 

Cole sighed as he leaned his head onto the man’s shoulder. He pressed his cheek into the stranger’s scalp, almost nuzzling it.
“How melodramatic. It bores me so. Byrne, would you kindly dispose of this clown? I do not care for his show.” 

Byrne waved the imp off his head while he stared at Alfonzo, studying his stance. “He speaks the truth, Cole. He’s no amateur.”
Byrne crouched himself down in a stance of his own. He held out his arm, bladed fingers ready to rip what skin they could grab.
“He is only human, however. Weak at the flesh.” 

Cole leaped off Byrne while he and Alfonso circled each other. The former captain made the first strike, and the sword’s speed caught Byrne off guard.
Although surprised, Byrne retaliated just as quickly on the defensive with his arm until he had reached an advantage. He pushed the sword down, the two in the heat of a battle that no one knew who would win. 

He struggled against the power of this strange being as he was pushed back.
“As I said, I will defend the princess no matter the costs!” The engineer bellowed, his struggle evident.

“As I said before,” Byrne mocked as he kicked the back of Alfonso’s leg. “ You are only a meager human.”

He pushed Alfonzo away from his blade and slashed at him with his claw. The sheer force sent Alfonzo flying. Link watched as he slammed against the top of the passenger car, a few sickening cracks sounded after his scream. He fell, limp, and silent while his breathing struggled greatly. 

The child’s tears slipped down his cheeks while Zelda cried Alfonso’s name, her hand reaching out to him.
Link wanted to yell, he wanted to cry his lungs out to stop him, but nothing dared to come out.
He heard heavy footsteps behind him.
The hair on his arms stood up as he turned, and saw Byrne stride his way over to finish what he had started. 

Link, despite every bone and muscle of his body telling him ‘no’, had stepped in front of Zelda. His right arm was limp, but that did not mean that he couldn’t at least try to defend the princess.
He was the reason why she was here in the first place.
Byrne’s eyes narrowed, and he backhanded the child, sending the boy away from the arena. Link hissed as he was thrown to the side, his cheek cut from the tip of one of Byrne’s steel fingers.

Zelda’s vision was blurry with her tears as she tried to run to him, but was blocked off by the sharp claws on Byrne’s hand. “Link! You!…” Zelda shrieked before she grimaced at Byrne, backing away until her back met the barrier of the tower.
“Don’t come any closer, you… you beast!” She glared at both Byrne and Cole in terror as they surrounded her. Suddenly, her body felt constricted by some dark force, as if under Cole’s command while he produced dark magic from his hands and grinned from horn to horn.
She screamed at herself mentally to run, but she was stuck in place.
She wiggled in an attempt to break free, only to feel her prison grow tighter.
Zelda trembled, her attempts to protect herself in vain as Cole laughed with a renewed sense of purpose.
Gleefully, he contaminated her with his power, the electricity sending wave after wave of pain throughout her body. 

Zelda shrieked out for help, her eyes on Alfonzo and Link’s unconscious and bleeding bodies, but all was lost once she passed out due to the effects of Cole’s magic.
Her last thought before the comforting black of sleep was that she had failed her friends and her kingdom.

A  bright orb left her body as a white light overtook her and floated up before zipping to Hyrule Castle.

Cole clapped his hands together in malicious glee. “Well done, Byrne!” He praised, skipping around the man.
“You do know how to put on a good show! This takes care of the first of many steps to our plan.”

Byrne roughly picked up the limp body of the princess, her skin growing cold with each passing moment. 

“It was hardly a fair fight, Cole. Not worth my time.”

In the distance, Link had opened his eyes. He saw nothing but three blurry figures, but he recognized one of them as the princess’s body. 

‘Zelda… I’m sorry… ’ he thought just before he blacked out. 

Link’s eyes shot open, his mind hazy and the area blurred against the bright lights. His eyes scanned the surroundings and found the crest he had seen when he had arrived at the castle only a few hours prior. 

The boy looked to his right and saw Alfonso, bandages littering his body from his torso onward. He crawled as best he could with his arm in a sling over and poked at him.
The stretch alone shot brief pain throughout his sore body.
“Alfonso? Alfonso, are you okay?”
His voice was hoarse, dry from lack of water.  

He was met with nothing but silence except for his labored breathing. The shallow rise and fall of his chest was the only indicator that he survived.
The kid shrunk into himself. He felt as if everything that happened was his fault.
The weight of the attack settled greatly on his shoulders as his mentor continued to rest.
He didn’t want to lose anyone else, and he had already failed the princess. He stared at his clothes and glared at every smudge of dirt and every stain of blood that adorned his person. 

A knock at the door to the infirmary snapped him out of his thoughts. 

“Welcome back, child.” An old man coughed. He wiped at his mustache gently. Link recognized him as Zelda’s teacher, and crawled out from his bed and limped toward him. 

“Thank the spirits you’re awake, that you’re okay.” He coughed out, muffling it behind a handkerchief.
“I had gone to investigate the commotion outside these walls,” He began, resting his hands on his cane. “,but it seemed two guards got to you both before I could. I’ve been waiting for either one of you to come to your senses with hope.” 

Link grabbed onto the teacher, his eyes desperate for an answer.
“Is Alfonso alright?! What’s wrong with him? Will he get better soon?!” He cried. Each question tumbled out one after the other with such speed it almost seemed like one sentence. 

The elder patted the child as he gently pulled Link’s hand from his sleeve.
“Alfonso is alright, just resting.” The man grinned, the shine of his glasses hiding what different emotion he could display behind them. “He took a number, a few ribs broken, and his chest requiring stitches. However, we believe he should make a slow, but good recovery."
Link frowned, both he and the teacher staring at Alfonso. He believed the elderly man had liked to make him feel better.

The teacher kneeled to Link’s height and adjusted his glasses.
“Now, tell me, child, what happened?”

Link breathed in deeply, already scared of what reaction could happen. After all, the princess was in danger, and it was because of him and his willingness to take her to the Tower of Spirits.
“Well… The princess was kidnapped after the Tower of Spirits had been destroyed,” he swallowed, his throat tight from tears that wished to spill. “And Alfonso tried to save her, we did, but some strange man with a claw fought him and Chancellor Cole turned out to be a monster.”
His breathing quickened as he rubbed his fingers together in regulation.
“They… They both were too strong, and now- now the princess is in danger, and Alfonso is stuck like this–” he sniffed, gripping the cloth of the sling tightly. “-and I’m the only one who seems to have come out of it.”
His throat had begun to hurt greatly, and he wished he could have signed.
However, with a tale like this, there was only so much one could say with one hand.
The teacher nodded in understanding. “So you’re saying: the chancellor is some kind of monster and he kidnapped Princess Zelda?”

Link nodded, his heart in his throat, and his stomach churning. 

He chuckled, a soft grin on his face. “My goodness, what an outrageous story!! You’d make a great storyteller someday.” He praised. “You’re just pulling my leg, correct?”

Link’s silence and averted gaze were all the confirmation the elder needed. 

“Your looks say it’s true…” He stood up, his gaze never leaving the boy until it finally sunk in.
“If I’m not mistaken… you’re saying that…” He trailed off as the tremble of his cane increased.
“The princess has been kidnapped?!” He shrieked.
He paced around the room while Link looked at the ground in shame. “Oh, this is dire. I must inform the princess- ah, yes, she’s gone … Then what am I to do?!” He panicked. He sat down on a chair to plan out his next step while Link quietly snuck out of the room for fresh air. 

Back in the corridors where everything first started, he planned to leave the castle for just a moment but was instead greeted with the sound of disembodied weeping. 

“Hello! Hello! Guards? Please, help me!” It cried. “Can anyone see me? I need your help, please!”

Link peered around the corner and saw where this ghostly voice was coming from. 

There stood Zelda, frantically tugging at the clothes and weapons of the soldiers outside the throne room.
With each attempt proving futile, she buried her face in her hands as she wept up the staircase.

Link followed her up the steps, but was too late as she had already made it to the doors of her quarters. 

“I need your help!” She wailed in front of a guard. Defeated, she trailed off into her room.
“Why can’t anyone hear me?”

Worried, Link ran past the guard at the door and burst into her room.
He was confused as to why no one could hear her either when she was right in front of them, plain as day. 

Zelda wept in front of the spirit flute. Her tears didn’t fall to the ground, but instead floated in the air like tiny snowflakes that drifted in the wind.
The door shut behind them, and Zelda solemnly turned around to see Link staring at her. 

“Link? I… Can… Can you see me? She stuttered, shocked by the state Link was in.
She thought he should be resting, but here he was, gazing at her in this pitiful form. 

Her lip quivered. “I need to apologize to Alfonso for what happened. You as well, Link.” Her voice seemed wispy but was also clearer than the bells that rang in the clock that hung over Castle Town. “I never knew the chancellor was capable of such… heinous abilities.” She let her tears flow free from her eyes. Her disembodied weeping left a pang of hurt in Link’s heart.
“All these years… I never had the guts to call out who he truly was. I am a foolish ruler.” She mourned, defeat shown in her posture. 

Link stepped closer and tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but it had instead slipped through and landed back at his side. 

“You saw it too, didn’t you, Link? The tower breaking apart, the dark cloud around it… it must have something to do with the dark forces… this has to be the handiwork of Cole and his cronies.” She spat out, rage coating her words thickly.
“But what could their goal be? Why take my body away with them? What use could they have with it? What will they do with it?” She paced around, her form slowly rising to the ceiling.
Link eyes followed her slow ascent in wonder.

“Oh, I’m sorry…” She made her way closer to him. “It seems I’m strangely, um, lighter without my body.”

Link nodded his head in acknowledgment. 

“I know you can’t sign at the moment, I’m sorry about that… It’s my fault you got hurt.” She solemnly mumbled. Her hand reached out to touch the sling, but all Link felt was the cold sensation of the air shifting around him. 

“I wish I could’ve done more. To help, I mean. You and your mentor shouldn’t have gone through such traumatic events,” she continued while she turned back to the spirit flute. 

Link stood next to her, a kind smile on his face.
“Done enough.” He signed, his eyes on the spirit flute with the princess. 

Zelda’s hand reached for the pan flute, but quickly pulled it back as if she were ashamed to be in its presence. 

“This is a prized family heirloom, you know.” The princess began.
“It’s been handed down for generations. It used to be my grandmother's.” She explained, Link listening intently. “It’s one of my greatest treasures of all.” 

Link raised an eyebrow while he snickered and signed to the princess.
“Other?” He jested. 

Zelda faintly laughed.
“That’s a secret.” The air felt lighter as her mood lifted. “Now, I can hardly ask more of you, even after everything that happened and how hurt you’ve become, but I can’t carry around this instrument in my current state. My grandmother told me that it was meant to protect me, so please, listen to my plea, Link.”

Link shook his head in the positive, ready to fulfill whatever request she needed. 

“Will you take this instrument in my stead and come to the tower with me? You’re the only person I can turn to now…” She motioned her hand as if presenting the instrument for the first time.

Gently, he picked up the instrument and ran his thumb over the wood. It was sleek, yet also vibrant in its color. He could tell it was well taken care of despite its age. 

Zelda gave Link the best hug she could, her curls defying the laws of gravity.
“Thank you so much, Link. I truly appreciate all that you do for me.”
Her lip quivered as tears floated from her eyes and into the air.
“Now then, shall we go? I remember my grandmother telling me that there is a secret passageway that leads to the tower from here. Knowing the spirit tracks aren’t around to use, we will just have to set it from foot-“ She paused and looked at herself.
“…Well, you’ll have to set off on foot… Oh, this is honestly embarrassing.” She whined. Her face was buried in her hands. She would’ve been red had she had her body. 

Link laughed. He lifted his hand and held it out to the door as if saying ‘Lead the way, your Highness.’ 

Zelda flew down the halls while Link followed, the echo of his boots against the tiled floor proving his existence.
He hadn’t realized how many souls resided within the castle walls. He was thankful that the spirits had spared his life, but he was weirded out by this new ability to see the ghosts of the past and the present all in one area.
He couldn’t help but wonder, were all realms like this? Or did they have different ways to process their deaths?

Many of the spirits either tried to call out to him, begging for help and for a cure to a disease he had only heard of, while others stared at him, their faces riddled with boils and what seemed to be pus from old infected wounds.
The child thickly swallowed as he avoided their cold, dead gazes. He didn’t know what they wanted from him, but neither did they.

The girl’s ghost stopped in front of a guard who blocked the path.  

“Well, here we are. I hope the guard can be convinced.” The princess worried. 

Link looked at her and signed. “Talk?”

Zelda nodded, her eyes apologetic.
“Unfortunately, that would be the best decision. I would talk to them if I could, but it seems that the only person who can hear and see me is you.” 

Link cleared his weak throat and mumbled a few words to test out his voice before stepping up to the guard. “Excuse me?”

The soldier looked towards him.
“What is it, recruit?”

The boy shrank back.
“I want to go through this passageway.” His eyes shifted to Zelda, who gave him a thumbs-up and a smile. 

The guard sighed, though it sounded more akin to a scoff.
“Are you sure, recruit? Not only are you not adequately prepared, but you’re injured. Dislocated your arm, I heard. Are you alright, by the way?”

Link nodded, a bit annoyed by the immediate denial.
“Yes, but what do you mean I’m not adequately prepared??”

The guard nervously glanced behind him.
“It’s because there are all sorts of strange and dangerous beasts on the other side of this door, kid. Not the kind of place to go without a sword. I recommend you rest, but it is not my place to order you around, that’s the captain's job” He boomed, his laughter bright.

Zelda leaned close to his ear, the cold air sending shivers up his spine.
“He’s right, Link. It would probably be best that we take something to protect ourselves”

Link was a little disappointed that he had to do more walking around, but it was probably for the best. His legs needed it.
“I will be back soon then, sir!” He saluted. He ran out from the corridor and into the main hall. “Where do I even get a sword, Zelda?” he whispered, afraid of drawing attention to himself.
The spirits of the castle watched him, their eyes lingered as he ran past them once more behind Zelda.
“Like the man said, the captain of the guard. I know where he is, just follow me! He’ll probably think that you’re using it to train, anyways.” 

She guided him to a large room that contained other recruits and guards hitting dummies. The captain shouted orders and formations for the soldiers to follow but paused when Link ran up to him. 

“What are you here for, Recruit?”  

Link was a bit startled by how loud his voice was. Compared to this man, Alfonso seemed like a saint when he ordered him around. 

“I came to ask for a sword, Captain…” he paused. Link’s heart raced while he tried to figure out the captain's name. His eyes darted around the room for an answer, but thankfully Zelda whispered in his ear before the silence became suspicious. “Russell, sir!” 

Russell raised an eyebrow.
“For training, correct recruit?”

“Yes, sir!”

The captain leaned forward.
“Even with such an injury? Are you sure you should be swinging a sword around with your arm in a sling? Something is fishy about this… are you even a real recruit?”

Link swallowed. Had his cover been blown? What could’ve given it away? Zelda’s thumbs twiddled around each other as she nervously waited for the captain’s response. The stakes were high, and Zelda wished she could’ve been visible just so she could command him. To their surprise, they were met with a belly laugh. 

“Your eyes tell the whole story, Kid. Take this sword. It’ll prove to be useful to you.” He grinned.
He lifted a sword off the mantle and handed it to the boy. 

Link felt the sword nearly slip through his shaky hand. When had his hand been so sweaty? 

“Now, just because you have a sword, doesn’t mean you’re a swordsman just yet. Let me see if you’re truly worthy of handling a weapon like that. YOU BOYS!” he called, and three of the guards scampered up to Russell.
“Your fellow recruit here needs a little help with training. Think you could act as his sparring partners?” 

They saluted.
Quickly, they began training. Link had been afraid that his arm was going to be a hindrance to this, but he gracefully moved around as if it hadn’t even existed at all. He'd only picked up a sword once in his life, and it felt like it was made for his hands.
Alfonso made sure he didn’t mess around with such a weapon after he had cut his hand due to a mishap. His imagination and its play battles with a stick and the adults of the village were the only thing close to the real deal. 

Training flew by quickly for the recruits and the guards, but it felt like forever to Link and the princess.
They were losing time as Russell ran on and on about the safety importance, something Alfonzo had already taught him.
Link missed the guy, even if he never really outright said it anymore, and he only hoped that he could get better as soon as possible. 

Zelda and Link rushed back to the post of the other guard, sword sheathed and lungs burning. Link hadn’t run this much in a while, and the large architecture of the castle hadn’t helped either. 

The children stopped at the guard. Link held up the sword as proof that he had acquired the weapon, and the guard sighed. “I can’t do anything to stop you. Good luck out there. Be careful, kid.” 

He stepped to the side and let Link pass. He felt a little uneasy as a cold wind slipped by his senses. 

He only hoped that the child would stay safe out in the open.
He prayed to the spirits to hold this boy in their hands and guide him to what was right and good.

Chapter Text

      Zelda’s body faded in and out of Link’s view, the small, bright blue orb being the only thing to distinguish her from the shine of the sun’s rays.
He watched as she rushed from side to side, piecing together a path to the tower. The dust caked on the walls and dirt kicked up from the small rodents irritated his lungs, tickling his throat. The hall has not been used in a long while, by the looks of its upkeep.

Link coughed into his hand, careful of the blade in his hand. “Princess Zelda, do you know even where we are??” he asked, hesitant.

“Of course! You just go…” She paused, looking every which way for an opening. “You go…”

“Your Highness?-”

The princess whirled around to look at him, a wiry smile on her face.
“If you so much as speak one word-”

“It’s okay.”

     Zelda almost felt herself sink into the floor, her faux heart dropping into her stomach. She watched as Link walked past her.
“I’m sorry… I just-” She sighed, arms cradling each other in comfort. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”
The princess glided across the stone floors as she finally found their way to a larger door to the back of the palace.
“My grandmother would take me here from time to time, but those days are long past.”

She could hear the childish giggles echo down the hall, the sound of heavy boots chasing after her while a pirates’ chant followed close behind.

     Link grinned at her as he gently pushed open the door, the caress of the wind welcome on his face. “That’s lovely, princess. I’m sure she-”

 

A sick growl caught their attention, as did the number of hostile creatures that surrounded them. 

Link readied his sword, trembling.
“Are you scared?” Zelda whispered, worried that any sudden sound from her could initiate an attack.
He shook his head in the positive. His grip tightened on the handle, the tips of his fingers digging into the thick cloth wrapped around it. 

     The small creatures snarled at the children, their teeth red with the blood of their most recent attack.  The saliva of the monsters bubbled a pinkish white from their mouths, dripping with nothing but a hunger for the flesh of another being. One of the forest monsters lunged at Link. Its mouth opened wide, a growl and sharp teeth accompanying its feral attack.

Link sloppily swung his sword, slicing the being’s feet with a struggling blade. It yelped in pain and rolled on the ground while its blood stained the ground. The cries and howls sent chills up his spine.
He caused this.
He was the reason for the suffering of this creature.
He couldn’t help but stare absently, his gaze occasionally finding the ill severed foot on the ground.

     Zelda tried to get his attention, but her screams fell on deaf ears as he stared at the scene before him.
He was frozen, and his rapid heartbeat was the only thing heard in his ears. Perhaps time as well as the spirits above thought of him foolish to hope that these monsters would scatter from the example of their friend on the ground. Instead, he felt the teeth of another bite into the flesh of his leg.
Its brethren followed its lead, the monster jumping to sink into Link’s injured arm. He panicked and kicked his leg as his blood seeped through his clothing, dripping onto the green grass. His hand, desperate to throw the creatures off, discarded the blade while he attempted to grab and yank the critter off of him.
Filled with uncertainty and terror, he looked to Zelda for help, his body shaking against the searing waves of pain shot through him with every movement both he and the creatures made.

     Zelda’s eyes went wide, her hand over her mouth as she stared in helpless horror at his pain.
She felt like a liability to him.
He was stuck in a fight that could very well get him killed if he became outnumbered, and she could do nothing but watch. It sickened every ghostly bone in her body. Link turned to look at the specter, eyes watering and eyebrows knit together.
‘Help me.’  they said.
The princess’s eyes shifted toward his sword, the blade nearly blinding from the sun.
It wouldn’t be of use, as he was preoccupied with trying to pull the sharp teeth of the creature out from his skin.
She scanned the area again, finally finding something of possible use.  
“The hilt!!” She cried, desperate for something that would rescue him from his troubles.
“The force should startle them enough to let go!” She hoped. It was all she could do.
Her hands clasped together in a prayer to the spirits above, the sensation of a heart's rapid beat pounding in her ears.
If only she could’ve done something.
If only she wasn’t so useless.

     With Zelda keeping an eye, Link did just that. With a harsh smack, the creature on his leg pulled away from the surface of his flesh and clothing. As the critter came back to reality, the boy reached over to snatch his sword from the ground, pieces of grass torn in his desperation. In his movement, the monster on his arm sunk its teeth further, pulling a yelp from the novice swordsman.
Rushing to finish what they had begun, he slashed at the monster on the ground, its body cleanly sliced in two, its eyes losing their life just as fast as the blade crossed it.
The other monster tugged, trying to rip away at his arm’s flesh in vengeance for its brethren. Link stabbed at the monster, his sword lifting the body up and away from his limb.
     The creature twitched as it reached the finality of its life, its blood trailing down the blade and onto his hand.
The boy threw the blade with the monster still on it away in disgust, bile in his throat.
He felt his heartbeat in his ears, the tremor of his hands still covered in its blood terrifying him.
Zelda stared at the massacre that lay before the two.
She glanced over at Link, watching the color drain from his face as he stumbled over to the nearest spot to fall ill.
If she could throw up, she would’ve done so by now, too.
The princess kicked herself for not being able to do more. There was only so much she could do in her ghostly form, and none of them included fighting alongside someone.

     The princess recalled her younger days; she would sneak out of the castle with her grandmother to play with the creatures that now lay dead in front of her.
They used to be so sweet, happily chasing her down hills or behind trees to play, but now they craved violence that one could only deem as demonic. 
Her eyes tore away from the scene and back to Link, who was now hunched over by a bush. She floated over, careful not to startle him.

“Link… Are you okay?...”
She knew her words meant nothing. They already had an answer. The child gagged, his stomach forcing what little he had that day out of his system and onto the soil of the bush. Zelda put her hand on his back, soothing him as best as she could. Her heart wept for the scene that played out.

“It’s okay now, it’s done.” She muttered while her form leaned into his, at least in estimation of where it would have been had she had physical touch. 

Link whimpered as he stared at his hand on the ground, the skin tainted with the drying stain of blood. His tears slightly removed the reddish-brown substance, but he could never wash away the wrong that came with the deed that had been done.

     The princess moved to face him, her eyes apologetic. “Link, you didn’t do anything wrong. It was self defense.” She consoled, listening to the weak breaths the boy took.
“Do you think you’re ready to go to the tower, or do you want to take a little break?” She asked, her head tilted to the side as she placed a hand on his shoulder. 

Link sat himself up. He wiped at the mess on his face with his sleeve. He’d ask for a change of clothes later if he could.

     “I… I don’t know…” was all he could muster as an answer, his voice nearly inaudible. He looked behind him and at the chaos he left. He wanted to leave, but he didn’t know if he could get up. 

Zelda flew around him and blocked his view as best she could, albeit transparent.

     “If you want to sit, we can!” She smiled, trying her best to bring a bit of light to his life. “I understand if you would, since-”

     “No, I think it’s best we press forward. Can’t leave your body stuck in Cole’s hands.” He countered. He winced as he stood up. His leg nearly gave out underneath him. He hoped he could tend to it in the tower.
Zelda floated to where a tunnel would’ve been while Link limped close behind. He grabbed his sword and shook the carcass off, its blood painting the grass with little drops. His ears twitched as he heard Zelda gasp loudly. 

     Her jaw dropped as her eyes laid upon a pile of rocks blocking the entrance to the tunnel. Furious, she punched at the rock wall in front of them but fazed through. 

“This is so… so stupid!!” She yelled, her hands in her hair, tugging at the curls.
“This must have happened when the tower crumbled!” She spat.
Link was taken aback by how fast her mood switched. He assumed the stress had gotten to her. 

Zelda circled the area until she found a flower close by, a bomb flower. Content with her discovery, she zipped back to Link and pointed toward it. “Look, a bomb flower! we can use this to get rid of the rocks!!”  

Link nodded and slowly made his way to the flower.
Using what upper body strength he had, he yanked the flower out of its root. He threw it at the wall ahead and rushed as best as he could to hide behind a solid surface. 

     “Tell me when it’s open.” He told Zelda, his hands over his ears. His eyes were squeezed shut, his nose crinkled in anticipation of the boom.

The bomb sizzled, shaking as it began to grow. Zelda watched intensely while the flower exploded, sending rubble into the air and around them. 

    Link watched as Zelda was ‘hit’ with a few larger rocks, her form separating and gathering together in a misty structure.
He grew jealous.
He hated that she couldn’t understand how it felt to be in pain while he was stuck limping with an arm in its sling.
His wounds pulsed slightly, guilt clawing at him for being envious of the fact that she couldn’t feel what he did when he was the reason she was stuck in this situation.
It was for the best.
She had a kingdom to run, and his life would be given for the greater good to make up for his failure to protect her before.

    The smoke of the bomb dissipated, revealing the opened tunnel to the tower. 

The ghostly princess called out to Link, her voice muffled. 

“The tunnel is open!!” Before he could move, he felt the air’s temperature drop.

She settled down before him. “Are you positively sure you want to continue?”

     “I’m positive, your highness.”  

She reluctantly backed away from him. It was clear to her that he was troubled, but she didn’t know what to say to help him feel safe. 

     “Well then,” she inhaled, bracing herself for what may come.
“Let’s press forward.”

     The cave felt confined, and the air within it nearly threw Link into a coughing fit.
Years of dust laid to rest on the ground were kicked up by the skitter of little creatures and insects in addition to Link’s limping, his foot dragging across the dirt.
While the two trod within the tunnel, quiet squeaking echoed throughout the caves.
The sounds were all too familiar to the princess and she began to look around in paranoia. 

     “Link, you don’t think there’s… rats here, do you?” she asked, her voice quivering at the constant scratching of nails on the gravel.
The princess whipped around for an answer but was met with nothing except a shrug and an ‘I don’t know.’

Zelda whimpered as they continued their walk. She hated rats with a passion, always freezing in fear when she saw one as if it wouldn’t notice her.
Her grandmother had told her that these lands used to be filled to the brim with people, young and old, new and native, and everything in between.
Everything had something to offer, but one day disaster struck, and the land of New Hyrule fell under the pestilence that caused half of its people to tragically pass.
Zelda had been told it was mostly due to spoiled and contaminated produce that had been distributed unbeknownst to many of the citizens, but also due to the pests that lingered on such items. Rats had gained a more negative reputation among many of the rodents that resided in the realms.
     
     Although it occurred shortly before she was even born, she couldn’t help but worry that the same fate could come to her Hyrule. Unlike the queens before, Zelda had little to no experience with leading her people without the guidance of someone, and now that someone had betrayed her and the royal family. 
Many would say she had done fine before Cole arrived, but in reality, she was just repeating a tune played by her mother and grandmother once before.

The chitters of rats hidden within the walls grew louder until they could no longer be concealed. Two of them ran out of a small hole, and the cave shook with the sound of Zelda’s caterwaul.

   “Oh ew ew ew ew EW!!”
Small particles of light fell from her eyes while she tensed up, her knees to her chest while she protected her face with her arms. The ghost sobbed as she tried to shoo the rodents away, but her efforts failed.
Link unsheathed his sword and shooed them away, the tip of his blade against their little backs.
He already slaughtered minutes before, and he refused to do it again unless something attacked him first. Back in the safety of their home in the wall, Link looked to Zelda, who was still weeping in her little ball of comfort.

     “Zelda, it’s okay. They’re gone.” He coughed, old dust making its way into his lungs.
Link wished he knew what to say to help the princess come out of her shell, but he, unfortunately, could not find the right words.
Zelda slowly uncurled, sniveling and wiping at her tears.

     “Did… Did you get rid of them?” she spoke while she looked around for any trace of the rats at all.

     “I… took care of them, yes.”

The girl smiled, her lip trembling as she went to ‘hug’ him. Instead, she phased through him just as she would any other solid object.
     “Oh.” She had forgotten about that.
“Well, th…thank you!” she stuttered, hands fiddling with her gloves, eyes downcast.
“I’m sorry I’m no help.”
The engineer weakly grinned back, tired from the ordeals of today. “No worries. Let’s get to the tower.” 

     The two walked (Link limped with the help of his sword.) up a set of stairs embedded in the rocks, the echo of Link’s shoes and the slight shimmer trail of Zelda’s spirit the only things to keep them company.
A bright light glimmered at the end of the tunnel, and Link rushed as best as he could towards the exit. He had enough of walking around in a cave like this, breathing in its ancient atmosphere and only hearing the droplets of water that fell from the stalactites as well as the occasional sound of a mouse passing through.
Fresh air greeted the engineer's lungs while the wind melded with the misty makeup of Zelda’s apparition.

     Above them, the Tower of Spirits stood tall against its electrical chains, each section spinning wildly underneath the dark spiral that spun at a laggard speed.
“Link,” the princess began, her eyes shifting down to meet his. “Are we ready?”
He glared at the tower, his anger at who caused it palpable within the breeze the sectioned tower created.
“As ready as we’ll ever be…” He replied, nerves tainting his tone due to his thoughts of what the future held.
Thus, in mutual agreement, the children set foot into the Tower of Spirits.

Chapter Text

The Tower of Spirits was spacious compared to the many places Link had been, at least for a building. He could hear his breathing bounce off of the concrete structures adorned with carvings of different parts of its history. In front of them stood a solid object vaguely shaped like a train, its grey and beige stones contrasting one another pleasantly to the eye.
Zelda glided to it, her hand on the side where a passenger car would be.

“What’s this?? A train?” She leaned her head closer, studying the various patterns engraved into the stone.

“That, my dear, would be the spirit’s train.” An elderly woman chuckled.
Zelda whipped around, startled by the sudden addition to the room. If she had a heartbeat, it would’ve stopped.
“They entrusted us with its keeping, but I’m sure you knew this already, child.”
The owner of the voice rolled up to the children, the wheels of her chair grinding softly against the floor.

“You… you can hear me?? You can see me??”
In her awe, she felt herself rise into the air.
“Could you… Could you be the sage of this tower?”
The princess stared at the elder with disbelief, studying the newcomer’s features.
Her lilac hair was twisted into a bun, much like Queen Tetra had worn during her prime. The woman smiled as she winked at the princess, her eye closed for the remainder of her sentence.

“Well, I wouldn't say it exactly that way, but I do watch over the Tower of Spirits.” She grinned her hands in her sleeves. “My name is Anjean.”
Giddy, the princess leaned closer her smile bright and relieved.

“Oh, am I glad to see you, Miss Anjean! There’s something we have to talk to you about! Urgently!!”
Zelda recounted her experience with Chancellor Cole and Byrne with the help of Link who’d butt in when certain details were missing.
Anjean listened intently, nodding her head along.
“It was horrible, Anjean. I don’t know what the Chancellor needs my body for, but he separated my soul from it. I want it back! I need it back!” she cried while leaning over the wise lady, her eyes mad.

“Not only that, Miss Anjean, but with the princess gone, the kingdom is slowly losing its grip on what little composition it has. I’ve seen it myself.” Link added, recalling his time with the teacher and his palpable panic.

“Mhm, I see.” The woman hummed, wheeling herself closer to the princess.
“I must say, Zelda, that pallor you’re sporting is quite frightful!” Anjean expressed, head faced to the ground in sorry. “One might even call it… rather hideous, in fact.” she chuckled, peering up at the girl with one eye closed.

Zelda tensed up as she felt gravity loosen its grip on her even further. Her hair puffed up much like the dove the kingdom loved so much, and her blood ran hot.
“Hideous?! How dare you say that about my ailment!!” she shrieked. Her form shook violently while her face scrunched up in anger. The girl wagged a finger in front of the sage’s face as she scolded her, little thought going into her action.
“I’m already going through enough as it is, Miss Anjean! I do NOT need your comments about my lack of a body!” she huffed.

“I see that feistiness runs in your family, child. There is no need for you to get your feathers all ruffled.” The elder chortled, each wrinkle and crease of her face prominent with humor.
Zelda’s scrunched up face loosened a tad only to be replaced with shock due to Anjean’s words. ‘“Runs in the family”?” she muttered to herself, the gears in her head churning with every little thought that connected her to a single answer.
“Did you know my family?” She questioned, an eyebrow raised while suspicion was etched onto her face.

Anjean nodded as she stared up at the princess.
“Indeed I did, young one. I met your grandmother when she first arrived on these plains. We remained friends up until her passing.” she laughed, the timbre of it warm and loving.
The ghost mulled over the information, a bit befuddled about why her grandmother never introduced her to Anjean in the first place.

“I see… If my family arrived here nearly a century ago, were you guarding the tower already?”
The old woman clicked her tongue, winking at the princess.

“Now that is a story for another time, Your Highness. Right now, we must discuss a matter graver.” Her body turned towards Link.
“You, swordsman. Come with me for a moment.” She commanded while she removed an arm from her sleeve, waving him over.
The boy tensed up. He hesitantly walked up to Anjean, an apprehensive smile on his face.

“What is it?...”

“I just thought you’d like a moment to rest, is all. You and your clothing look like you’ve seen things that you would prefer to keep to yourself.” She shrugged.
“There is a room in the tower that can help wash away your wounds and your being. I suggest you rest there for the time being while your princess and I speak of her… condition.”
Anjean smiled as she rolled along with Link in tow. She pushed open a large door, the wood creaking loudly from years of little use. Link winced and quickly leaned an ear onto his shoulder in a vain attempt to muffle it.
“Come along now, child.” The elder had a subdued smile. “I’m sure you need it. This sanctuary is open to all; Do feel free to rest your head whenever you feel drained.” she bowed.

The door shut harshly. the bang reverberated throughout the area, startling the child.
The room was filled with various wildflowers and vegetation that resided within the forest realm. The ground was a cobblestone with bits and pieces of moss and grass within its crevices and a large stained glass window of the spirits’ figures brought a divine natural light that graced the safe room with its presence.
In the center of the room, a large fountain flowed with water that shimmered within the rays of the sun, a soft rainbow visible from where Link stood. The water spouted from the statues of the spirits that created the nation, the excess droplets slipping down the cheeks as if they were in tears, as if they knew of his pain.
Ceramic cups were stacked on one another on the ledge of the fountain next to a sign that persuaded its visitors to take a sip of the medicinal waters offered by the spirits above. Next to the cups on the floor were a bucket, ladle, soaps, and a fresh towel ready to be used, as if the sanctuary itself expected his presence.

Link reluctantly filled a cup with water, apprehensively sipping at it. His injuries stung while his arm tingled with an uncomfortable throb. Curious, he slipped off the sling that once confined his arm and moved it around.
The persistent pain that once bothered him on his trip here had subsided, and he nearly screamed at how illusory it felt. Anjean was right to tell him that he needed to take a moment to himself.

Anjean wheeled over to Zelda, who waited with impatience. She paced around, counting the minutes that passed in anxious whispers.
“My deepest apologies for my tardiness, dear one.” Anjean chuckled. “Now, where were we?”
Zelda flew over in haste.

“We had something to discuss, Miss Anjean,” she confirmed, nearly speeding up her speech. “What was it?”

“Ah, yes. Child, do you know the story of the tower?”

The girl scrutinized Anjean with squinted eyes of confusion. Her nose crinkled, and her brain rambled on and on about how she was running out of time to save herself- to save her kingdom.
“Of course, Anjean. I’ve listened to many of the folktales that the elders of my kingdom have spoken. The spirits and the Demon King were in a never-ending war. The spirits could not defeat him, but managed to imprison him within this tower.”

“So then you know that it is the tracks’ energy that flows between the tower and the four temples surrounding that incarcerate him, yes?” Anjean added, her eye closed while the other shone with knowledge unknown.

The specter shuddered, a nonexistent chill running throughout her ‘body’. “I do. The tracks are disappearing right before our eyes, though!”

“That is what I am about to tell you, child. Have patience, it will become a virtue for your journey. Heed my words, Princess Zelda, if the tracks are lost, the tower’s energy will fade, and so will the Demon King’s prison. That is what the evil ones are after! They aim to resurrect Malladus, the Demon King.”
The weight of the elderly woman’s words settled on Zelda’s shoulders as if she had been tied from the legs and thrown into a vast lake, the iron balls dragging her down while she tried to squirm out of her rope prison.
“Right now,” continued Anjean her soft voice pulling Zelda from her watery grave, “my strength is what maintains his shackles, but it’s only a matter of time until they’re broken.”

Zelda slowly sank to the floor, curling up in a ball of comfort just as she had in the cave with Link.
“How long do you think we have?” faintly asked, hiding her tears of dread within her crossed arms. She already understood she was practically useless, but the knowledge that her time in this form could be permanent stuck like a thorn in her side.

The woman placed a hand on the young girl’s head in encouragement. “Long enough for you to get your body back. With Cole’s power, it will likely take a long while until he succeeds. However, to resurrect Malladus, they’d need one final ingredient.”
The child stared up at Anjean.
She prayed to the spirits that she didn’t mention her body at all, and she prayed that her body was as useless as her ghostly being now.

“They require a vessel from the royal line of ancient Hyrule with sacred power coursing through its veins.”

The world as Zelda knew it crumbled, leaving clouds of dust behind as a way to cover up every emotion and every thought that sprang up within those few seconds after hearing the devastating news. She wanted to cry
She wanted to scream.
She wanted to hit and claw her way back into her body even if it meant causing harm to every limb she had just so she could prevent it.

Zelda shook in inconceivable emotion while Anjean resumed. The words nearly fell deaf on her ears as she thought about her future as a princess, as the princess.

“Yes, Zelda, Malladus requires you to return to the overworld, but only your shell. It would be the only suitable vessel for him to inhabit.”
Zelda felt disgusted beyond belief with what she had been told.
She was a child, nothing more than a kid within the eyes of adults around the kingdom, and yet here she was, her body being used for the end of New Hyrule. She held her hand over her mouth as she gagged, sickened by the fact that a primitive demon would lie in her body and do spirits know what with it.
She couldn’t stand it; she wouldn’t stand for it, but what could she do?
As of current, she could do nothing but scream in revulsion, her only word being a shrill ‘NO!’ as if it were going to do anything to stop Cole and his accomplice.

Link nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Zelda’s voice become nothing but an ear-piercing shout. He haphazardly slipped his (now clean) shirt back on and burst through the door and into the tower’s lobby.
Above him was the princess, her hands pulling at the hair on her scalp while Anjean watched her dejected.

“The Demon King is going to run around in MY body?!” she sobbed, her hands around herself as if she were in the form she once donned. “That… That is disgusting, ABBHORENT!!”
The princess huddled herself up once more as if she were a hermit crab.
She rocked herself while she covered her ears, refusing to hear anything more except the enhanced whimpers of her tears.
Her eyes were shut tightly while she continued her breakdown.
Anjean’s words repeated in her head until they were incoherent, and she lamented the fact that she couldn’t stop it.
At least, she did until her eyes snapped open with a new passion ready to unleash, the fires of detestation fanned by her snap.

“We HAVE to stop them.-” she resolved as she stood back up.
Link gaped in worry while the princess inched closer toward Anjean, her eyes clouded with a rage that not even he could understand.
“-We can NOT let Malladus return!” She huffed.
Her nose nearly touched Anjean’s.

The elderly woman felt strong bouts of cold air against her face as the princess ‘breathed’, a shiver sent up her spine with every puff of anger.

“My thoughts exactly, dearest.” She chuckled.
“At the top of this tower is your body. They plan to protect it while Malladas lingers within. he and his cronies are preparing the ritual needed to complete his resurrection.” She frowned.
“To stop this, you must fortify his prison, which means you must go toward each temple that acted as a key and restore its energy. Restore the tracks. Do you understand?” She continued, her eyebrows furrowed as her gaze sharpened toward the princess.

Zelda remained stagnant in the air, her eyes darkened as her mind listed every option she could think of.
As a ghost, she did not have many abilities aside from slipping between walls and scaring the pants off of people with a simple push of a vase. She looked over to Link, a worried expression on her face as his eyes studied her.
His fight prior to entering the tower still weighed heavy on her heart. She didn’t want him to get hurt like that again, however, she also knew it was inevitable if he were to commit to this trial. Zelda could only think of one phrase that summarized her feelings about this journey.
‘I’m sorry.’
Link watched intently as the princess paused in thought. Her eyes squinted and her nose crinkled before she finally perked up.
“Yes, but HOW?!” She whipped back around to face Anjean.
“Our train is in ruins, and the tracks are nearly gone!”

The princess paced around, The woman and the engineer watched her form float back into the air.
“From what I can see, there is nowhere to go to even start!”

“That is where you’re wrong, princess.”

With her attention grabbed, the child drifted back down to Anjean’s level. “What do you mean?”

“All of your answers are within this tower-” Anjean began before Link excitedly piped up.

“The glyphs?! The original track maps?!”
The boy felt himself nearly jump out of his skin with excitement, the many years studying the track’s history and train’s compositions bursting forth from his brain.
“They’ve been here the entire time? They still exist?!”

Anjean laughed at Link’s outburst.
“Smart boy you are. That is indeed the case. To restore the tracks, you must retrieve them, thus reconnecting the tower, and by extension, our kingdom.”
Link could feel his heart pound in his chest, pure joy wanting to burst its way out purely from the IDEA of seeing an ancient part of locomotive history.

“You can start by climbing these stairs.”
She pointed towards a wide entrance to the north of them, the dark shadow intimidating.
“Although the tower is surrounded by dark energy, you will be able to retrieve one of the glyphs. Only then will a portion of the tracks be restored for your use.”

Zelda nodded, immediately turning to Link.
“You have an important mission ahead of you, Link.”
She moved closer.

“What-”

“As we know, New Hyrule is in danger. We are all counting on you.”
Closer.

“Zelda hold on-”

“You understand the gravity of this whole situation, yes?”
Closer.
Her nose was nearly touched Links, her eyes boring into his soul.

“Yes, but-”

“You must find the glyphs. You must restore the tracks as best as you can!”
She saw Link back up, but still, she moved closer.
“I will stay and wait for you here.”

Link, bewildered, snapped himself out of his shock.
“Wait for me?! What happened to us sticking together?!”
His jealousy reared its ugly head again.
How dare she suggest such-

Zelda reached for his hand, the cold air shutting his mind up
“From what I know, it's somewhat kind of family tradition. We princesses always did that, according to the family history.”
She lied. She knew it was a lie.
In reality, she did not want to burden him more than she already had with her current form.
Link did not deserve a companion who could do nothing except cry and complain. At least in her body, she could grab things to aid him with his troubles.
She moved closer, nearly knocking the boy onto the ground.
“You can’t be scared now. Just… buck up and get moving!-”

A loud cough called their attention back, Anjean watching with amusement.
“Although I hate to interrupt such an… enthusiastic, pep talk,” She laughed “, ascending the tower alone is impossible.”
She wheeled herself around, the steam from her wheelchair puffing in the air.
“Many traps have been set to snag trespassers. Though it might not seem possible now, back then many wanted to try.”
The old lady shrugged.
“Who knows why? For treasure or pure idiocy, they still failed. Not to mention,” she winked.
“That pesky little infestation of monsters.”

Zelda frowned, hands fiddling with her gloves once more.
“I see…”
She stared at the ground underneath her, the sight of her translucent body hammering in that she could not be an asset for Link’s quest.
She could go back to get Alfonzo, but from what she’s heard he is still resting in the infirmary.
Her teacher would be just as useless as her, as much as she hated to say.
“Well then, I hate to ask this of you, Miss Anjean, but…”
She looked back at Link, whose expression was unreadable.
“Do you think you could accompany Link up the tower?”

Anjean gave Zelda a solemn smile.
“My wheels are spinning keeping the tower together alone. I just can not leave my post. I’m sure you’ll understand, " she consoled.
“What if you went with him, dear?”

The princess turned to Anjean, the feeling of inadequacy written all over her face.
“Me?... Go with him?”
Her heart dropped, and the various scenarios, all ending with the loss of her friend’s life, flashed through her mind.

“Well, this kingdom is your responsibility, ghostly form or not. You must never forget that.
The sage leaned close to Zelda's ear.
“If you are worried about how your current condition will help with Link, trust me when I say: It will only take adaptation and determination.”

The ghost felt the sensation of tears sting her eyes.

“You will be of use to him, Your Highness. You both will just need to figure something out.”

Zelda turned back to Link.
“If I must, then I shall.”
She felt horrible for her willingness to give up, but in a state like this, what was she to do?

On the other hand, Link’s jealousy only seemed to be stuck at a low boil, the bubbles slowly dying as he watched her form curtsey to him.

“I apologize for any troubles I might cause you, as you are in my care just as much as I am in yours.” She declared.

Anjean wheeled herself out of their way as the children looked up toward the stairs.
“You both best run along now, your time is ticking.”
She watched Link run up the stairs, the princess following close behind.
With her hands clasped together, she prayed to the spirits that they watch over the children from now until the end of their journey.