#Impa needs a vacation

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Blood of the Hero Ch 16 (Link’s Parents Play BotW)

Summary: The Soul of the Hero will always be there to save Hyrule. But when Calamity Ganon is nearly victorious in killing him, it's those that bear the Blood of the Hero who will prevail. Ten years after the Great Calamity, the Shrine of Resurrection is damaged and Link's parents fight to save their son and Hyrule along with him.

(AO3 link)

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Tilieth listened to the wind chimes in the distance as she washed Link’s hair. The world around her was warm and bright, and her pack was full of freshly harvested mushrooms and herbs. The bathing area for the Sheikah was a pond just up the hill from the village. There were two ponds, actually, though one had a strange massive flower bud that glowed, and the area was considered sacred. Tilieth didn’t want to upset anyone, though she did bottle some of the water, so she took Link to the watering hole everyone else used. It granted a beautiful view of the village, and it gave her some peace.

After Tilieth and Impa had chased Abel, and their subsequent return to the village, Tilieth had called for help, and Kollin had arrived quickly. Abel was given a potion to alleviate the alarmingly fast rate he was bleeding through his shoulder injury, and while the wound was now gone, her husband was utterly spent from blood loss, stress, and a lack of sleep. She’d stayed by his side until he’d passed out, and then she’d resolved to take care of Link before returning to her vigil. She’d needed to clear her mind.

Where should she even start? She was still reeling, heart having only just slowed down as she’d watched Abel steadily fall asleep, his hand clutched desperately in hers. The moment of clarity she’d had as they’d teleported to the village allowed her to stay calm for her poor husband, but now she was alone with Link, and her head wouldn’t stay quiet.

Abel had hurt her? He had gotten so desperately out of control that he’d hurt her? It was clearly a complete accident, one he regretted so much he was terrified to even get near her, but it was frightening in itself.

How far gone was her husband, that he could lose such control of his mind? Had he always been this bad and she’d simply failed to notice? Tilieth tried to think of other instances where perhaps Abel simply wasn’t acting right, but aside from his short temper or paranoia…

Perhaps that was it, then. It wasn’t that he’d always been this way, it was just the logical conclusion to worsening of his already bad habits.

But how could she possibly help him with this? What had tipped him over the edge? Was it the lack of sleep? She knew he hadn’t slept at least one night. She had to be more on top of it – her husband had always been the strong one, but it was clear now that in some ways the poor man was downright brittle.

And that was frightening too. Because Abel had always been her steady rock, and now he was crumbling.

This wasn’t the first time the man had faltered, of course. He’d snapped at her before, he’d shown signs of being worn down. But this was… far more extreme than she imagined him capable of.

Sleep, she resolved to herself. He needs to sleep well. I have to make sure he sleeps well.

Sighing, Tilieth glanced down at her son, who was boneless under her care. The past day or two he’d wake up easily to stimulation, and the cool water had startled his eyes open, but the gentle touch of his mother had soothed him back to sleep. She didn’t mind. He’d already eaten. He could rest. Hylia knew he needed it.

Carefully, Tilieth pulled Link out of the shallow edge of the pond, laying him on a blanket she’d brought and wrapping him in it. Link shivered, brow furrowing in discomfort, and she kissed his forehead.

I can be the strong one for a little while, she surmised, smiling down at her baby boy. They were just going to stay in Kakariko. She could run a calm, domestic scene just fine. She wasn’t alone here. She had plenty of ideas already for what she could do while her boys slept.

“Tilieth?”

She jumped, startled, but the voice was familiar. Glancing down the hill a little bit, she caught sight of the Sheikah chief, Impa. “Oh! You made it back safely! I was worried.”

Lady Impa smiled. “I was worried too. I checked in with Kollin – it seems Sir Abel is resting now?”

Tilieth nodded. “He…”

She didn’t know what to say, honestly, so she just gave a weak shrug with a small smile.

“He loves you,” Lady Impa said, reading her body language. Her words were spoken with sincerity and conviction. “He loves both of you so much. And he’s strong. He’ll be okay. He just… I’ve seen it. With others. The Calamity left scars on us all. I’m just… afraid that perhaps his wounds have not had the chance to heal to that point.”

No. They truly haven’t. “I hope you don’t mind us staying in Kakariko for a little longer. I appreciate your hospitality. You’ve been so kind to us.”

“It’s my pleasure,” the Sheikah chief replied warmly. “I’m going to return to the village, but I wanted to find you to make sure you were alright. Your husband’s horse is in the stable with Epona.”

“Thank you,” Tilieth gratefully said. “Truly. For everything.”

Lady Impa was too humble to acknowledge the gratitude once again, so she bowed her head and departed. Tilieth looked down at her son, drying him off a little and dressing him in the tunic she’d made for him, as well as a fresh set of trousers she’d been gifted by one of the Sheikah. Then she braced herself and clipped the harness to her back, slowly carrying the boy back into the village.

Liyah, the innkeeper, was waiting for her return, and she smiled warmly. “Welcome back, dear. Your husband’s been sleeping quite peacefully. Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m fine, thank you,” Tilieth acknowledged as she grunted, contradicting her words. Golden Three, why did her baby have to be so heavy? She couldn’t imagine hauling him around at his healthy weight – he was far skinnier now than he should be.

“He looks much more comfortable,” Liyah noted cheerily, leaning over Link as Tilieth tucked him back into the bed. “A good bath will do that. Perhaps you can help your husband clean up when he’s awake.”

Tilieth hummed, brushing hair out of Link’s face before glancing at her husband in the bed beside them. Abel’s face was worn and pale, but at least he looked at peace. He still had dried blood caked on his neck, though – his doublet had been removed to examine the wound, and the dirt, grime, and clots from the last day or so were evident where the clean bandages didn’t cover. A bath was a good idea. She was a little worried to take Abel any distance from the village, though.

“Oh, I remember long ago, before the Calamity, how there used to be this wonderful bath house,” Liyah continued, eyes lost to the past as her voice became dreamy. “My husband used to be a royal scientist, you know, and we’d travel often. Well, he would. I tried to go with him as much as I could. But ah, Tilieth, the bath house that my people built near Akkala! There were so many Sheikah spread across central locations of Hyrule, you see, so we made little settlements sometimes. Everyone loved that place – it became a vacationing spot, even! Utilizing the hot springs from the Goron lands was a genius idea.”

“It sounds nice,” Tilieth commented, imagining how wonderful a warm bath sounded. And to achieve one with no extra effort in making a fire to heat the water! She wondered if her family would have a chance to see Death Mountain at all on this journey.

The thought of it was certainly exciting, but also a little daunting. But now wasn’t the time to spiral over that. Tilieth knew that what everyone needed right now was rest, so she tried to only focus on the moment.

“Perhaps you should get some sleep too, my dear,” the innkeeper suggested.

Tilieth considered it, but to be honest, she was far too wired. If she laid down, she would only worry, not sleep, so she shook her head. “I don’t think sleep is attainable for me at the moment.”

“Well, then get yourself some fresh air,” Liyah insisted. “I can watch these two. If they awaken, I will retrieve you.”

Leave both of them? Tilieth watched the elderly innkeeper uncertainly. But, the more she pondered it, the better the idea sounded. Abel’s clothes were threadbare at best, worn thin from years of use with little to no repair. She had an opportunity to make something for him just as she had for Link. Perhaps she could even make something for herself instead of using an old repurposed dress as a tunic.

Yes… she supposed stepping out would be good. In fact, she was maybe even a little excited about it. Her heart still sped with anxiety as she looked at her husband, though.

“He’s resting,” Liyah said gently, following her gaze. “It will do neither of you any good to hover over him for now. Take care of yourself so that you can look after him, my dear. Now is the best time to do so.”

Tilieth sighed a little, feeling weight lifted from her shoulders as she smiled softly at the innkeeper. “Thank you. I… I needed to hear that.”

With a caring smile mirrored back at her, Tilieth happily went outdoors, feeling freer than she had in a while, ready to explore the village and set to work helping her boys. She could talk to Hakeez, the woman attempting to rebuild her clothing shop, in order to get materials; she’d helped Tilieth make Link’s tunic, after all. There had to be something Tilieth could offer in return. Perhaps she could make some garments for Hakeez as well?

She found the older Sheikah woman with the young mother who had just given birth recently. The new mother looked exhausted, nearly in tears as Hakeez tried to assure her with an offered baby blanket she clearly had made for her.

“Come on now, Pala, it’ll get better,” Hakeez tried to assure the young woman.

“Mellie just won’t stop crying,” the mother, Pala, lamented.

Tilieth recognized the desperation born from exhaustion, and she quickly stepped up. “Let me help. I can look after Mellie alongside Hakeez so you can get some sleep.”

Pala glanced at her, vaguely recognizing Tilieth from the celebrations the village had held for Mellie’s birth the other day. Hakeez quickly nodded, latching on to the idea. “Yes, we can help! Get some rest, dear, you need it.”

The tired mother didn’t put up much of a fight when a more familiar face made the argument, and Mellie was in Tilieth’s arms in no time, wrapped in the blanket Hakeez had made for her.

“Poor dear,” Hakeez lamented as the two exited the home, Mellie gazing up at Tilieth curiously. Tilieth smiled back at the newborn, admiring her beautiful red eyes, large and innocent as they were, light skin unblemished by the sun and not carrying a care in the world.

It was amazing, really, looking at such new life in such a broken world. In the chaos of Tilieth’s life, just holding the baby and standing there, rocking gently, gazing down at her, brought the tired woman some peace of her own.

Memories of her own children flooded her mind and heart, when she’d held Link for the first time, when her first few months with him were harrowing and exhausting, when Lyra made even more of a fuss than her brother at the same age.

She remembered Abel being there to help, having requested time home from the military, supporting her every step of the way.

Tilieth bit her lip, holding the baby close, closing her eyes and just soaking up the moment, remembering the love she had for her family and how much they loved her in return.

“Are you alright?” Hakeez asked quietly.

Tilieth exhaled slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat and smiling a little and nodding. The craftswoman continued to talk, then, being rather chatty and not wishing to stand in silence for so long. She cooed at the little newborn in Tilieth’s arms a moment before telling her about how she had made more clothes for the village. She did lament, though, that it was difficult trying to reestablish bartering and trade; money was rather meaningless within the village, and sometimes people’s offers of trade for her clothes were not what she’d hope for.

“What exactly do you need?” Tilieth asked, latching on to the topic as Mellie slept in her arms.

“Honestly, what I need is some of that stamina elixir that Kollin seems to know how to make,” Hakeez snorted. “I swear he hoards it for himself and his fiancée.”

Tilieth glanced at the seamstress, gleaning who it could be, confirming, “Lady Impa is engaged to Kollin?”

Hakeez nodded dismissively, sighing. “The point is that I’m always worn out and could use some of that stamina elixir.”

Well, if Tilieth wanted Hakeez’s help with supplies to make new clothes for Abel, she supposed she’d start there. Glancing down at Mellie to confirm she was still asleep, Tilieth headed towards Lady Impa’s abode, though she opted to stop by the inn first to check on her family once more.

The innkeeper, Liyah, looked a little surprised at the bundle in Tilieth’s arms, and then she chuckled. “Did poor Pala need a break?”

Tilieth smiled and nodded. “I didn’t mind. She looked pretty haggard.”

“The first one is always the hardest,” Liyah commented.

Tilieth bit her lip, thinking of her two children, and she looked at Link. Yes, it was certainly an adjustment when he’d been a baby, though Lyra had certainly been fussier.

Goddess, she missed those days.

Link was sleeping peacefully as usual, and, for once, Abel was still managing to rest as well. Mellie stirred, grunting a little, and Tilieth made a hasty retreat before the newborn could wake either of them. The little one’s wails caught the attention of one of the guards stationed in front of Lady Impa’s estate, and Tilieth recognized him as the child’s father. After quickly reassuring the worried man, Tilieth suggested that the little one probably needed a diaper change.

The guard blinked, looking anxious. Tilieth had to laugh at him, wondering if he’d even cleaned the baby up yet or if it had all been Pala. It was no wonder the poor woman was overwhelmed; at least Abel had helped. Though Tilieth supposed Abel had been staying home full time while this man was still working, but…

“Why don’t I show you how to do it?” She offered, tilting her head to the side.

“I—well, I don’t know, Pala—”

“Is exhausted,” Tilieth cut in. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to help her sometimes, you know. Mellie needs both her parents’ love and care.”

The guard deflated, relenting. Tilieth forgot all her worries as she spent the next ten minutes trying not to laugh at the man dry heaving while cleaning his little girl’s mess.

Men were so silly sometimes. They could handle blood and gore of the battlefield, but a soiled diaper was too much for some of them. Abel had muscled his way through it with Link, but Tilieth could tell the first few times he’d been similarly uneasy.

Mellie seemed much happier in her father’s arms afterward, and his partner at their post said he would watch for a while so the man could be with his baby girl. Tilieth took the opportunity to head inside the chief’s estate, feeling a little satisfied that she’d helped the guard and his wife.

She hadn’t expected to see Sheik inside.

“—should tell them already, this is—”

“What difference does it make?” Sheik hissed, body language tight and defensive as she crossed her arms so tightly she might as well have been hugging herself. “I have my path and he—”

Sheik cut herself off as she caught sight of Tilieth. Her face was still hidden, but Tilieth could imagine her cheeks were flushed with how worked up she seemed to be.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” Tilieth said carefully, feeling guilty. She’d gotten so used to just wandering the village, she really should have knocked.

“Yet you did,” Sheik snapped, eyes narrowing.

“That’s enough,” Lady Impa said sharply. “We’ll continue this discussion later.”

The Sheikah warrior sighed, the fight draining out of here, and she walked by Tilieth without another word, exiting the building.

“Is everything all right?” Tilieth asked quietly. She supposed it really wasn’t her business, but if she could help at all, she wanted to offer. Lady Impa had done so much for her and her family, after all.

The chief seemed to debate something, watching Tilieth for a long moment, before she looked away. “Some matters simply must resolve themselves. How can I help you, Tilieth? Is Sir Abel alright?”

“Yes, he’s fine right now,” Tilieth hastily answered, embarrassed she’d seemingly pushed herself into Sheikah affairs. “I just… I was looking for Kollin. Not—not for Link or Abel, but I wanted to see if I could get a stamina elixir for Hakeez.”

Lady Impa raised an eyebrow. “What does Hakeez want with a stamina elixir?”

“I’m assuming she wants to not be tired,” Tilieth chuckled a little, lightening up. “I just want to make a tunic for Abel, but I need something to trade to get materials.”

Before she could stop herself, she added, “Speaking of Kollin, though, I didn’t realize you two were engaged! You two seem like you have a good chemistry with each other. When are you getting married?”

Lady Impa blinked a moment, eyebrows rising, before she giggled, growing somewhat bashful. “Oh. Well, thank you. I… we haven’t decided yet. We only got engaged pretty recently.”

Tilieth wished she could be there for it, but she knew that wasn’t likely to happen. Instead, she said, “Well, I wish you two all the best and happiness in the world. You deserve it.”

“You’re too kind,” Lady Impa quickly dismissed politely. “But if you’re searching for Kollin, he’s likely up by the fairy spring. It’s just beyond the shrine.”

Ah, yes, the spring that the villagers kept talking about. Perhaps the water did indeed having healing properties. She hadn’t given any to Link yet, so she hadn’t been sure.

Wait… fairy spring?

“He might be trying to talk to… well… a Great Fairy lives there,” Lady Impa explained. “But her power is dependent on rupees, and we hardly have any. She can still sometimes emerge, and Kollin tries to pay his respects.”

“Can she heal Link?” Tilieth immediately asked. “I’ll give her all the rupees we’ve found!”

Lady Impa watched her sadly. “I don’t think so. She can summon fairies, but I don’t think Cotera can actually heal anyone. But I suppose it’s worth asking, now that his wounds are not as dire as they used to be.”

Tilieth hastened outside, not waiting a moment longer for explanation, though she at least threw a hasty thanks over her shoulder.

It didn’t take long to reach the spring she’d passed a couple times by now, and she wondered why she hadn’t been told of this sooner. All the Sheikah seemed a little cagey on the matter, as if they wanted to protect Cotera, but it wasn’t as if Tilieth could possibly hurt a Great Fairy.

She supposed perhaps they worried Abel might try, to help Link. Honestly, at this rate, she wouldn’t put it passed him.

But there shouldn’t be a need for such force or concern! Great Fairies were powerful magical creatures, surely she could help Link somehow!

Kollin stood before the strange looking bud Tilieth had seen before, and she slid to a halt, catching his attention.

“Is that the Great Fairy?” She asked, curious and confused. “Is she in there?”

Kollin looked a bit startled, and he hesitated to respond. Tilieth was about to plead when he finally admitted, “Yes, but she hardly comes out anymore. We don’t have much to offer.”

“I have rupees!” Tilieth hastily said, pulling out all three hundred that she’d collected. “Take them!”

The bud made a strange noise, dark and even ominous sounding, and Tilieth immediately retracted her arms, nervous.

“Don’t be afraid, dear girl,” the voice spoke, sounding distorted. “Please, help me restore my power.”

Kollin smiled reassuringly. “I promise it’s safe. Please, let me see the rupees. I think she usually asks for one hundred.”

“Yes, yes, a mere one hundred rupees is all I require!” The supposed Great Fairy agreed.

Tilieth wasn’t entirely sure she trusted the voice, but she did trust Kollin, so she carefully handed the money over to him. A large hand reached out of the bud, snatching it and nearly knocking Kollin over, and Tilieth gasped, growing more scared by the moment. The voice made a sound of delight before the bud opened with a squeal, releasing puffs of pink smoke and blinding Tilieth. When she blinked her eyes open, she was dazzled by the sight of an enormous woman half submerged in water, adorned in shells and jewels, fairy wings peeking out from behind her ears.

Tilieth stared, amazed, mouth open.

“Oh, what a feeling!” The Great Fairy exclaimed, stretching and smiling. “That first breath of fresh air after such a long time of decay… it’s just so intoxicating!”

The fairy turned her eyes to Tilieth, leaning over a little and smiling serenely. “Thanks to you, I’ve been returned to my former glory. And as they say—one good turn deserves another. I can help you—”

“My son!” Tilieth immediately interjected, desperation pushing through her fear. “My son is grievously wounded, please, can you heal him?”

The Great Fairy gasped a little. “Oh, my. My dear girl, I wish that I could – perhaps my children can assist you?”

Tilieth wilted, already knowing that regular fairies were incapable of fixing the matter. The Great Fairy seemed to read that, and Kollin replied, “They haven’t been able to help, I’m afraid. But if you can summon them, I would like to have a few ready to assist my people and any traveler who passes through.”

“Of course,” Cotera replied. She raised a hand, and within seconds fairies seemed to materialize from the sky like snow petals, gently descending, wings flapping peacefully. Kollin bottled a few, thanking the Great Fairy once more, and then passed Tilieth, patting her on the shoulder sympathetically.

Tilieth stood alone, overwhelmed and upset, hope dashed once more, and she shivered as a drizzle started to speckle the area.

“Oh, dear girl,” the Great Fairy looked her over, eyes sad. “I may not be able to heal your boy, but let me help you in other ways. Allow me to enhance your clothing. It’s the least I can do, but I will need the necessary materials.”

Tilieth looked up to stare at the magical creature once more. Enhance her clothes?

“You see, I can increase their abilities to protect, or enhance inherent gifts,” Cotera explained.

But that meant— “Can you help me protect Link?”

“Of course,” Cotera answered gently. “Bring me his clothing and I can ensure he is safer than before.”

That was all Tilieth needed to hear before she was rushing down the hill back into the village. When she entered the inn, though, she immediately realized that Abel was awake and trying to ignore the innkeeper’s words.

“—all right, dear, your family is fine—”

“Abel!” Tilieth called, running to her husband as his eyes locked with hers. Abel reached out shakily, and Tilieth dragged him into a tight hug, whispering, “It’s okay, love, I’m here. Everyone’s safe, I promise.”

Abel felt heavy in her arms, sagging against her and trembling. He was clearly still exhausted, but he didn’t bother trying to argue any point, simply resting his head against her shoulder, hands grappling weakly on her tunic. He didn’t seem to have any more apologies, having spilled them repeatedly earlier, and Tilieth was honestly thankful for it. Her poor husband had apologized enough.

Tilieth kissed his ear, shifting and trying to get him to settle back down on the pillows. “You need to rest, Abel. Don’t worry about anything, okay?”

She supposed it was silly telling her husband not to worry. But he truly needed to rest – he’d driven himself nearly insane.

Abel watched her uncertainly, turning his head to look at Link. Despite wiggling a little on the mattress in an attempt to get comfortable, he couldn’t quite settle, though. Tilieth sighed, and Abel looked even guiltier for it.

“It’s okay,” she reassured him gently, brushing some hair out of his face. “It’s okay. Why don’t we get you cleaned up?”

If he wasn’t going to sleep, he could at least rest. Tilieth would make sure of it. She advised Abel to stay put while she stripped Link of his tunic and trousers, leaving him bundled under some blankets, before guiding her husband to stand.

Abel was shaky on his feet, but he followed his wife wherever she went, letting her wrap an arm around his waist.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered as they exited the inn.

“No more apologies,” Tilieth said firmly. “What happened is over, Abel—”

Her husband stiffened, looking at her and digging his heels into the ground. “I hurt you.”

“Yes, and then you hurt yourself,” Tilieth fired back. “Honey, I… you have to let me help you. It won’t get any better if you don’t.”

“But I—”

“You are exhausted,” she cut in, putting a hand on his cheek to settle him. “Honey, can’t you see that running away or beating yourself up about it will only make it worse?”

Tears were evident in her husband’s eyes, but he held them in, looking away and kissing her palm. When she got no further argument from him, Tilieth guided him outside of the village. Neither really knew what to say or if anything should be said as they moved. Tilieth was trying to figure out if she could even start confronting what had happened. She was afraid her words would fail her, that she would somehow make things worse, but she knew she was far more emotionally intelligent than her husband and they truly needed to address it. But Abel needed a moment to rest first. The bath would be good for that.

But first, they had to take care of helping Link. Tilieth wasn’t going to keep a Great Fairy waiting.

The fairy fountain was empty when Tilieth arrived, making her heart plummet. Had the Great Fairy left?

“What is this?” Abel asked, distracted. He watched it cautiously, but also with fascination – he too was taken in by the beauty of the place. His eyes also immediately caught sight of the fairies floating around. “Til, is… is this…?”

“A fairy fountain,” Tilieth finished for him, trying not to sound as disappointed as she felt.

The water in the fountain rustled, making both of them jump, and then Cotera burst forth with an excited cry. Abel instinctively pushed Tilieth behind him, reaching for a weapon he wasn’t armed with, and Til tried to calm her husband hastily.

“It’s all right!” She said as the Great Fairy tilted her head to the side.

“Oh, you brought a friend!” The Great Fairy noted, intrigued. “He’s cute!”

Abel stammered, blushing, not expecting the remark. Tilieth laughed, but then she walked around her husband to offer the clothes. “Please, can you bless these? They’re my son’s.”

Cotera leaned over, examining the items. “Oh, yes, I should be able to. I only require a few items to do so.”

After hearing the listed items, Tilieth dug through her bag worriedly, and with great relief realized she had all the necessary ones. Abel looked between his wife and the Great Fairy, bemused, and watched as the large mystical woman received the offerings.

“I didn’t even realize there was a Great Fairy here,” Abel muttered. He looked shyly at Cotera, seeming a little apologetic.

Cotera looked at the clothes, smiled, and nodded, telling Tilieth to place them on the mushroom pedestal in front of her. The couple stood, waiting, and then the Great Fairy…

Blew a kiss on them?

Tilieth could feel a strange sensation, like warmth and tingling and energy, and she knew it had to be magic, could even see it in the air. But the manner in which it was delivered…

Cotera giggled in delight and then dove back into the water.

“What… just happened.” Abel said, monotone denoting a mixture of horror and confusion.

Tilieth hesitantly knelt down to examine the clothes. They didn’t look any different… but the magic had been there nonetheless. Surely it had to have done something.

“These magical creatures can be fickle,” Abel said quietly, kneeling down beside her. “Are you sure she didn’t just take your offerings and leave?”

“I saw the magic,” Tilieth argued mildly, hand running over the threads of the tunic. “Didn’t you?”

“I suppose,” Abel replied quietly, sounding dubious.

Tilieth bit her lip uncertainly. “Well… maybe we should just… well, we shouldn’t bother her, I guess. Let’s just get to the bathing area.”

Abel didn’t argue, seeming resigned to the matter. He grew quiet once more as they climbed the hill to the pond in question. Tilieth helped her husband strip down and ease into the water, exposing injuries old and new.

Tilieth’s hand traced an old scar on the back of his shoulder, and he shivered a little.

“I can bathe myself,” he finally spoke up, though his voice was still soft.

“I want to help,” Tilieth said firmly. Because that was what this was about, after all – Abel kept refusing help, continued to push himself to the point of collapse and near insanity.

It had to stop. She had already resolved she could be strong enough for everyone for a short while, long enough for Abel to get a little better.

Abel sighed, giving up.

The couple was quiet as Tilieth helped him bathe. She wasn’t entirely sure how to start the conversation of addressing what had happened, worried that he would just shut it down or she wouldn’t know what to say. Slowly, Abel started to lean back against her, letting her hold him, letting himself rest. He closed his eyes, calloused hands reaching up to gently hold her wrists as she wrapped her arms around his chest.

Tilieth finally found her voice. “What happened, Abel?”

Her husband grew tense in her hold, eyes opening, though he refused to make eye contact.

“The last thing I remember was that you had said you would sleep, and you didn’t,” she continued. “You snuck off to Hyrule Field of all places. I was so worried.”

Her husband’s face grew stony, eyes gazing off somewhere she couldn’t reach. She was worried he wouldn’t speak at all, and after a minute or so that seemed the case.

“I saw a guardian,” he finally admitted, so quietly she almost missed it.

Tilieth felt her blood freeze.

“It wasn’t real,” her husband added with a breathy, morose laugh. “I… Tilieth, I… I saw a guardian that wasn’t there, and I hurt you as a result. I’m… it isn’t safe to be around me.”

Tilieth tried to catch her breath, to make her heart rate slow down after the mere thought of a guardian being anywhere near her or her family. She swallowed thickly, moving forward to hold him again as if to prove him wrong.

Finally, she said, “The only thing… that isn’t safe… is you not sleeping.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Abel replied darkly.

Tilieth bit her tongue. No, perhaps it wasn’t. But that was the best way she could fix it right now. Lack of sleep had sent him over the edge.

But the truth of the matter was that there was clearly something wrong that sleep deprivation could lead to such a disastrous night. And, even worse, his choices as a result of that night.

Abel took a shaky breath. “My entire life… I… I’ve always had to take care of my family. But lately, I… Til, there comes a time when your usefulness is at an end.”

Tilieth swallowed, trying to argue, eyes widening with alarm.

Abel sighed, rinsing some soap off his shoulder. “I can finish up, love. Please… go back to the village.”

“No.” Her voice came out stronger than she anticipated, stubborn and hurt and scared and angry.

Abel stiffened, very obviously trying to keep his breathing even. His cheeks flushed, but his face grew cold, like it always did when he was getting frustrated.

“You’re sick,” Tilieth spat out. “You’re sick, and you’re hurt, and hurting, and—I’m not leaving you.”

“So I can get you killed too?” Abel hissed, turning sharply in the water, splashing the area around them so he could face her.

“You didn’t get anyone killed—”

“I told Link to go to Fort Hateno!” Abel yelled, rising. The area grew quiet as the birds flew away in fright, as Tilieth stared at him, speechless. “All those years ago—during the Calamity… I—I told him to go to Fort Hateno, that I would meet him there, and it got him almost killed! And then when the Shrine of Resurrection was his last hope—”

“Abel, the Shrine wasn’t your fault!” Tilieth interrupted desperately. “None of it was! You had no way of knowing—”

“What kind of father am I, that I couldn’t protect my children?!” Abel argued, tears starting to slide down his cheeks, voice shaking. “What kind of husband am I that I hit my own wife?! What kind of knight am I, that I murder my own people, that I fail to protect my king, that—”

Tilieth moved towards him hastily, holding him close as his words dissolved into sobs. Her own body trembled, mind whirling, wondering desperately how she could reach him when he had managed to get so far out of reach.

How long had he been stewing in this misery, she wondered? And why couldn’t she better help him?

It doesn’t matter, she tried to tell herself. I can’t change what was, only what is.

“You’re only Hylian,” she finally whispered, her own voice trembling as well. “You’re only Hylian, love. You’re doing your best. Sometimes we all falter.”

Abel scoffed, pushing her away. “Sometimes. Sometimes! My failures are constant—”

“You got us to Kakariko safely!” Tilieth stood up, voice strengthening, fists balling. “You protected us the entire journey from the Great Plateau, you’re single-handedly responsible for getting most of the spirit orbs that have been healing Link! You protect me for ten years! You served the kingdom faithfully! Do you really think you could’ve single-handedly stopped the Calamity? Even Link couldn’t, even the Princess couldn’t!”

Her words cut into him, which was apparent from how he flinched. Tilieth honestly wasn’t sure she’d ever yelled at her husband. Her heart was racing, her blood was surging through her, heartbeat drumming in her ears. She was terrified, but she was so frustrated—why couldn’t her beloved just listen to her?!

But the anger seeped out of her quickly. The tears returned, and she started to tremble, strength leaving her alongside her ire. “Can’t you see, Abel? Can’t you see that the only way you’re making things worse is by trying to fight me on this? The only way you can truly hurt us is by leaving us, by hurting yourself the way you are. You’re not perfect, love, none of us are. The only way we can make it though this is with faith in the goddess’ protection and trust in each other.”

Pain was evident on her husband’s face, and he took a small step back, seeming to shrivel into himself as the fight drained out of him. He looked down, ashamed. “I can’t even trust myself.”

“You don’t have to,” Tilieth whispered gently, kneeling down to be at eye level with him as he sank back into the water. She cupped his face with her hands, making him look at her. “Trust me. Don’t you trust me to take care of you?”

Abel’s lips twitched like he was going to argue further, but he thought better of it, sighing and leaning his head forward until their foreheads touched.

“I know you’re sorry,” Tilieth said before he could even try to apologize again, a small smile pulling at her lips.

Abel huffed a wet laugh, shivering and moving forward to hug her again.

Tilieth held him for what felt like an eternity, yet it still didn’t feel like long enough. Eventually, though, the coolness of the water made her husband start to shake, teeth chattering. She didn’t say anything else, out of words and exhausted, but hopeful as well. It seemed like she might have gotten through to him. Abel, for his part, also seemed too worn out to speak anymore.

It wasn’t much, but it was progress, and it gave her hope. Perhaps they could stop lingering on what had happened, then, and start to move on.

Tilieth helped Abel climb out of the water, wrapping him in a towel and holding him again so he could warm up. He rested his chin on her shoulder, leaning his head against hers, no longer fighting the matter at all. However, just as she finished drying him off and was reaching for his clothes, he said softly, “That platform… it looks like a shrine.”

Confused, Tilieth turned to look at the strange platform that she’d noticed when she’d bathed Link earlier in the day. She… supposed the color scheme was similar, but it looked nothing like a shrine, to be honest.

But Abel seemed transfixed now, eyes alight with thoughts. Tilieth let him stew on the matter a moment, more concerned about getting him dressed so he wouldn’t be cold. When she prompted him to put the clothes on, though, he continued, “Wait… the item… that orb in Impa’s home…”

Orb? There was an orb? “Honey, what are you talking about?”

Abel rose, heading towards the bridge to get back to the village, and Tilieth hastily got in his way. “Abel, get dressed!”

Her husband paused, distracted, only realizing then that he was still just in a towel, and hastily put his clothes on. Then he moved with purpose, Tilieth trailing behind him worriedly. He needed to rest, whatever this was about could wait—

Oh, who was she kidding? Abel was nothing if not persistent when he was on a quest. It was where Link got his stubbornness from. At least he was focusing on helping the family and not running away. But she would make him sleep once he’d settled the matter in his mind.

They moved hastily to Lady Impa’s abode, and the Sheikah chief looked surprised to see Abel there. Before she could get a word in, though, he pointed to something in the corner, and Tilieth felt herself gasp a little as she caught sight of it.

Honestly, she hadn’t noticed it before, but the orb did match the platform perfectly.

“We need that,” Abel said, voice not quite as firm as it usually was, but commanding nonetheless.

“I—what?” Lady Impa looked between the glowing ball and Abel. “I’m sorry, but that is a Sheikah heirloom, you can’t have that. It’s been guarded by my ancestors for centuries.”

“Yes, probably millennia,” Abel insisted. “It has to do with the shrines, don’t you see that? There’s a platform where you can place it by your bathing area.”

Impa blinked, stuttering, before looking quickly between the orb and the knight once more. “Wh—I—but—”

To his credit, Abel was patient, lowering his arm and waiting for her to parse it out. Tilieth gasped as she realized it too. “Do you think it’s a puzzle of some sort for the shrine?”

Lady Impa sighed, easing herself to the cushion on the ground as she pondered the matter. “All our research on ancient Sheikah tech and I… really just had this right here in my family’s estate…”

Abel shifted, very clearly trying to hold himself back. “So… may we use it?”

The Sheikah chief rubbed her face a moment before rising and nodding, eyes firm. “I’ll go with you.”

The chief picked up the large orb, refusing to let Abel touch it, but she followed them as they made their way back to the bathing spring. Tilieth’s mind was whirling, but she felt pride in her husband swell in her as well.

The pride grew tenfold, mixing with relief and cheer, as Lady Impa placed the orb in a perfectly carved hole, and a shrine appeared from the earth.

“You really should give yourself more credit, love,” Tilieth said gently, putting a hand on his arm. “Even in your hurt and anguish, you still help us.”

Abel chewed the inside of his cheek, and she knew he was doing that to fight to maintain composure in front of Lady Impa. He was far too tired to succeed very well, though.

“This is amazing,” Lady Impa breathed, awed. “I—we should get Link right away!”

“Yes, we should,” Tilieth agreed, before turning to Abel. “But I want you to go back to the inn and rest, please. Lady Impa and I can handle this shrine.”

Abel’s face paled, eyes widening, before he stopped himself entirely from arguing. Looking defeated, he nodded, and the group made their way back to the village. When the chief rushed inside the inn, Tilieth pulled Abel aside outside the door so they had a moment alone, and she kissed him tenderly.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, looking him in the eye. “I just want you to rest. Please, Abel. Trust me. It’s the only way you’re going to get better.”

Impa let out a yelp from inside, and Abel and Tilieth rushed indoors in an instant to find the Sheikah chief blushing.

“I didn’t realize he was just in his underwear,” the chief waved off with an embarrassed laugh.

Tilieth couldn’t help her own cackling. “I got his clothes blessed by the Great Fairy. Here, let me get him dressed and we can get going.”

She gave one last look to her husband, who looked mildly amused, and kissed his cheek, guiding him to bed before turning her attention to Link. They’d get him to the shrine as the sun was descending towards the horizon, which meant she had just enough time afterward to make dinner for her family and make some clothes for Abel.

Considering how the day had started, this was an enormous improvement, and she thanked Hylia for it.

Abel sat on the bed, watching Tilieth dress their child, and leaned against the pillows reluctantly as she and Impa left.

And then there was silence in the building.

Abel shifted a little, uncomfortable and anxious. He didn’t want Tilieth and Link going to a shrine without him. But he also knew he was in no state to be helpful to anyone. He still had half a mind to try and leave again, but he knew that was irrational fear talking, desperation and panic driven from exhaustion and—

He still couldn’t believe what had happened. Of course he was terrified, he’d—

What sort of monster was he, anyway? And how was it fair in any way for Tilieth to have to clean up the mess he’d made? He was a grown man, he should’ve kept himself in check, should’ve realized that—

Abel let out a shaky breath, burying his face in his hands as he curled in on himself. Then he heard a foot rustle across wood, and he bolted to his feet, eyes alert.

An older woman gasped a little, holding her hands up. Ah. It was the innkeeper. He couldn’t quite remember her name, though.

“It’s just me, it’s all right,” she insisted gently. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep? You were resting quite well earlier.”

There was no way he would be able to sleep knowing that Link and Tilieth were exploring a shrine without him. Those things were dangerous. Abel didn’t bother replying, not wanting to be rude, but not really knowing what to say aside from no. He didn’t have the energy to really care about pleasantries. At least he wasn’t being irritable, he supposed.

He wished time could just… stop. That they could use the Sheikah slate’s time magic to stop everything, for at least a week. He felt like he could sleep a month, honestly, if he knew nothing would happen or change in that time.

But that was a fool’s wish. Time didn’t stop for anyone. Anxiety gripped at him once more, making his chest tight. He needed to do something.

Glancing around, he noticed the innkeeper had started sweeping the floor when he’d been silent in response to her. He felt bad for ignoring her, and he really needed to move. “Can… may I do that?”

The innkeeper glanced up at him, a little surprised. “Do… you want to sweep? Oh, young man, I appreciate your offer, but—”

“Please,” Abel interrupted, getting somewhat desperate. If he didn’t have something to do he knew he’d just leave this place altogether. “I… I can’t just stay in bed. Put me to work, please.”

The innkeeper watched him a moment and then sighed, face sympathetic. “All right, dear. But on one condition.”

Abel perked up, listening.

“If you get tired, you have to take a break,” the innkeeper said gravely, finger in the air to emphasize her point. “You’re supposed to be resting, after all. You’ve had a harrowing time lately.”

Yes, he supposed the innkeeper had seen the majority of his outbursts. Abel felt himself blush in shame, looking at his feet, but he nodded in agreement nonetheless. The innkeeper handed her broom off to him, allowing him to sweep the floor in peace.

The repetitive motion brought some calm to his mind, and he was grateful for it. He wondered if this was why Tilieth liked to clean sometimes, though he knew she was happiest wandering outside.

He tried not to think about the events of the early morning, but it was hard not to. Now that he’d gotten a bit of sleep and time to think about it…

He didn’t know. He still wasn’t entirely sure it had been a mistake to try and leave. He hadn’t been intent on hurting himself, but given the choice between eliminating himself from the equation and potentially hurting Tilieth or Link further, the decision had been very easy.

Abel paused, growing a little breathless. Was he tired, or was he overwhelmed?

What kind of weakling am I, that I cannot handle this anymore?

You’re only Hylian, his wife’s voice whispered back. Even the Princess herself couldn’t stop the Calamity.

Abel wasn’t trying to stop the Calamity, he was trying to save Link! But he couldn’t even hold himself together anymore!

He couldn’t do everything, but Tilieth couldn’t either. He couldn’t rely on her to take care of him and Link.

Was this simply pride? Or was Abel correct, knowing tha the should be stronger than this? When Tilieth had gotten ill all those years ago, he’d taken care of Link and had gone on a mission to Zora’s Domain, fulfilling his duty, financially supporting his family, and raising their son while Tilieth recovered in Hateno. Yet now…

Tilieth was asking for the same, was asking to take care Abel and Link so he could recover.

Could he recover?

Despair filled him for a moment, and he choked it down viciously, sweeping the floor once more and ramming the broom into the wall. His grip on the item trembled, and he stopped.

“Sir Abel,” the innkeeper said gently.

Abel felt anger rise in him, but he bit back whatever scalding remark was fighting its way out. He didn’t know how to stop this.

Have faith in the goddess. Trust in each other.

Abel scowled.

Faith in the goddess. What sort of faith could he have in someone who had abandoned her people? Had she abandoned the princess too? Was that why the young girl had been incompetent?

But do you not trust Tilieth?

He needed to lay down. The world was spinning. He wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

Sighing, Abel dragged his feet over to the bed. This was a nightmare and he didn’t know how to escape it. Tilieth’s words rattled in his mind once more, and he realized it truly was just a choice. He would feel the same either way, but he had to choose to trust his wife. Either he would be miserable and alone, or miserable with her.

But what if he hurt her again? What if he hurt Link?

They were wasting time here in the village, and it was his fault. No matter what he did, it… if he tried to leave again, Tilieth would track him down. It would be ceaseless, and Link would die. Abel had to… had to…

Funny, how Tilieth had wanted to separate but refused to do so now. Abel felt bitterness and frustration rise in his gut, and he tried to let it go.

The door to the inn opened, and he saw Tilieth returning, triumphant, as Impa carried Link indoors.

“Oh, honey, it was great!” Tilieth said excitedly, rushing over to him. “You solved the puzzle and we didn’t even have to do anything! We got in there and it was just the monk and an opal.”

Abel stared, thinking about it. That had… never happened.

Goddesses… were they getting an actual reprieve for once?

“That’s… good,” he offered hesitantly, watching Impa put Link in the bed next to him.

“It’s great!” Tilieth insisted, hands clasped together before she hugged him. Abel tried to return the gesture, but his wife was too excited and pulled away quickly. “Oh, I have to make dinner, and—will you watch Link, dear?”

Abel nodded mutely, and Tilieth was out the door in an instant. Her cheer was a little infectious, he supposed, pulling a small smile on one side of his lips. Then he slowly dragged himself over to Link’s bed, pulling the boy to him and laying down as Impa turned to leave.

Before the Sheikah chief could depart, though, Abel asked, “Who were those people? From this morning. The ones who attacked us. They didn’t dress like Yiga.”

Lady Impa paused, hugging herself uncertainly. “I… don’t know. They bore something akin to the Yiga symbol on their foreheads, but like you said, they… didn’t dress like them. I’ve never encountered those people before.”

Abel swallowed, holding Link closer. “Very well.”

There was silence between the two, heavy and awkward given their last conversation, and Abel finally said, “Thank you for keeping her safe.”

“I’ll always protect your family,” Impa insisted calmly, with conviction, facing him fully. “Including you, Sir Abel. I’m glad we found you in time.”

Abel huffed, only mildly annoyed.

“Please rest, good knight,” Impa said. “I will pray for your recovery. And it will happen. I’ve seen it in other members of my tribe. The Calamity left scars on us all. You have to allow yourself to heal. Tilieth is more than willing to help.”

Abel stared at the wall, unable to face the chief, feeling like a fool, like a child lost in Castle Town’s bustling atmosphere, freshly orphaned and wondering what he was supposed to do now while his sisters cried. He hated feeling this helpless. He nodded, and he heard the chief leave.

The room fell silent. He wondered if the innkeeper was still there, or if she’d stepped out. Link was silent and motionless as usual. Abel felt tempted to rouse him just to see his eyes, just to talk to him, but he figured the boy needed rest more than he did. So he simply kissed his head and closed his eyes.

He didn’t know what the future would bring. But he knew this respite couldn’t last, no matter what choice he made. They would have to leave tomorrow. But for tonight, he wouldn’t think about any of it, even if that went against every fiber of his being.

Recovery was a choice. Trust was a choice. Tilieth made that choice as she prayed outside at the Hylia statue while the food simmered in the cooking pot. Abel made that choice as he tried to sleep, disregarding Link wiggling in the bed, listening to the crickets peek out and start their symphony of the night.

Trust was a choice. He would try to make it.

He would try.

[bahbahhh]

begin again

a lot of change happens in between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. let’s fill in the gaps. zelda pov | zelink | totk spoilers | rated T zelinkweek2023 | @zelinkcommunity [first] [last]

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Two chapters left. There will be a little break in posting for now. I’m on vacation and will start working on the next chapter when I’m back. There is loads of great content over on @zelinkcommunity if you are eager for more. Thank you for all your comments, likes, and reboots. Seriously. I love interacting with members of this fandom. It seriously makes my creativity explode.

Chapter 5

for prompt “by a thread”

“Is that a golden horse?”

The road from Kakariko to Gerudo Town is long. Link refuses to push his horses unless he absolutely needs to and the golden horse she’s riding, that she has yet to name since the Sheikah gifted it to her when they left Kakariko almost a week ago, isn’t technically his, but it follows him like it is. So, when he turned north in the shadow of the Great Plateau instead of continuing southwest, it followed him happily in the direction of the Outskirt Stable, despite her pulling back on the reins and muttering commands under her breath.

“It would appear so,” Zelda answers, trying to adjust her gear casually so it covers the violet and gold saddle. Impa insisted Zelda take the Royal gear, along with the golden horse, for “luck”. Zelda wanted to protest, but stopped short when she caught Impa’s eyes. This was all her former guardian could offer her now. The last of her protections, presented under a gentler veil: gifts.

“Would have thought you’d be riding the white stallion, Princess. What did you end up calling him, Link?” The old stable hand asks.

“Storm.” Link drops a handful of rupees onto the counter.

“Strong name.” The old man tugs off his hat and bows his head. “My name’s Toffa, by the way. My grandfather was head groom for the Royal family a century ago, Princess. His name was Talon.”

Zelda presses her lips together. This isn’t the first time this has happened. Grandfathers, grandmothers, great aunts – only two generations separate these Hylians from her time. While she is an enigma, the people who filled her castle, who tended to her horses, who made her bed—all the people who died instantly when the Calamity emerged, evaporating every living thing inside the castle’s walls, are still remembered distantly by those who survived them.

And the only way Zelda feels like she can truly honor them is by knowing them.

But Talon, like the rest of the names she’s heard in the details people toss at her, like coins in a wishing well, doesn’t pull a single memory forward. In their reverence of her sacrifice, people have forgotten how devastatingly isolated she was for most of her childhood.

Her father never allowed her to enter the stables.

“Toffa helped me find Storm,” Link says, breaking the tension. He eases it further by helping Zelda off the horse.

“Beautiful horse. As is this one!” Toffa takes the horse's reins from Link. “Probably once every hundred years you’ll see a horse like this,” he chuckles. “Seems like you are made for each other, Princess.”

“Hm, thank you.” Zelda pulls her hood over her head and turns away from the inn where there is a small crowd forming inside. She tells herself it's because of the horse with the golden coat, but when she sits in front of the cooking pot, and sneaks a glance back at the stable, they all stare at her.

“What’s its name?”

A child, no older than eight, is suddenly seated beside her. She’s got dirt on her face, blonde hair in two short plaits, and she’s missing her front teeth. It sounds like there is a whistle at the end of every word. Zelda immediately smiles.

“You know, I haven’t named him yet,” Zelda says.

“How come?”

Because I’m avoiding anything that communicates ownership. “We are…still getting to know one another, I suppose.”

“How do you get to know a horse?” Another child appears out of thin air, a little boy with sandy hair and freckles, and drops into Zelda’s lap. The little girl, who is probably his sibling, scoots so close to Zelda that their legs touch. The sudden lack of personal space is alarming for someone who is used to her title forcing a wide berth, and yet, she knows this to be common with young children. Distance has to be taught.

“That’s a really good question. What do you think?”

“Sing him songs?” The little girl says.

“Pet his nose,” says the little boy.

“Feed him!” A third kid, who is wrapped around Link’s ankle so Link has to use his entire body to take the last step into their camp, rolls away from Link and sits cross-legged in front of her. Link quickly busies himself with unpacking their food. He might be smirking, but his face is just shadowed enough, she can’t be sure.

“Those are some really great suggestions. What do you suppose a golden horse would like to eat?”

“All horses like carrots.”

“Very true.”

“I bet this one would like carrots with honey,” says the first girl.

“Perhaps, that sounds yummy to me.” Zelda nods.

“Can we feed him?” The little boy in her lap clasps his hands together and shakes them in her face.

“Of course. I bet he’ll love that.”

“Do you want a honey carrot, too?” the little boy in front of her asks.

“Me?” Zelda blinks.

“You said it sounds yummy. Do you want one, too? Mr. Link travels all over Hyrule. If you are an adventurer like him, you should probably eat now while you have the chance. Mr. Link always eats like he’ll never see food again.”

Link stands up straight and flashes the kid a look. All three of the children giggle.

Zelda eyes the stable in her peripheral. The crowd is still there. “Do…do you know who I am?”

“A lady!” The boy at her feet shouts the answer with urgency.

“A pretty lady,” says the boy in her lap.

“With a cool horse for adventures?” adds the little girl next to her. No titles, not even her name. They have no idea who she is. Zelda could cry.

“I’d love some carrots, but only if you have some with me.” All three of the kids burst forward, scrambling over each other back to the stable to retrieve the ingredients. She doubts they will have the honey, but a roasted carrot does sound nice.

Link drops a honeycomb on her lap. He settles down across from her and continues to sort through their gear. His back is to the Great Plateau. He didn’t look up at it once as they rode by. If she squints, she can just make out the tip of the mountain the Shrine of Resurrection waits inside. To the left, the Sheikah Tower is dark against the sun. The blue energy seems dimmer than she remembers, only shining halfway up the tower, like the blue is slowly draining down into the base.

“You're good with them,” Link says. Zelda snaps her attention back to him and laughs nervously, trying to scatter her vision points like she is surveying and not gawking at the Great Plateau. He doesn’t need any added pressure from her.

Clearing the shrines remains his task to complete once the Divine Beasts are buried. Purah took the Slate back with her to Hateno for now, but it will be in his hands soon enough. She and Robbie are to stop in Zora’s Domain on the way to update the Zora about the delay in the shrine clearing and the plan to move forward with the Divine Beasts. A messenger, a tall white Rito wearing goggles Robbie repeatedly admired named Penn, appeared shortly after the rain stopped and agreed to take the same message back to Rito Village. Link volunteered to make the journey to Gerudo Town. Zelda asked to join him and the Sheikah surprisingly didn’t object. They just gave her a ridiculously flashy horse.

‘First time I was here, they stayed in the stable the entire time,’ Link continues.

“Well, you didn’t have a golden horse.”

‘True. But you also speak to them differently than I do.”

“What do you mean?”

He slowly rolls his fists, thinking. ‘You get them to listen. Really listen. You speak to them like a mother does. That could come in handy, right?’ he signs and then sets to building the fire up enough to cook. Zelda pulls out her water, but by the time she sets the jug to her lips, her mind is already spinning. Does he think she acts like a mother? Is he also imagining that for her? During their early travels, before the Summit, Impa and the Zora individually mentioned the importance of an heir should someone assume the throne. She blatantly ignored the comments at the time, tucking them away with all the other Royal duties she was in no hurry to resume, but Link was there, as always, listening.

Was he trying to imply this could be her purpose? Speaking clearer than what was done for her, to the next little Princess in line to inherit this fate? Even worse, was he trying to shake her loose from his side? The Master Sword is gone. He hasn’t worn his Champion blues since defeating Calamity Ganon. He’s known more for his aid than his failure now. All that is left from his past is…

His face had been unreadable when she asked to join him. Not enthusiastic, no hint of the same person who had written all those wonderful letters—flat.

Like she is unanticipated, but manageable cargo. A golden horse.

—

Kara Kara Bazaar buzzes to life with activity around dusk. There is a nice breeze off the oasis and the air is cool enough that people start to drift away from the safety of the shade. All the merchants also heavily discount the food at risk of spoiling overnight in an effort to make a final sale. Zelda has never seen Link so giddy. He grins at her over his arms, both full of freshly roasted meat, goat butter, six roasted bass, and an entire hydromelon. It’s enough to feed a family and yet when a small group of researchers asks to join their camp, he sulks, and turns back to the merchants for more.

The group calls themselves “the East Gerudo Desert Survey team”, formally, “the West Gerudo Desert Survey team”, and soon to be “the North Gerudo Desert Survey team” once they learn all they can about the Seven Heroines. They are led by an exceptionally muscular and enthusiastic Hylian named Tauro, who tells Zelda he started off exploring ruins on his own.

“I met Gagaim and Grunyon in the Shadow Hamlet Ruins in Eldin and then we rescued Wordsworth from the Forgotten Temple in Tanagar Canyon. Zazul joined after we explored the Ancient Columns in the Rayne Highlands. As you can see, we’ve gathered a few more along the way, mostly in Faron.” He gestures to the rest of his crew. They don’t try to bow to her or avoid her gaze. Formalities and forms fade away the longer you stay on the road. She remembers this well. Fondly.

Link returns and hands Zelda a skewer of steaming meat with a thick slice of hydromelon. Zelda accepts it and immediately sets it aside to continue speaking to Tauro. “You’ve researched the Zonai Ruins?”

“Oh yes, multiple times. It’s a fascinating site. I make a new discovery every time we go.”

Link lingers in front of them long enough to tug her gaze back to him. He’s looking between the plate of food she set down and Tauro. What was it Robbie used to say one hundred years ago? The way to a man’s research is through his stomach, right? She wants to keep him talking, keep them from packing up, and taking their data with them. Zelda retrieves her plate and hands it to Tauro. “Here, have mine. You must be hungry.”

“Thank you! This looks delicious. Yes, we hardly stopped for lunch. I could probably eat ten plates!” He tears into the meat with his teeth and groans. “So good.”

Link moves away finally. Probably satisfied that the food is being eaten. Tauro continues, “I started logging all the ancient Zonai artifacts several years ago. A bit of a passion project. They aren’t just in Faron. You can find them all over Hyrule.”

“Really? That’s fascinating. May I see?”

“Of course, Princess! Here, do you mind?” Tauro gestures to the spot next to her. Zelda nods enthusiastically and he slides next to her and pulls out a green notebook he keeps buckled to his belt like a dagger. He flips it open and hands it to her. The pages are filled with rough sketches of Zonai Ruins, impressions of carvings, and endless notes deciphering the contents.

“This is remarkable,” Zelda says.

“I had heard you were a bit of a researcher yourself, Princess. This is an honor.”

The fire that has been slowly dying inside her with every shrine that blinks off the Sheikah Slate map suddenly ignites. “Uh, well, yes. I mean, it was never officially sanctioned by my father, but I did study Sheikah Technology and Hyrulean wildlife.”

“You do not need authorization if you have the heart of an explorer! No one officially approved my travels and yet, I have had many! Though, it can be quite dangerous work. We ran into a molduga the other day in the West Barrens. And a few of us recently fella ill; too much time in some of the ruins that go underground. Bad air, contaminated water, dark magic.”

“I’ve been told there are lots of old places in Hyrule people should avoid.” Zelda glances over at Link. He is hastily handing out plates of food, but he catches her eye. It feels natural to want to pull him into the conversation, but then she reminders the Sword is gone and people are reaching for him. This is an opportunity to get someone to reach for her. Link’s literally handed it to her on a plate. She turns her attention back to Tauro and commits to staying there.

“Sure. Loads of them. But what’s the fun in that? To my knowledge, no one else in Hyrule boasts an expertise in Zonai linguistics like me. You think this happened playing it safe? Ha!”

Zelda smiles. “I suppose that is true. Researching requires courage in my forms.”

“Precisely! You get it! We dare to push the boundaries of what is known and go wherever in Hyrule that takes us. You should join us in an exhibition, sometime. You defeated a demon, Princess. Nothing hiding in a cave could stop you.”

Warmth glows in her ears. She smiles and flips a few more pages. There is a full page sketch of a statue resembling an owl. Two giant eyes stare through her. Underneath it, the sentence ‘Zonai deity for wisdom?’ is scribbled.

It always manages to find her.

She sighs and closes the book. “Where will you go next once you see all the ruins in the Gerudo Desert?”

“I was thinking maybe the Thyphlo Ruins.”

Link appears before them, makes a short sound through his nose, a lot like a horse, and hands Tauro another skewer. Tauro takes it and tilts his head.

“I take it that means you’ve been?”

Link nods.

“R-really? I have reason to believe they are connected to the Zonai Ruins in Faron!” What are they like?”

Link drops down beside Zelda with two plates of food. He sets one in her lap, ignoring Tauro completely until Zelda picks it up. He’s unusually close. There is a strange edge to him; she feels it along the long line of his thigh against hers. Like she's thumbing the edge of a blade. It sends a shiver through her body when he looks through his bangs across her at Tauro and signs a single word:

‘Dark.’

—

Zelda liked Riju when they met over a year ago at the Summit. Now, on her second week inside the walls of Gerudo Town, as she sits on the edge of Riju’s bed with a pink sand seal stuffed animal across her lap, and watches the Chief of the Gerudo jump back and forth across her bed giving her best impersonation of a lizalfos, Zelda decides she might just love her as much as she loved Urbosa.

The late Chief has been with Zelda from the moment she stepped into Gerudo Town. Zelda hears her deep laughter echoing in the alleyways, sees flashes of her beauty in the ceramics and gems embedded into sandstone walls, and feels her love in the warmth of her welcoming people. They permit Link to enter the village and immediately confiscate his sirwal and veil. He’s allowed to wear the corresponding voe set to help with the heat during their stay, but they tell him that it would be staying with the Gerudo when he leaves as well.

He’s training with Teake now. He’s cooled off since the awkward encounter with Tauro in the Bazaar, and although he seemed genuinely disappointed to lose both of his Gerudo sets, any gloom lingering over him disappeared when he was invited to barracks to train.

Zelda remembers it was one of the first things Urbosa would do when she met them anywhere a century ago.

Test your strength, Hero? If you’re going to be protecting my little bird, you had better be prepared.

Zelda has tears in her eyes when Riju finally stops hopping and collapses onto her stomach. The tears don’t stop when the laughter dies off. Vah Naboris will disappear into the endless sandsea in the morning and it’s like they are finally burying Urbosa’s body, too. Daruk is already resting. Revali and Mipha may already be gone, too.

Zelda pressing her fists against her eyes so hard it hurts. She feels Riju move beside her. There is a warm hand on her shoulder. For a second it almost feels like—

“I miss her so much,” Zelda whimpers.

“I was told how close the Hylian Queen and Lady Urbosa were. And when the Queen passed, Lady Urbosa vowed you would always know a mother’s love,” Riju says softly.

Zelda pulls her fists away from her eyes and wraps her arms around herself to contain the sob that threatens to shake her entire body. She sees the way Link held his hands when he told her about the Champion’s gifts. Zelda chokes and sputters out the words, paraphrasing him for the second time in a week. “I-I have to let her go. All of them.”

Voices carry up from the barracks through the open windows into the adobe. There is a mighty clash of metal and a lively and familiar call that means Link is engaged in a sparring match. Without the Master Sword, without the Sheikah Slate on his hip.

She has a vision of the Great Plateau Tower completely drained of its power and a map of Hyrule without any shrine left to clear. Link crosses Hyrule Field without passing a single guardian shell, no longer haunted by the glowing eyes that hunted him a century ago. Nothing mechanical and towering looms over the towns and cities and villages that survived Calamity's corruption.

It’s beautiful and necessary and yet, all Zelda feels is grief.

“It’s hard to explain, but a hundred years doesn’t feel like enough time. It passed through me differently than the rest of you…in some ways, I felt every agonizing second of time, and in others, with this, it only feels like it’s been a year. One year since I lost them.”

“Princess,” Riju gently takes Zelda’s hands and pulls them away from the crushing hold she has on her body. “Just because you let them go, does not mean all that love goes away with them. You can still carry it with you. In fact, I hope you do. Grief is a reminder of connectedness; of the endurance of true love. It means Lady Urbosa kept her promise to your mother.”

Link kept his promise, too. Fulfilled his oath. It would be unfair to hold him to words they never had the chance to speak out loud. Who knows, given her track record recently, it could have all been a gross misinterpretation on her part. The pull of duty and devotion feels a lot like the inescapable gravity of love. He’s changed now, and in many ways, for the better. And with the Master Sword gone, his burden will be eased moving forward. He is as free as the Wild that saved him.

As long as she can let him go.

“You’re right.” Zelda wipes her face quickly and nods a half dozen times. “Okay, yes. Thank you, Riju. Urbosa would be so proud to know you are protecting her people.”

“I don’t know about protecting just yet. Whether Urbosa’s Fury remains within me or not once Vah Naboris is gone, my official training begins tomorrow. And I plan to, well, I guess why not just- well- hold on.” Riju scrambles off the side of her bed in a careful pattern so as not to disturb her collection of stuffed seals. She disappears into a side room and then emerges a second later with a pair of scimitars.

“Buliara had these made for me. They are an exact replica of Lady Urbosa’s. The original sword was given to–”

“Link. Yes, I’ve seen it,” Zelda says, taking one of the scimitars from Riki’s outstretched hand. He keeps all the Champion’s weapons mounted in his house in Hateno. The memory of the first time she noticed it punches her square in the chest.

How is she supposed to stop loving him? He’s here, thank the Goddess, he’s still here, but that means there is no closure. She can’t bury this love. Maybe she can channel it, take this pain and pour it into something new? Tauro did invite her to join an exhibition. Maybe he will let her join his crew or she can follow in his footsteps and set off on her own to rediscover Hyrule. If she must remain alone in the past, the least she can do is learn from it.

“You should cut your hair,” Riju says.

“W-what?”

“Vah Naboris’ time is ending. My training begins. I will be focusing all my energy, all my time on becoming a fierce warrior for my people. I can’t do that with all this unnecessary weight .” Riju flips the massive braid of thick copper hair over shoulder. “It’s time to shed what we do not need. Start fresh. Be lighter. You should do it with me!”

“What–now? With this?”

“It is the sharpest blade in Gerudo Town.”

Zelda glances between Riju and scimitar. The emerald laid into the gold of the folded guard is the exact shade Urbosa’s eyes were. In the candlelight, they flash. Wink.

Zelda takes a breath, gathers her hair up away from her face in one hand, and swipes the blade with the other in a sweeping, cathartic, and incredibly impulsive arch.

The length of her hair drops down next to her. Instantly, Zelda can draw breath deeper. The release of weight she hadn’t even known she was carrying makes room for laughter. Deep and rich and exactly like her Geurdo mother’s.

Riju squeals and kicks her feet out in front of her. “Amazing! Amazing! Okay, me next, me next!”

—

Riju’s scimitars are sharp, but they are not well suited for hair cutting. And although Riju told Buliara of her intentions to chop off her hair, a spontaneous, uneven cut with a sword is not what her personal bodyguard and guardian regent of the Gerudo tribe had in mind. Thankfully, all of the warriors have secondary skills, and surprisingly, captain Teake happens to be proficient with scissors.

Zelda turns her head back and forth, testing the feeling of hair just brushing her shoulders. Teake had to take more off to correct Zelda’s lopsided cut. Riju had been more thoughtful, using her braid as a guide.

“What do you think?” Zelda asks Link suddenly. Since the cut, she’s felt a little bolder. Courageous.

He gives her a thumbs up.

“Your hair's getting long. Do you want Teake to trim it?”

He shakes his head, pulls the thin blue headband from his wrist and wiggles it between his fingers. He gathers his hair back into a messy knot and nods.

“Yes, I suppose it’s rather convenient to still be able to do that. Hm.” She attempts to do the same, testing the new length in her hands. Thick pieces of blonde immediately fall around her face.

‘You’ll figure it out. It looks good short,’ he signs. His cheeks glow pink faintly. She tucks the hair behind her ears a few times to soothe the longing in her chest. She’s grown wise enough to know it's just the sun.

“Excuse me?” A Gerudo child tugs on the seam of Zelda’s sirwal. Zelda crouches down so they are eye level. The girl has eyes like amber stones.

“Yes?”

“Are you the same princess we met before? The one from the castle?”

Zelda hesitates, the opportunity to recreate herself, even temporarily, dangles like a carrot dripping with honey. “I am.”

“You look different. I like it.” The girl eagerly hugs Zelda around the neck and then takes off in the direction of the market.

“Children like you, yes?” Riju sets her hands on her hips.

Zelda stands and fixes her hair again. She thinks about the stable children and smiles. “I suppose they do.”

“You should teach. It’s a gift not many are blessed with,” Riju says.

Something clicks into place in her head. She looks at Link, whom she saddled with assumptions a week prior over a similar comment. Thinking the worst of it and him since.

He’s smiling. It’s almost painful how handsome he is when he looks so casually sure of himself.

The resolve to release him hangs by a thread.

‘See?’ he signs.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

Okay since a vacation outside of Hyrule would fix Ganondorf and Impa, what would be the ideal vacation they need that will provide the necessary fixes, in your opinion 👀🎤📝

Hmmm, good question!!

I think neither of them would enjoy a quiet or a calm environment. I feel like if they get stuck on a nice beach where it's sunny and nice and they don't have to do anything but relax and enjoy, they would both go insane and begin eating sand on day 3 just to feel something.

(it's pretty funny to realize they both would have zero idea what to do with themselves without either somebody else to care for or scheming to achieve an absolutely insane and unreachable goal)

(also I just assumed they would have to spend the vacation together, which would be an AWFUL idea but, counterpoint: very funny)

So I'm thinking. Either somewhere in the mountains, or somewhere by the sea but cold and rough and unwelcoming, with a lot of cliff and angry waves. A place that would kind of keep them occupied enough to focus on doing what needs to be done, but for these actions to be low-stake enough for them to relax in spite of themselves, but without giving them whiplash. I think that would be the ideal scenario for them to descend from their constant supply of stress without cutting them off at once, which would make their problems worse and probably end up in fight to the death.

[fatefulfaerie]

The Fourth Dragon

Zelda pulled the blanket that draped over her shoulders closer into herself, trying to derive some comfort from the warmth. The fire crackled, yet it still wasn’t enough. She shuddered, her teeth chattering. Whether it was from the cold waters she was just drawn from or from her father’s silent presence, she didn’t know.

He was upset, she knew that much. Only twelve years old and she had snuck out from where they stayed in Kakariko Village to ascend Lanayru Mountain. The goddess springs were places of penitence and respect. One could not visit the spring of wisdom without being at least seventeen years of age, an adult in the eyes of the kingdom.

“Zelda, I...” 

The silence finally broke. The resplendent King disappointed his public image in private, hunching over in a wooden chair, hands clasped and throat tripping over itself. It wasn’t just that she snuck out, she had admitted to him that she hadn’t felt an ounce of the sealing power that was her birthright. For the past six years she had responded to his queries with the lie “I feel it more every day”.

“I think I’ve failed you.”

Zelda felt the whiplash in her heart. That was not what she expected.

“You’re only a child,” he said. “There are no signs that the prophesied Calamity is truly returning and you already have this tremendous pressure to prepare your sealing power.”

Zelda turned herself around to look at her father, preparing for his words with a respect she was taught to embody. However, he hesitated, and Zelda blinked her green eyes. She’d never seen her father so unprepared with his words.

"Your mother...” he finally continued. “She had a way with you that I never got a handle on. It’s not just because she was a woman it was...well...she had more of a capacity for tenderness and empathy than anyone I knew. I let her take care of you and when she passed on, I let the attendants raise you.”

Rhoam inhaled with gesture, as if to continue, but his brow twitched in confusion.

“Where was I going with that?”

Zelda stammered, shaking her head.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“My point is that I don’t know how to be a good father,” he said. “But I want you to know that you can come to me if you need to. I don’t want you to hurt yourself feeling like you’re alone in all of this.”

Zelda expected him to continue, yet he didn’t.

“So...you’re not upset?” Zelda asked, confused. This was the worst thing she had ever done and her father was pleasant? Understanding? 

“You wouldn’t have gone up there if not for the pressure, the burden on your shoulders,” he explained. “It means a great deal to me and to Hyrule that you care so much, and I have no doubt it means you are growing up to be a strong, young woman. But...when they brought you back here pale and stiff, passed out from the coldest waters in the kingdom, I just saw my little girl, the baby Hylia blessed me with all those years ago. And to think you could’ve...”

The King stopped himself, and with a twinkle in his eye that teased a tear Zelda had never seen, he took a deep breath. As if his eye was always dry, he continued.

“Your sealing power will come in time,” he said, far less broken. Even to his daughter, image was important. He straightened his back, realigned his shoulders and his head to balance the weight of the crown, and stood up. “No need to rush it.”

Zelda followed her father with her eyes as he left her be, in the dust of the most emotion she’d seen from him in a long time. She sat stunned and, honestly, disheartened that it came and went so quickly.

Whenever they made the trip to Kakariko, they always stayed in someone else’s house. Impa felt it incredibly rude to ask them to stay at the inn, and a house was already vacated, cleaned, and filled with the finest of Kakariko’s goods before the King could breathe a word of objection.

Zelda could hear the aftermath of the commotion she had caused from inside. The King was assuring everyone that the princess had indeed woken up from her chilly slumber and that all was well. Something gnawed at her heart that she woke up the entire village for this, and it wasn’t like she didn’t do her research! She learned from the Royal Chef that meals with spicy peppers are often cooked to help soldiers in the Gerudo Highlands with their searches for the Yiga Clan base. Helping them withstand the bitter cold was “the least he could do” he said, before giving a recipe to the eager princess for fun. Little did she know that the waters atop that mountain had an iciness that couldn’t be warded away by even the hottest pepper.

Zelda’s father came back in with a sigh, closing the door behind him.

“Feeling better?” he asked. “Warmer?”

Zelda was predisposed to answer the formal-toned inquiries with the all-too-familiar, “yes, Father”, but she didn’t. It wouldn’t have been a lie, she did feel warmer, but she wasn’t ready to go back to the way they were. This was her chance to ask, now.

“How did grandmother unlock her power?” Zelda nearly blurted out. The King would have asked were her manners were if he wasn’t pulled in by the subject matter. “You’ve...never mentioned it.”

The King didn’t answer at first. He stood, almost frozen by the question, by his daughter’s piercing eyes.

“I don’t know, Zelda,” he breathed out. “I wish I did. My mother’s account of it was fraught with the inanity the accompanied her illness. I didn’t believe it at the time and I have no reason to believe it now.”

His daughter looked up at him with nothing but the burning curiosity for him to continue. The King sighed.

“She was...well she was at the peak of Lanayru Mountain,” he said, eyes glazed over into the past. “So she must have been at least seventeen. She claimed a great dragon appeared to her, like the ones in the legends, but not quite.”

“What do you mean?” Zelda asked.

With a closed mouth he exhaled from his nose a small, gentle sigh. It seemed to be a struggle the way he wrestled with how to proceed. This was the longest he had ever humored legends. 

“It’s just a story,” he said, interrupting Zelda’s wonder-filled gaze. “Nothing to concern yourself with.”

“But...”

“That’s enough, Zelda,” he insisted, standing up. “No sense filling your head with nonsense. That’s where you got the idea to freeze to death in the first place.”

His words were sharp, and ended the conversation authoritatively. That didn’t, however, stop the young princess from imagining the legends he referred to. 

She laid in her small Kakariko bed, curled in blankets and picturing the old dragons, each composite of an element of nature. Farore, that of storms, lightning, chaos, intrinsically forthright and unapologetic. Naydra, that of calms, ripples, fractals, complications only wisdom and patience can solve. And Dinraal, that of quakes, unabashed power, fires and destruction when in the wrong hands. The three dragons were said to protect Hyrule in anonymity, unseen.

She fell asleep before she could even start to brainstorm what a fourth might look like if there was one. Yet, her dream that night featured a girl, somewhere between adolescence and adulthood, reaching her hand out to touch the very tip of a dragon’s nose. The dragon was big and long, with glowing golden hair and scales the color of Silent Princesses. As the dragon closed their purple eyes, the girl began to glow bright with the very sealing power Zelda sought.

The last sight Zelda saw before waking up was that same dragon heading upwards into the clouds, away from Hyrule. Zelda had a sense that the dragon had a purpose beyond the land that had been visited, but hope to see the dragon when she turned seventeen.

[b1111199]

No One Special Here Foundation- The Full Testimonial

[FTF transformation, willing corruption, reality change TF, genericification]

Accompanying art done by the great YellowCatArt98 (Discord- YellowCatArt#8214)

______________________________________________________________

Ever feel like there’s too much going on in your life? Fate of the world resting on your shoulders? Too much respect to live up to? Too much power and not enough challenge? Well we at the NOSH Foundation have a solution for you! With our patented Minion Relocation technology you can escape your old stressful life and enter a whole new world in your new humble, fulfilling life as a minor antagonist. Never worry about trivial things like what to wear, what to do or what your name is ever again! Still not convinced? Let’s take a look at some satisfied customers!

Cynthia here used to be a Pokémon Champion, a very public facing and stressful role. She’d grown tired of the long hours, working vacations, and constant tournaments so when she got in touch we recommended her to our MKR34 program. One short warp pipe trip and one easy application of our SGTF mask and her whole world changed.

Now Shy Gal here spends her days dancing and booty shaking and she’s never been happier. When asked for an interview she declined while blushing but she sent a statement written on a notepad slid across the table.

“I was sceptical at first but the foundation offered a trial program: if I wasn’t happy after a week, I could go right back. With that safety net I felt it was worth a try but it turns out, I didn’t need it. As soon as I slipped the mask on it and began to transform this is where I knew I wanted to be in life. Now I’m surrounded by friends with the same interests and style, I don’t have to spend all that time on my hair and I can cut loose and shake my butt all I want. I highly recommend the No One Special Here Foundation and who knows, maybe next time I do background dancing, you’ll be there next to me. -_^”

----

After unexpectedly shooting to internet stardom, Bowsette grew sick of lewd art overtaking her life and just wanted to have some space to enjoy her antagonism in peace. Thanks to our six month disgraced ninja package, she was able to quickly take up a new life as a member of the Yiga Clan in the land of Hyrule. Five months in, here’s what Yiga Footsoldier has to say for her experience:

“I wanted to get back in touch with the petty evil and not stress about appearances. It’s everything I wanted: attacking travellers, stealing treasures, dooming the world over a 10,000 year old grudge. And because I look like everyone else, I don’t give a crap about who draws porn of me. It could be any of us.”

Yiga Footsoldier was so satisfied with her placement that she’s considering making the transfer permanent.

“I thought it would be great as a break to get my mojo back but now I’m wondering if this is just me now. Being no one special here is oddly liberating and it would feel so… off to go back to being the one giving the orders and having to do the evil speeches. And thanks to Master Koga, I’ve really opened my eyes to the appeal of chunkier men. Maybe I should apologise to Wario for rejecting him so hard… Wait, is this still being recorded? Switch that off before I slit your-!”

------

Impa was left at a crossroads when she had fulfilled her destined position as Sage of Shadow and all threats to Hyrule had been destroyed. All that Sheikah training and hiding in the shadows were no more use so she was left adrift. In her own words, “The problem with prophesies is that they never say what you’re supposed to do when they’re done”. So she got in contact with us and we were able to find a perfect match with our Path of Prophesied Conflict program.

Now fulfilling a prophecy of ruin, Parasol Beauty Heartless works tirelessly to gather hearts for her enigmatic masters. She declined to be interviewed but did send this message in beautiful handwriting.

“Purpose is a powerful thing, be it for good or for ill. With the emergence of Kingdom Hearts fated I am glad to fulfil my new duty, knowing that I have played my part. I may be no one special here in the grand scheme but it’s better to be a nobody (not to be confused with a Nobody) with purpose than a famed has-been. I must cut this correspondence short, there’s a rowdy youth with terrible hair that needs to be taken care of.”

-----

Being a hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as Aqua discovered. No sooner than she had become a Keyblade Master did she lose her old master, her friends and her world in one fell swoop and spent the next ten years wandering the realm of darkness. In her own words-

“I knew that the Rattata race of heroics would chew me up and spit me out with nothing to show for it if I stayed around. So when I found the No One Special Here Foundation, I took the plunge and picked up the strange orb they gave me as part of the Grunt Work program.”

Now Team Galactic Grunt is making up for those ten lost years of nothing by working overtime to bring Team Galactic’s vision of a new world to reality. She fights alongside her adorable Wurmple partner, only has to worry about meddling kids and her outfit’s still ridiculous but now machine washable. And when asked if she missed her old life and friends:

“You know, I’m counting on the old gang trying to find me. Team Galactic is always recruiting.”

----

And there you have it, four satisfied customers from four different worlds finding happiness by discarding their burdensome identities and expectations, and embracing the simple joys of anonymity and hench work. If life’s wearing you down and you need to leave the world behind and find purpose, we at the No One Special Here foundation can help you today. Escape for a week, take a gap year or permanently move, it’s all up to you. Contact us today and let us help you be the nobody you always wanted to be.

[clockwise-works]

Keep in mind I haven't been to a wedding nor am I married, so I'm not sure what makes a "good" wedding gift. Also this kinda got out of hand...

Zelda/Rhoam - Two ideas. A more out there one is a vamped up Anti Aging Rune made by Purah, Zelda, and the scientists. If you don't wanna do that and lean into the tragedy of their different life spans, then possibly a "second" vacation home, upkept for them to get away from the Domain if they ever feel the need.

Purah/Robbie/Impa - A "limited" version of the Shiekah Slate or beta version of the Purah Pad, mainly with just picture and compendium functionality. Mipha seemed to have a fascination with it, and Link seems like someone who likes completing checklists.

Revali - Imported fishes and luxury meats found only in the Hebra area (can only imagine the amount of strings he had pulled to pull that off). Or Rito made fabrics like bedsheets, clothing for the colder seasons, stuff like that.

Urbosa - The Gerudo don't seem like materialistic people, considering they didn't make a statue for Urbosa and instead seem like a "live in the moment" people. So Urbosa hosts a feast for them in their honor, with specially made Noble Pursuits by her (only select few have had the luxury of having a Pursuit made by THE Chieftain). She DID get them some Gerudo made jewelry tho, matching with each other's respective color.

Daruk - Rock Roast for Link (reader's choice on if Link actually likes it or was just being polite/wouldn't back down from a challenge). The actual gift could be lifetime access pass to the Rollin' Inn Massage Plan and a private Hot Spring exclusively for them (we see in TotK that once no longer erupting from Ganon, Death Mountain settles down and you can freely walk around without needing protection, meaning Mipha has an easier time visiting).

Dorephan - A B R E A K. Under his order his daughter nor Link will be expected to partake in royal meetings and updates (they deserve a rest and to enjoy some time to themselves after, you know, putting their lives on the line).

Sidon - Drawings. Lots and lots of drawings. Hell, maybe he tried to carve some Luminous Stones into figurines/statues for them.

Link's Parents (skip if you think they ded) - I can see them getting Link a new empty Cookbook, decorated with Zora and Hylian decor meant for him to fill up in this new chapter of their lives. For Mipha a matching new journal to write in, either to document their new life or to write stories.

Dento/Seggin/Important Zora Figures - A custom made new sword for Link now that he's a royal. Designed to look a little bit like the Master Sword mixed with Zora aesthetics and design details. Also a private living quarters for them (with the help of Dorephan) tailored made for the both of them.

what kind of gifts do you think zelda and the other champions would give to link and mipha for their wedding? 🤔

[sonicasura]

Idea is based off of this.

Hyrule has Venom, specifically the 2018 iteration. As much as I would go for the classic, I think Sony is a better pick. Plus this version of the Lethal Protector is such a loveable dork. Double the dorkage in a post apocalyptic land.

Hyrule acquires Venom after the first game but before the second. Unlike in the 2018 movie, this version of the symbiote was exiled and cast out into Link's world. (If anyone is wondering, no, the other symbiotes aren't gonna show up.)

He's discovered by Hyrule who is completely compatible with Venom. (In the 2018 iteration, a symbiote will slowly kill a incompatible host from the inside. Trust me when I say it isn't pretty.) Thus a peculiar partnership begins.

Venom will help protect the Triforce while Hyrule helps the symbiote thrive in this peculiar land. Something that soon becomes one hell of a friendship. Only very few people know about Venom than just the Hyrule's fairy family such as Impa and Zelda.

Everything is dandy until the Chain pop up. The symbiote wants nothing to do with Hylia's sacred mission. His best friend already suffered enough as is. Hyrule needs a break so 'Miss Holy' can wait. Now this is out of order from Jojo's established canon since this Link shall be the newbie, not Wild.

Venom isn't going to let the Chain get Hyrule so easily. Basically it's 'On the Run' Legend of Zelda edition! The symbiote says that his 'Link' needs a vacation so that's what he gonna get.

So the Chain ends up chasing the new Lethal Protector throughout this new yet dangerous Hyrule. The fairies treat it like a game since they agree with Venom about their fairy sibling's health. Only providing hints but not a full concrete answer unless under dire circumstances. Fae are still mischievous creatures. Dink is gonna cause trouble although he might be biting off more than he can chew.

That's all I have for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you back in Hyrule.

[needs-to-stop-looking-at-yigas]

Weak sauce, give us SEXY lesbabes, coward

You want sexy lesbians??? Aight let's fucking go.

"Thanks so much for this, Urbosa."

"Of course Impa. The boy has been taking his fair share of vacations, it's about time you have a turn."

Impa was finally able to take a small break from everything, and what better place to relax, than a place full of pretty women? Not to mention the hot sun, and plenty of cold drinks. She took a sip of her noble pursuit, relishing in just how refreshing it was.

"I just, don't like taking too much time away from the princess. But she said I was too stressed out, so she sent me out here. Not that I WOULDN'T want to spend time with you, lady Urbosa."

"No need for formalities, Impa. You’re a guest here. One so close to Zelda, yet one I realized I don’t know very well. I know only the things everyone else knows.”

Impa watched her as she plucked a wild berry from one of the plates. She was very generous with the food she provided, and they both seemed unable to control their appetites.

“That everyone else knows? Like what?”

“That you’re young, that you function well with a kodachi, and of course the obvious one.”

“Obvious one?”

“That you like Zelda. A little more than most.”

Impa opened her mouth to protest, but her raised brow let her know that it was pointless. She sighed, hiding her blushing face in her hand.

“Okay, yeah. I do like her. A lot. Am I THAT obvious?”

“To everyone but Daruk. Told him last night, he didn’t believe me at first. He was also the last one to know about Mipha’s feelings for Link.”

“Seriously?”

“I know, that’s what I thought. Regardless, you have no reason to be ashamed. Zelda is a lovely young lady, and knights falling for the princess is a tale as old as time. If anything, I saw it coming a mile away.”

Impa wanted to just leave. She would have honestly, had Urbosa not wrapped an arm around her in clear comfort. Impa looked up at her smiling face, and Impa understood that Zelda trusted her so much. So kind, so understanding. Impa sighed.

“So it’s not...BAD that I like her as much as I do?”

“Not at all, little one. I think your only problem is you, if I can be frank with you.”

Impa folded her arms across her chest in thought, before she pulled one hand away, using it to wag her finger at some imaginary being in front of her.

“I just don’t see how she can like ME like that! I understand why she’d like Link, but I’m not HIM! I’m me! Link would know what to do here, I don’t.”

Urbosa chuckled, lightly patting the top of her head.

“You just struggle with your feelings. You’re so nervous around girls, I can tell.”

“Not ALL girls! Just...the really pretty ones.”

Impa found herself shrinking into her side as one of the many servants came in to fetch one of the plates. Urbosa shook her head as she saw Impa looking. The plight of the lesbians, she understood it perfectly.

“I understand, Impa. You know, I was a lot like you at your age. Only difference was, I never stood a chance. Don’t tell Zelda this, but...I used to be with her mother.”

Impa looked at her in shock, and she could only smile. The reaction was fairly appropriate.

“You were with the QUEEN?!”

“For a short period of time, yes. In fact, we planned on running away together upon hearing of her arranged marriage to King Rhoam. Then...something happened. She actually fell in love with him. He’s as stern as an oak now, but back in the day, he was quite the charmer.”

Impa was quiet for a moment, clearly interested in the story.

“How did you agree to be allies with his majesty after this?”

“I almost didn’t. I was about to start a war over her hand. But then she asked me to instead, stay by her side. No longer as her lover, but as her best friend. I almost didn’t accept it. But love is funny like that, so I vowed I would be there for her. Then, I vowed to be there for Zelda. So...here we are. I still love her, deep in my heart. So when I say I understand what you’re going through, I mean that.”

Impa sat there in thought, letting Urbosa take more nibbles of her fruit, before her eyes were back at the tempest.

“How...did you two even happen?”

“Funny story. I was TERRIBLY shy around her when we first met. Then my friends dared me to kiss her. I was so full of pride back then, I never refused a challenge, so that’s what I did. I kissed her. It went downhill from there. Who knows, maybe that’ll work for you and Zelda, eh?”

She nudged the little lady at her side, which made Impa blush something fierce.

“I...I’ve never kissed ANYONE before, honestly. I feel like If I tried, I’d just make things weird.”

“I could show you.”

Impa froze. No way did she just hear what she thought she heard. Their eyes met, and Impa chuckled. Clearly she was misunderstanding.

“I’m SO sorry, Urbosa, for a second there I thought you suggested you teach me how to kiss-”

“I did suggest this. You want to practice, I have a lot of experience. If you aren’t interested, that is fine. But Zelda having her first kiss is a good one...well, I’m sure that’s something you want.”

Impa opened her mouth to tell her how crazy that idea was, when Urbosa leaned down to hold her chin, lifting it up as she bent down a bit.

“You miss every shot you don’t take, Impa. I will not force you, but I fail to see why this isn’t a good idea.”

Impa thought about it. No one would know. It’d be just them. It’d be good practice for her. Not to mention...well. Who could say they kissed THE Urbosa? Arguably one of the hottest ladies out there? She dwelled on it, before meekly nodding.

“I...okay. So long as you’re patient with me, I guess.”

“I can assure you, I am a very patient teacher. Now, why don’t you go first, let me see what I’m working with?”

Impa leaned in, which was apparently funny, given how she covered her lips behind her hand. She felt her own face turn beet red.

“What?”

“You’re too tense, and you’re keeping your eyes open. Relax those shoulders, close your eyes. It’s not a fight, it’s a kiss.”

Impa took a deep breath, before nodding. There was not a thing to be scared of here. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and leaned in. Urbosa leaned in at the same time, and Impa tried not to freak out. She was sitting right here, kissing Urbosa, right on her lips! The tempest pulled away after a moment, nodding in thought.

“Not bad, but you surely need more practice. Let me show you how I kiss.”

Urbosa leaned in again, pressing her lips against hers. It was a kiss, just like before, only...way different. Urbosa’s lips were so firm, while simultaneously being so soft. Urbosa even placed her hand right at her stomach, pushing her flat onto one of the pillows she had thrown around. She held her down, all while she continued to kiss her, softly groaning into her mouth. Urbosa pulled away after a moment, carefully wiping her smudged blue lipstick as she looked down at Impa.

“Elements of surprise really make a kiss more memorable. I take it you won’t forget this one, and not just because it’s your first.”

Impa gave a light shake of her head, with the room spinning a little bit. What a kiss. Urbosa leaned down a bit, with her nose poking Impa’s.

“Now, your turn. Do it again, but add a little something to it. Go on, surprise me.”

Impa nodded, leaning her head up a bit in order to press her lips against Urbosa’s. She put a little more ‘oomph’ into the kiss this time around, even getting bold enough to stick her tongue into her mouth. The feel of someone’s tongue was something else. So wet, so warm, it made butterflies in her stomach. Urbosa pulled away with a chuckle, sensing that the little one needed to breathe. Impa cleared her throat, smearing blue lipstick that had spread over her mouth.

“So...surprised?”

“It wasn’t bad at all, honestly. It helps that you’re such a pretty girl.”

Impa could squeal. Helpless lesbian she was, the idea of a big, strong lady calling her ‘pretty girl’ made her just weak. She shook a bit as Urbosa’s finger trailed from her lips, down to her chest.

“If you’d like, I can show you other tricks aside from kissing. Not that there’s any pressure on my end.”

Impa looked around, unsure. This wasn’t weird though, right? Couldn’t be. She nodded, a bit more eagerly than she intended to. Urbosa chuckled, and got to work. Sheikah clothes were a bit conservative, with quite the amount of layers. It took her a good minute to get Impa in just her underwear and bra. Urbosa clicked her tongue.

“I understand it’s the clothes of your people, but you dress so modestly. It’s such a shame. You have such an adorable frame.”

Urbosa’s lips trailed from her cheek, to her neck, stopping just short of her chest. She was about to pull it away, when Impa held a finger up. Her cheeks were on fire, and her amber eyes were defiant.

“Hey, YOU’RE still dressed! That’s not fair!”

Urbosa blinked in surprise, before throwing her head back in laughter. Fiery little thing. She sat up, straddling the girl at this point.

“Alright, fair point, little sheikah.”

She reached behind her, undoing her chest armor, and her bra she often wore right under that. She wasn’t surprised when Impa stared at her well endowed chest, clearly having a gay panic. To taunt the poor thing further, she stood up, peeling away her skirt, tossing her black panties right at her chest, and showing her red pubic hair. Minus her heels, she was pretty much fully nude now.

“Happy?”

“I...uh...I…”

Impa was at a loss for words. Surprise surprise. Urbosa let her get a good look, before she knelt down, and pulled away her bra. She chuckled, honestly swooning over her cute little body.

"Oh you are precious. Such a lithe little frame, and such a cute chest."

Her chest was nowhere near her size, but rather, on the small end. Not that Urbosa minded, a chest was a chest. Though Impa didn't seem to agree, given how she covered her chest in clear embarrassment.

"I-i get it, okay? I'm kinda...small, especially compared to you and-"

She was silenced by Urbosa’s finger yet again.

“Don’t put yourself down now, Impa. Women like confidence. You have a lovely body, I daresay our little princess would be fond of it. If you’d just open up a bit.”

Urbosa was careful as she held her hands, slowly pulling them away from her body. Her actions were bold, but oh so delicate, and poor Impa didn’t stand a chance in hell. She got so nervous, but she made no marks to stop her. This was all advice given to her by a stunning woman? Who was she to refuse? Any doubt in her mind was erased the second her tongue grazed over one of her breasts. That actually happened. Her body froze in surprise, but Urbosa wouldn’t let her process it; kissing and suckling at her breast with one hand, with her other hand holding her body oh so close to her.

“That’s...new. Definitely new. But I don’t think the p-princess would let me do that.”

Urbosa kept at it for a moment, smearing more or her lipstick on her body as she suckled on her, letting her talented tongue graze across her perky little nipples. By the time she decided to take a break, Impa was laying there, a shaking, trembling mess.

“And why not? I have yet to find a woman who doesn’t like this, provided they know what they’re doing. Not to mention your nipples are SO eager, it’s rather cute. Why don’t you practice a bit on me?”

Urbosa sat back up, before laying back amongst her pillows. Impa somehow made herself sit up to get a good look at her. A huge set of breasts, nice wide hips, and a pussy that looked good enough to eat. She gulped, before nodding to herself. For the princess. She crawled up to her, cupping them both in her hands.

“Geez, I didn’t know they could GET this big. Really surprised the armor holds it all.”

“I’m no bigger than most Gerudo women, actually. I do however, taste better.”

She put her hand behind Impa’s head, and pulled, forcing her face into her chest. Impa took the hint, and helped herself. She massaged at her chest, slowly and deeply, while her mouth nibbled and suckled at her tits, occasionally tugging on the nipples with her soft, soft mouth. Then Urbosa moaned. It was as sensual as a moan could get; loud, with her head tossed back in pleasure. She chuckled as her eyes met with Impa’s.

“Mmmm...you aren’t half bad. But then again, it’s been a while since I’ve had a cute little vai in my arms. You’re so pretty, sucking on me like that. You like this, don’t you? Like how you feel smothered by them?”

She pressed her chest together, stuffing Impa’s face full of prime Gerudo boob. And holy shit, did it make her twitch. Urbosa chuckled, moving her chest back and forth for a moment, before finally letting the poor girl breathe. Impa was full on panting now, eagerly suckling on her breasts in a means to please the incredible woman in her arms. Urbosa was giving her just that, letting Impa have free reign while she rubbed at her wet pussy in fast, small circles.

“Oh that’s it little vai...suck on me, make me feel SO nice and wet.”

Impa was ashamed that she could feel herself dripping on the floor, but at the moment, she didn’t care. She just knew Urbosa looked so lovely, writhing and moaning and pleasuring herself. It came to a halt when Urbosa pushed her head away, Impa caught with her tongue out.

“You really like tasting. Try this.”

She stuck her wet fingers right into Impa’s mouth, and she didn’t refuse them. She was sitting here, with Urbosa’s pussy juices being shoved into her mouth. And it tasted SO good. She held onto her hand, slurping and sucking the fingers, in a desperate attempt to get more. She laughed, letting her have her moment.

“You like how I taste, don’t you?”

“Yes, Lady Urbosa. You’re so good, and so rich...it’s better than any dessert I’ve ever had.”

“Well then. Why don’t I treat you?”

She pulled her fingers away, and Impa mourned the loss. That is, until Urbosa parted her stunning legs, lightly biting her nail as she looked at Impa oh so alluringly.

“Devour me, little sheikah girl. Make the great Urbosa cum in her own home.”

“Yes, Lady Urbosa.”

Impa practically dove right in, shoving her face right into her, with a monster grip to her big, meaty thighs.

“Oh! EAGER little fox!”

Urbosa laughed, wrapping her legs around her head, keeping her nestled right where she was. Impa didn’t know if she was doing it right, but that didn’t keep her from enjoying the rich, sweet juices she was pouring down her throat.

“Oh that’s it….ooh you’re SO thirsty for a drink. This IS the first time you’ve tasted a woman. Wait till you make me cum. It’s so sweet, it’ll flood your pretty mouth, and you’ll only want more.”

Impa believed her. It was so delicious, suckling at the folds that hung out of her, watching Urbosa grope and pinch at her own chest in an attempt to make her cum faster. Impa had no idea sex was like this. Full of discovery and interest. She pulled away for air, for but a brief moment, shaking as if she was exhausted.

“PLEASE give me a taste, Urbosa! I NEED to know how a woman tastes when she cums! Please please please!”

Impa did her part, diving right back in. It smelled...different than how she imagined. It didn’t smell like roses or candy, but smelled musky, lewd. And she loved it. Impa loved how it tasted NOTHING like she had thought they would. It was so much better, knowing the truth. Even the sounds were better. Cute moans were nice, but Urbosa was LOUD, hungry to chase her orgasm.

“I’m SO close, I’m SO close, just keep DEVOURING me!!”

Her moans were passionate, so full of emotion, it was breathtaking. But not as breathtaking as when she dug her nails into her hair, forced her nose into her pubic hair, and came. She cried out as she did so, and Impa was stunned. So much hot fluid spilled into her mouth, feeling hot as it trickled down her throat. Women...tasted SO good when they came. Urbosa swore a bit in relief, letting Impa’s soaked face finally be free. Impa sat there, panting, cum covering her face, before she spoke.

“That...was incredible. Women taste so...so good.”

Impa dove in for another kiss, which Urbosa accepted, simultaneously digging her nails into her ass. Impa moaned loudly, FAR louder than she had to anything else, and that made Urbosa chuckle.

“Hmmm...something to explore later. For now, let’s focus on something other than eating, you’re already pretty good at that, even by eagerness alone.”

Urbosa laid on her side, pulling Impa right up to her. Urbosa kissed her cheek, before she hiked one of her legs over hers.

“U-urbosa-”

Urbosa’s fingers slowly rubbed her soaked little pussy in small, slow circles. All while her other hand was cupping at her small, soft breast. She chuckled into her cute little ear, loving how it shook her whole body.

“Pay close attention to how this feels, Impa. First, we rub the outside, nice and slowly. You treat your woman like art. With tenderness, passion...a bit of awe, even.”

Impa couldn’t say anything as Urbosa trailed kisses up her neck, all while oh she oh so slowly rubbed at her outside. So slowly and tenderly, smearing her own pussy juices across her own pubic hair.

“Take this time to sweet talk her. Tell her something you like. For example, I like how you’ve never shaved. It’s the right amount of cute little hair down here, and it’s oh so precious. See? You whimpered at that.”

Impa was hiding her face in her hand, trying not to moan like crazy. The way she held her legs open, the way her hands massaged her in a way her own hands never did, even the way she whispered in her ear.

“I didn’t...know I’m supposed to shave.”

“You don’t have to, most do however. It just really shows that you have so little experience. It’s SO cute, you’re lucky I didn’t bring my guards in here, they’d eat you up.”

She even nipped at her neck, as if that’d prove her point further. Impa put her hand over Urbosa’s, trying to get a feel for that slow rhythm she was setting.

“C...can you put it in yet?”

“Mmmm...not just yet, little fox. Unless you’d ask nicely, then I suppose I could speed things up.”

Impa had so much pride inside of her, it was so difficult to swallow it all, but she made herself do just that.

“Please Urbosa...I want to know how to do this properly, for her. I want her to feel like this. Please, don’t make me suffer by not letting me feel you.”

“Oh how am I supposed to say no to that?”

Urbosa chuckled. Kissing her forehead, she finally pushed a finger in. Not too quickly, not too toughly. Just enough to get that breath of hers hitching, and her body shaking. Urbosa still kept it nice and slow, merely teasing her already soaked insides. Impa was already so ready to cum, it was just the cutest thing. Urbosa kissed her neck again, watching her shake even further.

“There we go. See how slowly I’m going? See how I’m looking for that nice, steady pace? I’m looking for something. Something very-”

She swore she saw that shiver travel up her spine. There it was. Her cute G-spot. She kissed at her nose, before keeping their foreheads pressed together.

“Pay attention. Because once you master this, I doubt any woman could keep their hands off of you.”

Once she slipped another finger inside, she began her attack. Normally she wouldn’t do this to such a newbie, but she couldn’t help it. Her pussy was so eager to learn, her body was lithe and soft, and her voice. Oh her voice. Her cries of ecstasy as she fingered her cute little pussy so quickly was enough to make a heart melt. Impa kept crying out in pleasure, squirming as she felt herself quickly being shoved right off the edge. The lewd sounds of her wet pussy only made this more tasty to the Gerudo woman.

“U-urbosa! Oh my GOD URBOSA!!”

“Look at me in my eyes. That’s it, good girl. You’re going to cum, and it’s going to feel so good. Remember it, so SHE can feel good. This is for Zelda. So when you cum, cry for her, understand?”

“Yes! Yes yes YES!-”

Poor thing was near tears. Urbosa could see her eyes get misty in lust, and with a rather adorable squeal, she came, crying out the princess’s name as she slipped into pleasure, the likes of which she had never seen. It was so much, she just sat there, limp like a fish, gasping for air. Urbosa chuckled, slowly pulling her fingers out and taking a long, good lick of them. Ah, the cum of a lovely little virgin. Such a treat.

“Now, if you do all of that, little fox, suffice to say, she’ll be putty in your hands. Assuming you’ll be alright after this?”

Impa, though trembling, gave her a thumbs up.

“H..holy shit...I...i really like girls.”

[zeldaelmo]

This is my contribution for the @behind-the-fic MFC contest! It's an old story (the first chapter, actually, but I figured it would work as a one-shot as well). I am working on something else, but I’m slow and the new story is very much out of my comfort zone, so who knows if I’m able to finish it to my satisfaction until 01.08.

I'm not fond of the idea of competition when it comes to my creative hobbies, so I don't want to win anything. I just like to be part of it because I was too shy to do the podcast as a non-native speaker.

But enough of me, you are here to get sad. 😉

tw: Link is an orphan in this one and the loss of his parents is mentioned as a backstory. Nothing horrible, but I want you to be aware.

Well. And warning for horrible proposals. 😆

Oh, and this story was inspired by a scene of @spacebeyonce Halloween fic ‘draw me like a magnet (to the sea)’ !

A fool such as I 

He knew he was a fool when his eyes scanned the passing sidewalk for a woman with blonde hair from the passenger's seat of Pipit’s car. 

He knew he was a fool when they entered the charity gala, and he couldn’t stop himself from looking for a pair of blue eyes. 

He knew he was a fool when a bell-like laugh made him turn around to find out if it was her.

It was not. 

It was never her. 

“Link,” Pipit nudged him in the side, rolling his eyes at him, “you are doing it again. Get yourself something to drink and enjoy the evening, for Hylia’s sake! I didn’t drag you here to look for your imaginary girlfriend!” 

Sighing in defeat, Link grabbed a glass from the tray of one of the waiters, not caring at all what fancy drink he might have gotten himself. Old habits die hard – the point wasn’t that Link didn’t know Pipit was right. It was just... he sipped his drink to distract himself and the bitter-sweet taste of the bright orange aperitif rolled on his tongue. 

This wasn’t the first time they'd had this conversation and if Link was honest with himself, it wouldn’t be the last, either. He knew that looking for her was like looking for a needle in a haystack. His heart, however, knew not. Every time he convinced himself to give up, every time he tried to move on, his pulse thrummed against that faded scar on his palm, and he did it again. 

Like a fool. 

He had been eight when he first met her. 

It had been his mother’s last summer alive. She had been suffering from a mysterious lung disease the doctors couldn’t explain and couldn’t heal. They had sent the whole family to Skyloft, a famous climatic spa, in a last, desperate attempt to save her life. His parents hadn’t told him how severe his mother’s condition was, perhaps to spare him or perhaps to spare themselves from the truth. They just spoke about a long vacation with him, an opportunity for him to meet new friends and to stray over the little island on his own. He had loved the idea immediately. 

The girl arrived three days after him, her cheeks lacking color, her hair coiffed in two neat braids, and her proper cotton dress dancing around her knees. She was without her parents, just with her nanny – a stern-looking woman named Impa. The curious child that he was, he asked her in the following days why her parents didn’t accompany her. She shrugged and said, they were extremely busy and their jobs couldn’t afford a summer break and that was that. To him, it didn’t matter anyway, because sneaking her out was much easier this way – Impa never caught them. 

The physician had diagnosed her with general weakness and a susceptibility to illness and therefore she'd been sent to Skyloft. Link couldn’t detect anything ‘ill’ on her. Her face lit up every time she saw him in the eating room and after she winked at him over the huge bowl of pumpkin soup, he followed her in a safe distance to her room on his tiptoes. Impa, whose room was on the opposite, frightened him, so he didn’t dare to knock in case she would hear him. Instead, he bolted out of the back door and threw little pebbles on her window to get her attention. She opened the window with a wide smile, and he knew immediately that he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. 

The days flew by after that. 

They met at the Goddess statue whenever she had free time between her treatments, and she sneaked out every evening to sit with him at the little pond. Her cheeks began to grow rosier from day to day and soon her blue eyes sparkled in the summer sun. 

She hadn’t been ill – she had been lonely. 

He taught her how to catch bugs and butterflies with a butterfly net, and she taught him their correct names. They read stories from the books of the little library, she more often than him because she was already a fluent reader while he was a beginner. Later in the summer, he even showed her how to swim and when she was too frustrated with her lack of stamina, they ended up in a giant water fight until their giggles made their faces and stomachs hurt. They raced over the island together, always hand in hand, stealing apples at the market and hiding sky stag beetles under seat cushions to watch the poor owner of the cushion being pinched from their hiding place. ‘Oh, will you look at these cuties!’, the adults exclaimed when they saw them, or, ‘Ah, to be young and in love again!’ and they both blushed in the warm summer sun. 

One afternoon, after they got a large piece of pumpkin pie from one of the farmers for helping to harvest the earlier pumpkins, she even kissed him. ‘You have pumpkin on your lips, Link,” she whispered, and then she pressed her lips to his and he was sure that he would burst into tiny pieces any moment out of sheer happiness. 

Like every summer, this summer too, had to end. She sneaked out of her room for the last time to meet him at their favorite place. They sat closer together as usual, both searching for comfort in the other, instinctively unwilling to separate from each other. Their hearts heavy, not many words were spoken, at least for eight-year-old standards. When the light of the sun turned slowly in a glowing shade of orange, she took his hand and turned his palm upward, stroking a line over it with her index finger. 

“Do you have your carving knife with you?” She spoke under her breath, “I want to take an oath.” He had and so he traced the stinging, bloody cut in his palm when he watched her part with Impa the following morning, swearing to himself that he would do anything he could to keep his part of the promise. 

They would see each other again, no matter what. 

And if that made him a fool, so be it.

“Earth at Link, earth at Link, we need you down here!” Pipit waved a piece of paper in front of his face. His friend had been busy filling out the symbolic check for their donation and was obviously expecting his input. Link blinked at him. “How much do we usually give? 3000 rupees?” he asked, trying to cover his slip into the daydream before his friend would shoot him another remark. Fortunately, Pipit was used to his aversion to numbers in general and didn’t grow suspicious. Pipit was the book-keeper and planner of their little security firm, while Link stuck to the operating tasks like installing an alarm device or overlooking a festivity in addition to the regular stuff of another rich family. His job description was a mixture between bodyguard and engineer, but usually, he liked to be on the road and working with Pipit was a huge pro as well. 

His friend nodded in agreement to his question and tapped the pen at his lips. “Well, write 3500. I’ll cover the rest.” 

Pipit blew a whistle. “What’s up, Link? Feeling generous tonight?” 

“It’s for an orphanage this year, Pipit,” he sighed. “There are too many kids who don’t have the same luck I had back then.” 

And that was true. Life didn’t give him much opportunity to think of his promise at first. His mother died only weeks after their return from Skyloft and his father followed her half a year later. A broken heart, the doctor said with thin lips when he squeezed his shoulder. He ended up in an orphanage for a few months but was lucky enough to find a family who was willing to adopt him. It was very unusual that a child of his age found a family at all. His adoptive parents said that they loved his messy hair and his honest smile from the very first second, and no matter how ridiculous that sounded to him, he was immensely thankful. Of course, it took some time to grow to love each other, but they managed somehow, and he didn’t feel so lost anymore – at least regarding his family. 

A year after he had left Skyloft, his life had changed dramatically, but he hadn’t forgotten his friend at all. Dreaming of her smile warmed him inside when the grief shook him to the core and thinking of her hand in his, anchored him when he was on the verge of drifting off. His new family knew nothing about her and although they shared a robust trust after a while, he was hesitant to share this treasured piece of his old life with them. 

Instead, he secretly started to look for her whenever they were in new places. Stood on staircases to get a better look over a crowd. Glanced at all the other tables when they were eating in a restaurant. Stayed near the door of a bus to observe if she might be one of the people who hopped on or off the vehicle. 

She was never among them. 

As a teenager, he gathered his courage and made a serious attempt to find her. He had little to start - they hadn’t thought of exchanging addresses or even last names. The horizon of eight-year-old children only extends so far. So, the administration of the health resort in Skyloft was his first shot. The files of the patients were only stored for five years, and they wouldn’t give him further information anyway unless he was related to her. He scrolled through the homepage of the staff next and contacted the few faces he recognized, stumbling through his lines on the phone. Nobody remembered a blonde girl with her name.

The last hint to her was Impa. He tried to find her instead, hoping an adult would leave more traces behind than a girl would, but the internet was dead silent about a nanny named Impa. It was hopeless. He was stuck looking for her everywhere he went.

Pipit coughed in his fist beside him and nodded in the direction of a brunette a few steps in front of them, hissing, “Babe alert!” 

“You are married, Pipit.” Link rolled his eyes at his friend. “Karane won’t be lucky over the fact that you are pining after other women.” 

“I’m talking about you, you moron. Or are you still dating Peatrice?” 

Link groaned and waved his hands. “Don’t get me started on that girl. She was so clingy, horrible.” 

He had tried to like her, really. She had begged him for a date, and he had given in. They had done all this dating stuff, watching films in the cinema, dining in a restaurant, even holding hands on a walk in the park. It had always been the same, after two hours more or less, he hadn’t been able to stand her anymore. The mindless chit chat, the exaggerated admiration for him, the false lashes, everything about her had put him on edge. 

Like a clockwork, his scar had begun to itch, and he had fled from her presence. 

“She wasn’t her.” Pipit narrowed his eyes at him. “That’s why. Because you are still chasing rainbows. Link, man up and move on!” 

“She was clin-” Link stopped. 

Looked again. 

Took a few steps forward. 

“Link?” He heard Pipit asking somewhere behind him, but he was already on his way. 

Could it be? His pace quickened when the people in front of him revealed a glimpse of blonde hair once again. The beat of his heart drummed through his veins, all the way down to his fingertips and his toes, too loud, too fast, and he tried assertively to push it back into his rib cage. 

He had been wrong before. 

He was most likely wrong again, the people and the yards between them made it difficult to be sure. Her calf-length evening dress was pink, yes, but who knew if it was still her favorite color? She had been eight. 

When she turned and his desperate eyes slid over the curve of her nose, her lashes, her powdered cheeks, a stubborn thing called hope expended in this chest. The bright, powerful hope like the sun after a summer storm, not the simmering, obstinately hope like a smoldering fire which had accompanied him for so long now. 

She was talking to someone, an elegant gentleman with long white hair, and her face lit up just in time when he was near enough to confirm that her eyes were blue. And then she smiled, a polite, practiced smile only, not even reaching her eyes, but it was proof enough to let his heart skip for far too long as it should be medically explainable. 

He had found her. 

Hylia above, after all these years, he had truly, finally found her! Tiny, shaky breaths left him, in and out, which did nothing to calm his nerves, and he took her in again, just to be sure. She looked different, of course, but her eyes had still the slightest trace of sadness that they had when he had seen her for the first time. Her features had grown out of the roundness of a child and her cheeks were rouged to hide the lack of color again. 

It had to be her – his heart beat nothing but her name through his veins. He had nearly caught up to her now and raising his trembling hand, he called, “Zelda!” Her head snapped up and his chest expanded nearly painfully from joy – it was her. It was her! But before their eyes could meet, a security guard in a black suit tapped her shoulder and led her away. 

No! 

Someone on the stage announced the charity entry of the princess, but he didn’t pay anything around him mind, nearly batted the unpleasant noise away with his hands. Setting his shoulders once more and squeezing through the people, he tried to follow the way she had left. He would not lose her again, now that he had finally found her. Never again! 

The stage and the backstage area were closed off with thick red ropes, a bodyguard with a stern face on each side of the stage, who already eyed him when he gave the rope a frustrated slap. He couldn’t look for her here. 

Fretfully, he turned around only to realize that he was trapped. Every single attendant of the charity Gala had gathered around the stage and it was pointless to try to get through these people, let alone find her again. Rolling his eyes, he braced himself for the next minutes of what would probably be a boring charity speech from the princess while he was dying to be on his way to find Zelda once again. 

He had never been particularly interested in the royal family – he wasn’t even sure if he would recognize one of them beside the King on the street. The King was the figurehead of the parliamentary monarchy and gained the main interest of the journalists and the people, while the rest of the royal family lived a relatively secluded life. Every now and then one of the members would participate in a charity event much like today. 

Sure, there was some kind of gossip press, too, but Link had always believed himself having more important things to do than following ‘reports’ of people he would never see in real life anyway. In the past, he had watched the New Year's speech of the King on television every year with his adoptive family, and he still did sometimes now he lived alone to keep the tradition up. Therefore, in all honesty, his curiosity about seeing the Princess wasn’t as great as it seemed to be the case with the people around him, but now that he was standing in the first row, he might as well take a look at her. 

The moment he turned around was the moment he realized he hadn’t been only a fool. 

He had been the greatest fool of all. 

Zelda. 

Zelda was the Princess of Hyrule. 

His heart dropped in his stomach, no to the floor. Suddenly, everything made sense. Impa hadn’t been a stern nanny; she had been a bodyguard. Her parents hadn’t been able to accompany her because they were the King and the Queen. Of course, she had been pale and lonely and well educated, because she had spent so much time on becoming a perfect princess as a child. Nobody remembered a blonde girl because they all only recalled the one summer the Princess was in Skyloft. He had never seen her on the bus because she had her own chauffeur. 

His knees nearly gave out under him, the edge of his vision blurring, when he tried to process the new information. Zelda was the Princess. That changed everything. Or did it change nothing at all? How was he supposed to think straight with that soundscape here?

He quashed the urge to block his ears from the horrible sappy violin music, his eyes returning to her instinctively, searching hers in vain. She was so sweet and beautiful and familiar; he couldn’t tear his gaze away. Oh, how he had missed her! 

So, what if she was the Princess? He wouldn’t let something like that get in their way. A promise was a promise was a promise. He just had to talk to her somehow when she left the stage – then they would pick up their friendship. Perhaps, if they still clicked like all these years ago, he even dared to hope for more. 

The piece of music the fiddlers were playing reached an even more sappy height and a guy with an odd, red pompadour he hadn’t noticed before stepped up to Zelda. He nestled with something in his pocket before he dropped down to one knee. Link’s eyes widened in horror, his body frozen in place. No… No, stop it! Not now, when he had finally found her! An icy fist gripped his heart and refused to let go. This had to be a cruel joke of destiny. 

One long, wonderful moment she said nothing, and he dared to hope that – yes, what? That she looked over, realized her undying love for him, so they could ride into the sunset on his non-existing horse? 

He fled when she nodded and the idiot raised again, not hesitating to kiss her. The people in front of him barely parted, and he stumbled, tripped until he found himself breaking down on the grated steps of the emergency exit. The cold of the autumn evening crawled under his skin. Or maybe it was the cold sting of realization. If he had found her ten minutes earlier, a week earlier, a year earlier, he might have stood a chance. Now, every moment he had looked for her had been in vain, her fiancé didn’t look at all like the type who would tolerate a rival, even if they would just be friends. 

What a fool he had been! 

He pressed his palms to his eyes, casting the world out. Who was he kidding, she was the Princess. Princesses didn’t stick with orphaned country-boys running a little two-person-operation, which made barely enough to donate a little sum every year. Princesses married rich company heirs, fancy musicians, or whatever this guy was. 

He wasn’t sure how long he sat with his face buried in his hands, hot tears dwelling at the corner of his eyes, unwilling to shed, when he heard the metallic click of the door. It could have been minutes. Or hours – and now Pipit had finally found him. It was time to move on anyway for him. 

A delicate hand stroked his back once, twice, before it withdrew. 

“A break-up?” A soft voice asked and when he raised his head, the tears finally fell. 

Rainbows. 

He had been chasing rainbows – she didn’t even recognize him when he was directly in front of her. 

It took him two attempts to get the words through the stinging lump in his throat. “Kind of,” he finally choked out, torturing himself by looking at her face from so close. 

She smiled that polite, meaningless smile, saying, “You’ll find someone else, eventually.” 

“I guess I have to,” he whispered and tore his gaze away, his heart shattering into a million pieces. The silence hung between them like the moon between the stars, and he waited and hoped and hated himself more for it with every passing second. 

Finally, she sighed and rubbed her arms. “I’m sure it’s a beautiful night somewhere, for someone.” 

He didn’t dare to look in her eyes again when he unwound his white-blue shawl and placed it on her shoulders. Denied himself to let his fingertips linger. To enclose her in his arms to shield her from the cold. From the world that forced her to paint her pale cheeks with rouge.

“Thank you,” she breathed, quiet, earnest. 

He looked at the moon again, taking his time to breathe in and breathe out, failing to prepare himself for a goodbye he had dreamed of as a beginning. A goodbye, he had never meant to say. 

“Congratulations on your engagement.” 

She looked at the rock on her finger, fidgeting the underside of the ring with her thumb. “Ah, yes, that. Thank you.” 

Despite himself, he took her hands in his and pressed a kiss on her knuckles, his fingers brushing her scar and hers brushing his for a terrible, perfect moment before he left. 

“Goodnight, Zelda.” His voice was as quiet as his heart was loud.

The emergency door fell shut after him with a heavy thud and the crowd of the gala swallowed him without hesitation.

She really should look happier, but it wasn’t his concern anymore. 

Perhaps it never had been. 

Psss... if you are like me and can’t stand a sad ending, check out the rest of the story here.

[snidgetwidgeon]

My excitement rivalled Impa’s here when @jabberwockyface brought this scene from my story to life. It is a true delight and I adored the addition of the cuccos!

I have been working on my longfic for quite some time now and was only intending to publish when complete, but this art has me so pumped I thought I’d drop a ‘trailer’ XD

Please enjoy Chapter 1 of Insurrection, a ZeLink story set mainly after the fall of Calamity Ganon

The Horizon

Impa woke early and sighed as she looked up at the large wooden beams in the ceiling of her house. One of the small, lidded lanterns hanging there, usually alight with a soft, golden glow, had gone out during the night. No matter, she thought. An oil refill would just be one of the mundanities to be dealt with over the course of the day. She had always been an early riser, though for the past two decades or so, her aged bladder was demanding she be up at sparrow’s fart to cater to its whims.

She was nestled atop her three red pillows which were stacked like a pyramid. This was where she liked to stay these days, meditating and even sleeping. Her granddaughter, Paya, had long since had the upstairs bedroom to herself.

Rising to stand atop her pillow tower, with quite a few bodily creaks and vocal sound effects, Impa hopped down. She gently removed her large round hat and placed it in the vacated spot, then saw to her ablutions before a morning walk. She poodled around the ground floor of the spacious living quarters, which also doubled as the town hall. Having the largest house in the village was one of the perks of being the Elder. Her seating platform was centrally located toward the rear of the room and looked out across a spacious, open floor plan. Dark blue mats decorated with a diamond pattern sat neatly aligned in rows and served as a comfortable place to sit when village meetings or festive gatherings took place. Her pillow tower looked straight down an aisle, lined with a blue rug, toward large double doors that led outside to the veranda.

Set in a free standing wooden frame behind her perch was a canvas tapestry. Its earthy color palette and tribal art style depicted a very specific history of the Kingdom of Hyrule. There was a large monster embroidered in the center, and it was flanked by what seemed to be a divine person on the left, and a warrior on the right. There were hundreds of machines surrounding them and in each corner were strange animals ridden by pilots of varying races. Due to the nature of the design, it was unclear if they depicted any of the races residing in Hyrule today.

The platform was flanked by two staircases which rose to the back of the house and then turned on ninety degree angles to meet in the middle at the top. To the right and left of her platform on the outside of the stairs were four posts topped with frog guardian statuettes. They bore the red Sheikah symbol on their bellies, an open eye drawn in a minimalist style with a central tear. Various banners and lanterns hung from the rafters, and low shelves lined the walls. Like the other dwellings in Kakariko Village, furnishings and household items were sparse as most Sheikah lived a simple and humble life, free from clutter.

Impa regarded her wide and wrinkly face in the water basin that sat on one of the low shelves. The reflection reminded her of how much time had passed. She splashed the sleep out of her eyes and made her way upstairs to check on Paya, as she did every morning. She favored going up the right staircase, so she could come down the left in a satisfying circle.

Reaching the second floor, she went over to the bed against the back right corner to look upon her sleeping granddaughter. The young woman usually slumbered well into mid-morning as she tended to pray until very late at night. Impa pressed her forehead against Paya’s and their matching, but different colored Sheikah eye tattoos touched. Though she hadn’t meant to cause a stir, Paya yawned and whispered, “Grandmother?”

“Shhh, it’s still very early, dear,” Impa cooed. “Go back to sleep.” She wanted to tell Paya that she stays up much too late praying outside to the village guardians. But she knew the young woman was doing her best to help bring success to their courageous Hero. He needs all the help he can get, she thought earnestly.

Satisfied that all was well with Paya, she headed back down and paused to view the large painting which hung above the low shelves on that side of the house.

The verdant marsh it depicted was spotted with just a few trees and a grey range of hills in the backdrop, topped by fluffy clouds in a blue sky. Toward the rear of the landscape, to the left and right of the center of the canvas, were two weathered stone ruins indicating that this area had not always been a marsh. Spread out in the foreground were some strange looking, bell shaped machines. The one closest to the viewer on the left side of the frame had a single eye-like protrusion in the middle of its bucket-shaped head.

They were all partially sunken into the marsh, becoming overgrown by time. The furthest one had a single, tentacle-like limb sticking out from its wide base, as if it had once been going in that direction. Overall, they seemed oddly out of place- yet also part of the greater scenery. Impa sighed and wondered, like so many times she had sighed in this spot before, if that fateful marsh would ever again reclaim being just a beautiful field.

Time to get moving before breakfast, she decided as she headed for the front door. She had just started to open it before realizing she had forgotten her hat. She tut-tutted herself as she headed back to claim it. One had to look proper if going outside. Her large, straw hat had a very wide and circular red brim which swooped up into a tall metal ornament that brought it to a point. The Sheikah symbol was prominently featured in red on the front. It also had five chains hanging from the brim with axe blade-esque ornaments that swayed metronomically as she walked. Placing her beloved hat on her head, she headed outside.

She was greeted by a bright, blue summer sky and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the golden glow of sunlight spilling over the valley walls. She never tired of this tranquil vista. Tall, steep mountains with weathered, rounded peaks flanked her view to the right. These were aptly named the Pillars of Levia. She followed a flock of ducks with her gaze as they flew over the mountain vale in a perfect v-formation. They passed a lone peak on the left which towered above the forest on the hill behind the village. This small mount had a more flattened mesa at its peak rather than a weathered mound like the others. Another group of birds she couldn’t make out through the bright sunlight swirled around the top.

As she descended her long front steps, she felt content, taking in the sounds and smells of her home. The breeze which blew through the valley from the west carried with it the scent of the grassy slopes and the wooden chimes that were suspended from ropes between posts all around the village, were gently teased into their soft rattle by it. The cuccos added their crow to the morning chorus.

At the base of the steps was a wooden-framed, open gate. She tilted her head slightly to the side so that as she passed under, the ornament of her impressive hat could avoid catching on the three banners hanging there. On either side of the gate were some young plum trees. The lovely white blossoms they produced in spring were something she looked forward to seeing every year. These plum trees, as well as the others scattered around the village, acted as the residents’ protectors, just like the frog statuettes. They also symbolized endurance and prosperity, two values which Impa had instilled in her people for the better part of a century.

She nodded to the guard who kept the late night and early morning watch at her gate. He was adorned in standard Sheikah attire, a pair of beige trousers and a tunic with a high back collar and red trim. A dark blue undershirt could be seen that matched the blue diamond-shaped pattern on his straw hat. His hat was much different than Impa’s in that it appeared to be a woven disc of straw that he folded over his head and strapped under his chin. It also sat prominently forward to allow for his high, white bun to stick out at the back of his head. Some red chopsticks poked stylishly out of the side of his big bun.

Cado returned the nod with a short and respectful bow. “Lady Impa.” He waited for the Village Elder to take several paces before retrieving his quiver from against the gate and followed at a polite, but observant distance. Though her residence was always guarded, he felt he should be extra vigilant about her safety when she ventured out, especially since there had been an unexplained theft not too long ago.

He checked over his gear as he followed Impa through the canyon pass that led north out of the village. On his back he carried a darkwood Phrenic Bow, good for long distance accuracy. On his waist was sheathed an Eightfold Blade, the traditional, single-edged sword of the Sheikah people, and one of the remaining vestiges of their ancient technology. Etched at the blade’s base was the tell-tale eye symbol, believed to offer the user an extra layer of spiritual protection.

Impa walked along at a slow but comfortable pace, enjoying the sound of the breeze whistling through the canyon walls. As she approached a large open gate, one of three marking the entrances to the village, she paused at the sound of a rustle. She looked back at Cado who had drawn nearer, with one hand reaching for the handle of his blade, ready to react to the disturbance.. She merely smiled and shook her head. After taking another step, a lizard dashed out of a tuft of grass and made its escape up the canyon wall.

The north canyon did not lead out of the village as such. After about a ten minute walk, the narrow walls fanned open to a natural platform which offered a scenic, if slightly restricted, view of Hyrule due to the high cliffs on either side. The serenity of this place and the breathtaking view overlooking Hyrule had inspired the community to recognize it as a sacred site. Here they paid their respects at the graves of their loved ones. Unlike Hylian graves, which tended to spread out over an area, the Sheikah piled narrow, upright stones on the left side of the clearing. They were placed without any inclination to create neat rows, and their jumbledness added a certain charm. The only markings were caused by the passage of time, demonstrated by how weathered and overgrown with moss they were.

To the right was a single, large tree, its shade offering a welcome respite to those who visited during the hottest hours of a summer day. Just past the tree stood a simple wooden fence. A precaution for children, or perhaps for those foolish enough to get too close to the drop off overlooking Lake Telta.

At this time of the morning, the sun had yet to reach the clearing, so it was still in the shadow of the cliff walls. Impa slowly shuffled up near the fence, her head bowed in respect as she passed the graves. To offer Impa privacy with her morning prayers, Cado held back just before the canyon opened up.

Goddess Hylia, she prayed, keep Princess Zelda safe within your womb. Lend her your strength so that one day, with the aid of the chosen Hero, she may overcome and banish the Calamity. Even now, as over the course of a century, the Princess was trapped in the castle, bound in an endless battle of wills with the malice of Ganon. Impa would never forget the night the poor young woman had come to the village in ruins.

In those days, she had been assigned as an Adviser to the Royal Family of Hyrule. Her duties in this capacity focused mainly on heading the research into various ancient Sheikah technologies. Her older sister Purah and another scientist, Robbie, ran their own divisions under her guidance. Princess Zelda had eventually joined their ranks as well after she showed a great aptitude for scientific research. During her spare time outside of devotions, she possessed an unrivaled curiosity for a wide array of subjects, which was beneficial to the research teams. Having such a high connection within the Royal Family meant that their work was well funded continuously.

Their efforts were in answer to a prophecy that had been delivered to the Royal Family. It spoke of the revival of a legend known as The Calamity, a primal evil which had risen to plague the land ten thousand years ago. King Rhoam was hoping to use the same means their ancestors had to defend against the possible return of The Calamity. The more they uncovered, the more they realized the legends were true.

Relics, which came to be known as Divine Beasts, were unearthed in various locations across the land. Impa’s teams began an intense study of these artifacts, as well as the many Shrines that dotted all of Hyrule; though they were, as yet, unable to ascertain how to gain access to their inner sanctums. They also uncovered the smaller, autonomous Guardians. Robbie took a great interest in these contraptions and even brought some back to working order.

But Calamity Ganon had outsmarted them.

~~~

As the sun was setting, a young Impa and her team of scientists were concluding their experiments for the day and packing up under the stone pavilion in the castle courtyard. Suddenly, a large rumble echoed around the area, followed by a short earthquake. Everyone fled out from under the roof in case it collapsed but immediately froze in shock upon seeing the castle being engulfed in a swirling pink and black miasma. It circled around and took the shape of a boar-headed demon. A cloud continued erupting into the sky and started to spread, mirroring the overwhelming sense of dread everyone was now feeling. No, we’re not ready!

Before they had time to react, globs of malice erupted from the castle and began to rain down on the ground. The creature roared menacingly to the sky from the epicenter as if to announce its freedom and dominion over all. Impa watched a large glob soar over them like a meteor. She turned northwest to follow its trajectory. Is it possible it was headed for Rito Village?

Someone screamed and she snapped back around to see that the stationary Guardians they had been working with had become active on their own. They were glowing magenta with an evil energy, their heads spinning back and forth as if they were calibrating. Her instincts kicked in and she ordered everyone to grab the most important things. “Take the research! We must get it safely to Kakariko!” At once, people ran in all directions trying to gather their most important work.

Purah ran over to her younger sister and looked at her frantically. “Impa, the Guidance Stone!”

Impa closed her eyes and bowed her head. “We should only save what we can-”

Purah grabbed her arms and Impa looked back up at her in surprise. She was hardly ever so serious. “Anything we take from here will be useless junk unless we have the Guidance Stone to access it. This is not a discussion. It’s a necessity and you know it.”

“Fine. But just us. I’m not risking anyone else going in there.” She looked up towards the high pointed towers of the castle, some now covered in a dark ooze.

“Fine,” Purah acquiesced and started to walk away. “Just us, and Robbie.” Robbie, who had been stuffing schematics into a satchel whipped around at the sound of his name.

Impa grabbed her sister’s arm and pulled her back. “What did I just say?!” Suddenly, one of the Guardians stopped spinning its head back and forth and now focused its single blue eye on the Sheikah women, who were too wrapped up in their stare-down to notice.

Robbie paled. “Oh... shit!” They had seconds. His eyes darted around for something, anything... There! A Royal Guard, easily identified by his red tunic under a gold embroidered dark blue tabard, was running their way carrying a large, half-bodied shield.

The Guardian began emitting an ominous beeping noise and a red laser targeted Impa. Robbie pounced on the guard and grabbed his shield away. “Sorry, my man!”

Purah gasped when she saw the red laser on Impa’s shoulder, and utterly terrified, yelled, “Jump back only when I say!”

Impa’s eyes widened in fear as the beeping got faster. Robbie scrambled over to them as the Guardian made a piercing noise, and blue energy shot out of its eye with the intent to destroy. There was a massive ricochet as Robbie parried the energy back at the Guardian with his pilfered shield. Its eerie pink glow fizzled out and it blew to pieces, cogs and gears flying everywhere.

“WOOOOO!” Robbie exclaimed. “Yeah!” He pumped his fists and stretched out a bit. “Man, I saw the Champion do that once and have been wanting to try it ever since.”

Impa, who had ended up huddled on the ground with Purah behind the thrill-seeker, now stood and pulled her sister up as well. “Right, so it’s just us, and Robbie.”

She watched as the rest of the Royal Guard’s unit arrived and set upon the other stationary Guardians before they also had the chance to start working. Robbie returned the shield to the guard he had ambushed and instructed him on the technique to parry the blasts. “The shield should withstand a number of hits this way,” he explained.  

Impa’s mind was a flurry of questions. Was the miasma poisonous? How did it take control of the Guardians? Could they make it to the Guidance Stone?

The Royal Guard unit had now taken out the other three legless Guardians, but she feared it was a small victory. The research team tried to settle now that the immediate danger in the vicinity was over, but every noise set them off, causing them to pause and look around like prey at a watering hole.

She then heard members of the Garrison yelling from the Western Gatehouse, “They’re coming out of the pillars! DOZENS!”, “Hylia above, they’re headed for the town!”

Her stomach flipped over as she thought of those monstrous contraptions overtaken by evil. The very machines that were supposed to protect them were instead destroying everything in their path. All those people...

They had to get out. Now.

Her researchers started to panic after also hearing the desperate cries. She had to focus again, lead them. She addressed them in her authoritative tone, “Everyone, stay calm. We’ll make for the docks. The south exit is... compromised.” Impa looked over to see the Royal Guard leaving to heed the cry from the Western Gatehouse.

“Sir Karane!” she called out. She ran over from under the pavilion to hail the Knight who had just led the assault on the stationary Guardians.

Karane held out an arm to stop her men. When the last one fell into line, she turned a pair of steely blue eyes toward Impa and crossed the same arm over her chest, tilting her head forward in respect. “Adviser.”

Impa regarded the soldiers, some of whom seemed itching to get to the battle. Luckily, she had a better fate in store for them. “The ancient tech research team requires an escort. It’s imperative we get this material safely out of the castle.” Karane spared a glance at the scientists stuffing papers and artifacts into any available containers they could find.

“We have a possible escape route via the docks,” Impa continued. Best case scenario is obtaining some horses and a cart for this gear,” Impa continued.

Sir Karane bowed curtly and then turned sharply to address her unit, her red braid whipping behind her. “You heard her men! We are now on special assignment for the Royal Adviser! Three of you with me,” she gestured to the men on her left. “We’re going to commandeer ourselves a ride. You four, make sure the way is clear to the docks. The rest of you escort our scientists!” She held an arm out to Impa and they clasped each other’s wrists.

“Thank you, Sir Karane.” Robbie and Purah came up beside Impa and she nodded their way to indicate to Karane that they would be working together. “We must retrieve the Guidance Stone. We’ll do our best to meet you there. If these things find you,” she looked towards the felled Guardians, “then leave without us!”

“I’ll give you an hour.”

Impa nodded. “If we don’t make it, there is another stone at the Royal Ancient Lab. I imagine they are doing the same and taking what they can.” She regarded the remaining regiment. “Can you spare your fastest guard from this lot and have them instruct the other team to rendezvous with us in Kakariko?”

“A solid plan, leave it to me.” Karane walked away and yelled, “Konba! I hope you’ve had your rushrooms.”

Impa then left her team in good hands as she went to fetch the Guidance Stone with her sister and Robbie; who was grinning, as he’d acquired himself another shield.

It was a rather large blessing that when they arrived at the docks, the research team was still there, unharmed. It seemed like they got ahead of the Calamity just enough to slip out the back, though the same couldn’t be said for the residents of Castle Town. Impa tried not to think about it as she helped shove the cart with the Stone and its activation pedestal onto the boat.

They made it across the river in the two boats which had been moored at the docks, and battled their way up the sloped bank. The ones who weren’t pushing stared blankly across the river at the scene of destruction unfolding before their eyes. The ones who didn’t want to see busied themselves with helping. Once they reached the grassy Irch Plain, they moved quickly without resting to scale the Elma Knolls. These would at least provide them some cover before heading east. It was unsettling to be so close to a pillar behind the castle, but it appeared that, at least for now, the invasion was focused on Hyrule Field.

After retreating to her village, which was currently safe in the mountains, Impa had sent out a search party for Zelda. She stood in the same spot near the graveyard under the tree, looking in horror at the castle across Hyrule Field. It was still engulfed in a swirling black and magenta miasma. The giant pillars, the existence of which she was aware but had never seen before they had risen out of the ground, were angled toward the castle. They had originally been meant for protection and housed the Guardians that, in the past, defended Hyrule. But all the Guardians had been turned against them, and the pillars were now menacing rather than a comfort. She thought they looked like the fingers of a demon come to enclose the castle in its grasp.

At the base and to the left of the ominous cloud was a wide, orange glow. Castle Town was destroyed; engulfed in flames.

~~~

When Zelda was later escorted into Kakariko, Impa discovered she was there on a mission, and had come bearing a request. She was a bit weak on her feet, but refused rest and clean clothes. Even though she was muddy and her white prayer dress was in tatters, she would not be deterred.

The worst had befallen the Kingdom and she just had one hope: that their Hero would return one day, as she saw when the Master Sword spoke to her. She sat in Impa’s old house at the time, bathed in a soft yellow light from the lanterns. She explained to Impa and the other scientists, her friends, Purah and Robbie, “Link must regain control of the Divine Beasts! Ganon has taken them from us. He controls them now and… and the Champions were… they’re gone.” Her hard stare and exhaustion made it look as if she was going to cry, but at this point she was out of tears, trying desperately to replace them with determination.

Impa felt a weight pool in her gut at the news. So the malice she had seen heading for Rito Village was meant for Vah Medoh, and spelled Champion Revali’s doom. She thought of each Champion, having returned to their Divine Beasts, only to find a deadly trap. She was silent for a moment, unsure; wondering if she should offer comfort or if that would merely be a distraction at this point. Her sister was fiddling with random items she could reach on the table, but rather than be annoyed, she knew it was Purah’s way of dealing with stress.

Zelda then gave a weary sigh and continued. “There’s a chance that Link may not retain some of his memories while in the shrine, so I have an idea of how to help him when he wakes.”

Impa nodded and silently agreed with Zelda’s sentiment. It was when he wakes, she thought, not if he wakes. It was best to be thinking positively in such dire circumstances.

“Purah,” Zelda looked at Impa’s sister, who stopped braiding the frayed threads of the tablecloth as if she’d been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to. “I sent the Slate with Link and the Sheikah who found us to the Shrine of Resurrection. He’s going to need it when he awakens.” She paused and then added, “For guidance and access.”

She thought back to her discovery of the towers underground, the existence of which she had not yet been able to discuss with anyone due to trying to keep her research a secret from her father. He would have her only praying to awaken her power, rather than try to help in any other way. So she had been biding her time, not knowing that it would soon run out.

Now, there was only time to act, so she focused on the most important things and didn’t bother to elaborate. Telling Purah and Robbie about the towers was pointless anyway since only Link, as the chosen Hero, would be able to access them.

“I need you to take the contents of the Compendium out of the Slate and keep them in your Guidance Stone. Hopefully the images, or visiting the places where I took the pictures, will help him remember things.”

Purah agreed and nodded, “The Guidance Stone will keep them safe.” She stood from her chair and looked over at Robbie. He seemed to be lost in the shadow of self-loathing, head down and fists clenched at his knees, all previous bravado gone. “Robbie, let’s go see to Link. He’s not going to heal himself.” Robbie looked at Zelda sadly as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to. Purah snapped his attention away. “Quick smart!”

They made to leave the house and prepare their things when Zelda called out, “Purah wait! The last picture in the Compendium. Can you delete it but keep a paper copy like the one you made of us before? When the Champions were alive and happy. He should remember that last. It was where he… where I…” She tried, but couldn’t bring herself to talk about what had just happened, “it was where we parted,” she finished, while lowering her eyes in emotional defeat. “I don’t want him to be overwhelmed right after he returns to us.”

Purah blinked her red eyes, suddenly feeling trapped into a sense of responsibility that felt heavier than putting Link into an untested machine. That’s going to be fascinating- Focus Purah!

“I… of course I can make a copy, Princess.” She looked furtively over to Impa. It was one thing for the Guidance Stone to hang onto something in its database, but she, personally? She thought of the state of her workspace at the Royal Ancient Lab, which probably didn’t look so different now that it had most likely been reduced to rubble.

Impa knew her sister well and fought off a massive eye-roll in the presence of the Princess. “Once you are finished in the Shrine, bring me the picture and I will keep it safe for Link,” she offered reassuringly.

Purah visibly relaxed. “Sure thing, Sis.” She prodded Robbie to open the door as he was nearest.

Robbie slid it open and before stepping out, softly spoke to Zelda. “Good luck.” He couldn’t manage much more than that.

Purah looked back at Zelda, looking so small and forlorn, and stuck her chin out with conviction. “Zelly,” she said, “You give that Ganon bastard what for. And don’t get dead!” She followed Robbie out and the room suddenly felt heavier in her absence.

Impa placed her hand on Zelda’s shoulder, and though the young woman was doing everything she could to remain brave and strong, she was shaking. Impa was certain that there was a good amount of fear behind that shaking, but if any part of it was due to lack of nourishment, she wasn’t having it. “Let’s get you something to eat and drink before you go.”

Zelda’s head snapped up. “No, I should leave right away. I’ve already stayed too long. The more time I take, the farther the Guardians can go. They’re laying waste to the Kingdom!”

Impa tutted, “As if I’d let you face Ganon on an empty stomach. What would Sir Link say!?”

~~~

Since that day, Impa prayed for her Princess, overlooking a horizon that never changed. She eventually married, had a child, and then a grandchild. And though her life had known massive loss, and this sacred ground where she stood was for mourning, it was also a place of hope. Hope that one day the Hero would return, and things would change. As more time went by, she became uncertain if she would see Link again. She had started to seriously consider passing Zelda’s message on to Paya should he wake after her death.

But he had come, and with him, an ever-changing vista as he reclaimed the Divine Beasts from Ganon’s control one by one. His successes were revealed to her when she would come out here to pray. The Beasts aimed their divine light as red beams towards the castle from their respective perches across the land, ready to fire when the Hero finally faced his evil foe.

Now there was only one hurdle left, though it was certainly the highest. Before Link was awake, Impa had given most of her prayers to Zelda. But since his return, she prayed for his boundless courage to succeed in the fight against Calamity Ganon. For if he failed, she couldn’t imagine the dark world her granddaughter would inherit.

Impa finished her prayers and raised the brim of her hat to look at the castle on the horizon. She sucked in a breath as she took in a change to the scenery she’d been waiting to see for a hundred years. The cloud of malice had gone. “Eeeeee!” She gave a toothy grin and smacked her thigh.

At the sound of her shriek, Cado rushed over, his weapon drawn. “Lady Impa, what is it!?” She practically barreled past him at top old lady speed, leaving him confused as to where the danger was. He, too, then saw the castle and chin dropped silently agape.

“Cado!” She yelled, while hobbling back to the village. “Get everyone to make preparations. The Princess is coming!”

She rushed toward the house and almost ran over a cucco that unfortunately strutted in front of her gate. It squawked and flapped out of the way at the last second, allowing her to huff up the stairs. Cado, who was following just behind, picked up his panicked cucco and scratched under her wings until the cuddle calmed her down.

“You’re ok, my lovely. The mean old lady was rude, wasn’t she?” He whispered. He waited until Impa was safely inside before walking across the main path to the Inn to inform Ollie to prepare a suitable place for the Hero and the Princess. Lady Impa would want only the very best hospitality that Kakariko could offer.

Ollie blinked as he groggily woke up from sleeping at his desk, and stated, “Hey, no cuccos allowed in the- wait,” he squinted, “a princess is coming?”

Cado lifted an eyebrow and sighed in annoyance. “I’m holding her, she just had a scare.” He stroked the cucco’s tail feathers. “Did you not hear anything I just said?” The Innkeeper just blinked slowly again, so he raised his voice, “The Calamity is gone, Ollie. The Hero was successful, and now Lady Impa is sure that he is to arrive here with the Princess at any moment!”

Ollie now made an ‘O’ of realization with his mouth and gazed off into space. After a moment passed he looked back at Cado. “Well, I’ll be.”

“Yes. So make sure they have every comfort,” Cado repeated as he turned around to make his way back to his post. He paused at the open door and looked back at Ollie, his cucco now tucked under one arm clucking softly. His stern stare implied that he needed affirmation.

“Right, right.” Ollie waved with a dorky half-smile. Cado, now satisfied, slid the door closed behind him. Ollie immediately slouched again. I’ll get to it in a bit, he thought before swiftly falling back asleep. Claree, who ran the tailor shop in town, was convinced he was actually a cat who could shapeshift into a Sheikah because of how often he slept.

As Impa entered the house, she yelled for her granddaughter “Paya! Paya, wake up!”

Paya’s eyes flew open and she kicked her covers off, her feet thumping on the upper level as she rushed to her grandmother’s call. Impa had only made it halfway up the lower steps when she ran into a descending flurry. “Grandmother! What’s wrong?! Are you ok?” Her two red hair bun chopsticks, which she usually forgot to take out before bed, had come loose during sleep and fell out, clattering down the stairs. She paid them no mind as she dropped to her knees in front of the small woman to immediately begin looking for injuries.

Before she had a chance to become too frantic, Impa took Paya’s hands into her own and gave a toothy grin, wherein a gap on the top left added an endearing charm of age. “Be still, child. I’m fine. All of Hyrule will be fine. Our Hero has done it!” She squeezed Paya’s hands in excitement. “Sir Link and Princess Zelda have rid us of The Calamity!”

Paya gasped. She began thinking of so many things at once. Is Link ok? Is the Princess ok? Did her fervent devotion help them even in some small way? How can she help now? “But Grandma, does this mean-?”

“Yes, dear. I think they’re coming.”

“Eeeee,” Paya jumped up suddenly, “I have to clean my room!” She rushed back upstairs and then turned around and came back down to grab her chopsticks. Then she scurried up the stairs again. Impa chuckled as she heard furniture moving and things being tossed around. It was amusing because Paya’s room was already spotless; but yes, a place would need to be made for Zelda. And she would be welcome to stay as long as she’d like.

Impa made her way slowly down the stairs now and back to her pillows. At long last, she thought. Today was certainly no longer mundane. Ah, yes, the oil. “Paya!” She barked as she settled onto the top cushion, “When you’re done up there, one of the lamps needs a refill!” Can’t have the place looking anything but perfect for the Princess.

“Yes, Grandma!” Came the muffled reply.

Impa looked over at the painting on the wall again and thought back to a time when this future was still uncertain.

Link had just returned to her after visiting the place detailed in the frame. He seemed very unsettled and wasn’t his usual self. Or, at least, he was unlike his new self. He was actually emulating his old self quite a bit. Stoic, measured, and a bit guarded. Zelda was right. It would have been too hard for him to remember so much all at once. He now reminded her of how Zelda had been the night she left to face Ganon on her own, trying to be so brave.

“You’re troubled by what you’ve remembered.” She peered at him from her perch in a way that made him feel like she could tell what he was thinking. “You haven’t lost your courage though. So what’s weighing on your mind?”

Link sat on his knees before her on one of the blue mats, free of his gear which he had left leaning by the door. He carefully considered his answer. Looking down at his blue Champion’s tunic, he let out a soft, ironic sniff at how it was the very same he’d worn that terrible night. The night he almost died. It must have either been remade entirely, or so lovingly repaired, that it did not show any of the damage it had once sustained.

His eyes moved over the painting on the wall and he marveled at how a decoration, which before today was so unassuming and almost lost to the background, could now stir so many emotions from one glance. The Guardians in the frame, which were now still and decaying, had been there in the marsh, glowing magenta under Ganon’s control. Hunting them.

As he remembered, he was surprised at the sense of fear that it brought back. In the past few months he had become proficient in fighting all types of Guardians, especially with the ancient weapons that Robbie had since created. But experiencing that night again, hearing the sound of the gears turning, and the thumping of their spidery legs on the ground as they searched for anything and everything to destroy, that really unsettled him. Perhaps because he had failed.

The Chosen Hero had managed to defeat so many of the machines as he and Zelda fled south from the castle; a feat that no other warrior of Hyrule could accomplish. But they never stopped, never tired. They were relentless. And when he had nothing left to give but his very body as a shield, a golden light and a comforting warmth spread over him, and somehow he knew that he was finally free to relax, to let go. Zelda was holding him, and then there was darkness for a century, until her voice reached him, urging him to wake up.

He focused again on Impa, who, in her wisdom, was waiting patiently for his response. He thought the Princess now seemed familiar. But she also still felt like someone he did not know. “I’m just not sure what to do for her if I defeat Ganon.”

“When.” Impa corrected.

Link smirked, “Very well. When.” He couldn't seem to stop the smirk from turning into a genuine smile as he considered her faith in him. He appreciated the interjection of positive thought, even when it was delivered with a bit of sass.

There he is, Impa mused.

“As her sworn Knight Attendant,” she began, then squinted at him and added as an aside, “should you wish to still honor that oath?”

Link nodded his head forward slightly in agreement, so she continued, “Then it would be best to simply follow her wishes.” She paused a moment and, after considering other possible outcomes besides the ideal, mentioned, “Of course, should she be worse for wear, bring her to Kakariko and we will take care of her. At least here she will have someone who knows her if you have not regained your memories by then.”

Link stood and bowed respectfully before taking his leave. He knew that she had not meant the statement to be a slight, but it still stung. Not remembering his past made him feel like he was failing all over again.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Me: Hm. I should probably work on writing prompts. *puts on music*

Brain: IMPRISONING WAR DRAMAAAAA

Me: But—you know what, fine, it’s been a hot minute.

Brain: Ooooo, FORSAKEN AU DRAMA

Me: >:O HEY NOW NO. NO DO NOT MAKE ME CRY ABOUT MYSTRY LINK

[ashleyswrittenwords]

The Queen and Her Bodyguard

Another ZeLink Oneshot

Word Count: 2317 (blame anon)

Note: Modern AU because I haven’t done it yet! 

---

The woman thumbed at a thick pile of newspapers, looking over them with a passing glance before taking off her reading glasses and peering keenly at Zelda from across the desk.

“Your Majesty,” she conceded to a sigh that Zelda could tell had been building up for quite some time. It wasn’t normal that she arranged for a meeting without explicitly stating the details beforehand. “It has come to my direct attention that the media is becoming more invested in your relationships.”

“My relationships?” The Queen echoed questionably before directing her attention towards the headlines of the fanned-out periodicals.

The Queen’s Secret Courtship

A Royal Love Affair with a Commoner?

Forbidden Love: The Queen and Her Bodyguard

Impa watched Zelda closely as she took one of the papers in her hands and promptly looked up with a furrowed brow. “Forgive me, Impa. By what do you mean to show me tabloids?”

“As your head of public relations,” she spoke pointedly, “I find it to be disconcerting in reading rumors swirling around you and your detail. The attentiveness of gossip magazines and talk shows alike have heightened the theme of adultery within these walls.” She paused to let the statement sink in, though Zelda was quite skilled in deeply guarded masks. They were a political art after all. Impa knew as such, so she relented.

“It would be to both your benefit and my own if we were transparent in the truth.”

The newspaper was put down and Zelda sat back in her seat, her eyes lingered on the picture that accompanied the headline. It was a paparazzi shot from her vacation at Aris Beach where her bodyguard helped her out of a resort pool. She was laughing at whatever he had said at the time. With a chaste smile, Zelda met Impa with an even voice.

“With all due respect, there is nothing to be concerned with regarding my affiliations with my staff. Link Forester has been in my security detail for several years now, it’s only natural that we’ve become friends. Is that what you were hoping to hear?” Zelda folded her hands in her lap neatly as Impa leaned back in her chair – relieved.

“And you would alert to me if that status has changed? For the betterment of your brand, of course.”

Another polite smile. “Of course, Impa. I trust your judgement.”

Impa motioned for her glasses once more. “Alas, this speculation has put a damper on your other prospects. Suitors being the main concern. Gods know the lot of them don’t understand the difference between reality and The Daily Hyrule.” She went on for the next few minutes on what royal public relations need to do to counteract the rumors. The queen of Hyrule dismissed herself shortly afterwards, bidding Impa a good day and walking out to the halls of the castle. All the while playing with the threads of her blouse sleeves, a nervous tick of hers that hasn’t quite gone away.

Footsteps followed behind her quietly. She didn’t need to turn around to be assured that he was there. He had been there in the bright hours of morning to the burning hours of the night. Never late to escort her to her first appointment of the day and a constant until she bid him goodnight at her chamber doors. That is, other than the occasional Sunday where she would be adamant in dismissing him for the day. Even that usually didn’t work against the stubborn man.

Six years. It would be six years next month.

“Your Majesty.”

With a tight-lipped smile, Zelda nodded at a group of passing guards who stepped aside with reverently bowed heads.

“Gentlemen.”

She strained her ears just in time to hear them whisper to the man behind her and him to answer with a curt laugh. It made her walk faster. Her office was up ahead. It was an infamous stretch of hall. The queen’s office, the one they didn’t air in television shows, was quite informal. It was tucked into the deep recesses of the castle, far removed from any possibility of public interference. Due to this, the halls around it were kept bare. It was to Zelda’s preference to keep from being hounded about protocol at every waking hour. The area was inconspicuous, yet full of secret laughter, whispers, looks, touches…

“You’re nervous,” Link stated plainly, making Zelda startle at her door.

Her surprise shocked her more than his words. It was all too easy lately to fall into a mindset that lacked propriety. With her hand on the door, Zelda’s words defaulted into formality. “I beg your pardon?”

“Why are you anxious?” His voice was firm as he slipped his hand under her own to grasp the handle fully. Their eyes met and she pulled her hand away reluctantly. They shared a closeness privacy afforded that usually wasn’t possible for their stations.

After all these years, Zelda had come to learn a lot about her bodyguard. He had a ravenous appetite, a deep interest in animals, and a sweetheart of a sister who would soon graduate high school. On the other hand, he also had intellect, more connections than she could keep track of, and an insufferable loathing for not knowing.

“What did Impa say?” His tone was borderline stern, adamant in getting the information from her. It reminded Zelda distinctly of the first time there was a bomb threat on the palace premises. Thank Hylia it was a false call, but she’d never forget the look in his eye and the way he commanded her to the panic room. If she had gotten anything from that hectic event it was affirmation that he was the right man for the job.

She didn’t answer his question. Link had been equally as much in the dark as she was during their morning review of what the day would bring. It wasn’t like the Sheikah woman to leave a scheduled appointment unlabeled nor was she one to mistakenly book the queen’s time without incessant reminders. It had left them both stumped and now with the mystery meeting over she would normally brief her guard with the appropriate details. Even so, her lips did not move to explain the gap in time. Instead, she looked away from him listlessly and licked her teeth in the manner that spoke that she was thinking.

Without another word, Link opened the door to her office. Zelda paused before fully making her way inside, noting his footwork meant he wasn’t to follow her. Her eyes flicked up to his already awaiting ones, “Will you not join me?”

Link raised a brow, “Does Her Majesty require my assistance?”

“I do.”

The sound of the door closing behind them reverberated through the room. Natural light flooded through the curtains on the opposite side, revealing a modest study space that would comfortably fit the necessary duties of a queen. It was also a space that let them be properly alone.

A shiver snuck up her spine. It was a familiar feeling to be alone with him, but she’d never get used to being alone with him like this. Close enough to feel the warmth radiating from him. Close enough to feel his breath on her neck. Close enough for her imagination to become overwhelmed with thoughts that spurred need for the man behind her.

Zelda forced herself to move forward towards her desk to fluff a stack of papers. It was a needless task to draw her focus, but she didn’t want it. Dimly behind her she heard the turn of the lock flip into place and soon the warmth at her back returned to glue her feet firmly to the carpet below.

“Your Majesty,” he murmured, blowing hot air onto the back of her neck as he did. The ghost of his fingers brushed her right hip. Zelda sharply inhaled and regretted the motion entirely. She could hear the arrogant smirk on his lips. His hand took hold of her hip and traced circles. They felt like fire beneath her black pencil skirt.

Her lips parted for a warning, but relented to a breathy, “Link.”

Gentle as he always was, he pulled her into him and whispered directly into her ear. “What sort of assistance are you in need of, my queen?”

His lips followed the flush rising up her neckline: brushing, kissing, licking. It was all so slow, needing.

Zelda swallowed thickly, twisting in his grasp before glowering up at him. “You could ask nicely.”

There was a glint in his deep blue eyes, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The smile that played annoyingly on his lips begged to differ.

She made a face and knotted a hand gingerly through the blond hair on the back of his head, pulling him down. “You truly ought to learn your place, Link,” Zelda bit back a smile as her lips touched his. Then, the need was back to urge him closer. Coarse fingers inched her skirt higher. A gasp from her lips made room for him to deepen the kiss, his teeth grazing her bottom lip.

“What did she say?” He said breathlessly against her mouth as she forced his suit jacket from his body.

“You’re such an effective detective,” Zelda laughed and pressed into him. She reveled in the taunt muscles of his arms, which trapped her to the desk. Once his jacket was out of the way, she unabashedly felt up to his neckline. Link locked lips with her again and traced her backside with the curve of his palm. It caused Zelda to jump at the contact. He laughed against her lips.

“She,” Zelda breathed shallowly as her guard dipped to the crook of her neck, “She asked me about us.”

Deviously, he nipped at her skin to hear her yelp but paused to meet her eyes. The blue in his gaze danced along with his thoughts as he sized up her statement, ever so thoughtful. Strands of hair fell into his sight from her hands running wild in his locks. “What did she ask about?”

Zelda sorely missed his mouth on her body but relented by drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. The anxiety of his scrutiny and the interrogation from earlier made her hands drop from around his neck. “The gossip articles have been pushing out a narrative,” she spoke slow, speaking out thoughts she hadn’t quite sorted yet. “About the queen and her bodyguard.”

His eyes searched hers for a long moment before he answered, “Haven’t they always?”

They had. They had been since he made his first appearance to the paparazzi as her person guard. Who could blame them? Link was a handsome man. A stark contrast to Rusl, who had been in service for years before leaving for the private sector. The public had always kept an eye out for any love match for their queen and it was the perfect scandal a gossip magazine could stir up. A forbidden love, a workplace romance, they had thought of it all before.

However, Zelda and Link hadn’t always shared these private moments. There was a time where these speculations could be completely written off as nothing but. If anything, the rumors were a match to spark their secret rendezvous.

“They’re enough now that Impa had the gall to ask,” Zelda’s voice didn’t have its normal strength. “I lied to her, Link.”

Guilt and betrayal lined her words. Link knew how much she loved Impa. They shared a deep bond that not many had, and her hurt was infectious. He gathered her in his arms for an embrace, the bite of lust now smothered in place of comfort. They stood together for a long minute before Link swallowed and said weakly, “Do you want to stop?”

Do you want to stop?

A sharp ache pierced through Zelda at his question. Of course, she had thought about it. Stopping everything that had become a strange normalcy over the last two years. Her grip on his forearms tightened. It wasn’t just about the touches, the soft sighs, the sex. It was the late nights of talking about nothing and everything all at once. It was sharing an intimacy Zelda had never experienced with anybody else. It was loving and being loved with no strings attached.

“We can stop,” his voice sounded misused. “You will always be my priority, no matter what happens.”

Against all odds, she pulled him closer as her chest constrained and felt his heart beat strongly in his chest. “I’d rather not,” Zelda finally said. Link let out a breath he had been holding and buried his face in her hair. “Impa didn’t let up, but I know she thinks something is wrong,” she sighed into him. He was mindlessly drawing circles on her back.

“Do you reckon she’d tell anyone about us?”

Zelda grinned. It wasn’t often that he slipped into such casual speech. She loved it. “No, but I worry if she has noticed who else has?” She moved back to watch his face, “And I worry for you Link. I… I would never forgive myself if your life was uprooted because of m-”

Link interrupted, touching her chin with a smile. “Don’t worry about me. You worry about yourself.”

Concern was written across Zelda’s face, but she knew nothing would make him budge.

“We have to pick a different vacation spot. Aris Beach has been compromised,” she started, fixing his collar as an excuse to feel him on her fingers.

“Already on it, Zel.”

“And you need to stop looking at me like that in public.”

He smirked, “Like what?”

She had no choice but to smile. “Like that!”

For the meantime, the issue of addressing their situation was pushed aside and as always it was the Queen and her bodyguard against the world.

[mrneighbourlove]

The War of Fire: Ch 7. Stink and Filth to the Light

Zelda took a deep breath, her fist shaking at the sight of the empty cell. She was so distracted by the rescue of her daughter and the front lines that she had allowed her castle to be compromised. Again. The Princess couldn’t have escaped on her own. Turning to Impa, she spoke carefully, not wanting her voice to shake. “Impa. I want ever single entrance into the castle covered and observation by the Sheikah tribe. Every sewer entrance, gate, or window. If I can’t feel secure in my own home again than this war is already lost.”

Impa nodded, brushing her hair back to calm her nerves. The war was starting to be drawn out, and with so many failures already under Hyrule’s belt, it didn’t bold well in the Sheikah’s mind. “As you wish my queen.”

The Queen of Hyrule walked with her most trusted advisor and friend back to the war council several floors above them. When the Queen opened the doors open, the environment was somber and heavy. Generals and Commanders of various tribes loyal to Hyrule were relaying casualty reports all around the country. With Zelda having arrived, they turned their attention to her. “Report. How far have the Hasai entrenched themselves?”

“They have as of yet to find a way to reach the peaks of the Rito village your majesty. However, they’ve started a blockade and positioned archers outside. As of now, only our most skilled fliers and breach their line of attack to travel elsewhere.”

“As for us Gorons, the Hasai seem to be more than comfortable with a slow push upwards Death Mountain. We’re an effective wall my Queen, but our chief fears that if we spare too many of our brothers the Hasai could muster the strength to conquer us.”

Zelda held her hands together as she contemplated what to do regarding both tribes. “My heart goes out to the Rito and Goron people, but for now, it sounds to me that the Hasai aren’t actively massacring your people as of yet. Knight Tulilad. Have you located my husband as of yet?”

The man shook his head, fresh ash on his face. “No, my Queen. Our search brought my platoon into contact with a full Hasai army marching eastward.”

“East. That could be in the direction of either Zora’s Domain or Kakariko Village. Impa, has there been any news of fighting drawing near the village?”

“None as of yet. We are still a hidden village.”

“Then my prediction is that the Hasai will march for Zora’s Domain.” The War Council didn’t object, listening closer in on Zelda. “The Zora provide a vast amount of support and economy to the rest of Hyrule. The domain would also make a perfect dug in fortification for the Kikai Empire if they were to conquer it.”

The Zora representatives looked amongst one another. “They would have cross Lanayru wetlands and valley to reach the domain. Following this they’d have to make their way across the great bridges to reach the city. If they have the ability, they might take up a presence in the mountain areas around the Domain.” One of the Zora frowned suddenly. “Oh dear.”

“What is it?”

“There is also the consideration of the dam. If Lanyaru’s Great Spring were to be properly disrupted, then flooding would occur from every lake and river in Hyrule.”

Zelda contemplated her options, before looking to Klinge of all people. “Commander. I want you to take a garrison of Ganondorf’s forces and place them at the valley entrance in the wetlands. “After that, take what beasts, traps, and soldiers you can muster and place them at various staging areas in the Domain. I want our flanks covered.”

Klinge took a map and drew circles around key areas. He’d rather take orders from Ganondorf, but alas, Zelda was still his queen. “I can set up Beamos sentries along the valley to the domain. That will not only alert us if the Hasai choose to attack, but also slow them down.”

“Everyone… war is cruel thing. It tears at our spirits and tries to drag us down with claws of despair. But we must have hope. By standing together, we will overcome this invasion. May the spirits watch over us.” Zelda had never been overly religious in her life, despite possessing the triforce, but for the sake of her people she’d take any support she could take.

As others started to disperse, Klinge approached Impa. Both the warriors stood six feet away from each other, as if a wall of respect or disdain kept them apart. “Impa, I trust that you will keep Zelda’s security a top priority?”

“I always do. Why are you asking me this?”

“I won’t cut down the severity of the situation to you. Ganondorf could very well be dead. I failed him in that regard.” The words hung out of Klinge, making the atmosphere incredibly heavy. “Rinku failed in protecting her younger sibling from our now missing captive. What I’m trying to say is… we can’t have you fail miraculously either. Zelda is the sole face of the kingdom for now. You are her greatest protector.”

With only her eyes visible to the outside world, Impa revealed shock and genuine surprise to the undead warrior. “I didn’t expect you of all people to be so open.”

“Out of all of Ganondorf’s forces that follow him, I’m the one that you should always expect to be the most forward with you. I must ask, with all of us staying far from the castle, who will guard the children?”

“I’m going to have Sheikah agents take the younglings far from the castle and to the domain of the Great Deku Tree. They will stay safe there, hidden from the eyes of the outside world with the Korok, Kokiri and Fairies.”

“After the failure of security at the castle, I feel more at ease with this course of planning. Good luck to you.”

“In my experience, there is no thing as luck Klinge. But may your skills keep you alive.” As Klinge started to walk away, Impa added one more thought. “I do hope that Ganondorf is still alive. Despite certain aspects about the man I cannot stand, he does inspire confidence and hope in the people as king.”

“Coming from you Impa, that means something to me. I’ll see you on the field of battle.”

As Klinge left, Impa made her way to Zelda. The Queen had made her way to the nursery, calmly explaining to her children about them needing to be moved. “Think of it as a little vacation away from all the fighting. The area is very peaceful.”

Covarog took charge of nearly all the questions for his siblings. “Why can’t you stay with us momma?”

“Mother has things people to that depend on her. But I assure you, I will check on you when I can. And when the bad people are all gone, we can go back to normalcy.”

“Where’s papa momma?”

That pulled onto her heart strings, knowing that she didn’t have an answer even she wanted. “We’re still looking for him. But knowing how mighty and powerful your papa is, I’m sure he’s just waiting to make a valiant return.”

Orana held her hand up, waiting her turn. “Will big sisters be joining us?”

Zelda had to process a moment her questions before reality hit her hard. Rinku AND Leere. God knew where her gothic child was out in the chaos of Hyrule right now. The Queen had been so concentrated on the current moment that she hadn’t even considered Leere was in danger. Quickly hiding her feelings on the matter, Zelda smiled to her daughter. “Your older sisters have to help the kingdom, but don’t worry. They’re smart warriors like your papa.”

Zelda gathered her children up and scooped them up in a hug. “Listen to your elders and continue to look out for each other. I love you all very much.”

“We love you too momma.”

Kanisa started to cry, holding her mother close. “Don’t want you to go. I’m scared.”

“Oh my baby girl. It’s ok to be scared, but you have to believe in having hope as well. Hope carries us through the deepest of darkest days.” Zelda gently rubbed her daughter’s hair to sooth her.

As her children calmed down and were escorted by Sheikah, Impa patted Zelda on the back. “How are they?”

“Kanisa is still a mess, but I don’t blame her. She’s the most terrified by the situation. Impa, another thought has occurred to me. Leere is somewhere out in Hyrule. I want you to find her and bring her to safety back to the castle.” Zelda wiped a brow, the days events leaving her already exhausted. “I can’t stand the thought of losing a child on top of potentially losing my husband.”

Carefully, Impa held Zelda closely. “They aren’t lost. Not yet. I will do as you command and bring Leere back to you.”

“Thank you Impa. Thank you.”

~

Zannah carefully made her way through the sewers of Hyrule. Fisk, her loyal bodyguard, always made sure to cover her flank at all times. The smell of waste traveling from the toilets from castle town above was wrenching to the warrior princess’ nose.

Coming across a length of tunnel that could only be crossed if she were to step in a tide of filth. Taking a breath to relax, she jumped in, the gross and dank water rising up to her knees. Zannah walked through the water step by step, something thicker once in a while bumping against her leg. The waste was terrible, but all that was on her mind was how her partial failure at the castle would have her father view her.  

Behind her, Fisk tapped her shoulder, breaking her out of her intense inner thought process. “My Princess. I could have carried you.”

Zannah turned her head to Fisk, a frightening look of contempt towards her bodyguard. “I will not have anyone carry me. I can stand on my own two feet, even if that means walking through my own failures of filth.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize-”

“No, you didn’t. Think before speaking to me again.”

Wisely, he decided to keep his mouth shut, least he upset the princess once more. As they continued forward through the underground, a sound faintly echoed from down below. “What is that?”

Fisk shook his head, unsure. “I don’t know my princess.”

Getting out of the sewer water and finally onto a stone walkway, Zannah followed her ear to the sound, until, finally, she could make out a tune.

“Don’t laugh as death passes you by, for you might be the next to die. The grim reaper walks beside of thee, she comes for all, for you and me.”

Zannah was taken aback. Did monsters live down in the deepest depths of Hyrule? Truthfully, she did not want to find out. Not too far, she noticed a light source glistening down in the form of three small beams from above. “Fisk. Get us out of here.”

The man nodded, charging a bolt of fire in his hands. Once ready, he fired it off upwards, blasting the grate from its resting position. The princess could feel stares on her from the darkness of the underground. “Fisk, hurry up and make sure the coast above ground is clear. The sooner we are free of this filthy area the better.”

As the man climbed a rusty ladder to the surface, Zannah’s breath hitched. From around a corner in the distance, it was unmistakable now. A tail flicked around the corner, and peering eyes stared at her. With a shriek, she fired a bolt of fire in the direction of the spying monster. As the flame whizzed by, it illuminated the rest of the darkness. Clung to the walls were monstrous spiders and hiding in the sewer water heads of reptiles poked out with gleaming eyes. One of the Lizalfos raised an axe, hissing a warning at the Hasai.

“Princess Zannah! Hurry!”

Listening to her bodyguard and not wanting to pick a fight, she rose a temporary wall of fire with her magic to give herself time to safely keep a distance between herself and the monsters of the sewers. Rushing up the ladder, she didn’t care about the feeling of rust scraping her hands. Zannah just wanted to breath in the open air. Getting out, she threw down an explosive fireball into the sewer to scatter any who thought it would be smart to pursue her. “Fisk! Put the grate back on!”

On her command, her loyal subject picked up the metal cylinder, slamming it closed on the opening. With a quick use of concentrated fire, both the Hasai fused the grate to the earth. The princess took a few deep breaths for her adrenaline to die down, but once it did, she slowly looked around her surroundings.

The drain lead to a small hillside near a tiny fishing community. The sight had seen better days. It appeared abandoned for quite some time, with flowers and weeds growing over the area. The hillside across the river was a beautiful sight to take in, however. Lush green grass with trees marking the land and sprouting beautiful foliage. Across the river, there was even a deer eating the grass.

Fisk was heading to waters edge when he waved Zannah over. “Come your majesty. We should wash our stench away.”

“Now?” Zannah was still looking around, this time for signs of the enemy. No doubt by now the Hylians had discovered her escape. How fast could they begin their search. Did all the monsters of this land serve the king and queen? “We should make haste back to camp. The Grand Admiral will want to know that I am well and free.”

“And do you think anyone will want to see you covered in a thick stench?”

Zannah scowled, scanning the surrounding area as she thought of an excuse in her head. She none as Fisk continued.

“Take this moment to relax and to enjoy the beauty of the land.”

“Relax?”

“Yes. Just take a breath, bath in the water, and let your worries go for the moment.” Fisk carefully bathed his full body in, not taking off his clothing. “If you’d like, I can wash your clothes and keep an eye out for potential danger. You’d be alerted at the first sign of trouble.”

Zannah felt her breath hitch as she decided what to do. Finally, her sealed her decision with an iron will that would not be persuaded otherwise. “No. We have no time to enjoy the subtleties of this land. Every corner can carry an enemy. Hyrule has spies, soldiers, and monsters at their command. I will not be captured again and bring even more dishonour. Now get out of the river and move out. Consider it an order.”

Fisk watched Zannah turn her back before he could argue in his own favour. Shaking his head, he picked himself out of the water and followed her lead.

~

Seras had just returned from a scouting party towards Zora Domain. There were odd fish people in the river, but none of them had the stomach to face him or his forces in combat. Just as Bellum predicted, there was a strong fortification along the rivers path. The rocks all around the forest area and the mountains of the domain were nearly impossible to climb in the rain, and for whatever reason, the prince felt that the strong rain concentrated solely at the domain was not natural.

Returning to the camp, the prince was eager to report his findings. Once he did, that would mean he could take his army and capture the domain for himself. Opening the tent, he nearly stumbled on his words when he saw his sister. “Z-Zannah?”

His sister looked absolutely terrible. When she turned his way, Seras was able to get a waft of her, and he crunched his nose in disgust. “What the hell happened to you?”

Seras didn’t get to listen to her sister explain herself as Bellum spoke on her behalf. “It seems your sister escaped on her own accord. Must say, I am impressed. I would not have thought the forces of Hyrule to be so careless with such a high value prisoner. Perhaps our attacks have stretched them thinner than even I have foreseen. Your skill on the matter of your escape seems to be questioned, seeing how you were captured in the first place. I wonder how much luck you have left, Princess Zannah.”

Zannah flinched. It was one thing to internalize her own failure, but it was another to hear it aloud from the lips of someone else.

“Yes. But why do you smell so bad?”

“I had to escape through the sewer system. It was-”

“Zannah, that’s absolutely disgusting.” Seras sneered with his interruption. “I can’t believe you’d stoop yourself to the level of a rat.”

Zannah couldn’t hide the hurt on her face, opting to turn away. “I thought you’d be just happy to hear I escaped with my life.”

Bellum cleared his throat to bring attention back to him. “Well, it saves us the trouble of tracking you down. Prince Seras. Your report please.”

Seras narrowed his eyes at his sister, looking back to Bellum slowly. “Yes. Well, as you predicted the Zora have the support of the Hylian armies. The rocks make it incredibly difficult to climb beyond the intended boundaries leading to their capital. Along the river path they appear to have defensive towers in place.”

“As I suspected. For now, we lack sufficient aerial support to transport a large number of troops over the mountains. As much as we’ll be forced to power through their armies, there are some other options for us that can divide up their forces and ensure victory.” Bellum took out a map of Hyrule he had acquired and placed it on a war table. Taking out little blue flags, he placed them at various points. “The Hylian forces will protect these bridges with their life. The capital of the Zora appears to be unfortified itself. If they don’t want their civilians massacred, they would be smart to surrender once we cross the final bridge. There are also key hillsides that give the Hylians and Zora a range advantage on us from above. The engage the Hylians here is mandatory if we don’t want to be cut down by artillery fire. Finally, I suspect they wouldn’t be foolish enough to leave their greatest weakness unguarded here.”

Seras pointed to the blue flag at the right, instantly hooked at the word ‘weakness’ when regarding his enemy. “And what pray tell would that be?”

“According to a Hylian we captured, there is an ancient dam that holds a lagoon. This lagoon has caverns that link all the way to Lake Hylia. If this dam were to be destroyed, the water of the lagoon would flood the western border of Hryule, going so far as to even destroy castle town.”

“Then we could end this war!”

“Yes. With the fall of the Zora’s capital and Queen Zelda’s castle, I predict that the rest of Hyrule’s tribes would fall in line in servitude of the Kikai Empire.”

Zannah smelled herself, wincing. Perhaps she should have taken that bath. “And how will we split our forces?”

Taking out red flags to symbolize the Hasai, Bellum carefully divided them up. “Our main forces will march across the valley and through the bridges. At this point here they will split up to engage the encamped enemy positions.” At the far left near the ocean, Bellum placed a flag above a hilltop looking down on capital. “Here, I will fly one of our blimps with a small battalion of troops. There, we will rain down discord upon the forces of Hyrule, scattering them into confusion.”

“And, what will my position be?” There was wonder in the prince’s voice.

In turn, Bellum smiled like a parent about to reward his child. “You, Prince Seras, will have the honour of leading our forces in combat amongst the front lines. You are the face of the one who killed the Great Ganondorf. With you at the front, you will have the most combat, but also the most glory and attention on you. T0-D will destroy the dam while the majority of Hyrule’s forces are distracted with you.”

Zannah was almost afraid to ask, but she spoke up none the less. “And my position?”

“Yes. You will provide a strike force, observing the land from above on your mount. Wherever a Hasai is in need of support, you will provide it.”

“I won’t fail again.”

“I know you won’t. I can’t imagine the wrath that would fall upon you if you did. For now, rest. We shall march for victory in the morning. Dismissed.”

Zannah looked to her brother. He didn’t meet her gaze as he walked out. “Hey, Seras. Wait a minute.”

When they were outside Bellum’s tent and a good ways away, he turned his heel and slapped her across the face. “How could you! How could you dishonour us the way you did?!”

Zannah held her cheek, a red mark burning on her green skin. “I accomplished my mission! We kidnapped the girl!”

“But you were captured! A princess in chains. It’s disgraceful!”

“There are always risks, but I succeeded in my task.”

“Only for the Hylians to reclaim the girl anyways.”

The was just another piece of information to break Zannah’s pride down even more. “They what?”

“You heard me. The Hylians found the girl and rescued her from our clutches. At least when I killed Ganon he stayed dead!”

Zannah didn’t know how to reply at first. “Brother. We’re a team. You don’t need to bring me down further than I let myself down.”

“No. I don’t think so. I thought you were invincible. We are suppose to be invincible. You told me that you’d never leave me. But you showed the world that you are vulnerable. That you can be weak. You dishonour the Empire and our people by having a royal princess show our enemies that we can be defeated.”

“Brother…”

Seras sneered, turning his back on her. “You smell revolting. Go clean yourself up and get the sleep you need. I’m going to rest up so I can lead us all to victory tomorrow. I’m going to be the next Emperor that our people need.”

The prince stomped his way to his quarters, leaving Zannah feeling smaller than the ants that crawled across her boots.

________________________________________________________________

Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/615242675307905024/the-war-of-fire-ch-6-dead-hands-upon-the-earth

Next Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/621741836915130368/the-war-of-fire-ch-8-the-battle-of-zoras-domain

[shelkah-blog1]

@oftimeandtwilight​ 𝓸𝓻𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 // 𝓪𝓬𝓬𝓮𝓹𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 “𝓘𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓫𝓮 𝓰𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓵𝓵.”

   ❝ The Hero will be awake in a years time, I have to be able to guide and protect him as you deemed the role beneath you. ❞

   His answer was cold and short, a clear dismissal of the conversation as Sheik walked around the field collecting the dirks that were stuck in the ground. He slid them into their place on his thigh, back to the other as he assumed if he ignored him he’ll go away. Sheik didn’t hate his brother, it was hard to hate someone when you had so little family left, but he was disappointed in them gravely. They had been raised he same, taught the same, and Sheik had thought they’d learn to fight together. The plan had been simple, Sheik was to guard the Princess so Impa could take her place as the Sage of Shadows and his brother was to guide and protect the Hero of Time. 

   That wasn’t going to happen, and because Sheik had to fill the role that his twin vacated, Impa couldn’t protect the Shadow Temple. When she had to finally take her place as a Sage, Zelda was going to be unprotected. She had assured Sheik she would be fine but with Ganondorf searching for her he doubt that it was going to happen and he had a hard time dealing with thought. Because it was the job of a Sheikah to protect the Royal Family. 

   Their parents had given their life for that belief. They died in the battle protecting the King and Queen because they knew it was their job. Sheik missed them just as much as his brother did, he missed Impa who was off protecting Zelda, but he valued the honors of the Sheikah Warriors that he was raised on by Impa and he had a role to play. They both did. They couldn’t just choose to not do it, Hyrule would fall. 

      So he felt that the other was selfish, that he didn’t care enough about others about Hyrule that he was willing to let a cruel dictator of pure evil take control of it and burn everything that they loved. It wasn’t alright. Their destiny might be hard, the fate of the Sheikah might be cruel, their history in assisting the Royal Family might be covered in blood but he didn’t care. The Hero was innocent and he needed help, so Sheik would provide it.

   ❝ Why don’t you run off again? Since leaving is what you do best. ❞   Leaving him.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of Hyrule | Chapter 63

To Link's relief, the rest of finals week went off without further incident, and by the end of the week, Mipha's parents had made it back to Hyrule safe and sound. Summer vacation was officially in full swing, but Hyrule's Champions could not enjoy in their new found freedom, for they still had another portal to find. And with school no longer in the way, they had to dedicate themselves fully to the fast approaching war, and take every moment they had to prepare for Ganondorf's return.

When Saturday morning rolled around, the six Champions met at the edge of Lake Hylia in preparation for their trip to the Forgotten Temple. The largest lake in Hyrule and with forests that bordered one side, it offered them plenty of protection from prying eyes - Impa and Mipha’s parents, specifically - however, to their dismay, they would so learn that getting into the Forgotten Temple would be very difficult, and next to impossible to even get out.

“The entire temple is under water,” Paya informed them regretfully. “It sits in the Tanagar Canyon, just at the end to the north.”

“So,” Revali started. “Can’t you just bippity-boppity-boop us in there?”

Urbosa rolled her eyes, already exhausted with him.

Paya pursed her lips with a slight frown. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t have the same strength my grandmother has,” she reminded them.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Daruk asked.

“Well,” Paya said softly. “I mean. It could kill me. It could kill you.”

Daruk sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Right. Of course.”

“Sheikah power is not something to be messed with,” Urbosa said. “Paya has only just begun her own training. We can’t expect her to be able to do everything for us.”

“Then what’s the plan?” Revali snarled. “Borrow a sub? Rent some scuba suits? I mean, come on.” He threw his arms in the air.

“I scouted out as much of the area as I could,” Paya said. “If we need to get inside, I think ,” - she emphasized this heavily as she spoke - “there may be a way to get in from the top of the temple.”

“But?” Zelda asked.

Paya shrugged. “But, any number of things could go wrong. For starters, the temple is thousands of years old. It could be completely demolished on the inside, getting us nowhere. Or, it could very well collapse on top of us. The temple is very large, and we could be so high up that we simply fall to our deaths.”

“You mean they didn’t have elevators?” Revali muttered under his breath.

“We don’t know where the portal is,” Urbosa said. “It might not be in the temple at all.”

“I didn’t see anything around, though,” Paya said. “But, I didn’t have a lot of time to go hunting around, either.”

“Fine,” Zelda said, growing anxious. “Let’s just get there and see where the day takes us.”

Paya nodded. “It would be best if we don’t take every car, though,” she said, looking at everyone’s cars around her.

“We’re driving,” Urbosa said, indicating to Daruk. “Our cars will handle the terrain best.”

Revali whined for a moment, then hurried to Daruk’s SUV. “Shotgun!” Once he was seated inside, he waved a hand at Paya. “Sheikah’s with us.”

Urbosa frowned. “I don’t want the two of them with me,” she said, thrusting a thumb at Link and Zelda. “What if we crash and die? Then it’s my fault that the Hyrule’s only heroes are dead.” Her tone suggested this was more of an inconvenience than a genuine concern.”

“Fine,” Revali said. “Let’s go, Zelds.”

Zelda’s brows furrowed. “Zelds?” She trudged toward the car as Daruk got in behind the wheel. “I don’t like that. Don’t call me that.”

Urbosa frowned. “Please take care of her,” she shouted to Daruk. “Don’t let anyone hurt my little bird.”

Zelda turned a desperate gaze in their direction. She mouthed the words ‘help me’ before climbing into the car.

“Aw, come on, Zelds,” Revali teased. “This is the fun car. This is the car without Link.”

Link rolled his eyes. He, Mipha, and Paya followed Urbosa to her Jeep.

“And we’re the car without Revali,” Urbosa said with a playful wink.

Though the drive to the Forgotten Temple was uneventful, it was also long, and it was well after noon when they finally arrived at the canyon, crossing the bridge as the rapids raged below. Over the years, the area had turned into a bit of a tourist attraction, and there were various cars parked along the edge in dedicated lots. It wasn’t particularly busy with tourists, but there were plenty of teens and young adults enjoying their summer, challenging each other as they dove into the calmer areas, despite the clearly marked signs that warned them of such dangers. The area was meant simply as a place to sightsee. From the dedicated lots, one had a great view over Hyrule, but otherwise, that was all that seemed impressive about the canyon. None knew of the temple that seemed to sleep beneath the surface and all the history it held.

The Champions navigated away from these lots, their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary, but they found no signs of a portal. They continued their drive north, away from the more active tourists spots, and soon away from the concrete, following the makeshift dirt road that continued to follow the canyon, even up through the woods. It was likely the path was carved by other rebellious teens over the years, looking for a place to escape reality. They drove as far as they could until the brush became to dense. They stopped and stepped out, looking around them for a moment before moving deeper still into the forest.

They were about to give up their search in the woods, none eager to get lost, when they heard the screams from somewhere close by. They hurried towards the screams until they came upon four teens, just around their age. The Champions did not recognize them, likely being from another school around Hyrule, but the teens definitely recognized them as they came to their rescue.

There was no direct sign of the portal, but the Champions were not surprised to see the Bokoblins that swarmed the teens as they cowered. The creatures were quickly dispelled by the Champions, and the moment the Bokoblin broke ranks, the four teens made their desperate escape, dashing through the woods without looking back at the short battle.

When the Bokoblins were defeated, the Champions decided to press on, for surely the portal would be close. And close, it was. It came upon them quite suddenly, in fact, as they plunged seemingly through the forest floor until they landed with a thud on the hard ground. The ground, however, was sloped downward, and they continued to tumble through until they dropped once more, landing in what had to have been a small, underground room where more Bokoblins waited.

The Champions sprang into action, quickly taking out the second small troop of creatures, but their presence had not gone unnoticed. From somewhere deeper underground, more Bokoblins waited, and upon hearing the battle, they quickly came to aid their fellow soldiers.

However, the force of their attacks quickly threatened the integrity of the room they were in, and the floor began to tremble. Cracks shot up the walls and the ceiling began to crumble. Zelda shouted to her friends, urging them to cease their attacks and simply escape while they still could. It didn’t seem likely that they would be able to return to the surface from where they came, the climb much to steep, but it didn’t matter as the opening began to cave in around them. Instead, they ran further, deeper through the tunnel as it continued to move deeper underground.

They quickly outran the rest of the Bokoblins, who’s battle cries quickly turned to panic screams, which were then promptly silenced as the cave in crumbled on top of them. The Champions didn’t stop running until they reached the end of the tunnel, which promptly opened up to the wide open insides of the Forgotten Temple.

They jumped out of the tunnel as it closed up behind them from the cave in. Bits of rock and dirt followed them into the temple before the cave in ceased completely, sealing their only way out of the temple. They took a moment to catch their breaths and look around them.

In the center of the temple, they could clearly see what they had come for. The open portal pulsed threateningly, as if feeding off of the energy of the temple. Though there were no other Bokoblins in the area, it seemed entirely plausible that this was where they had come from, and were making their way to the surface to launch their attack on the nearby cities and towns. But that wasn’t all that caught their attention.

Dark purple goo seemed to cover most of the inside of the temple, coating the walls, ceiling, and various areas on the floor around them. There were puddles of water around the edges of the walls where water had seeped in over the years in various cracks in the structure. It seemed a miracle that it didn’t crumble under the pressure of the water, or that it wasn’t completely submerged in the first place, but it seemed the goo played some sort of role in preserving the temple.

Or so they first thought.

“Malice,” Zelda said. “I read about it in one of Impa's old books.”

“I'm assuming it's not good news,” Revali muttered.

“Not at all,” she said. “We can't let it touch us.”

The malice dripped down the walls, the stone hissing as it burned and crumbled away beneath it. Water began to spurt through the weakened points of the temple in the wake of the malice as it continued to drip, moving slowly down the walls and across the floor, as if determined to trap Hyrule’s Champions.

One thing was clear to them: if the malice didn’t get to them first, they would surely be killed by the collapsing temple.

[estrelatzia]

I was tagged :)

tagged @tiniest-hands-in-all-the-land , Thanks for the tag :D

a - age: Early 20's b - birthplace: somewhere on planet earth c - current time: 11h22 pm d - drink you had last: Green Tea e - easiest person to talk to: My bro and my closest friend. My bro listens to everything that interests me, even when he is not interested, so it’s always easy to talk to him. My friend always understands my situations and gives me comforting words of advice. She is so smart and funny as well! f - favourite song: I got a lot, but recently: Don’t stop me now by Queen. g - grossest memory: Can’t think of anything, my brain is probably trying to protect me from remembering awful situations?? h - horror yes or no: No! (I’m too damn paranoid) i - in love?: Nope. j - jealous of people? depends of what I guess. k - killed someone? As far as I know, no. l - love at first sight or should i walk past again? Walk past again. Love at first sight isn’t something for me. m - middle name: I don’t have any. Middle names are not something common for us. n - number of siblings: 1 o - one wish: I want a cat :o p - person i called last: My aunt. q - question you’re always asked: Probably “Can you say something in your language?” when people learn my first language is not the same as theirs or “How old are you?” from random strangers (you know, like if it was their damn business).  r - reason to smile: People and Stuff that I love. s - song you last sang: I need a hero from the Shrek. My friends were watching it yesterday and It won’t leave my head ;_;

t - time you woke up: around 10h30 am.

u - universal constant: “Bad times are just times that are bad” I guess. (Disclaimer: I am not exactly sure what an universal constant is.)

v - vacation: Disneyworld :o w - worst habit: Taking a long time to understand/read what people say...or just people. I also get strangely obsessed by some stuff, like I absolutely need to act/do something  a certain way or else it really bothers me for some reason?  (Actually I have a lot, but I’ll stop here...) x - xrays:  I got some in the past, but I don’t have them now...yeah, this question is weird. y - your favorite food: Noodles z - zodiac sign: Aquarius.

I tag (no pressure): @arma3000 , @proseandsongs , @pastel-rainbow-galaxy , @impa , @creativec0pep0d and whoever else wants to do this :D