#frenal-red

[tupperware-wizard]

And even if not a request, I drew @fernal-red's OC, Beverie.

Why? because i just wanted. That's why~~

But that's enough of OC request for now.

[forsakentoast]

Blessed Healing pt.1

Dedicated to @dinfeanoriel and @ourevergreen 

***there is mentions of blood and injury.

Seek and ye shall find. A flower amongst the rare. Blessed by the goddesses themselves, a flower with the power to heal. The Beati Sanitatem.

Finding the flower was no easy task. With little to no reports of such a rare flower, those sent in search were chasing what felt like a fantasy. As the princess’ knight fell grievously ill, hope was stretched thin. 

Until one day…

“Princess! The flower has been found!” came the response from the tired out knight. He had burst into her study room to announce the news she had been waiting to hear. “It is currently being transported here as we speak.”

“Tell me, how and where was this flower found?”

“My princess, the Gorons came stumbling across it as they were digging through Death Mountain. Did the noble thing and informed us immediately.”

Relief was written across the face of the young woman as finally her knight would be saved. 

“Were… Were there any other flowers growing nearby?” The hopeful tone shining through.

But the knight only gazed down and shook his head, “None, my princess. That is the only one to have been made known.”

Sighing, Zelda knew to expect that answer. Clearing her head, she stood from her spot and walked past the guard. “As it arrives, be sure to bring it to my quarters. The extraction must be immediate.”

With a nod, the knight waited for the princess to clear the room and went to inform the others of the order. 

-----

“Good to see you up and ready, general.”

A small smile graced the knight’s features. “You know I cannot be kept from action for so long. No sickness can keep me from my duty.”

“I guess there is no way to convince you to stay in bed for a moment longer, huh?”

A small laugh was huffed in reply.

“Do you… Are you feeling alright?”

“Never better. That flower really is blessed. I feel… so energized. Like I can take the Calamity all on my own.”

“Ha… Sure, general. As if that could ever happen. As I recall, the prophecy states that it is the duty of the princess and her knight to seal away the looming threat.”

Gathering long red hair into a low ponytail, the knight threw a look at the young woman near the doorway. “Always have to include yourself in everything, huh?”

A laugh was shared between the two as they walked side by side to do the day’s duty.

----

“If I may ask, what brings this visit to our domain, Princess Zelda.”

“King Frenal and Queen Veela, I wish to gift you the Beati Sanitatem. It seems the flower has taken a liking to the wet climate your domain brings about. It really is a shocker, seeeing as it drastically changed it preferred climate. I am sure you were aware of my scouts camping out amidst your forest?”

“And why gift it to us? A rare flower, such as this one, should have been fine in your capable hands. Have you not thought about cultivating it?”

“Cultivation was tried, my good king, but it ended in utter failure. The flower began to wither and die. It was returned to its original place in Death Mountain, but it still continued to wither. Gerudo lands also bore no favor to the flower. Rito and the Hebra region all seemed to be fine at first, but the cold just slowed down the decay.”

Turning to get the plant from her knight, Zelda presented the flower. It did not fail to pull a gasp from those present in the Zora throne room. The flower as pale as the moon and its stem as green as the greenest of jades was as lovely to look at. Even more so with the blue ethereal glow it was encompassed with. 

“With all due respect, I am aware that the good queen has been having bouts of sickness. It seems more appropriate to gift it. I have no greed to possess such a flower when I already had what I needed. Besides, my knight is in good health, thanks to the flower’s healing properties. I’m positive, my gracious queen, that  your health will be restored.”

Agreements were exchanged between the two kingdoms, and the flower was gifted. With the knowledge Zelda possessed, the petals were harvested and carefully consumed by the queen until the flower was no more. What little time was given with the flower, notes were recorded. 

Within the observations, the legends of the Zora royal family possessing the ability to heal began. 

But diverging from those legends, another being bore the power to heal.

----

Running. 

It was all that could have been done. The rain blinded both the princess her knight. Link led the way. 

Chaos reigned all throughout the land. Screams of despair echoed all around. Explosions rocked the earth and the deep panting could only fail to act as a filter for what was happening. 

It was with a false hope that Zelda arrived on time to aid her father and the castle. But all hope died off as she laid her eyes to the waste and ruins that was Castle Town. Something within told her that all was lost. Even the life of her beloved father. 

The distant, bellowing roars from the divine beasts rang from miles away also set a sense of dread that slowly confirmed her greatest fear. 

A seemingly harsh tug and pull to another direction snapped Zelda from her daze. She could only focus on her knight who led the way towards the Dueling Peaks, presumably to lead her away from danger. 

It was difficult to keep up. Trying to not trip over your own two feet and drowning out the cries of those in chaos was overwhelming. Too much to handle. And Zelda felt herself slipping, knees crashing to the ground as everything became too much. 

The rain did nothing but aid her lament. 

“Gone… They’re gone... Link...” the words were spoken with too much disbelief. As if they were unnatural to have stumbled out of her lips. “I… I failed them all. I left them all to… die… All because,” the lump in her throat made it all the more difficult to speak, “this cursed power… the birthright given to me couldn’t be h-harnessed.” And the dam broke. Tears intermingled with the rain as her sobs tried to cover the chaos happening. 

She felt consoled by her knight. Both stayed there for what felt like forever, at least it felt like it, until a pained sob broke through the depressing moment. 

Zelda and Link both looked around for the sound. Link uttered an apology and stood up from the princess, looking around. Trees obscured the vision and with the chaos still occurring, Link was on edge.

A pained grunt came and Link couldn’t help but quickly point his weapon at the direction of the source.

A young girl who looked to be the age of 12 was leaning against a tree. Blood seeped through a wound that was on her right side. Skin paling and wide brown eyes frantically looking at the young man in front of her.

“P-please,” she whispered, “Help me.” She sounded so scared. 

The young girl could only grunt in more pain as she tried to readjust herself. A hiss of pain left between gritted teeth as the wound was accidentally pressed on. Eyes fluttered open as a hand caressed her face. She took in the two people before her. Maybe they would be her salvation.

Zelda’s voice cracked as she spoke, “W-what’s your name?”

The young girl weakly responded, “Olivia.”

More soothing hands caressed her face.

“Will you help me?” came the strained reply.

“Of course. Of course.”

Zelda shared a grief stricken look with Link. The sad look in his eyes also confirmed what Zelda was thinking. This young girl was not going to make it. 

Frustration wanted to pour out of the princess. She felt helpless. Everything seemed to be left to Link. Her uttered words of comfort felt like it was the most she could do. Clenching her hands to her dress, she solemnly nodded towards the young man in front of her. 

Adjusting herself once more she looked at the girl, “Olivia, my good friend here… He can help you.”

Pained grunts came in response. But the pair gazed into her eyes, a new found hope shining in them. 

As easy as he could, Link cradled the body and made sure to rest his head upon hers. One last nod goaded him on and he began to hum. His golden hair turned ruby red and started to glow a ghostly blue light that engulfed him and the girl. 

As the light began to fade away and the red turned back to blond, the young girl could not help but send a small smile of gratitude, as her last whispered words were, “Thank you.”

There was no time to bury the dead. Link knew that. And he hated the disrespect he felt towards the young girl. With the usage of his ability in this circumstance, he felt his energy greatly drain out of his body. He felt his hold slackening but willed himself to hold on for a bit more. 

Despite the exhaustion, grief pulled harder. This young girl is around the same age as his sister. He wanted to shake those thoughts away. He tried to settle that his family is safe. That they escaped. Plucking small weed flowers and quickly cutting small branches, he made a small bouquet and laid it on top of the girl. 

She looked so peaceful. Save for the bloodstain, she appeared as if she were sleeping; without a grimace to mar her features. For now, that brought a small peace of mind. Once this was over, he would come and make sure a proper burial was given. 

He swore on his life. 

Standing up, Link wanted to stumble. The ground could not have looked more welcoming. He could have taken a nap right then and there if it hadn’t been for Zelda pulling him as she began running. They had to get out of there. They had to keep moving. 

Every step they took was one step closer to getting to where they needed to be. 

Passing through the Dueling Peaks did not ease the settling dread Zelda began to feel. To her, it felt heavier with every step they took. But she pushed through. For her and for Link. 

As soon as her steps faltered, Link pushed through at the forefront and led the way once more. 

They had to reach at least the gates of Fort Hateno. Maybe then, horses could be supplied and make the trip even faster. Regrouping and getting Zelda to safety were the top priorities.

“Watch out!”

Link tumbled to the ground with the princess in tow. He cursed himself as he realized his mistake in being so lost in thought. Whatever exhaustion clung to his weary bones were immediately forgotten as Link was now alert and awake. Taking one quick look at the princess and making sure she was okay, he did a quick sweep of the chaos in front of him. 

Fear wanted to seize his movements. Make him stop short when he saw what awaited them. Guardians littered the fields. He was lucky to have had Zelda push him out of the way of a stray shot. 

Taking one deep breath, Link immediately went to analyze the situation. Maybe they both could move within the cover of the smoke; quickly run and use some the downed guardians as cover from those who are mobile. 

Following his gaze and guessing his train of thought, Zelda spoke. “I’ll follow wherever you go. But Link… Please… Promise me that if it gets too much, leave me and save yourself. If I get hurt, save yourself.”

She was only met with a frown. 

“You are exhausted. You may do a phenomenal job at hiding it, but I can sense it. I may currently serve no use,” a glare from her knight, “but I can manage to find my way.”

She was right. Link felt exhaustion crawl up and slowly lay claim to his soul. It was times like these where he wanted to curse this power. Every time he had to use it, it severely drained his energy. He was lucky to have still been awake, especially from the task he did with the young girl beforehand.

He just had to push through. He just had to. For the sake of the-

A beep caught his attention all too late. The repercussion for the delay in reaction earned Link a shot to the leg. 

Oh how he wanted to curse out loud. Another beep later and narrowly dodging, Link hissed as he landed on his bad leg. Quickly pushing himself and ignoring the pain, he hobbled over to Zelda.

“I’m fine! Stop fussing over me!”

She quickly stood up and tackled the knight to the ground as another beam shot their way. “Over there!” she pointed to the slight right. About 26 yards or so, a legless guardian glowed an infected red, staring at their direction until it opted to whirl around in search of its next target.

“When it turns to face the opposite of that fallen wall structure, we have to make a run for it. . The smoke should play in our favor.” Looking between the guardian, Link, and the destined spot, Zelda exhaled and directed her gaze towards her knight. “Link I’m sorry to ask this… but quickly heal yourself. Now!” she hadn’t meant to be harsh, but she knew that he would have persisted on that bad leg. She silently begged for the goddess to hear her at least this once and grant her the strength to pull the weight of her companion.

All was silent once more as pained hums and grinding of the guardians. As it was over, Zelda looked him over. Visible bags became evident under his eyes as the strenuous effort to heal himself was done. Labored breathing filled both sets of ears as Link tried to gain purchase and stood. 

It was an act of mercy that the immobile guardian was looking the other way. With steeled resolve, two sets of feet sprinted and dodged behind the collapsed wall. It was in good luck too as the machine whirred back to life and was getting ready to charge another shot.

It was unfortunate to have a shift in winds. The dread in Zelda’s stomach manifested even more as black smoke obscured their vision. Infectious reds could be seen peeking out through the smoke. Some boldly shining, while others flickered about. 

It was now or never.

Hand in hand, both the princess and her knight sprinted across the field. Both were ignorant of the puddles splashing their legs, nor did they mind the slippery mud. Their sights were set on reaching the gates of Fort Hateno and a main priority was dodging guardian beams.

A burning sensation bloomed across his shoulder as he was thrown a couple feet forward. 

‘Damn guardians,’ Link cursed.

Zelda was lucky to have escaped with minor scratches and bruising here and there. That cursed blast sure did get them by surprise. Shaking her head to gather herself quickly, she saw her knight sprawled on the ground a good foot or two ahead. 

“Hylia, please!” She ran up and dragged him off. 

She thanked the heavens as another blast was sent a few seconds from where he previously laid. Plants and earth were sent flying as the beam hit, fire sparking only to be put out by the rain. 

Link was breathing heavier as the seconds passed. His shoulder was burning, he could feel something wet running down his face, and his thoughts were reeling. He looked around to ground himself. He saw Zelda give him a smile of relief. The smoke was still present. The rain still fell. And a guardian was looking right at them. A guardian was looking!

Pushing himself up and realizing that it was too late to dodge, he did the logical thing, use his body as a shield. With arms stretched and a defiant look, Link braced himself for impact. 

Sensory overload was what he felt. He barely recalled the pained gasp that left his mouth, nor did he remember how when he crashed into Zelda. Burning was felt everywhere. Pain blossomed on his chest. The wind was knocked out of him. In his daze, he did not feel his ability self-trigger; he just felt so tired. 

He had to fight.

He had to protect.

Protect.

Fight.

Protect.

He was so exhausted. Every guardian he downed was met with another looming over his head. He was not so lucky to have dodge some beams or from fires that spread just before being extinguished from the rain.

He was gasping for breath. Bleeding wounds were in greater numbers. Burns littered his body and a lucky shot found its mark on his face, leaving it exposed and tender to the touch. The glow encompassing had long left his body. There were some wounds that were half healed while plenty of others were left untouched. His ability had abandoned him, having shut itself off by his stubborn will that barely registered that it was active. He needed his energy. Stupid thing.

They were almost halfway there. He cleared the way for Zelda, he just needed a bit more. He silently begged for Hylia to give him strength to push through. None was given. The duo were outnumbered. Through the smoke, the malice-infected machines found the very targets they were sworn to protect. The ominous clacks they released soon came closer and closer

Using the Master Sword as a crutch, Link pushed himself up. Body screeched in response as painful protests were given. The dark bags under his eyes became even more pronounced, eyes a lot dimmer than earlier. Exhaustion wanted to pull him deep under. Black danced across his vision and his hearing was muffled.

“...ink… Link!” Zelda frantically called out. “Link! Save yourself! I… I can protect myself! Save yourself!”

Her cries were all but ignored as he gave himself one final push to steady himself. 

The clacks were inching closer. Closer. Closer. The red finally peaked through the smoke. It charged it self to deliver one final blast to rid of the young man staring boldly at it. 

“Save yourself!”

Her screams were shrugged off as his demeanor changed into a snarl. If this beast takes him to the grave, so be it. He wouldn’t be the only one. 

Before the beam was discharged and his fate accepted, Link felt himself shoved out of the way as the princess shouted, “No!” and a golden light shot out from her outstretched hand and into the heavens. It was a beautiful sight. All that was encompassed by it, felt a purifying energy. But just as quickly it was summoned, it just as quickly disappeared. 

He really wanted to say something. Anything. Pride swelled in his chest, he knew that for sure. Before he opened his mouth, exhaustion pulled at him and he collapsed on the ground. The impact on his battered body was not enough to garnish nothing more than just a groan. 

He was fading fast. He barely caught the regret in Zelda’s voice. As he embraced the darkness, he felt the way Zelda held him. Such tenderness. He wanted to say something once again. Staring at her, he just left. Inky darkness pulling him deeper into a void and he knew nothing.

Until a century later when he awoke.